Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said (quoting from Ps.40):
"Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,
but a body you prepared for me;
6 with burnt offerings and sin offerings
you were not pleased.
7 Then I said, `Here I am--it is written about me in the scroll--
I have come to do your will, O God.' " Hebrews10:5-7
What does it mean to turn towards God?
How should we be penitent in our relationship with Him?
The author of the letter to Hebrews singles out the key characteristic of Jesus' life that made it possible for Him to be the sinless Saviour of the world: He was willing to submit His will to the will of the Father.
When it comes to our relationship with God, this is the bottom line: Whose will is going to have the upper hand? Adam and Eve were given complete freedom with only one restriction but the serpent deceived them into exerting their own desires against God's good, pleasing and perfect will.
It's been this way ever since Adam and Eve...
Jacob deceived to get what he wanted,
Joseph boasted about his destiny,
Moses struck the rock when God asked him to speak to it,
Saul disobeyed,
David grabbed,
Solomon accumulated
and today you and I still sing the theme song of Hell: "I did it myyyyy way!"
Jesus humbled Himself and took on our humanity in submission to the Father's plan. He began His public ministry by being baptised by John (in so doing, He identified Himself with our brokenness) and heard the Father's voice: "This is my Son and in Him I am well-pleased". In the Garden of Gethsemane, just before the cross, He would pray: "Not my will, but Your will be done."
Penitence is the choice to put God first. We are second to ONE!
(Have a look at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpd749DvZeE )
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Theo Groeneveld theo@emmanuel.org.za
You can see past EmmDevs at http://emmdev.blogspot.com/
