“From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. And Jesus … saith unto them, Follow Me” (Mathew 4:17-19).
Now’s the time. Jesus is calling you. Will you answer?
When Jesus calls us, we need to recognize that we are headed in the wrong direction. For some of us, that means looking at the mess we’ve made of our lives and turning to God for help. Others think they’re doing a great job of pleasing God by following a set of rules and must realize that trusting in their own goodness isn’t enough. Jesus calls us to lay down our sins and our self-righteousness and turn to Him. That’s the essence of repentance: to realize that we’re going the wrong way, have a change of heart, and turn to God’s way.
Jesus calls us to “believe the gospel” (Mark 1:15). What is the gospel? It’s the good news that even though we come short of God’s perfect standard, Jesus stepped in to be our Substitute and Savior. He became our Substitute on the cross, when He suffered and died to bear the punishment our sins deserve. After three days, Jesus rose from the grave to prove that God accepted His sacrifice, and that He had secured the victory over sin and death. Jesus becomes our Savior when we call out to Him, trusting that His payment for our sins was enough.
Following Jesus is the natural response of a heart that has found His love and forgiveness. He says, “Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30). Compared with the cruel master of sin, or the never-ending treadmill of performance-based religion, Jesus offers rest. He says, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” (John 10:10).
If you hear Jesus calling you, now is the time to answer. Turn to Him in repentance, confessing the things that have kept you from following God whole-heartedly. Give up any idea of making yourself “good enough” to earn God’s acceptance. Jesus says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me” (John 14:6). Call out to Him today, trusting His payment for your sin. He will forgive your sins, empower you to live a life defined by His love, joy, and peace—and give you a home in Heaven when this life is over.
“If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation … whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:9-10,13).