Every "cross-roads" REQUIRES a choice; and choice ALWAYS requires
renunciation. Here lies the "Cross-ess of Repentance": CHOICE!
Deut 30:19 (ASV) I call heaven and earth to witness against you
this day, that I have set before thee ==>life and death, the
==>blessing and the curse: therefore ==>choose life, that thou
mayest live, thou and thy seed;
Josh 24:15 (ASV) And if it seem evil unto you to serve Jehovah,
==>choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which
your fathers served that were beyond the River, or the gods of the
Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we
will serve Jehovah.
1Kin 18:21 (ASV) And Elijah came near unto all the people, and said,
How long go ye limping ["halt"] between the two sides ["opinions"]?
==>if Jehovah be God, follow him; ==>but if Baal, then follow him.
And the people answered him not a word.
Jesus Said that John the Baptist WAS Elijah [if we would/could
"receive" it...]. And John was Given [essentially] but one Word
from the Lord to Preach and Prepare a "people" for the Coming
[Advent] of the Lord: "Repent!" In other words, "CHOOSE!"
Those who Chose [Repented] Renounced the "kingdom" of this mortal
world for the King-Dom[-inion] of the Prince Of Peace; the Lord
Of Lords and King Of Kings Himself; Messiah; The Christ, Jesus!
They were Baptised; Washed clean; Prepared, ready to Receive Him
with Joy Who Came as The NameSake [in the Name] of The Lord. As The
Object, Intention and Fulfillment [EmBodiment, or Express Manifestation]
of God's Will on Earth for man, He was also the Desired Hope of the
Ages Personified; the "Nexus" of all Time AND Eternity in One.
John illustrates the absolute necessity [even for himself, as well
as for the rest of us] of this "renunciation" at the "Cross-ess Of
Repentance" in:
John 3:30 (ASV) He must increase, but I must decrease. Here we see
a "Word-Picture" of the Cross as clearly defined as anywhere in all
of Scripture. The Choice of Messiah as Lord and King of John
Ruthlessly Requires the total renunciation of SELF! Indeed, this
"formula" is actually a "ratio-algorithm"; that is... AS the one
Proceeds, SO the other Occurs! ["AS=SO"; "IF=THEN"; "SOW="REAP"]
Jesus Points out this "Crucial" [this word comes from "crux"="cross"]
Aspect of man's Nature as God Created in him from the Beginning;
the Dominion of Free-Will... AND, it's CONSEQUENCES! He Does this
in many Ways in His Teachings; [please note "Cause = Effect"]
Luke 9:23 (ASV) And he said unto all, ==>If any man would come
after [Choose] me, ==>[then] let him deny [renounce or repent of]
himself, and take up his cross ==>daily, and [to] follow me.
Luke 14:26 (ASV) ==>If any man cometh unto me, and hateth
[renounce] not his own father, and mother, and wife, and children,
and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life [self] also, ==>[then]
he cannot be my disciple.
Luke 14:33 (ASV) So therefore whosoever he be of you that
==>renounceth not all that he hath, ==>he cannot be my disciple.
Luke 9:62 (ASV) But Jesus said unto him, No man, having ==>put
his hand to the plow [Chosen], and looking back [repenting from his
renunciation of this life, or recanting his choice], is fit for the
kingdom of God.
John 3:19 (ASV) And this is the judgment [condemnation, or
Choice], that the light [Truth, Hope, Reality] is come into the world
[or to a man], and men loved [prefer and CHOSE] the darkness rather
than [instead of] the light; [why?] for their works [fruit, nature,
heart, choices] were [of the] evil [one, which they WOULD NOT renounce].
"SELF" [as defined as "separate-from God"] is a lie! Even those that
are evil owe their current existence to God's Continued Source of
Support [Cause]. If this is a Mystery to man... well, what ELSE is
new(s)?? We "walk" amidst a deluded-illusion [I call it "maze-mire"].
Man's heart is carnal, twisted and wicked beyond his cognizance. But
God has not Abandoned man to "walk" mortality ALONE [with-out Him].
Twas by MIS-use of God's Gift [Choice] man AB-used God with contra-
Diction; and [In-Christ] it's by God's Repentance [Purchased by God's
Own Blood as per His 1-Way Covenant WITH father Abraham] man Can
Choose God AND Renounce his "life"-relationship WITH Death [Satan].
But this is ONLY Possible AT/IN/THRU the "Cross-ess Of Repentance".
BeLoved... The next time the Holy Spirit Leads you to a Cross in
your daily Circumstances [of His Engineering], and Bids you Choose
between your anger, vexation, temptation, [or ANY of the hundreds
of aspects of your yet-carnal & worldly self-flesh], or the Repentance
and the Renunciation of same for Christ's NameSake [because you Love
Him & prefer to Obey Him]... then CHOOSE! God has just Placed Life
[Eternal] and death [of self] before you. Your choice [like that of
your forefathers] is ALWAYS between the Living God... or the "Baal"
of your own "creation"; SELF!
The "Cross Of Choice" is always the renunciation ["crucifixion"] of
self. Choosing Christ is a Ruthless Business, but it is God's
Alternative; which IS YOUR SALVATION! And should you ever "think
to have arrived" [having no more NEED to Repent!]: Please remember;
the [mortal] man who no longer has need of Repentance, NEEDS NOT GOD!
As long as you "walk here below", Beloved, REPENT! For we see that
it is BY such Repentance ["DAILY"] WE ARE SAVED..... CONTINUALLY!
Matt 10:22 (ASV) And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake:
but he that ==>endureth [Abides, Remains, Continues, Waits WITH
Patience] to the end, the same ==>shall be saved.
Luke 21:19 (ASV) In your patience [same word as "endureth" above]
ye ["possess"-KJV] shall ==>win your souls.
Shall we HEAR Jesus here?; or DISMISS His Words [as "not relevant"]?
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