Relentless Love: Man Repents-God Forgives (pt. 2)

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Reflections from the Book of Jonah

The Man Who Repents

Jonah was a man, a prophet, a Hebrew, and worshipper of the LORD. The God of the heavens, who made the sea and the dry land. Though he should have felt comfort in knowing God, he felt distressed and distant. Remember, it wasn’t too long ago that Jonah heard God tell him to “get up and go” to Ninevah. Instead of following God’s directive, Jonah decided to go in the opposite direction. As he is out to sea with this crew of sailors headed to Tarshish to run away from God, a monster of a storm hits the ship. Jonah’s hide-and-seek game with God comes to an end with him being thrown over the side of the ship. The storm immediately stops and Jonah is swallowed by a big fish sent by God.

Jonah’s words both bold and proud as he spoke to the pagans on the ship, now brought low and humbled because of disobedience. This man of God wore his status and reputation as clothing on his body. But now nothing else mattered. He is must have thought,” I’m a dead man drifting.” What good are my name, my position, and my ethnicity while I’m in the body of this fish.

Seaweed Confessional

Jonah was in a physically dark place as well as a spiritually dark position. When we are separated from God by our sin, it’s like we are in the dark. The light we desire is distant, if visible at all. At this time, in his anguish, Jonah cries out to God. He finally does what he should’ve done instead of running away. The prophet begins to repent. Pride, the root of every sin, consumed him. He offered up his pride for humility. True repentance is throwing oneself upon the mercy of God.

“the entire life of believers is to be one of repentance.”

Martin Luther

What are sins?

The New City Catechism defines sin as rejecting or ignoring God in the world he created, rebelling against him by living without reference to him, not being or doing what he requires in his law – resulting in our death and disintegration of all creation.

Sin is also a medieval archery term. The archers of this time period understood it as-to miss the mark. Isn’t that what it means for us as well? Not one of us can measure up to God’s standard and keep every law. So, where does that leave us?

Why should we repent of our sins?

We don’t repent of our sins only when we get caught or when we do something others consider wrong. We repent of our sins because the more we are aware of the sin that exists in our lives, the more aware of the grace that flowed from Christ’s body on the cross. It is in the deep awareness of sin that we run to God for forgiveness. Jesus’ death on the cross becomes more real to us. 

This warning from the Book of Jonah causes me to reflect on my own life. Who have I not forgiven? What unrepentant sins have I yet to bring before my Holy God? So, I ask you…

When was the last time you repented of your sins?

Are we all just doomed from the beginning? Should we just throw up our hands in the air and give up? NO! There is hope. Like I mentioned in my previous post, whenever man acts, good or bad; God responds.

The God Who Forgives

God hears the cries of repentance from His wayward prophet. We see that Jonah realized that God wanted the throne of his heart. Jonah had to give up his idols to have access to God’s grace. His idols were blocking the grace of God in his life. God used the storms and a whale; the very nature He created to show Jonah His grace-undeserved favor. Jonah couldn’t do anything about his sin of disobedience and pride, but admit them to God.

Unconfessed sin can clog up our relationship with our Heavenly Father. Charles Spurgeon once said, “You must be divorced from your sin, or you cannot be married to Christ.”

What idols are blocking up the grace of God in your life?

There is an overarching narrative in the entirety of Scripture. Every little story points to this larger story. The Word of God taking on human flesh, to dwell among the people He created-living the perfect life no other could live, one that is free of sin (the wrong stuff we do). He would die on a bloody cross, unjustly to satisfy the debt that every person who ever lived could not. Jonah entered into darkness in the belly of a whale. Jesus entered into darkness in the belly of the earth. Both Jonah and Jesus burst forth after three days. God gave the whale acid reflux, and Jesus was raised from death-to-life through the power of the Holy Spirit.

The Great Exchange

When you believe that Jesus is the Son of God, submit your life to His authority, and ask for His forgiveness for your sins; He will forgive you and lead you out of the darkness and into living light. A light that can never be dimmed or be put out.

The same forgiveness that was offered to Jonah in the belly of a whale is offered you and me each and every day. It is God’s mercy that we see each new day. We don’t have to lie buried in the grave of guilt, and shame that sin brings, but with the power of the Holy Spirit moving in us, we too burst forth into the marvelous light.