In the 1960s, during President John F. Kennedy’s “Camelot” administration there began a trend in politics and education to denigrate reason and logic and find answers to all problems through emotion and sentiment. Joseph Fletcher’s concept of “Situation Ethics” was popular, and even used as a study in some Judeo-Christian churches. Debate and serious inquiry gave way to polls on popular opinion.
The Judeo-Christian churches, always trying to be “relevant,” took up the same trend and abandoned hard thinking and discipline to adopt sentiment and entertainment. Judeo-Christian church growth took the place of true evangelism. Judeo-Christian church leaders became more concerned with what is practical than with what is true. The slogan became, “Do whatever works,” which meant follow whatever program fills the news, never mind that it leaves people spiritually empty and fails to produce a body of disciplined members committed to follow Yahshua. Money and time went for aerobic classes, yoga instructors, Karate instructors, entertainment and sports; and music of all kinds especially that which down grades Yahshua and Yahweh, and those who follow them.
Majestic and classic hymns gave way to short repetitive choruses accompanied by primitive rhythm.
Under the government-controlled schools, everyone is taught there are no absolutes. (The Liberal, and stupid University professors are “absolutely” sure of this claim)! This has resulted in religion being based on sentiment rather than on faith in the reveled word of Yahweh. To reach the young people, who have been indoctrinated in school to think that absolute truth is non-existent, the Judeo-Christian churches now aim at appealing to their sentiments. The music and sermons are designed, not to focus on truth, but to stir feelings. There is one church in South Carolina where the preacher and his wife place a bed on the platform in stead of the altar and make simulated love to the applause of the audience. And this they call christianity? It certainly is Judeo-Christianity but it has nothing whatsoever to do with True Christianity.
What is obvious by its omission in today’s religious mix is the one thing that was emphasized by Yahshua and His forerunner, John the Baptist. The message then was “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Whether addressing the religious hierarchy or the common man on the street, Yahshua insisted that repentance was necessary. He not only announced that Yahweh loves His Israel people, He also said “Except you repent you shall perish.” (Luke 13:3)
The first sermon of the New Covenant order was delivered by Peter at Pentecost, and his message was, “Repent and be baptized.” (Acts 2:38) According to Luke the final message of Yahshua to the apostles was that “repentance and remission of sins should be preached” to all nations. (Luke 24:47)
Biblical repentance is never motivated by mere emotion or sentiment, but is generated by a process of reason based on facts of the gospel. John the Baptizer stirred people to repentance by laying before them the facts of Yahweh”s Messiah and the judgment to be faced. Multitudes responded because there was propositional truth to reason with, and not because John’s Charisma or oratorical ability; or some band in the background playing some “jive” music to make the people “feel good.”
The Judeo-Christian preachers need to forget their books of illustrations, the tear-jerking stories form the latest book by the popular writers and their false doctrine, and concentrate on the rich gold mine of the Bible. Yahshua did tell stories; but His parables were to challenge thinking and expose truth, not to evoke sentimental feelings nor arouse emotions; and also so the jews would not know what he was saying.
His story of the two sons gives the essence of repentance. One son agreed to work in the vineyard, but never went. The other at first refused to go, and said, “I will not,” but “afterward he repented himself and went.” (Matthew 21:28-30)
The church, as the salt of the earth, should ever be exposing the sins and idolatry of society, and the enemies of both Yahweh’s people and Yahweh Himself. Instead of repudiating the pagan culture, it imitates it, tries to look like it, sound like it, and go to extremes to avoid offending it. It boldly displays the cross in conspicuous places and spends a few minutes with the communion service, but these symbolic gestures offer no challenge to the pagan world. And, of course, there are those traitors who display the so-called “Star of David,” in the background.
To a large extent we have exchanged reason for emotion and sentiment. The emphasis is on one’s experience and feelings. These may be mistaken for faith, but when circumstances change, so does the faith. Emotional exhortation may stir people to feel they are having a religious experience, but if it is not grounded in a reasoned belief in the gospel it is devoid of power, and of none effect, and is nothing but watered down judaism.
Millions now agree with Joseph Fletcher that, “Nothing is inherently good or evil.” without absolute truth and definite standards of good and evil, there is neither basis nor motivation for repentance. Then there are those who cry out the false teaching and doctrine: “God loves the sinner, but hates the sin.” This is teaching and doctrine straight from the pits of hell. This gospel is the good news of facts to be believed and understood, which requires reason, not sentiment and emotion.
Repentance can take place only when the penitent one is convinced that a wrong has been committed. This requires reason and logic, “Come now, and let us reason together, says Yahweh: though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow...” (Isaiah 1:18) Luke records that it was the apostle Paul’s custom to reason with people from the scriptures. (Acts 17:2) “So he reasoned in the synagogue with the jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with them that met him.” (Acts 17:17) He considered it his task to bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:5) The power of Yahweh to bring man to repentance is in the gospel, when understood and believed .
When “faith” is not based on reason one is led by what is felt to be right. Such feelings often result from the influences of the non-Christian world. Without objective reason, good and evil are only sentiments. If morality is based on such sentiment; how one feels about it, then there is no sense of guilt toward Yahweh and no need for repentance. The Judeo-Christian evangelists seek to get a response by arousing one’s emotions, to make people feel guilty. Watching for years the singing in the evangelistic meetings (or (sic) revivals) one can be made aware of the part the conductor or pastor was to prepare for the sermon. Although the message might be based on Biblical truth, the closing words and the invitation hymn were usually designed to appeal to emotion.
Response that is based on sentiment and emotion can hardly be considered repentance. Repentance just be based on the reality of a consciousness of sin in the face of the reality of Yahweh’s perfect nature and purpose for His creation. One may weep bitterly over some serious action that has brought grief to oneself and to others, and it might be defined as repentance, but no necessarily repentance to Yahweh. Godly repentance is a sorrow for having offended Yahweh and a reasoned change of mind and hearth. It is a change that involves all of one’s life. Not just Sunday morning or evening, but 24 hours a day 7 days a week 365 days out of the year and 366 days on Leap years.
The prodigal son of Luke 15 is a classic example of true repentance. He had torn himself away from his father and lived in pagan revelry until he realized he was in desperate circumstances. Yahshua said that he “came to himself” and began to “reason” that he was about to perish, and needed reconciliation with his father. He admitted that he had sinned and was now willing to submit to his father’s will as a humble servant. All of this was part of his change of mind, but that wasn’t all there was to his repentance. Yahshua said, “And he arose, and came to his father.” He left the pagan lifestyle, where he was feeding swine, and actually journeyed home to face whatever shame or punishment might be waiting. His father, in extreme mercy and grace, received him in love. So it shall be with Israel when she returns with all her heart and soul to Yahweh.
Repentance means that one will no longer take part in the practices of the pagan people around him; that he will separate himself from the common pagan beliefs and lifestyles of today. Turning to Yahweh our Father means turning away from the modern idols of society and seeking to please Yahweh rather than the fashion of the hour. “If any man live the world the love of the Father is not in him.” (1 John 2:15) This means that a Christian will not feel at home in the popular culture of the unbelieving world, but will be as a stranger and sojourner. (Hebrews 11:13-16; Romans 12:3)
Such a Christian might not even feel at home in the Judeo-Christian church, as many of their leaders strive to keep the church from appearing different from the world’s institutions. The person who hungers and thirsts after righteousness (Matthew 5:6) may be seen by others as a religious fanatic or oddball, but Yahshua said that he will be blessed and satisfied.
It only take s few moments of real thought for one to change his mind. As the light and salt of the world, it is the Christian’s place to serve as a Watchman and awaken our people form their jewsmedia-induced stupor and tell them the truth of Yahshua and the gospel. It is this truth that will produce repentance and make them free, free form sin, free form death, and free to live.