Clothesline 277 "Will you let him in?"

“Happy Advent, you brood of vipers!” Did that shock you? Let me explain…

That’s what John the Baptist said last Sunday. He appears faithfully every year on the second Sunday of Advent to deliver a message that shocks us out of our happy holiday preparations. But take heart: at least we know he’s talking to the Pharisees and Sadducees who came out to the desert to see what he was up to…and I’ll bet they didn’t expect that! John’s message to all who came out to hear him was: Repent and return to the Lord. But unlike the ordinary people who were looking for an experience with God, John wondered about the Pharisees and Sadducees. Were they looking to join the revival or were they seeking a way to slither out of hell? We don’t know. But the message is clear: Repent for the kingdom of God is near!

Repentance is an invitation to respond to the grace and truth of God, which is ever drawing nearer to us. And it is more than a casual correcting of a few bad habits. True repentance transforms our lives and brings us back into the coming kingdom of God.

Repentance is something that makes us uncomfortable because we’re reminded that we are always in need of repentance for one thing or another. Nobody is perfect, and sometimes we might feel: what’s the point? But truth be known, grace is always knocking at the door, waiting for us to remember who we are and whose we are. Nothing is too big or too small for God to forgive…if we are repentant. What a wonderful God we have!

There was a time in my life where I looked at the Ten Commandments as a list of “dos” and “don’ts”. “Thou shalt not…” might have been emblazoned on every billboard I saw! But it wasn’t until I became an adult that I realized the true meaning of those commandments. Picture God’s laws as if they were strung together, in a circle, around you. They are meant to protect you, not to limit you. Those commandments are meant to keep the evils of world out of your life, protecting you from worldly temptations. Simple as that.

Yet, we both know that sometimes sin works its way in, and we must drop to our knees in prayer, saying, “Lord, I repent of falling away from you. Forgive me.” And with a true heart and a promise for a brighter future, God forgives us! How blessed we are!

John the Baptist brought “the kingdom of God” closer to those people who came out to hear his message. Today, the kingdom of God is at hand! He’s knocking at your door. Will you let him in?