Welcome and thank you for taking a bible break to test your knowledge of God's word. This week's question:

"The fool has said in his heart, 'There is no God.'" (Psalms 14:1). On the other hand, the ones who hear the word of God with understanding and acceptance gains a faith (Romans 10:17) of the true and living God and of His Son who was sent to earth to die on the cross only to live again through the overcoming of death in the resurrection. Some think that belief in our Lord will be all that is necessary for life eternal. However, the scriptures say, "You believe that God is one. You do well, the demons believe, and shudder." (James 2:19). One might be pressed to ask, "What must one do that will separate us from the fate of the demons?"

So that brings us to our question of, "What about: Repentance?". Once we recognize that the word of God is truth as Jesus says in John 17:17, "Sanctify them in truth, Your word is truth.", then we are well on the way to fully understanding the way to that city set on a hill. Paul said in reference to the Old Testament Law, "I would not have come to know sin except through the Law." (Romans 7:7). So we too can understand that we stand in sin when we accept the Lord's pure word of truth in the New Testament Law of faith, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23). So we must face that fact that we are walking in sin at this stage,

Ephesians 2:1-3 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this World, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them too we all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature Children of wrath, even as the rest.

"If we say we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us." (1 John 1:10) When the first gospel sermon was preached on that first Pentecost after the crucifixion of Jesus, Peter convicted some of the Jews who gathered together when they heard sound of the Holy Spirit coming upon the apostles like a mighty rushing wind, (Acts 2:1-6) that they had crucified the Son of God, and being pierced to the heart, they asked, "What shall we do?" (Acts 2:36-37). Peter then said to them,

Acts 2:38-39 Peter then said to them, "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and your children and for all who Are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself."

And there is the answer to our question, we must next repent of our sins that we all have committed! To "repent " is to turn from the walk of life of sin to the new self that is pleasing to our Lord and Savior, (Colossians 3:1-17). We can be sorrowful of our sins and yet not be provoked to put on Christ, just as Judas was sorrowful for betraying the Lord to the point of throwing back the thirty pieces of silver, but his remorse was not a righteous one as he then hung himself (Matthew 27:5). Jesus says, "Abide in Me and I in you" (John 15:3), which shows that we must first abide in His word by being obedient to His word before He will abide in us, which include, not only hearing His word, not only accepting it in belief, but also repenting of our sins, for, "If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us." (1 John 1:8) Remember, those that were told to repent were also to be baptized, calling on the name of Our Lord in confession, (Romans 10:10).

Let us mirror (James 1:23-25) ourselves to the word of God and lay aside the old man of sin and put on the new man for life eternal, for as Jesus has told us, "…but unless you repent, you will likewise perish." (Luke 13:3) .