Throughout the Bible we find the message of love, sacrifice and serving God. In the Old Testament there are many times where the people were called to repent and turn back to God. Yet the people failed time and time again because as Romans 3:23 tells us we all fall short of the glory of God. There are so many great characters in the Bible that served God and did His will, yet each one failed. Each one slipped and broke the covenant. They sinned against God.

Yet, Isaiah gives us hope of a savior. In chapter 53 we are told of the sacrifice of a servant of God who is just and righteous. We were unable to hold our covenant with God and there for God sent His only son (John 3:16) to die for our sins. Isaiah tells us of a savior that will be sent to pay the debt for us and why.
Isaiah 53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
Isaiah 53:12 Therefore I will divide the spoil with the strong, because He poured out His soul unto death, and He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

This prophecy is fulfilled when Jesus came and died for us on the Cross at Calvary.
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
1 Peter 3:10 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the spirit.
This beautiful gift that we are so undeserving of allows us to live under grace and mercy. An innocent man that was perfect and righteous suffered for us. He paid our debt for us.

However, to be saved means there has to be some changes in your life. It does not mean that we won’t struggle, slip, slide backwards or fail. But when we do these things, it should be a heavy burden. We cannot continue to willingly choose a life of sin. We must repent and turn away from sin.
James 4:8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double minded.
Repenting allows us to be cleansed by Jesus’ sacrifice. It is a turnabout. It is a change in our hearts that make us want to live for God and please Him. It makes us want to leave the heavy weight and chains of sin. We cannot serve God and the world for we cannot serve two masters. Therefor we must turn to God and repent.

Without repentance we will bear no good fruits of the spirit.
Matthew 3:8 Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance.
If we truly repent, if we truly have a change in our hearts, our lives will resemble that change. To not repent would be to make the sacrifice of Jesus null and void. It would make a mockery of his gift. To think that we could ever live a life under grace without a change in our hearts would make light of the deep love God has for us and the great sacrifice that was made.

To live a life filled with Jesus we must repent. We must turn away from sin and live a life that serves our God. We must die to ourselves daily. We must serve the one and only God and not ourselves. I pray I am always reminded of the beautiful gift, the sweet sacrifice, the precious blood that covers me and my transgressions, that I always live a life that shows fruits of God so that his sacrifice is not for nothing. I pray each of you repent and turn away from sin and to God. Live a Jesus filled life fully. May peace be with you and blessings upon you and your families. God Bless you all!