The Custom of Jesus

Luke records that “when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him [Jesus] for a season. And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about. And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all” (Luke 4:13-15).

John’s gospel gives some indication as to how Jesus’ fame grew after returning from the wilderness temptation. During this time, he turned the water into wine at the marriage in Cana (John 2:1-12); he cleansed the temple of the money-changers at his first Passover celebration (John 2:13-25); he met with Nicodemus, a Pharisee, at night to challenge his thinking with the necessity of the new birth (John 3:1-21); he revealed himself as the Messiah to the woman at the well in Samaria (John 4:7-40); and, he healed a nobleman’s son who was at the point of death (John 4:46-54).

It is evident that the fame of Jesus grew as a result of his miracles and his teaching for “he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes” (Matthew 7:29). After these things (and, no doubt, many others not recorded for us), “he came to Nazareth…and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Isaiah.” (Luke 4:16-17).

There are two simple yet very profound observations to be made from this text. First, it was our Savior’s custom to worship God in a regular and systematic fashion. One of the Ten Commandments was “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy” (Exodus 20:8). This is the only commandment that is not repeated in the New Testament. However, the principle of regular worship was nonetheless clearly practiced by the early church’s gathering together on the first day of the week, the Lord’s Day. This was in honor of our Savior’s resurrection.

We are admonished to “hold fast the profession of our faith…not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching” (Hebrews 10:23-25). Doing so ought to be our custom, but for many believers this is not so. The idea of participating in weekly corporate worship with other believers is far from a practice that could be counted as regular for many. We need to follow the example of our Lord.

The second observation is that the word of God must be central and preeminent. Christ read from the prophet Isaiah and then expounded on the significance of the passage (Luke 4:18-21). He did not address community activities nor current national events but ministered from the Scriptures. The apostle Paul urged this same practice upon his young pastor, Timothy. “Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine” (I Timothy 4:13). This charge sets forth the reading of God’s word, teaching its precepts and principles, and the exhortation to obey it. In fact, Paul’s final charge to Timothy from prison was “preach the word” (2 Timothy 4:2).

The pattern for the believer today is to gather faithfully and regularly with other believers for the preaching and teaching of God’s word. Is this your custom? Is it the practice of your church?

The Temptation of Jesus (Part 3)

Following his baptism, the Spirit of God led Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil for forty days. There are three avenues where temptation finds access to human nature to provoke us to sin. John records these in his first epistle and all of our sins tend to find their expression through these portals. He writes “all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world” (I John 2:16). The devil thought it possible to lead Jesus to sin by tempting him in these three areas. The short answer is that he failed.

He first tempted Christ along the lust of the flesh by suggesting that our Lord turn the stones into bread to satisfy his hunger. Failing in his first attempt, Satan appealed to the lust of the eyes by showing Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. If Christ would only worship him, he could have them all. Again, the devil failed. In both instances our Lord relied on the Scriptures to overcome the temptation presented.

In his last attempt, the devil sought to stir the pride of life. “Then the devil taketh him [Jesus] up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, and saith unto him, if thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Jesus said unto him, It is written again, thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God” (Matthew 4:5-7).

Satan’s thinking was along these lines. Surey, Christ could rely on his special and unique position as the only begotten Son of God for the Father’s protection. But our Lord relied again on the Scriptures which affirm that we must not put God to the test. It did not belong to Christ to make the Father responsive to him, but to submit himself to the Father’s will.

We struggle in these same three areas that are common to all mankind, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. We are no better than our progenitors. “And when the woman [Eve] saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the furth thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat” (Genesis 3:6).   

The Lord could not sin and proved himself sinless by overcoming all three of Satan’s invitations to act independent of the Father’s will. Consequently, Jesus knows how to deliver us from temptation. “Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succor them that are tempted” (Hebrews 2:17-18; emphasis added).

Are you struggling with sin? Jesus knows how to deliver. He alone gives victory. As the old hymn says, “He breaks the power of cancelled sin and sets the prisoner free.”

The Temptation of Jesus (Part 2)

We noted previously that the Spirit of God led Jesus into the wilderness following his baptism to be tempted of the devil for forty days. The devil first tempted Christ to turn stone into bread to satisfy his hunger. This seemed a reasonable suggestion since Christ was the Son of God and had the power to do so. (Most temptations are “reasonable” suggestions!) Jesus denied himself that prerogative choosing to trust instead in his heavenly Father to meet that need.

The devil’s first temptation failed, so he moved on to a different approach. “And the devil, taking him [Jesus] up into a high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said unto him, all this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will give it. If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine” (Luke 4:5-7). He sought to entice Jesus to worship him (instead of God) by offering him the kingdoms of the world.

In the first place, the kingdoms of the world were not Satan’s to offer. He lied about this, but then the devil is the father of lies. Jesus knew this. He declared of Satan that “there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it” (John 8:44). More importantly, the Scriptures remind us that it is God that “removeth kings, and setteth up kings” (Daniel 2:21) and that “the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will” (Daniel 4:17).

Satan knew that Jesus had been sent by the Father for the express purpose of settling the debt of our sin. On the cross of Calvary, he would suffer the wrath of God that belongs to us and through his shed blood pay the price of redemption that we could not pay. Christ, indeed, would rule the world according to God’s plan, but first he must endure the cross. Jesus, having become “obedient unto death, even the death of the cross…God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess the Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:8-11).

Satan wanted Jesus to depart from the Father’s plan and by-pass the cross. This Christ would not and could not do. Jesus again showed that the way to overcome temptation is through the word of God. He responded to Satan’s invitation by quoting from the Old Testament “it is written, thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve” (Luke 4:8).

The temptation to sin though rooted in falsehood always seems reasonable. But sin always promises more than it gives, takes you farther than you want to go, keeps you longer than you want to stay, and costs you more than you are willing to pay. James warns us that “every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death” (James 1:14-15). God’s word delivers from sin. Trust it and walk in it.

The Temptation of Jesus (Part 1)

Immediately following his baptism “Jesus being full of the Holy Spirit returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being forty days tempted of the devil” (Luke 4:1-2). This temptation of the devil occurred at the very beginning of Christ’s earthly public ministry. Note that the devil is a real person, not some evil force. Many, if not most, people in our society today do not believe in a real devil. Yet the Scriptures are plain in attesting to the devil’s personhood.

During this time in the wilderness, Christ was tempted of the devil in three specific matters. The first of these temptations sought to take advantage of the Lord’s hunger, a natural physical condition following his fasting for forty days. “And in those days, he [Jesus] did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered. And the devil said unto him, if thou be the Son of God, command that this stone be made bread” (Luke 4:2-3).

There is much to learn through Christ’s encounter with the devil in this first temptation. First, the devil knew that Jesus was the Son of God. The word “if” speaks to a condition that is true. We might use the word “since” to make the statement clearer. The devil was not tempting Jesus to prove he was the Son of God, but rather to cause him to act independent of God’s will for him. The Spirit of God led him into the wilderness, and it was the Spirit’s filling that enabled him to fast those forty days.

Second, note that it is possible to sin while satisfying natural desires. Hunger is a natural condition that we all experience frequently in our lives. Yet satisfying our hunger can easily get out of hand and lead to outright gluttony if we are not careful. Sexual desires are likewise natural. However, satisfying those urges outside the boundary of marriage is sinful and condemned in Scripture. “Marriage is honorable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge” (Hebrews 13:4).

The devil will have us believe “if it feels good to do then do it”. But nothing could be farther from the truth. Christ gave the right response. “And Jesus answered him [the devil], saying, it is written, that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God” (Luke 4:4). Jesus quoted the Old Testament words of Moses to the children of Israel, Deuteronomy 8:3. The Israelites were soon to cross the river Jordan into the promised land and Moses reminded them how God fed them for forty years with manna in the wilderness.

Jesus’ example revealed that our choices are shaped by God’s word and are obeyed through the enabling of the Spirit of God in our lives. God created us with natural desires, but even these desires must be harnessed and exercised in accordance with God’s truth. Many lives and labors have been destroyed by failure to govern these natural desires rightly. The Apostle Paul acknowledged the necessity for such self-control when he likened his own preaching ministry to a race and himself a runner. He testified “I keep under my body and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached unto others, I myself should be a castaway” (I Corinthians 9:27). Our society is characterized as a people that have abandoned restraint. Such abandonment is at the root of many of society’s ills today.

The Baptism of Jesus

John the Baptist came preaching repentance as a necessary preparation for receiving the coming Messiah. Those who received his message came to be baptized as a testimony of such repentance. Yet the Scriptures record that Jesus himself came to be baptized by John even though he had no need of repentance. “Then cometh Jesus…unto John, to be baptized of him. But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? And Jesus answering said unto him, suffer it to be so now…then he [John] suffered him” (Matthew 3:13-15).

The Gospel of John further explains the significance of Jesus’ baptism. John said of his own ministry, “I baptize with water; but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not; he it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe’s latchet I am not worthy to unloose” (John 1:26-27; emphasis added). John’s ministry of baptism would reveal this one of whom he spoke. John testified “I knew him not: but that he [Christ] should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water” (John 1:30-31).

John recognized that Jesus was the Christ because he “saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him [Jesus]. And…he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. And I saw, and bare record this is the Son of God” (John 1: 32-34).

There are three attributes significant to the ministry of this one whom John was sent to reveal. First, Jesus was affirmed by the Father Himself to be the Son of God. After John baptized Jesus there came “a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:16-17). The deity of Jesus was essential to his role as the Messiah of Israel, the one who “would save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). Paul, in his Epistle to the Romans, connected Jesus’ Sonship with his resurrection from the dead, essential to the gospel of our salvation. He testified that he [Paul] had been “separated unto the gospel of God…concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was…declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead” (Romans 1:3-4).

Second, John’s baptism gave witness to the fact that Jesus is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. This baptism began at Pentecost when the promised Spirit was sent by Christ upon his disciples in Jerusalem (Acts 2:1-4). Every believer who puts their faith and trust in Jesus Christ since that day is given the gift of the Holy Spirit who dwells within them forever. This is the promise of Christ as the one who baptizes with the Holy Ghost. “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever; even the Spirit of truth” (John 14:16-17).

Finally, a third characteristic is bound up in John’s testimony at Christ’s baptism. He declared of Jesus, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). It is not possible that the “blood of bulls and goats should take away sins” (Hebrews 10:4). Only the blood of the eternal Son of God could pay the price of sin before a holy God. Is Christ Jesus your Lamb?

The Leading of the Lord

After the LORD delivered the people of Israel from Egypt, he brought them to Mount Horeb (Sinai) where he gave them his laws and statutes. It was there at Sinai where God entered into covenant with his people giving them his ten commandments. The LORD then said to Moses, “Depart, and go up hence, thou and the people which thou hast brought up out of the land of Egypt, unto the land which I swore unto Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, unto thy seed will I give it” (Exodus 33:1).

Before the people departed, God gave instruction for the construction of the tabernacle, the anointing of the priests, and the census of the people. “And on the day that the tabernacle was reared up the cloud covered the tabernacle…and at even there was as it were the appearance of fire, until the morning. So it was always: the cloud covered it by day, and the appearance of fire by night. And when the cloud was taken up from the tabernacle, then after that the children of Israel journeyed: and in the place where the cloud abode, there the children of Israel pitched their tents. At the commandment of the LORD the children of Israel journeyed, and at the commandment of the LORD they pitched: as long as the cloud abode upon the tabernacle they rested in their tents” (Numbers 9:15-18).

Would to God that we would profit from this simple example of how to respond to the leading of God! The Scriptures record for us that the people moved when God lifted the cloud and not before. When the cloud remained in place, the people rested and stayed put. “And when the cloud tarried long upon the tabernacle many days, then the children of Israel kept the charge of the LORD, and journeyed not…whether it was by day or by night that the cloud was taken up, they journeyed. Or whether it were two days, or a month, or a year, that the cloud tarried upon the tabernacle, remaining thereon, the children of Israel abode in their tents, and journeyed not: but when it was taken up, they journeyed” (Numbers 9: 19, 21-22).

God’s timing is not our timing and his ways are not our ways. We desire the Lord’s leading, but we often grow impatient when we don’t sense his guidance and direction. We are tempted to follow our own way, but by doing so we forfeit God’s blessing and his best for our lives. During those periods of time when it seems that God is silent, rest assured that he has not forgotten his child. How much better it would be if we just quietly waited for his sure leading whether it be days, months, or years. Remember, God works from the vantage point of eternity and his interest lies in the unfolding of our good for his glory in Jesus Christ. Waiting on the Lord is both right and best.

David admonishes us on how to deal with those times of uncertainty. “I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD” (Psalm 27:13-14).

Is God There?

I’m sure that every child of God has experienced a time when they longed for that confirming presence of God and yet felt very alone. Does that mean that God was not there? Do we interpret the silence as meaning that he, perhaps, does not care?

The Old Testament records the experience of a godly saint, Job, that gives us great insight into this matter. God himself testified of Job that “there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil” (Job 1:8). Even so, God permitted Satan to attack Job with the only condition that his life be spared. Consequently, Satan destroyed his flocks and herds, took the lives of his children, and plagued Job with grievous sores. Satan took all that Job had except that he spared his life according to God’s instruction. (The fact that Satan is limited by God in what he can do is a lesson in itself that should bring great comfort to the believer.)

Job’s friends were convinced that the evil occurring to him was due to his sin and that Job needed to acknowledge this to God to gain relief. After all, they were not privy to the exchange between the Lord and Satan. They saw the troubles of Job through human eyes untampered by a true knowledge of God. Job, however, maintained his innocence and throughout his suffering longed for an audience with God in order to understand what had transpired and to declare his defense. “Oh, that I knew where I might find him [God], that I might come even to his seat! I would lay my case before him and fill my mouth with arguments, I would know what he would answer me and understand what he would say to me” (Job 23:3-5).

The absence of a response from God troubled Job. Ultimately, however, he declared that though he could not sense his presence, he knew that God’s purpose was not abandoned. “Behold, I go forward, but he is not there, and backward, but I do not perceive him; on the left hand when he is working, I do not behold him; he turns to the right hand, but I do not see him. But he knows the way that I take; when he has tried me, I shall come out as gold” (Job:23:8-10). The truth of the matter is that God is not known or discerned through the senses, but by faith. Frankly, this is the problem with many modern churches. Their worship services are designed to provoke an experience rather than proclaim the word of God that gives birth to faith.

Faith does not need to feel God’s presence to know that he is there, but rests in the very character of God as revealed in his word! Believer, are you feeling alone in your circumstances? Do your prayers seem as though they are falling on deaf ears? Remember, Jesus declared “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5). When you are tempted to think you are alone, remember Christ is with you, even as he promised. When you feel that your path is insurmountable and the way forward is unknown, remember that he will never, no never, forsake you. He is unfailingly present with his children and always working to bring them through to the desired haven.

True faith never demands proof, but always rests in promises already made. When the path is rocky, and silence serves as a shroud, let this truth govern. God is teaching you to rest in what he has already said. Let his promises fill your heart with hope and your steps with strength.

Mary’s Conception

Six months after the angel, Gabriel, announced the birth of John the Baptist to Zacharias, he appeared unto Mary, Elisabeth’s cousin (Zacharias’ wife). On this occasion he would pronounce the great tidings that she would miraculously give birth to Israel’s Messiah:

“Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favor with God. And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: and he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end” (Luke 1:30-33).

In accordance with Jewish practice, Mary was only betrothed to Joseph at this time. A betrothal was legally binding and could only be voided by divorce. Even so, the marriage usually did not come until some time later, perhaps a year. Consequently, the idea that she would conceive in her womb, without the means of human procreation, led her to ask, “how shall this be, seeing I know not a man?” (Luke 1:34).

It was in response to her simple question the angel declared the miraculous nature of her conception. “The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore, also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God…For with God nothing shall be impossible” (Luke 1:35, 37). Her conception occurred just as the angel proclaimed. Matthew records “When…Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together [had sexual relations], she was found with child of the Holy Ghost” (Matthew 1:18).

Jesus was not conceived by means of an earthly human father. As Gabriel declared, He is the Son of the Highest, the Son of God. Isaiah prophesied his miraculous incarnation 700 years earlier. “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6; emphasis added).

Throughout his earthly ministry Jesus presented himself as the Son of God. The Jewish leaders took exception to his claim and “sought the more to kill him, because he…said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God” (John 5:18). Jesus is more than a prophet or a good example to follow. He is and claims to be the Son of God. His claim cannot be swept away. What will you do with Jesus?

Is Christ in My Christmas?

Luke records for us one of the most familiar passages in all the Scriptures, the birth of Christ. It begins, “And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed…And all went to be taxed, everyone into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem…to be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, begin great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn” (Luke 2:1-7).

We have in this passage the record of the very first Christmas. We continue to acknowledge this sacred event even today, over 2,000 years later. But has it retained its significance, or have we allowed it to be transformed into something very different than those early observers saw? I’m sure that there will be many gatherings on Christmas day characterized by feasts of every kind and the exchange of gifts one to another. It is, after all, the consummation of many preparations including outdoor lights, decorated trees, exhaustive shopping sprees, viewing the annual array of Christmas movies, and social gatherings of every kind packed into a very busy “holiday” season.

But Christmas is about Christ. Without Christ there is no Christmas. Yet, his name seldom surfaces as we gather around the tree to exchange gifts or around the table to share in our bounty. Let’s face it, it takes work to keep Christ in the forefront of our Christmas celebrations. The timeless message of the true Christmas and the joy of its promise, a Savior, are eclipsed by the trappings of our modern Christmas celebrations as well as the sentimental yearnings for Christmases past which are enshrined in our memories.

Luke holds that promise before us. “And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:8-11; emphasis added).

Christmas is about the birth of Jesus Christ, the Savior, and the unveiling of God’s plan of redemption for those in the bondage of sin. It is, indeed, good tidings! Have you received Christ? Is he at the center of your Christmas celebrations or is he a stranger to your festivities and looking on from the shadows?

John’s Message of Repentance

In the days immediately preceding the Lord’s earthly ministry, John the Baptist arose on the scene “preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins” (Luke 3:3). Repentance was (and still is) the necessary preparation of the heart to receive the Lord. There can be no forgiveness (remission) of sins without repentance and only the Lord can forgive sins. Luke, quoting from the prophet Isaiah, testified that this message was the very heart of John’s ministry. “The voice of one crying in the wilderness, prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth” (Luke 3:4-5).

Repentance demands a change of mind about one’s sin and results in a change of practice, a turning away from that sin. Luke gives three responses by those who heard John’s message that demonstrate the results of true repentance. The first of these responses demands contentment with enough that we might be generous with those who have need. “And the people asked him [John], saying, what shall we do then? He answereth and saith unto them, he that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise” (Luke 3:10-12).

Avarice, extreme greed, is an evil that lies near to the heart of every man. We must learn contentment. Jesus himself taught that “take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth” (Luke 12:15). Paul wrote to Timothy “the love of money is the root of all evil” (I Timothy 6:10).

The second response that John demanded was to show integrity in commerce. “Then came also the publicans to be baptized, and said unto him, Master, what shall we do? And he said unto them, exact no more than that which is appointed you” (Luke 3:12-13). The publicans were the tax collectors for the Roman government. They were required to collect a certain amount for the government, but anything above that they kept for themselves. Consequently, they often took great liberty levying taxes which far exceeded what they would remit to Rome. Taking advantage of one’s fellow man in business is a practice as old as man himself, but it is condemned by the God who made all men. “A just weight and balance are the LORD’s: all the weights of the bag are his work” (Proverbs 16:11).

The final response demanded faithfulness under authority. “And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, and what shall we do? And he said unto them, do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages” (Luke 3:14). John’s response to them required that the soldiers confine their service to the scope of their authority and that they not use their position to unjustly harm others, including plundering their belongings.

True repentance requires that we acknowledge and turn from sinful practices in our lives. “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us” (I John 1:8-10).