Jesus gave his life so that we could have eternal life.

Jesus made it possible for us to attain eternal life through his death on the cross, eliminating our sins and our condemnation to death.

But there is something we must practice to be worthy of Jesus' sacrifice, which is: REPENT OF OUR SINS.

John the Baptist in his preaching made clear the need for repentance to reach the kingdom of God.

Matthew 3:2 and saying, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.

Later Jesus preached the same message:

Luke 5:31 Jesus answered them, It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Among the apostles chosen by Jesus was a publican, named Levi (Matthew), that is, a tax collector for the Roman government.

Publicans were hated by the Jews for serving the domineering Roman government and because publicans were dishonest and collected additional amounts of taxes, for their own benefit, as they received a percentage of the taxes collected.

Levi (Matthew) heard the call of Jesus, left everything and followed the Lord.

Luke 5:27 After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. Follow me, Jesus said to him, 28 and Levi got up, left everything and followed him.

Zacchaeus was another example of a publican who, when he heard the call of Jesus, welcomed him in his house with great joy and showed a true conversion there, when he promised to donate half of his possessions to the poor and pay back four times to someone he had defrauded.

Luke 19:8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.

And God's will for our lives is that there be repentance and changes in attitudes that lead to sin.

The sinful life prior to repentance must be abandoned completely, as it was for our sake that Jesus came into the world and called us to a new life beside him, where our sins are eliminated and we are called CHILDREN OF GOD.

Isaiah 1:18 Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD. Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.

So do like Matthew and Zacchaeus, leave everything and follow the Lord Jesus.

Matthew 6:33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

The Lord bless you and keep you.

Pastor Val Martins