Tag: repentance

  • Jacob Returns & Meets Esau (The Long Way Back Home Part 3; Genesis 33)

    Jacob Returns & Meets Esau (The Long Way Back Home Part 3; Genesis 33)

    In this post, I’ll be doing an in-depth analysis of Genesis 33. Here, I will pick up where I left off in May, when I wrote about Jacob’s journey back home in Genesis 32. Recall that at this point in the biblical narrative, Jacob, his wives, and his children are heading back to Canaan. While…

  • Jacob Wrestles With God

    Jacob Wrestles With God

    (The Long Way Back Home, Part Two) At the end of Genesis 31, Jacob, his wives, and his children have all officially separated from Laban, Jacob’s uncle. This separation was necessary because—as discussed in the prior post—sometimes our sanctification requires ending relationships and parting ways with family. That is because some people are not sanctifying,…

  • Jacob’s Long Way Back Home, Part One (Genesis 30:25–31:55)

    Jacob’s Long Way Back Home, Part One (Genesis 30:25–31:55)

    Last time we were in the Book of Genesis, I spoke about God’s providence in Jacob’s life. That is, at Bethel, God made a promise to Jacob before he arrived in the land of his exile. That promise (Genesis 28:13–15) told that one day he would return home. Decades later—in Genesis 31:3, which we will…

  • The Loving Father (Luke 15:11-32)

    The Loving Father (Luke 15:11-32)

    In Luke 15, Jesus tells a famous parable. Said parable tends to be best known by the name “The Prodigal Son.” I have never been fond of this title, as the more I delve into the text, the more it is evident that the central character of the story is not the returning son but…

  • Repentance is Not Behavior Change

    Repentance is Not Behavior Change

    You may or may not relate to the following hypothetical scenario: You are a believer and ascribe to the idea that repentance equals behavior change. You have a biblical understanding of what sin is, so repentance in your mind means “stop doing it,” whatever sin it is. Because genuine repentance is linked to behavior, you…