Repent and Believe (Jonah 3:10)

“When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it.”
– Jonah 3:10

So see this picture of the grace and the love, the mercy and the forgiveness of God. Nineveh, this great city, full of evil, sin, injustice, here’s the message finally from Jonah the reluctant profit. And the message is simple, repent. Turn to the Lord. And what do they do? They did it. They turned from their evil way, and in response, God relented of the wrath that he had spoken of bringing on the people. He relented of the disaster he had said he would do to them. Jonah 3:10 says, “They were saved by the mercy of God.” How did that happen? Through repentance, through turning from sin, through trusting in the word of God. This is the essence of the gospel.

This Verse Calls for Repentance from Sin

Anyone who turns from sin and trusts in Christ will be saved from God’s judgment and will be with Him forever. So who can you share this news with today?

How can we be saved from our sins? How can we reconcile to God? Repent and believe. Turn and trust. Turn from your sin and yourself all your efforts to save yourself and trust in Jesus as the savior and Lord of your life. Oh, if you have never done this in your life, well, I just asked you, have you done this in your life? Have you repented of your sin?

So I’m not asking if you’ve said some words. If you’ve prayed a prayer, made a decision, walked an aisle, done all kinds of religious things. I’m asking, have you repented, have you turned from your sin and yourself before God? Have you called out for him to save you from your sin? Have you put your trust in Jesus, alone as the savior of your sin and the Lord of your life? You’ve turned from yourself to him. And you’ve turned from your sin to his salvation. You’ve trusted him as the only one who can save you and lead you in your life. In other words, this is the gospel invitation.

Jonah 3:10 Encourages Trust in Jesus as Saviour

So if you’ve never done this, I invite you to do that now, like today, like right now in this moment. Repent and believe. Turn and trust in Jesus. And then when you do, make this message known to everybody around you. If they will only repent and believe, trust in Jesus as savior and Lord, they, too, can be saved from the judgment due their sin. They can be saved from eternal death. They can be saved for eternal life.

We have the greatest news in the world, so let’s proclaim it. Let’s call people today. Think about your sphere of influence today, who you will talk with today, tomorrow, in your family, in your workplace, among your friends, acquaintances that you might meet at the store, at the restaurant. Who can you share this message with today? Repent and turn and trust in Jesus. He will save you from your sins.

So this is an urgent message, and when people respond to it, they are saved from God’s judgment. Oh God, please, please use us today to make this message known. Please relent from showing your judgment upon people through their response to the gospel and our mouths today. God, please do that. Would you do that today in someone’s life around us? God, would you do that today in somebody’s life around us? Would you give us grace and courage, the power of your holy spirit to share this message with them?

Jonah 3:10 Prays for the Sharing of God’s Saving Grace

So God, help us not to be silent with this message. God, we pray that you would help us to share this message right around us, and then wherever you lead us in the world, God, we pray for the Lampung in Indonesia. We’re praying for all these people groups in Indonesia. They’re just scattered across these islands. So many of them are in their sin, not knowing the name of Jesus, the one who alone is able to save them.

So God, please send the gospel to the Lampung in Indonesia, we pray. Send missionaries there with the gospel. Raise up your church to go there with the gospel. God, we pray for the spread of this message. Above all, help us to turn from sin and believe. Repent and be forgiven of all your sin. Repent and be reconciled to God. We pray for the spread of this message among all the nations, the Lampung and God, among people right around us. Thank you, thank you, thank you for your mercy, oh God. Thank you for saving us from our sins as we turn and trust in you. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.