“Calling me to repentance”
Jim Palmer (divinenobodies.com), left a comment on the thread which grew from the post, "the post that never ended (a world without options)", that really spoke to me. See if it has the same effect on you…
A popular Bible verse says to, “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
Romans 12:2
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I’ve never liked the word “repent.” For me, it conjures up images of judgment, condemnation, and fear. Jesus often says in the gospels, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” For years it was troubling to me that Jesus so often used this word because it smacked of everything that repelled me about religion. But then the Spirit began to open my eyes to its true meaning and place in my journey with God.
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First I realized that Jesus could not have been using the word pointing a finger of condemnation. Jesus said in John 3:17, “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” I discovered the word “repent” (metanoia) actually means a change of mind or having a new mind. The word suggests a radical revision and transformation of our whole mental process. That “change of mind” allows God to take center place in our consciousness, in our awareness, and in our minds.
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You’re getting it if you can imagine Jesus walking into a crowd of hurting, rejected, empty, lonely, fearful, wounded, hopeless people and saying, “God’s kingdom is now within your reach! But you’ll have to undergo a change of heart and mind to grasp it.” Metanoia literally means “beyond the mind.” So it’s an idea of stretching or pushing beyond the boundaries with which we normally think and feel. For me, it has often involved pressing beyond my religious conditioning.
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Initially, Jesus “calling me to repentance” went something like this:
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“God’s kingdom is now within your reach Jim! But grasping it will push you beyond the boundaries of what you normally think and feel about yourself, God, and life. It will even call into question certain religious notions you have learned. You don’t feel deserving of the life, peace, and freedom God wants to give you. Press beyond those feelings Jim. The truth is, God loves you and freely offers all of this and more. Jim, you think and act as if your daily performance and behavior determines your good standing with God. The truth is, there’s nothing you could ever do or not do that would alter your worth, favor, and acceptance to God. Wherever you are now on the journey, you are loved and accepted by God. You feel inadequate to know and understand God and the things of God. Consider this Jim, you have the Spirit within to guide you into all truth. Pay more attention to the ways of a child and you’ll get it. You are a son of God. I was resurrected from the dead within you. When it all works right, you won’t even know where “you” end and “I” begin. It will be like the life you are living is me living in and through you. You tend to think of your separateness from God, I want you to feel and experience your oneness with God. Trust me Jim. You’re just scratching the surface. There’s more to it than you think. I’m always at my work within you. Rest in me.”
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“Metanoia” has been more of a process that an event for me, and has involved changes such as:
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• Associating my deepest feelings with the voice of truth
• Locating the source of life, love, peace, freedom, contentment, goodness, and connectedness within me
• Seeing myself and all people as sons and daughters of God and therefore my brother or sister
• Opening my heart to the spiritual dimension of all of life, regardless of how mundane or ordinary it mat seem through human eyes
• Understanding the significance and relevance of Jesus in terms much greater than I had ever realized before
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I’m sure others will have further comments to add about metanoia. Lately I’ve tended to use the word less and less because it felt like I was making too much of a concept and religion out of it. So, rather than focus on the word or concept I just allow myself to be in tune with the reality the word points to, which is akin to “marching to the beat of a different drummer.”
Bruce, thanks for sharing this one, for me it reeks of grace , truth, love, and divine intimacy. It’s one of those you need to meditate on , but thats a good thing. This is the kind of renewing of the mind that I like to hear more about. I can easily see why this spoke to you, again thanks for sharing it.
Bruce,
BEAUTIFUL post! Thank you.
This reminds me why some people are called winners in life, ie atheletes or someone else that has risen above others in anything – they think beyond the last score or song, book or race, etc. They stretch their imaginations and their physical strength beyond what has been said or done before and they win! People talk of their “calling” in life. God has called us all to LOVE which is the hardest and easiest of all. God has called ALL to see, hear, touch, smell, taste, sing, play, work, and THINK HIS call to LOVE and GRACE.
I, personally, do not live up to this Metanoia. But I do strive to get there. I thank God he loves me anyway and won’t throw me away if I don’t get it right. GRACE!! GODs Love thru Grace. That is good enough for me.
Thankyou Bruce – Because he first loved us – Sue
Metanoia literally means “beyond the mind.”
ahh this is the key that unlocks the kingdom of God within, this, in my opinion, is getting closer to the heart of the Jesus message from Jesus himself, one of identifying not with stuff about God, thoughts, beliefs and such, it is above (beyond) the mind and its thinking ways. It is beyond changing your mind even, as that itself is still more thinking/identifying.
But atleast that is a start, as we come to terms with the reality that “we are not our thoughts”(or our doctrines), as thoughts are just things that happen, things that we do, and rest in that mystical embrace that is “beyond the mind”, without form.
In Christ
I will, I won’t, I did, I didn’t, I thought, I gave up thought, I found God.
Cliff
As far as finding a God, Im not so sure, but it does seem you have attained a level of Peace in your life. Kudos.
Loved this post! I always hated the word “repent”. This post reminded me of what it is like when I realize that what it is I am doing isn’t right for me and how easy it is to recognize it and change. I am changing everyday. I am evolving into something different everyday I wake up. It is such a good feeling to free from worry and persecution. I love opening my mind up. It has brought me to such a place of peace and understanding. As said above, “That “change of mind” allows God to take center place in our consciousness, in our awareness, and in our minds.” This is exactly what has happened to me and I get goose bumps just thinking about it!
Excellent. And further proof that religious creeds which continually demand requirements of moralistic performance standards are not really the Gospel. Repent and believe was never “stop the bad things you are doing and get yourself right with God.” It was always… open your heart and mind to the awesome thing God has done through cross of Christ. Thanks Jim.
Active repentance = our effort (not worth anything with regard to God’s acceptance of us…may be helpful in our day to day living)
Passive repentace = what God does in us, what He works in us through faith (He does it, this is terrific and we are not always aware of what it is He is doing)
There sure is life filled articles here at Bold Grace.It always brings encouragement to the heart and mind.
Love in CHrist Dan
I have found that Jim P. stretches my spirit with his questions. I love his site. We don’t always share the same thinking, but I like the way he makes me see things in a different light.
Jim Palmer is one of my favorites. His book, Divine Nobodies, helped me to realize that everyone we meet is a divine nobody. And so are we. If we just take the time to look more deeply into our lives and the lives of the people we meet every day.
Jim (speaking of the word ‘metanoia’)….’allow myself to be in tune with the reality the word points to’
That reality is within us, it’s a whole new realm, as Marco says ‘above and beyond our way of thinking, and the way to get there is by heart-thinking. Metanoia can never become a religion or a concept because it is not in the realm of time and sense. One way of describing this simple process is digging deep beyond our emotions to the feeling in our hearts. This feeling that wells up within us is our true reality. In it we touch all knowledge, all power, all love, because we begin to remember who we are, from where we came and who is our Father. The ‘things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace’
Audrey,
Again I do not understand “heart-thinking”. I know you are not talking about our physical heart and that this heart you speak of must be in our brain. I just don’t know how you can separate the thinking I already am aware of to digging deeper beyond emotions fo the “feeling in our hearts”. I am at a complete loss. – Because he first loved us – Sue
Loved you comments Audrey, you are getting to the heart of the matter!
Sue, to put it plainly, it isn’t about thoughts, it isn’t even about feelings, these are things that happen, I AM is not something that happens, I AM just IS, as we realize(become conscious) of I AM as our true essence we operate in that realm that is above and beyond thoughts/feelings/doctrines etc..
Consciousness is not thinking or feeling, but thinking and feeling are(can be) expressions of.
There is that “old man” or ego, that we become aware of in the process of awakening to I AM, and that is another thread in itself,
In Christ
Marco
Marco,
When you say we operate in that realm (I AM) what is it you do that I don’t do?
Because he first loved us – Sue