Repentance a restorer
Repentance is a trademark of the believer. Any person that chooses to follow after Christ must first decide to turn from their wicked ways. It is what decides the type of righteousness one has, when he repents. Repentance affects not only on an individual level, but also in the family. Bitterness and unforgiveness is the root for any family destructions, but repentance is the restorer of relationships (Mt 6:14-15). The word repent is found 93 times in the bible. It is the central cause for our prayers to be heard of God, when we turn from the things that are not pleasing before God (2 Chr7:14). It does not matter who we are in society or in the family, once we have made a conscious decision to come clean before God his saving grace comes into our homes.
Luke 19:8-10
8 And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord: Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken anything from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold. 9 And Jesus said unto him, this day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
Zac was a short or Miget, but rich chief tax collector whose curiosity instilled him to do something out of the ordinary. He had heard about Christ and now had the chance to finally meet him; Jesus was coming to his town Jerico. It was going to be impossible for Zac to see Jesus because of the crowd, so he needed to be creative. There is a saying where there is a will there is a way, and in fact God instills a will in those who love him (Phi2:13). So, Zac decided to climb a tree to surpass the height of the people in order to see Jesus. Normally climbing trees in those days was done by kids, so Zac needed to think like a child to see Jesus. Zac was touched that the master with all his fame invited himself to come to his house, that as soon as Jesus told him to come down from the tree he rushed down. Zac repented from all his wrongs without being asked to repent, because that is one of the characteristics of true repentance, recognizing oneself.
Salvation came to Zac’s house and all his family came to Jesus because of his act of repentance. In fact, like Zac a Jailor in the times of Paul the Apostle also came to Christ he and his entire family (Acts 16:31-33). The Jailor was in charge of a prison that was like a dungeon, filled with filth and stench. It was one of the most unwanted jobs to hold in those times, because of the conditions of those jails. But the impact of the word of God was so great on his life, that his entire family including his distant family believed and were baptized. Two things we can learn from Zac and the Jailor are that ones repentance is key to help in their relationship with God and that it has an impacting effect on the family.
Matthew 6:14-15
14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
2 Chronicles 7:14
14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.
Acts 16:31-33
31 They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” 32 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. 33 At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized.