Generally, we repent because we did something wrong or messed up in some way. But the New Testament describes a different purpose for repentance. John the Baptist came saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:1–2).[1] Yeshua (Jesus) also preached repentance because of that coming Kingdom (Matthew 4:17). This drive for repentance is because something new is about to happen regarding the Kingdom of God.

I want to eliminate something in our minds of a passive way of relating to the Kingdom of God. As Christians we tend to think of ourselves merely as people in the world who have been saved. People become Christians because they receive the testimony of Christ or receive a healing or are touched by the power of God. Nevertheless, after becoming a Christian, they remain a part of this age. That thinking is not what Yeshua and John were talking about. Neither is that what the apostles or the seventy disciples were doing. They actually manifested the Kingdom of God (Matthew 10:1, 7–8; Luke 10:8–11). Yeshua and John were saying, “Repent, because you need to get yourself free from the influences of this age. Something new is coming, and you must be ready to step into it. But you will not be able to unless you are free.”  

When Yeshua sent out the seventy disciples, He told them, “Manifest the Kingdom! Show people that there is a different world.” Yeshua gave His disciples the powers of the Kingdom for a reason. Why cast out devils? Why have healings? Why raise people from the dead? All those expressions are meant to wake us up to the reality that the Kingdom of God is different than the natural world we know. God through Christ has delivered us out of this age and is connecting us to something different. He rescued us “and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son” (Colossians 1:13). We are not supposed to be a little different; there should be a gigantic difference. The disciples manifested the lifestyle of the Kingdom—which is health, freedom from sickness, and resurrection life (Matthew 10:8).

If the Kingdom is at hand on a new level, then it requires repentance on a new level. John chapters 16 and 17 are filled with this concept. Yeshua spoke with the Father:  

“I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one.” (John 17:14–15) 

There must be something in your spirit that takes hold of this repentance and says, “I’m tired of being bonded to this world and part of this age. I’m tired of being like everyone else, except that I have the label of being a Christian. I drop everything of this world because I am going to manifest Your Kingdom.” We proclaim the Kingdom of God by living the life, the culture, and the reality of the Kingdom. Just as the Father sent Yeshua, Yeshua is sending us (John 20:21).

Repent until you really know where you came from. Recognize that your citizenship is in heaven, and you have been placed in this world as an ambassador of the Kingdom of God (2 Corinthians 5:20). From that place comes power, anointing, and God’s presence. All these things are fundamental to who and what we are as sons of God.

[1] Unless stated otherwise, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible 1995 (NASB1995).