THE MILK DOCTRINES: Repentance All scriptures are quoted from KJV unless otherwise indicated. By Mitch Kuhn This study will be the first in a series that covers the elementary principals of Christ. It is essential that we learn these doctrines and are able to teach them to others. Then we are able to move onto the "meat or deeper things of God's word while having patience with and not looking down upon those who are still on milk. Even though we are to move beyond the Milk Doctrines and go on to perfection, we never stop repenting. As we mature we should repent quickly when the Lord reveals disobedience in our lives. This is a key sign of maturity; a spirit that is easily entreated. Others around us should know that when we see the scriptures, we will tremble at God s commands and repent. The milk doctrines Milk is the first thing we eat when we are born and it helps us to grow. 1Pe 2:2 (NIV) Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation As babies start with milk physically, and then move on to solid food as they grow, so do we spiritually start with spiritual milk and then move onto spiritual meat. It is essential that babies are fed milk because it is all they can digest, and it is equally important that babies grow up and start eating solid food. As we will see in the following verse of Hebrews, we must progress beyond the milk. Heb 5:12 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. Heb 5:13 For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. Heb 5:14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. Heb 6:1 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, 1
Heb 6:2 Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. Heb 6:3 And this will we do, if God permit. Learning the basic truths of God s words seems like strong meat when you first start. We must realize that milk is good for a season, but we must not continue to live on only milk. 1Co 3:1 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. 1Co 3:2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. Repentance from Dead Works Repentance is the first step in learning God's ways and overcoming our sinful ways. The Process of Repentance: 1. We are rebuked and told to repent of our sin. 2. We see our sin and are sorrowful. 3. We turn from sin and bear fruit keeping with repentance. Rebukes and calls to repent: To repent means to change what you have been doing, to turn around, change direction. When you ve been on a long journey and suddenly you realize that you re going the wrong way, the first step to getting to your destination is to stop going the wrong way and turn around. Here are some examples of the prophets telling Israel that they are going the wrong way. Jer 25:4 And the LORD hath sent unto you all his servants the prophets, rising early and sending them; but ye have not hearkened, nor inclined your ear to hear. Jer 25:5 They said, Turn ye again now every one from his evil way, and from the evil of your doings, and dwell in the land that the LORD hath givenun to you and to your fathers for ever and ever: Jer 25:6 And go not after other gods to serve them, and to worship them, and provoke me not to anger with the works of your hands; and I will do you no hurt. 2
Eze 14:6 (NKJV) "Therefore say to the house of Israel, "Thus says the Lord GOD: "Repent (H7725), turn away (H7725) from your idols, and turn your faces away from all your abominations. Eze 18:30 (NKJV) "Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways," says the Lord GOD. "Repent, and turn from all your transgressions, so that iniquity will not be your ruin. Why can we apply things that happened to people in the Old Testament to our lives? 1Co 10:11 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples (examples): and they are written for our admonition... 1Pe 1:10 Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: 1Pe 1:12 Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into. Mat 4:4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Deu 8:3 (MKJV) And He humbled you and allowed you to hunger, and then He fed you with manna, which you did not know, neither did your fathers know it, so that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes out of the mouth of Jehovah man shall live. We then have to realize that we are sinful before we will repent. Mar 2:17 (NKJV) When Jesus heard it, He said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance." Mat 9:13b (NKJV) For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance. Why am I quoting verses from all over the Bible to explain repentance? Isa 28:10 (MKJV) For precept must be on precept, precept on precept; line on line, line on line; here a little, there a little; 3
Psa 119:160 (ESV) The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever. Read the article Rightly Dividing the Word for further explanation: http://iswasandwillbe.com/understandingbible.php The law shows us that we are disobedient. Rom 3:20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. Rom 7:7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. Paul is referring to the Law of Moses here; the 10 commandments. It is important to understand the difference between the Law of Moses and the Law of the spirit. Here is a thorough article on the subject: The Law of Moses versus the Law of the Spirit. http://iswasandwillbe.com/freefromlaw.php Sorrow precedes repentance 2Co 7:9 Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. 2Co 7:10 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. 2Co 7:11 For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter. Here is an example of repentance: 1Ki 8:46 If they sin against thee, (for there is no man that sinneth not,) and thou be angry with them, and deliver them to the enemy, so that they carry them away captives unto the land of the enemy, far or near; 1Ki 8:47 Yet if they shall bethink themselves in the land whither they were carried captives, and repent, and make supplication unto thee in the land of them that carried them captives, saying, We have sinned, and have done perversely, we have committed wickedness; 4
We readily see the need for others to repent before we see our own need to repent. This principle is demonstrated when Nathan goes to confront King David about killing Uriah to cover his sin with Bathsheba. 2Sa 12:1-9 (MKJV) And Jehovah sent Nathan to David. And he came to him and said to him, There were two men in one city, one rich and one poor. 2 The rich one had exceeding many flocks and herds, 3 but the poor one had nothing except one little ewe lamb which he had bought and nourished up. And it grew up together with him and with his sons. It ate of his own food and drank from his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was to him like a daughter. 4 And there came a traveler to the rich man, and he spared to take of His own flock and of his own herd to dress for the traveler that had come to him. But he took the poor man's lamb and dressed it for the man who had come to him. 5 And David's anger was greatly kindled against the man. And he said to Nathan, As the Lord lives, the man who has done this shall surely die. 6 And he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity. 7 And Nathan said to David, You are the man! So says Jehovah, The God of Israel, I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you out of the hand of Saul. 8 And I gave you your master's house and your master's wives into your bosom, and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah. And if that was too little, I would have given to you such and such things besides. 9 Why have you despised the Word of Jehovah, to do evil in His sight? You have stricken Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and have taken his wife to be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the sons of Ammon. 2Sa 12:13 (MKJV) And David said to Nathan, I have sinned against Jehovah. And Nathan said to David, Jehovah also has put away your sin; you shall not die. Christ says it in a different way in Matthew. Mat 7:5 (MKJV) Hypocrite! First cast the beam out of your own eye, and then you shall see clearly to cast the splinter out of your brother's eye. Here are examples of NOT repenting: Jer 8:6 (NKJV) I listened and heard, But they do not speak aright. No man repented of his wickedness, saying, What have I done? Everyone turned to his own course, as the horse rushes into the battle. 5
We blame others for our disobedience. Gen 3:9-12 (MKJV) And the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, Where are you? 10 And he said, I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I am naked, and I hid myself. 11 And He said, Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree which I commanded you that you should not eat? 12 And the man said, The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate. Why do we not repent? God uses physical senses like hearing and seeing to teach us about spiritual sight and spiritual hearing. 1Co 15:46 (MKJV) But not the spiritual first, but the natural; afterward the spiritual. Exo 4:11 (MKJV) And Jehovah said to him, Who has made man's mouth? Or who makes the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? Have not I, Jehovah? Deu 29:4 (MKJV) Yet Jehovah has not given you a heart to perceive, and eyes to see, and ears to hear, until today. Isa 6:10 (MKJV) Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn back, and be healed. For more on this topic, read the article, Strong Delusion. http://www.iswasandwillbe.com/strongdelusion.php Repentance comes before the Kingdom of God. Kingdom of God? Where is the Luk 17:21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you. The article What and Where is Heaven further explains heaven and the Kingdom of God, which is also called the Kingdom of Heaven. These terms are used interchangeably in the scriptures. http://www.iswasandwillbe.com/whatwhereheaven.php 6
What is the Kingdom of God? Rom 14:16-17 (NASB) Therefore do not let what is for you a good thing be spoken of as evil; 17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 1Co 3:16 (MKJV) Do you not know that you are a temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? Gal 5:22-23 (MKJV) But the fruit of the Spirit is: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faith, 23 meekness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Repentance prepares the way for the Kingdom of God within us. Mat 3:2-3 (MKJV) and saying, Repent, for the kingdom of Heaven is at hand. 3 For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying, "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, make His paths straight." Mar 1:15 (MKJV) and saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God draws near. Repent, and believe the gospel. Repentance leads to forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit. Act 3:19 (NKJV) Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord. Act 2:38 (NKJV) Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. How are we able to repent? 2Ti 2:25b-26 (NKJV) if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, 26 and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will. Act 5:31 (NKJV) Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. 7
Act 11:18 (ESV) When they heard these things they fell silent. And they glorified God, saying, "Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life." These are all witnesses to the following principle: Joh 6:44 (ESV) No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. Who will repent? 2Pe 3:9 (NKJV) The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. God will accomplish what he wills. Isa 46:10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure: Isa 55:11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. 1Co 15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. Remember this verse from earlier? Act 11:18 (ESV) When they heard these things they fell silent. And they glorified God, saying, "Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life." What is life? John 17:3 (NKJV) This is eternal (aionian) life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. 1Jn 2:3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. Deu 7:9 Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations; 8
What happens to those who do not repent? Rev 2:16 (ESV) Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. Rev 1:16 (ESV) In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength. Eph 6:16-17 (ESV) In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, Heb 4:12 (ESV) For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Rev 2:21-22 And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent. 22 Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds. Everyone is going to repent eventually, so when we are unrepentant, God says that he will fight against us with his word, which accomplishes his desires, and we will repent. We do not repent until we are chastened greatly with many trials. We are first hard-hearted and unrepentant. Rev 9:20 (ESV) But the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons, and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk. Rev 16:9 (ESV) And men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who has power over these plagues; and they did not repent and give Him glory. Rev 16:11 (NKJV) They blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and did not repent of their deeds. We live by every word of God (Mat 4:4, Deu 8:3). Plainly said, this means that we spiritually experience every single thing written in the Bible. For example, we are both Israel repenting of their sinful ways and the rest of 9
mankind in Rev 9 that does not repent. God has a process that he is putting all of humanity through to make them obedient children. There is an order in which this is done; some repent now and other will repent later. Here is a helpful article, How Do We Live by Every Word of God : http://www.iswasandwillbe.com/live_by_every_word_of_god.php If God has opened our eyes to the truth and is causing us to repent now, then we will be repenting until we are perfected. Relenting of our sinful ways is also called dying in the scriptures. We are dying to our old man, old ways of living and believing. Paul clearly says in the following verses that he is dying daily and has not yet attained the resurrection from the dead. In other words he still has more repenting to do. 1Co 15:31 I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily. Php 3:11-14 (MKJV) if by any means I might attain to the resurrection of the dead. 12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect, but I am pressing on, if I may lay hold of that for which I also was taken hold of by Christ Jesus. 13 My brothers, I do not count myself to have taken possession, but one thing I do, forgetting the things behind and reaching forward to the things before, 14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Refer to Milk Doctrine study Resurrection from the Dead to learn more: http://aionios.com/audio/milk-doctrine-studies After repenting and being forgiven, we are to change our actions. Mat 3:7-10 (ESV) But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, "Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not think to say to yourselves, "We have Abraham as our father.' For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Act 26:20 (ESV) but declared first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all the region of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with their repentance. 10
If you re going the wrong way down a road and you turn around to go the right direction, only to turn back around to the go the wrong direction again, you have not really repented. God will come to us again and cut us down like trees and throw us into the fire when we do not bear the good fruit of repentance. This means that he will judge us with his word fire, and purify us so that we do bear good fruit of repentance by being obedient. If you are just coming to understand the Truth of the scriptures, then you probably find all of the symbols in the scriptures a bit confusing. Trees are not really trees and being thrown into the fire is not a literal fire nor eternal hell fire as many of us has been taught by the Churches of this world. The following studies will help you learn to understand God s word: http://iswasandwillbe.com/understandingbible.php http://www.aionios.com/mp3s/mike_trythespirits_p1.mp3 http://www.aionios.com/mp3s/mike_trythespirits_p2.mp3 Repentance is the 1st step, and then comes Judgment. Mat 3:11-12 (NKJV) I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. What are dead works? Dead works are things that we do while we are dead. So who is dead, and what is death spiritually? Rom 6:23 (ESV) For the wages of sin is death... Eph 2:1-3 (ESV) Also you--being dead in the trespasses and the sins, in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience-- among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 2Co 5:14 (MKJV) For the love of Christ constrains us, judging this, that if one died for all, then all died; Heb 9:14 (ESV) how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? 11
Col 2:13 (MKJV) And you--being dead in the trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh--he made alive together with him, having forgiven you all the trespasses, What is death? Rom 8:6 For to be carnally (G5461) minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. What does it mean to be carnally minded? Gal 5:19-21 (MKJV) The acts of the sinful nature (G5461) are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. Rom 8:7-10 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. 10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. None of us are completed yet; we still dwell in bodies of flesh that are dying daily. We need one another to point out our old sinful ways that remain so we can repent and be healed. This process requires repentance. Luk 17:3 (MKJV) Take heed to yourselves. If your brother trespasses against you, Rebuke him. And if He repents, forgive him. Gal 6:1 (MKJV) Brothers, if a man is overtaken in a fault, you the spiritual ones restore such a one in the spirit of meekness, considering yourself, lest you also be tempted. Whether God shows us our sin privately or correction comes from someone in the Body of Christ, we should be easily entreated and quick to repent. Jas 3:17 (MKJV) But the wisdom that is from above is first truly pure, then peaceable, gentle, easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Pro 9:8 Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee. 12
For more on correction within the Body see Correction within the Body of Christ. http://aionios.com/video/correction As wonderful as it is to see and understand the Milk Doctrines, we cannot stay there. It is only a beginning. We must grow up and eat the MEAT of God s word. 1Co 3:1 (MKJV) And I, brothers, could not speak to you as to spiritual ones, but as to fleshly, as to babes in Christ. 1Co 3:2 I have fed you with milk and not with solid food, for you were not tet able to bear it; nor are you able even now. 1Co 3:3 For you are yet carnal. Heb 5:12-14 (MKJV) For indeed because of the time, you ought to be teachers, you have need that one teach you again what are the first principles of the oracles of God. And you have become in need of milk, and not of solid food. 13 For everyone partaking of milk is unskillful in the Word of righteousness, for he is an infant. 14 But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, even those who because of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. Heb 6:1 (ESV) Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, 13