Christ's Death effects our Repentance towards God !3
Something else is seen in our text from Jer 31:18-19
18 I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus; Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke:
turn thou me, and I shall be turned; for thou art the Lord my God.
19
Surely after that I was turned, I repented; and after that I was instructed, I smote upon my thigh: I was ashamed, yea, even confounded, because I did bear the reproach of my youth.
Christ's death ensures our instruction, or chastening of the Lord, our discipline !
All for whom Christ died are Sons, for He tasted death for every Son Heb 2:9-10
9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God
should taste death for every man.
10 For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things,
in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.
As Sons we all shall be instructed into the ways of Salvation, we inherit a Spiritual education which teaches us our need for Christ and His Righteousness which He has already provided for us. This is why Jesus says these words Jn 6:44-45
44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
45 It is written in the prophets,
And they shall be all taught of God. Every man or son therefore that hath heard, and
hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.
The every man here are Sons, that's why Jesus says they have learned of the Father. Also Jesus says that it has been written in the prophets about this matter, lets read where in the Prophets Isa 54:13
And all thy
children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy
children.
That word children is the word ben and means Sons ! And the word taught can be rendered instructed !
All thy Sons shall be instructed, this is what Jesus means in Jn 6:44-45, which is for every Son Christ died for.
This spiritual education and learning is what every Son must go through Heb 12:5-13
5 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:
6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?
8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.
9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?
10 For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.
11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.
12 Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;
13 And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.
All those God Loves are His Sons and He chastens them Vs 6, and this chastening begins our spiritual education. The word chasten paideuó
means :
I discipline,
educate, train, (b) more severely: I chastise.
Now this is what the Prophet means in Jer 31:19
19
Surely after that I was turned, I repented; and after that I was instructed, I smote upon my thigh: I was ashamed, yea, even confounded, because I did bear the reproach of my youth.
God brings all His Sons to this point, to smote upon their thigh, and saying denoting their acute awareness of their
sinfulness and pollution before God, results in a godly sorrow for sin !
Remember the Lords words in Lk 18:13-14
13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven,
but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
Notice how he smote upon his breast [similar to jeremiah] saying "
God be merciful to me a sinner"
Its no doubt therefore he was a Son who had to be chastened, instructed of his sinfulness, and we see the fruit of such instruction, Looking to God for Mercy, Propitiation which is through Christ !
Christ's Covenant Death shall produce this reaction or a very similar one for everyone He died for, guaranteed ! Because if they are Sons its ensured, and they are Sons if God Loved them Heb 12:6
6 For
whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receivet
The Same God and Love as in Jn 3:16, the World of His Sons !