Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel. -Mark 1:14-15

One thing that everyone has from birth is an appetite. In the general sense of the word, to have an appetite for something is to desire it. Most commonly, the word appetite is associated with a desire for food. One may ask another, 'How's your appetite?' meaning, 'Are you hungry?'. Some people have large appetites. It appears that they must eat much food before their appetites are satisfied. Others have small appetites and they appear to get by with little to eat. The word appetite may also be used to refer to a hunger for a particular food. For example, 'I have lost my appetite for oysters' or 'I once did not like to eat oysters but now I have an appetite for them.'

As mentioned above, appetites for particular foods change during one's life. For example, babies start out eating bland foods. Little or no seasoning is added to their food. However, as they grow, children are offered richer, spicier foods. To go back to the bland foods is hard to do. Appetites also change because people determine to change them. Most people do not like some foods or drinks the first time they try them. Coffee is an example. Many people do not like coffee the first time they try it yet because they want to be coffee drinkers, will train themselves to like coffee. They will add milk or cream and sugar to a cup of coffee to make it more desirable to drink. In time, they will be quite content to drink it plain. However, there is at least one more reason that causes appetites to change and that is getting sick from something eaten.

One may get sick after eating some particular food for different reasons. Sometimes the sickness is not bad and after a little while it is forgotten. However, there are times when the sickness is quite discomforting. In fact, it can be so bad that it is never forgotten. There are stories of how for years a particular food had been one's favorite and then upon eating that food misery struck. It seems at the time that death would be merciful. Food poisoning itself has changed many a life. Once experienced, people are very careful what they eat from that time onward. Everything that reminds a person of what he ate that day he henceforth avoids. Not only does he not want to partake of it anymore but he cringes to see another partake fearing the worst for him.

As unsavory as it is to discuss the 'sick stomach' it is actually a good analogy of repentance. A person may live for years in sin against God. For example, the sin of unbelief. This person has fashioned in his own mind who God is and what He is like. (In reality, this is idolatry.) He goes to church (or maybe he does not according to what his imagination tells him what he can and cannot do) to please his god. If this person is a religious unbeliever, he may pray to his god, sing to and about his god and even meditate on his god. As his appetite for the spiritual appears, he feeds it that which is palatable to him. However, in order for this man to be saved and stop what he is doing something must make him want to turn from his idolatry. God, therefore, begins to work. One day, he becomes sick on his god and is repulsed by the thought of it. The Holy Ghost through conviction produces godly sorrow. This godly sorrow is the sickness. This sickness is not just a small discomforting thought either. This sickness brings with it regurgitation! God calls this repentance. Repentance means one not only is sorry that he partook of it once but any desire that he ever had for it is gone. He is purged from it. Again, using the illustration of repentance from unbelief. Now he has met the true God and realizes that for all this time he has been an unbeliever. All he ever thought about himself and his relationship with his god is vomited up. He feels shamed, deceived, and dirty. He no longer has an appetite for the past. In essence, he has been granted repentance. Once he has experienced godly sorrow (i.e. sorrow worked by God and not just worldly regret) and has come to know the truth about the true God, he does not want to go back. God has worked in his life godly sorrow (sickness), repentance (changing his mind about his belief)and faith (believing in the true God). The man himself never would have done this to himself. No one ever intends to get food poisoning in order to kill an appetite for a certain food that he loves. Neither would a man make himself sorrow after a godly sort, repent and believe on the true God. That is one reason why salvation must be a work of God. It is often that which we believe in so strongly that so separates us from God. Paul wrote to Timothy, in

II Tim 2:25-26, "In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will."

 

Last Update: 08/12/99