Repentance; the Need For

Chuckle: "Some days you're the bug; some days you're the windshield."

Good Thought: "An obvious indication that we have not genuinely repented is that we make excuses for our sinful behavior." --Henry Blackaby

"For God can use sorrow in our lives to help us turn away from sin and seek salvation. We will never regret that kind of sorrow. But sorrow without repentance is the kind that results in death" (2 Corinthians 7:10 NLT).

"Noah's message from the steps of the Ark was not, 'Something good is going to happen to you!' Daniel was not put into the lion's den for telling the people, 'Possibility thinking will move mountains!' John the Baptist was not forced to preach in the wilderness and eventually be beheaded because he preached, 'Smile, God loves you!' Instead, the message of all these men of God was one word: 'Repent!'" –Illustrations for Biblical Preaching; Edited by Michael P. Green

Jesus Himself, along with Biblical writers, preached repentance as a necessary step in the forgiveness of sin and receiving eternal salvation. Repentance is a word that makes us feel uncomfortable because it requires us to change our ways of thinking and acting. The word "repent" means to change direction -- stop going in one direction, do a 180 degree turn, and start going in the opposite direction. It also means to be genuinely sorry and regretful for the sin in our lives. Repentance can be a life-changing experience.

Do you see repentance as a positive or a negative word? I hope you see it as positive and comforting. Just think about it! God, in His amazing love, has cared enough to warn us of coming danger and has given us the remedy for avoiding it. Yes, repentance is necessary if we are to be born again and receive salvation through faith in Christ. But the need to repent can also be a real problem for Christians as well. If you see repentance as a negative word, you will try all sorts of other actions in order to avoid repenting. Some of the ways we avoid being genuinely repentant include, rededicating our lives to Christ; making resolutions to be more faithful to God; and being sorry for our sins, but unwilling to turn from them.

Repentance requires allowing God to do major surgery on your heart. It indicates a major and radical change in both heart and mind. It means we have come to see our sins as God sees them and we have come to agree with him about their seriousness. Repentance requires us to take specific and decisive actions to bring our lives back into the center of God's will for us -- to realign our thinking with his. Repentance requires us to change, not just have a desire to change.

In our passage, Paul warns about the dangers of having sorrow for our sins that falls short of genuine repentance. Being sorry we got caught, but not sorry for sinful action falls into this category. We can be sorry for the effects of our sins on ourselves and others but not for the sin itself. But a changed life will be the evidence that true repentance has occurred.

If you are a Christian struggling with a "pet" sin in your life that you just can't turn away from, you are in need of repentance and forgiveness. Listen to I John 1:9: "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse (purify) us from all unrighteousness." If you have a genuine desire to change your life, God will forgive you, cleanse you, and give you strength to overcome that stronghold Satan has in your life. Repentance is key to a victorious life in Christ!

Love, Jerry & Dotse