Repentance
Many people do not understand the crucial concept of repentance. Since repentance is a key part of our relationship with God, it is very important that we not only understand it, but we practice it. Repentance is much more than feeling sorry for our sins. It is a change of mind that leads to a change of behavior, so that we see fruit in our lives that comes from this change.(Matthew 3:8) If there is not fruit worthy of repentance, then there has been no true repentance.
It is not enough to get upset at ourselves for our sins. We have to stop the sin and begin doing the right thing. Then, the Holy Spirit can empower us to do it more and more until we live in the right way, not the wrong way. This occurs at salvation when we turn from all of our sins, because we decide that sin is the wrong road for our lives, so we change to trusting the Lord Jesus and doing things His way. This is part of believing. If we do not go His way, instead of our own way, we do not really trust Him. Then, it is also part of the everyday life of believers, since we are to constantly become more like Christ. We confess our sins, and the Holy Spirit cleanses us from that thing over time, so that we no longer sin in that way, but we see the fruit of doing the right thing.
Life without repentance is totally frustrating. I know repentance is not easy, but the alternative is terrible. If we do not repent and trust Christ as Lord and Savior, we end up in Hell forever. If we do trust Christ, but we fail to practice repentance, we live in stress and conflict all of the time, instead of peace. I believe Christians who do not grow in the Lord to live the right way are the most miserable people in the world because they know what to do, and the Spirit is constantly convicting them of their sins, but they fail over and over. That is very stressful to say the least. Why do that? Why not repent and experience real life in Christ?
Tomorrow, I intend to read Matthew 4-6.
It is not enough to get upset at ourselves for our sins. We have to stop the sin and begin doing the right thing. Then, the Holy Spirit can empower us to do it more and more until we live in the right way, not the wrong way. This occurs at salvation when we turn from all of our sins, because we decide that sin is the wrong road for our lives, so we change to trusting the Lord Jesus and doing things His way. This is part of believing. If we do not go His way, instead of our own way, we do not really trust Him. Then, it is also part of the everyday life of believers, since we are to constantly become more like Christ. We confess our sins, and the Holy Spirit cleanses us from that thing over time, so that we no longer sin in that way, but we see the fruit of doing the right thing.
Life without repentance is totally frustrating. I know repentance is not easy, but the alternative is terrible. If we do not repent and trust Christ as Lord and Savior, we end up in Hell forever. If we do trust Christ, but we fail to practice repentance, we live in stress and conflict all of the time, instead of peace. I believe Christians who do not grow in the Lord to live the right way are the most miserable people in the world because they know what to do, and the Spirit is constantly convicting them of their sins, but they fail over and over. That is very stressful to say the least. Why do that? Why not repent and experience real life in Christ?
Tomorrow, I intend to read Matthew 4-6.