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‘One of the evidences of true Christians is their war against sin and their sincere repentance from it. Men who are living in perpetual repentance are the ones God uses with much greater spiritual effectiveness.
If you are humbled and
broken by your sin, not making excuses or blaming others for what you have done
– if you accept the consequences and are not angry with those disciplining you –
if you are willing to do whatever it takes to be restored, and if there is long term change in your thinking and
behavior…then your repentance is real.
You’re back on track!
But if you confess
only so you can feel better and look better – if you are angry about the
consequences – if you don’t think you would have done anything differently if
you could go back and do it over, and if you make no changes to keep from doing it again in the future, then your repentance is not real.
Regret and tears don’t
mean repentance; change does.
But where learning
from mistakes requires a change of mind set, repenting of sins requires a change of heart. All believers in Christ should become master repenters. We
are naturally good at sinning but need to get better at repenting.
Repentance is transformational. It can mark the difference between heaven or hell, joy or sorrow,
victory or defeat.
And to show you mean
business, make some bold changes. Be
willing to change unhealthy relationships, rearrange your routines, and throw
out stumbling blocks. Set up better boundaries and stronger accountability.
Stay in close fellowship with God, who loves you and wants to fill you and lead
you.
So we should daily
rely on God’s grace. Confessing our
sins is not a one-time affair. It is a lifelong daily habit. When we blow it, we should quickly confess and turn
away from it. We need to keep tender consciences before God. Not just today but
for a lifetime.
The Apostle Paul wrote
a great explanation of what true
repentance looks like. See 2 Corinthians 7:8-11 NLT.’
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