It's a blizzard today in Denver and the white is making me think of how it is we are washed white as snow.
If repentance away from sin and toward Jesus is the game changer than what does repentance mean?
A heart convicted of sin is different then a heart repenting of sin. It's 'I know and am sad I am a sinner' vs. 'I will not continue in my way'.
Four Excerpts from Catherine Booth's: " What is Repentance" shine important clarifications on repentance and the heart:
1. "Submission is the test of true repentance. A son or daughter may be willing to do a hundred and fifty other things, but if they are not willing to submit on the one point of controversy they are rebelling and remain in that state until they yield."
2. "Many will weep like a stubborn child when they are required to do something they do not want to do. They will cry, and when the discipline is applied they will cry harder, but that does not mean they are going to do what is required. Only when a person yields or submits do they become repentant. Otherwise they are just convicted without repentance."
3. "Repentance is not strictly sorrow over sin, though it is a part of it. The most common mistake is for people to suppose they are repentant when they are not. A person may be very sorry and convicted of their wrongful ways, and all the way down to death be hugging some forbidden thing, just as the rich young ruler hugged his possessions. Repentance is neither a promise that you will forsake sin in the future. There is scarcely any kind of a sinner who does not continually promise that they will one day give up their sin and turn to God, but he does not do it."
4. "Repentance is renouncing sin, turning away from darkness to light, from the power of Satan to God through Jesus Christ. This is giving up sin in your heart, in purpose, in desire; resolving that you will hate and give up every evil course, pattern, idea....right now."
But what do we repent from?
The Law of God shines the light on what is sinful in our hearts....His Ten Commandments set boundaries we either yield to or rebel against. If we break God's law we sin ( miss the mark) and we die or must repent to get right with God again. Thankfully Jesus died for us and paid our penalty for breaking God's law in our hearts, thoughts and actions. Repentance is therefore a gift from God. The opportunity is there every second of every day....until there is no longer a chance to repent.
Could it be that the window for repentance is closing ? Could it be that a famine of God's Word is coming upon the world? Could it be that the invitation to seek after God and repent toward Jesus is almost passed? This is the single most important issue facing us all.
Here is another way of reading God's commandments toward us. Though they are rules and standards they can also be read as encouragements. If you notice, they are rules of engagement for creating healthy relationship with others, BUT all sin exists because we do the opposite of what God wants us to do.
1. Worship God alone because He is Worthy and loves you perfectly;
2. Cast away and renounce all the little gods you worship and have made for yourself that distract you and keep you from God;
3. Use God's name as a holy, special and revered name;
4. Remember God and rest on the one special day he made for you to be re-energized, encouraged, and strengthened;
5. Hold high your Dad and Mom no matter what;
6. Protect the lives of those around you by not taking their lives from them;
7. Love your spouse purely within your own marriage and protect other people's marriages through purity;
8. Earn your own possessions by working hard, and be thankful that other people do the same.
9. Always be honest and tell the truth in kindness and love when speaking about others;
10. Be thankful for what you have and appreciate that others have their own possessions. Be thankful that other people have nice things, because you love them.
The world ought to repent, and we ought to repent as a nation, and individually for removing these commandments from our schools, court houses, places of government, and from our hearts. Do we want what is good? We ought to pray that God would forgive us of the rebellion and open up our eyes to see that worshipping anything other then God is idolatry, and hating, coveting and lusting is rebellion. Pride is rebellion.
Satan fell from his place because of pride, man falls because of pride.
“Then Hezekiah humbled himself and repented of his pride, as did the people of Jerusalem. So the LORD’s anger did not fall on them during Hezekiah’s lifetime.”
2 Chronicles 32:26 NLT
““Son of man, give your people this message: The righteous behavior of righteous people will not save them if they turn to sin, nor will the wicked behavior of wicked people destroy them if they repent and turn from their sins.” Ezekiel 33:12 NLT
“Not at all! And you will perish, too, unless you repent of your sins and turn to God.”
Luke 13:3 NLT
“In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away!” Luke 15:7 NLT
“Paul said, “John’s baptism called for repentance from sin. But John himself told the people to believe in the one who would come later, meaning Jesus.””
Acts 19:4 NLT
“I have had one message for Jews and Greeks alike—the necessity of repenting from sin and turning to God, and of having faith in our Lord Jesus.”
Acts 20:21 NLT
“Yes, I am afraid that when I come again, God will humble me in your presence. And I will be grieved because many of you have not given up your old sins. You have not repented of your impurity, sexual immorality, and eagerness for lustful pleasure.”
2 Corinthians 12:21 NLT
“and who then turn away from God. It is impossible to bring such people back to repentance; by rejecting the Son of God, they themselves are nailing him to the cross once again and holding him up to public shame.”
Hebrews 6:6 NLT
“You know that afterward, when he wanted his father’s blessing, he was rejected. It was too late for repentance, even though he begged with bitter tears.”
Hebrews 12:17 NLT
“The high and lofty one who lives in eternity, the Holy One, says this: “I live in the high and holy place with those whose spirits are contrite and humble. I restore the crushed spirit of the humble and revive the courage of those with repentant hearts.”
Isaiah 57:15 NLT
A Call to Repentance- “The LORD is at the head of the column. He leads them with a shout. This is his mighty army, and they follow his orders. The day of the LORD is an awesome, terrible thing. Who can possibly survive?”
Joel 2:11 NLT
“Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God.”
Matthew 3:8 NLT
“The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.”
2 Peter 3:9 NLT
“Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
Acts 2:38 NLT
“But if you warn them to repent and they don’t repent, they will die in their sins, but you will have saved yourself.”
Ezekiel 33:9 NLT
“Zion will be restored by justice; those who repent will be revived by righteousness.”
Isaiah 1:27 NLT
““Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near. ”” Matthew 3:2 NLT
“Repent of your wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps he will forgive your evil thoughts,”
Acts 8:22 NLT
“I gave her time to repent, but she does not want to turn away from her immorality.”
Revelation 2:21 NLT
“So the disciples went out, telling everyone they met to repent of their sins and turn to God.”
Mark 6:12 NLT
“Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away.”
Acts 3:19 NLT
“And they did not repent of their murders or their witchcraft or their sexual immorality or their thefts.”
Revelation 9:21 NLT
“If a person does not repent, God will sharpen his sword; he will bend and string his bow.”
Psalms 7:12 NLT
“For after all this punishment, the people will still not repent. They will not seek the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.” Isaiah 9:13 NLT
“I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners and need to repent.”” Luke 5:32 NLT
““Therefore, tell the people of Israel, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Repent and turn away from your idols, and stop all your detestable sins.”
Ezekiel 14:6 NLT
“From then on Jesus began to preach, “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near. ””
Matthew 4:17 NLT
““The rich man replied, ‘No, Father Abraham! But if someone is sent to them from the dead, then they will repent of their sins and turn to God.’” Luke 16:30 NLT
“and they cursed the God of heaven for their pains and sores. But they did not repent of their evil deeds and turn to God.”
Revelation 16:11 NLT
““God overlooked people’s ignorance about these things in earlier times, but now he commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to him.” Acts 17:30 NLT
““The people of Nineveh will stand up against this generation on judgment day and condemn it, for they repented of their sins at the preaching of Jonah. Now someone greater than Jonah is here—but you refuse to repent.”
Matthew 12:41 NLT
“If you warn them and they refuse to repent and keep on sinning, they will die in their sins. But you will have saved yourself because you obeyed me.”
Ezekiel 3:19 NLT
“It was also written that this message would be proclaimed in the authority of his name to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem: ‘There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent.’”
Luke 24:47 NLT
“LORD, you are searching for honesty. You struck your people, but they paid no attention. You crushed them, but they refused to be corrected. They are determined, with faces set like stone; they have refused to repent.” Jeremiah 5:3 NLT
““The time promised by God has come at last!” he announced. “The Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News!”” Mark 1:15 NLT
“Then God put him in the place of honor at his right hand as Prince and Savior. He did this so the people of Israel would repent of their sins and be forgiven.”
Acts of the Apostles 5:31 NLT
“Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first. If you don’t repent, I will come and remove your lampstand from its place among the churches.”
Revelation 2:5 NLT
““Therefore, I will throw her on a bed of suffering, and those who commit adultery with her will suffer greatly unless they repent and turn away from her evil deeds.” Revelation 2:22 NLT
“Go back to what you heard and believed at first; hold to it firmly. Repent and turn to me again. If you don’t wake up, I will come to you suddenly, as unexpected as a thief.” Revelation 3:3 NLT
“Everyone was burned by this blast of heat, and they cursed the name of God, who had control over all these plagues. They did not repent of their sins and turn to God and give him glory.”
Revelation 16:9 NLT
“Gather before judgment begins, before your time to repent is blown away like chaff. Act now, before the fierce fury of the LORD falls and the terrible day of the LORD’s anger begins.”
Zephaniah 2:2 NLT
“I preached first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that all must repent of their sins and turn to God—and prove they have changed by the good things they do.”
Acts 26:20 NLT
“Now I am glad I sent it, not because it hurt you, but because the pain caused you to repent and change your ways. It was the kind of sorrow God wants his people to have, so you were not harmed by us in any way.”
2 Corinthians 7:9 NLT
““I baptize with water those who repent of their sins and turn to God. But someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not worthy even to be his slave and carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.”
Matthew 3:11 NLT
“For John the Baptist came and showed you the right way to live, but you didn’t believe him, while tax collectors and prostitutes did. And even when you saw this happening, you refused to believe him and repent of your sins.”
Matthew 21:32 NLT
“But the people who did not die in these plagues still refused to repent of their evil deeds and turn to God. They continued to worship demons and idols made of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood—idols that can neither see nor hear nor walk!" Revelation 9:20 NLT
“So watch yourselves! “If another believer sins, rebuke that person; then if there is repentance, forgive." Luke 17:3 NLT
“I take back everything I said, and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance.”” Job 42:6 NLT
“The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.” Psalms 51:17 NLT
“Recently you repented and did what was right, following my command. You freed your slaves and made a solemn covenant with me in the Temple that bears my name.” Jeremiah 34:15 NLT
“But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen your brothers.””
Luke 22:32 NLT
“You were sorry and humbled yourself before the LORD when you heard what I said against this city and its people—that this land would be cursed and become desolate. You tore your clothing in despair and wept before me in repentance. And I have indeed heard you, says the LORD.”
2 Kings 22:19 NLT
“Then Jesus began to denounce the towns where he had done so many of his miracles, because they hadn’t repented of their sins and turned to God.”
Matthew 11:20 NLT
“For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death.”
2 Corinthians 7:10 NLT
“But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.” 1 John 1:9 NLT
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