Repent ye for the
kingdom of heaven is at hand. – Matthew 3:22
Repentance
is the second step to our journey to salvation. It is second to believing that
God exist. Repentance is being described just like as cutting the navel of a
newborn baby. The navel is what draws the baby’s connection to its mother in
order to get its nutrients.
When
we still do not know God, we are being supplemented by the knowledge that comes
from the sinful, fallen and imperfect world we are in, and in there we
inherited our sinful nature.
Cutting
our navel as newborn Christians means cutting or breaking our connection to our
old nature and closing doors to the world we know. In Isaiah 10:15, God also
called Israel to repentance when He say, “returning and rest.”
Charles
Spurgeon described repentance as “a discovery of the evil of sin, a mourning
that we have committed it, a resolution to forsake it. It is in fact,” Spurgeon
said, “a change of mind of a very deep and practical character, which makes the
man love what once he hated, and hated what once he loved.”
Repentance
is not just a change of mind but a changed of feelings towards sin.
Christianity without Repentance is not Christianity.
In his book, How to Make a Lucrative Career out of
Profound Service, pp. 12-13, Ryan Eliason, well-known author and founder of
Visionary Business School, wrote “Through
the pain I found a love that was deeper and more all encompassing than I had
ever experienced in my entire life.” In this context he narrates how
dramatically his life changes after one encounter that gives him a heart
breaking point and a deep and meaningful realization in life- that he is here
for a reason, and that is his purpose in life. After that event, he repent from
being uncaring to the world to somebody that extends all help and meaning in a
very profound way.
This
is also same thing with our faith and daily walk with God. We face challenges.
Yes. But the battle is the battle of the Lord. At one point in time, before we
come to the realization that we need God, we are also no better than anyone
else. However, one day, we encounter our moment of grace. It could be like me
who was solidly hit by a Toyota wigo on my way home, but still able to walk and
go home with just a scratch; or could be that you came from a very heart breaking
moment and you are about to kill yourself but there is a stranger who passed by
and give you encouragement; or could be that you lose a loved one but a pastor
assures you that she is with God in heaven, or maybe, also like me, you finally
found your first love for God when you are being incubated for a month for a
Bible School in one of the country’s most secluded area- far from home and
people you knew too well. It could be anything else. One thing sure is that,
like Ryan, that moment of grace changed us and help us to became, for some, a
believer forever. Whatever stories you have, repenting doesn’t stops from
realizing that we’re wrong or we’re neglecting something. It neither stops on
believing alone that God will forgive us, heal us or mend us. Repenting is when
we changed (not only about our ways but also on our feeling towards sin- that
is we despise it to the point that we will never taste a bit of it again), not
overnight, but progressively, step-by-step, one moment at a time.
Even
the very first public word of Christ is “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is
near. (Matthew 4:17)” The very reason why Christ died on the Cross is because
of our sins that needs true repentance. “The thief comes to steal, kill and
destroy; but I have come to gave them life, and for them to have it abundantly
(John 10:10). That abundant life is abundance in the life of Christ- no more
sin.
God
is a God of second chance. In this context, we may invent a God that forgives
without true repentance, but that is not the case. God only forgives people who
realized their sins, confesses it and asks for forgiveness to God. “For with
the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth, one confesses and
be saved. (Romans 10:10)
3 Types of Repentance
1. Regret
Let us take
Esau’s life as an example. Esau, because of hunger, sold his birthright to his
younger brother Jacob for a bowl of soup, and in the process loses all the
privileges of being the first born child. Esau regrets his lost blessing but
not his lost relationship with God.
2. Remorse
Let us sight
Judas Iscariot’s story here. Judas betrayed Jesus for money, but regret his
decision later on. Does Judas repent? No. He cried for remorse and hatred and
think that God can’t forgive him that’s why he killed himself. A forgiven
person no longer has a guilty feeling. (But
let me clarify here that there is no such thing as a forgiven sinner. Even
forgiven, a sinner is still a sinner, not unless he was cleanse by the blood of
Jesus and justified him of all sins, as if he never sinned.) His mind is in
peace instead because he was granted grace and love.
3. True
Repentance
What is true
repentance? True repentance is Godly sorrow. It is acknowledging that you have
hurt God because of your sins and taking full responsibility for it. True
repentance is a personal decision to organize our life and fully abstain from
the things that is not of God out of our life.
The
first two are false repentance. The last one is true repentance. The difference
between false and true repentance is the result. False repentance leads to
death. True repentance leads to eternal life and restoration of our lost
relationships with God. (2 Corinthians 7:10-11)
Repentance,
in conclusion, is not turning around from sin, but is following God all the way.
“Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except
through Him (John 14:6)
How
to apply repentance to our lives?
1. Identify
your specific sins.
The true message
of God reveals to us the secrets of our hearts (1 Corinthians 14:25)
2. Confess
your sins to God and ask for forgiveness.
If we confess
our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us
from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9)
3. Change
our lifestyle
Do not conform
any longer to this world but be ye transform by the renewing of your minds,
that ye may prove what is that good and acceptable will of God. (Romans 12:2)
Practical Question
1. What
is repentance?
2. What
are the three types of repentance?
3. What
sins requires true repentance?
4. How
can we apply repentance to our lives?
Memory Verse
Repent ye for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. –Matthew 3:22
Practical Application
Kindly fill up the following
table. In the Areas for Improvement,
think of thing or aspects in your life that still needs an improvement. Then on
the System column, think of a
systematic way to improve that area. On the Pattern column, on the other hand, put a benchmark system that is
already proven and tested that could serves as your guideline in doing your
systematic blueprint or plan to improve such. Put a step-by-step process on how
to execute the system under the Process column.
Monitor this guide daily and evaluate if the system works. If not, put it back
again on the Areas for Improvement column.
What have you learned?
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