Repentance Towards God

"...Repent, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord..." -- Acts 3:19

Peter was preaching to a crowd of unrepentant Jews when he said this to them. Peter was an eyewitness to the glory of Christ. He was witness to the betrayal of Him in the garden at the hands of Judas; and he was witness to the horror of His crucifixion. Peter I think often gets a bad rep for being the first to open his mouth without thinking. He often said things that were better left unsaid. However, one thing is sure -- he was always the first disciple to jump into treacherous waters at the sighting of His Lord and God. Jesus saw and knew this about Peter; aside from his sharp tongue. Peter had denied three times that he even knew who Jesus was when He was apprehended. As Jesus is standing before the High Priest for questioning, Peter, being antagonized by those around him who swore he was one of Jesus' disciples, denied Him with cursing that he even knew who He was. This was no surprise to Jesus. He had already foretold this earlier that very night. Peter was bold to speak; but when faced with the reality of a dire situation, faltered and fell. Denying the very Lord that was going to the cross for your sin wasn't, in my mind anyway, any worse than what Judas had done. Both offences were I think, equally as horrible as the other. The difference was in the response of these two men. One sought repentance; the other was merely remorseful. But if you're familiar with scripture, you will know that mere remorse for wrongdoing does not forgive sin. Only Jesus can. One can be remorseful over something that they did, but it wouldn't change the way that they lived. Remorse isn't an act of departing or changing one's own evil ways, it is simply an unpleasant feeling for doing wrong. This is a natural consequence. We all feel relatively bad when we do wrong. And it is possible to feel bad for doing wrong, but over time, become so calloused due to repetitiveness of habitual sin that one may no longer feel that sting of guilt that comes as a consequence. Dying in sin means certain death. This is where repentance is so important as opposed to just feeling sorry for our actions. The Lord says through Paul in 2 Corinthians 7:10, "...for Godly sorrow works repentance to salvation not to be repented of, but the sorrow of the world works death...". There is a difference between repentance and remorse. One is able to make you wise, and bring you to a place where the Lord can then work with a contrite heart; and the other, to a place the end is destruction. There is no hope apart from the slavation of God. When a man sees the reality of his sinfulness, and his spiritual condition before God, it's then that he is brought to a place where there is nothing else to do but fall down on his knees before a Righteous and Holy God. Repentance is, as C.S. Lewis put it so eloquently in his book "Mere Christianity", "...no fun at all..." For it requires a "laying down of our arms", which were once so hostily held against God. When we were born, we were born into sin. Your sin might be a bit different then my sin, but we are all sinners just the same. But though we were all born with a sin nature, our sinful habits or addictions were not a part of us from the start; they had to be cultivated. There is sin in the world; and it appeals to our inner sinful desires which are already there; we just choose to play with it, and pursue it further. And so we fall, giving into the lusts of our hearts. Sin is pleasurable. Sin is appealing. Sin on the outside, is harmless. But it's as if we drink poison from a canned drink labeled "Grape Juice". The innocent and delicious proclamation on the outside does not negate the evil contents and trouble on the inside. Sin will, as I once heard it said, "always start out being fun". But it's end is anything but. Sin will rob, kill, and destroy. It will damage testimonies, and it will destroy relationships. The destructiveness of sin knows no limits. It never says "enough". Well, the only other option is to turn from it. And this cannot be accomplished by simply feeling sorry for it, though we should feel sorry for it. But it must be accompanied by a change in behaviour. Not one that takes place on the outside; a simple modification of behaviour...but it must happen on the inside. When the Lord convicts a person of their sin, it's an opportunity for repentance He has given. As long as there is breath in a person's body, there is still hope. A man's heart must be changed, and Jesus is that Man for the job. He is able to take a filthy, rotten heart, and make it clean. This does not mean that a man will never again commit sin. We all struggle with sin. Unfortunately, we are sinful; and we will always continue throughout our entire lives be waging a war against our flesh. But do not pursue the things of the flesh; pursure the things of the Spirit. We must set our hearts and minds on Jesus. This will take focus, determination, and resolve. It will not be easy. And living in a world where sin is around every corner and lurking in the most innocent of places, it becomes harder still. And even so, because we love it. But with Christ dwelling within our hearts, we are given that extra boost -- that strength He gives us to overcome. As it's been said before, repentance is no fun at all. It means not doing what we desire, and placing ourselves in submission to the will of another; Jesus Christ. Doing what He commands. Forsaking wickedness, and practicing that which is right. But just as our sinful habits had to be cultivated, so also repentance towards God and a life of righteousness must also be cultivated. And there will be times when a man in Christ may fall. But a righteous man may fall seven times and get back up again, but the wicked will perish. The wicked perish because they pursue sin and evil to their death; never coming to the knowledge of the truth and obtaining salvation in Christ. But those who are in Christ, though they be sinners, pursure that which is right; and are made less likely to fall. Jesus will protect us; and there is always the opportunity to turn away -- and to make the right decision. Repentance in and of itself, does not save a man; but the Lord always saves the person that repents. And repentance towards the Lord is the remedy for a sin sick soul. The Lord knows what is good for us. He knows all that would do us good. Repentance is no different. Sin might be pleasing, but it is passing. Momentary appeasement for our evil desires, then nothing but guilt, condemnation, and emptiness that follows. Do we not think that the Lord knew this to be the case? And isn't He simply trying to keep us from those very things? In addition to all the bad consequences that may follow as a result? It is not worth it. Sin will never satisfy; it will only breed discontentment, and a desire for more. Feeding a life of sin will only mean an increased appetite, and a diminished return. Only Jesus will satisfy. Only Jesus can give us security. Repentance is necessary; it is commanded. And it is commanded for our own good. The Lord is watching out for us. Repentance takes work; and it requires commitment to follow Jesus and to do His will. The good news is that we are not alone. All have sinned, and all have fallen short of the glory of God. Lift one another up, and strengthen each other. Fight the good fight; strive against sin, and stay in the Word. The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin. Jesus is the One to whom belong the glory and honor and praise. Jesus is the One who forgives all our transgressions. Jesus has paid our debt; now we are free from the penalty of sin, and free to live for Him. And it is He who gives us the power and the strength to overcome, and to stand strong against temptation. If we are in Christ, we are His...and if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father; Jesus Christ. And He Himself, is the propitiation for our sins. For ours, and for the world. Forgiveness and salvation are available to all men. But only those who come are partakers of it. Just as only those who drink water are quenched of their thirst. Repentance is not an effort to God; it is simply the result of a contrite heart before the Lord. And if you cry out to the Lord, He will surely hear you. And all your sins He desires to forgive, and wash away. He wants to pull us up out of the pit we've dug for ourselves; His hand is reaching down for us, but are we willing to reach back and take hold of Him? Just as the recovery process of a surgery isn't a very pleasant thing to go through, the undoing of our sinful ways won't be pleasant either. But it is healing and refreshing in the end. May we ever live in the grace and mercy of our God who gave Himself for us and made salvation possible.

"There were present at that season some who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answered and said to them, “Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.”" -- (Luke 13:1-5 NKJV).

"...Repent, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from that presence of the Lord..." -- Acts 3:19