Have you ever wanted to change your life? If so, what would you change? To be more specific, what would you change about yourself in order to make your life better? I’m sure that many would think first of physical appearance, or perhaps personal wealth. Of course you would need to address certain goals in order to achieve the desired results. Change your wardrobe, lose some weight, eat healthier, work longer hours to sharpen marketable skills.
But have you ever wanted to be a better person? Have you noticed patterns or qualities in your life that make you not pleased with yourself? Bad habits, short temper, underlying anger or bitterness. Have others noticed, making you feel more miserable? This is what repentance begins to address.
There are two basic elements in true repentance. Both must be present in order to really see and experience change. First, there must be sorrow or contriteness. You must recognize that you have not only behaved less than perfect, but you have behaved badly. You have said or done the wrong thing. You have purposefully been aloof or hateful in speech or deed.
Second, there is the determination to change negative behavior and begin to do good — truly noticeable good. Repentance is turning from the darkness to the light. Some evangelists have taught this to mean turning from Satan to the Savior in a confession of our sins and accepting his atonement. But I think our Lord meant more when he said that he came to call “sinners to repentance.” Sin is nothing more than a breaking of rules, God’s rules. Any decent society has rules of proper behavior. Sin can be wilfull disobedience of those rules, or it can be simply apathy, a complacent disregard for those rules.
To be sure, confession of sins is powerful in that it is a sincere recognition of our own disobedient walk. It’s far more than the small child saying, “Sorry,” only to continue on, possibly retreating to the same bad behavior. Embracing our failures is only successful to the point that it drives us to do better. Jesus’ cousin, John, prepared the way for him by teaching repentance:
Turn away from your sins, because the Kingdom of heaven is near! Do those things that show that you have turned from your sins. Matthew 3:2, 8 (GNT)
Jesus confirmed that this very message was from his heavenly Father by giving example after example of what rules we have been taught to follow (the letter of the law) and how our righteousness should exceed that of religious leaders (the intent of the law).
So how do we make this happen? I would recommend prayer. I honestly don’t feel that God is going to change us directly. But we can pray that he keeps our sins ever before us, so that we may address them and progress toward the good. I am always thankful that God gives me an instant replay at the end of each day, where I can see what areas I have failed in, when I can say, “Forgive me,” and I can strive to do better the next day.
Repentance is central to the discipline and development of God’s holy children. I think where we fall short is when we focus on the overall change, only setting ourselves up for continual failure. Like targeting weight loss, and later realizing that we have no willpower. If you say that you’re going on a diet, you generally mean that you’re going to lose weight. If you say that you’re starting a healthy diet, you mean you will eat only those things that will sustain and nourish you, but won’t satisfy your cravings. Like experienced “smoke-quitters” you’ve done these things hundreds of times. But here you are again, at square one.
God wants us to take life in small bites (pardon the pun). Repentance looks the single act, comment, thought in the face, regrets having done it, said it, or thought it, then turns 180 degrees from it. Repentance combines humility and hope, and applies it to each encounter. The Holy Spirit, the unspoken breath of God, whispers in our ear, teaches the precious truth about ourselves, and says, “You can do it!” And he never, ever gets tired of saying it.
Repentance says that feeling bad is good, because you are aware that you are right where God wants you to be. You are now ready to overcome. And you are not alone. You’re no better or worse than anyone else. You’re pacing yourself. You choose not to be miserable. You choose to obey the good choices that are constantly before you. You realize that failure is an option, if that’s what it takes to reach you, down deep where the Spirit does his best work.
The old gospel preacher says, “Better to turn than to burn.” I think, though, that a measure of burning is necessary to make the turning permanent. God is not asleep or on vacation. Each beat of your heart is measured. Each thought is tested for its worth. Angels rejoice when a sinner repents. Let’s make them cheer.
Read more about: obedience
January 13th, 2009 at 6:30 am
In a couple of places John the Baptist refers to Jesus as “the Lamb of God … who takes away the sins of the world.” We’re taught that Jesus was the sacrificial lamb; therefore his death would permanently turn God’s wrath away from our sins and provide total forgiveness. However, in other places John the Baptist says that Jesus “will baptize us with the Holy Spirit.” I see Jesus as the innocent, personal “lamb” of God, his special Son, who came to take away our sins by introducing his Spirit to convict us and teach us to overcome our sins, bringing us into a state of perfection as God’s children. This perfecting process is the work of the Holy Spirit, as we are slowly immersed (baptized) in his teaching.
January 11th, 2009 at 7:14 pm
I guess the reason that John the Baptist taught repentance is so that the people would begin to be ready to hear Jesus and accept his teachings at his arrival. I have never understood why John taught repentance. I mean, why didn’t he teach other things about the Lord–like, “He came to die for your sin.” It seems as if you’ve nailed it. Untill we start practicing obedience, we are not ready for the spiritual help and guidance that Jesus is offering to us.
I see more clearly now about John’s methods. My heart is becoming more attuned to the voice inside me.