In our text this week, one of the things we’ll touch on is the nature of true repentance.
It’s a very interesting thing to observe that in the scriptures we see people who feel regret after they have sinned, weep after they have sinned, feel convicted when confronted about their sin and even confess that they have sinned, and all without ever repenting of their sin.
The study of true repentance is a truly sobering study because it leads one to eventually ask the hard question, “Am I guilty of not actually repenting?”
I don’t mean repenting of an individual sin- I mean the repentance that leads one to salvation.
The first and greatest of all repentances, and the one that matters the most, is the repentance from whatever “god” is to you to the true God.
This repentance is characterized by a complete life change – from your way to God’s way, from your thinking to God’s thinking, from trust in your good works to only trusting in God’s works, from the acceptable lifestyle of the world to what is acceptable to God.
It’s a transformation as amazing as the transformation of the caterpillar to the butterfly. It’s a transformation born of a burning desire to follow the Lord Jesus after having believed in Him and His accomplishments.
There’s a fruit that true repentance produces as well. John the Baptist told the Pharisees and Sadducees that came to him in Matthew 3:8, …bear fruit in keeping with repentance;
What did John mean? He meant that repentance is more than words. It’s more than being religious. It’s more than even being orthodox, believing the right things.
True repentance is always characterized by change. It’s a change that begins in the heart and mind but manifests itself in the life of the individual. It’s a change in word and deed, but even more than that. It’s a change that is willing to sacrifice anything- to give up anything- to follow the Lord Jesus in faithful obedience.
We’ll discuss this further and more in the Sunday morning sermon.
Much Love!
Wes LeFlore (918) 607-8489 or huskerwes1@gmail.com
