by Repentance is turning away from sin, self, Satan and all evil practices of the world unto God. It is a two-way action. On one hand, there is a turning away FROM evil, and on the other hand there is a turning TO God. For emphasis a person:
Turns away FROM sin and turns TO God
Turning away from sin that doesn’t go at the same time with turning to God is a mere reformation, not transformation.
Inability to understand this concept make quite a number of people to find repentance so difficult or impossible. Again, ONLY Christ grants true repentance through the Holy Spirit, the very reason we are commanded to preach it in his name. In some other names, it won’t work
Repentance can be either an act of God or man. When it’s an act of God, then it’s instigated and orchestrated by him. This, the scripture calls GODLY sorrow. But when an act of man, then it’s purely a product of man’s efforts. It’s referred to as WORLDLY sorrow. For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of but the sorrow of the world worketh death. In other words, when it’s produced by God, it brings you to him and leads to life. However, when it’s produced by man, it separates from God and leads to death.
Repentance covers three areas namely:
- GODLY SORROW: This is where you’re brought under heavy conviction of your sin by the Holy Spirit before God. It is where you mourn over your sin. You feel so sorry for living in sin all this while and you’re so sad right now, crying and weeping over it. Remember Nineveh.
- CONFESSION: The mourning and weeping then leads to opening your mouth and actually confessing your sins to him not hiding any. If thou shall confess…thou shall be saved. Here we justify God but condemn sourselves. We and not anyone else, are responsible for this evil. Telling him the wickedness of our sin and asking his forgiveness. And even make promises never to return to them. He that corvers his sins shall not prosper but whoso CONFESS and FORSAKE them shall have mercy
- TURNING AWAY: This is where the actual turning away takes place. At this point, we are sincere with God and ourselves and ready to truly walk away from those sins that hold us down. Repent ye therefore and be converted that your sins may be blotted out… He that covers his sins shall not prosper but whoso CONFESS and FORSAKE them shall have mercy. This is where conversion really takes place. Jesus told the woman caught in adultery …go and sin no more lest worst thing come upon thee.
This is the true gospel. If your repentance doesn’t take you away from sin…and sin away from your life. Then it is fake and not the kind of repentance God gives. The only clear evidence or proof of genuine repentance is life of victory and dominion over sin and ONLY Jesus Christ gives it. If your repentance is an act of man, you will always go back to sin but if it is God-given, you have total victory. Many people argue that we can’t truly be totally Fred from sin and that even God understands. Absolute No. That is completely against the nature and character of God. It is clear God will judge every sin and if he will… Then wouldn’t that God be unrighteous to demand us to live above sin when he indeed knows we can’t and still judge us for our inabilities and shortcomings? I think it unfair.
The only true repentance that takes sin away from man and man away from his sin comes from Christ. And the sure evidence you have received it is that sin is no longer in your life neither are you in it anymore…. for he has been appointed of God to give repentance unto Israel even forgiveness of sin… It’s imperative to mention that living in sin and yielding to it are not at all the same. The former is an unbeliever who is yet to experience new birth while the latter is a saint probably young believer who is overcome by temptation.
An unbeliever lives a normal life of sin. He’s happy before, during and after committing it and celebrate it. But for a true believer to commit sin is abnormal. Commit sin? he certainly will be soon sad afterwards and down on his kneels pleading for mercy. He never wants to commit it neither would he have loved to. Sinning is not in his plans at all. In fact, he believes he will not until the tragedy suddenly overtakes him. For saints, sin is a spiritual accident which nobody plans to have. When sin comes knocking at the door, he immediately starts fighting and resisting it. The battle is fierce until sadly he yields and becomes heart-broken. The more he fights, the more he seems to lose. Now he has to seek repentance and freedom in Jesus Christ. The battle is so turf and this will continue until you come to the end of yourself. You say Lord I quit fighting in my own strength. I give up and hand over to you, please take over
This is so important in order to appreciate God the more and the victory he gives. You must come to the end of yourself. You come to the point where you’re really tired of sin. You don’t want to commit it anymore. You just want out. Every will and desire to sin is surrendered at the cross and you really mean it. God will allow you drift to that spot. He will not be swift to deliver you until you’re there. Every fight you launch at sin fails until you lose faith in your strength and now put all of it in the son of God. The reason many people don’t experience victory and dominion over sin is because, they still secretly enjoy their sin. They want victory in most areas but one. They want to hug the devil and embrace the Lord. No way… You cannot hug immorality and lust…and kiss godliness and purity at the same time. It won’t work. Although victory is not in man or of man yet, it’s still necessary for you to fight so as to lose interest and confidence in your ability and trusts in the Lord’s only. Only those who have experience this, trust in the Lord and have no confidence in the flesh.
This Struggle may take a little or long time nevertheless, you must go through it and persevere. Paul had and shared his own in ROMANS chapter 6 & 7. If you don’t endure till the end, you won’t have victory but frustration and servitude. Only those who endure to the end shall be saved. It’s hard so to speak but then, true freedom and dominion over sin is sweet and possible. Remember, it’s not just enough to have freedom from sin but dominion over it. Fewer number of people get through the fight and make it to the end while those who didn’t make it will assume victory over sin isn’t possible but elusive. They then generalize that nobody can overcome sin and that we will always commit it…. Excuse me! Speak just for yourself.
And that repentance and forgiveness of sin should be preached in his name…
I just did.
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