In Seeker Friendly Churches we have become accustom to every comfort, coffee, cool air conditioning, contemporary Christian worship songs that sound like secular bands, and more. We have been groomed to want what is easy, and enjoy what gratifies our flesh. In contrast, the Scriptures urge us to repent, “Those I love I discipline, so be zealous and repent,” (Revelation 3:19). Repent means to turn from sin. That means to change the behavior and cease practicing it. When people confess their sins to the Lord, He does forgive them, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness,” (1 John 1:9), and the Sin was forgiven at calvary when Jesus Christ our Lord died on the cross. However, repentence is a life long struggle, like Jacob and the angel, it is us wrestling with who will be our master, the flesh or the Spirt, “So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh craves what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are opposed to each other, so that you do not do what you want. ” (Galatians 5:16-17).
Because Christian Cults and even Roman Catholicism has been so austere in its presentation of repentence, we Protestants have taken perhaps an antipathy to repent, to turn from our sin, becuase we do not want to become religious Pharisees, and feel miserable all the time looking at our sins. I want to let you in on a secret, repentence and how it ultimately feels is not how it is presented. There are all these angry effigies and statues of saints saying “repent,” that come to mind, but when you actually repent it is like a drug addict who has hit rock bottom, or someone with chronic disease going on a diet; at first it can seem harsh and rough, but you see the wisdom as you get healthier, more sound of mind, and at peace that you are no longer living in cognitive dissonance. Repentence has become a ugly word in Evangelical and modern Christian circles, because they do not want people to fall into the trap of works based religion. But repentence is not about works to get to heaven, Jesus Christ gets you to heaven by faith and grace (John 3:16, Romans 10:9-10, Acts 15:7-11, Philippians 3:9), not your works (Ephesians 2:8-9). Repentence is a life long pursuit of untangling the flesh programming, and desires that seek to shipwreck a person that come by DNA, demons, the devil, patterns of coping, and self detructive behaviors. Turning from the sin is a process of seeing the wisdom in God’s ways, that the reason you don’t go to orgies, is you don’t get STDS, the reason you don’t do drugs if you don’tget brain damage, the reason you do not paritcipate in occultic and magical praticies is so you do not cause yourself spiritual unwellness and invite evil into your life.
Repentence is like a diet spiritually, but its one you do not cease. It is regenerative life in which you conform your behavior, choices, desires, and will to God’s Will. The rebellion in us will bulk at this, because we want autonomy and control of our own lives, and yet look at what foolish choices we make to gratify ourselves? I am not ignoring the side of repentence where you have God “Throw your sins as far as east is to west,” (Psalm 103:12), but if you keep going back to those sins over and over, practicing them, what good is that? You are praitcing sin which the apostle do warn about, “Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil,” (1 John 3:4-11). Repentence means you are turning from those sins not practicing them, agreeing with Christ that He had to die for them and cleanse you of their debt, and now you going to live like Christ, that is cease voluntarily chooosing to keep doing them!
The word that other churches use for process is rengeration, living a regenerated life, in which you conform your life to Christ’s and like Paul say, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me..” (Galatians 2:20). It is not easy, you will be battling the dispositions to keep in those sinful patterns, temptations from people & demonic powers, because you have DNA dispositions like alcoholism, and coping systems you developed with it. But I can tell you there is a peace on the other side when you agree with The Holy Trinity, with His Scriptures, and decide to stop making justifications, and turn from your sins, deciding not to practice and let them trap you anymore. I am not saying you will never sin again, and if you do Christ has paid for all your sins and you can confess your sins to him, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness..” (1 John 1:9). What I am saying is the repentant life style does give you peace, to conform to what Scriptures says gives you a sound mind and heart. You will feel a lightness come upon you when you caste aside those things that have been tearing you down, and pulling you into chornic sinful behaviors. It will feel like you are well rested in your soul, and give you joy even when there is not a whole lot to be joyful about, becuase you may not be able to control what is happening in the world, but you can control your flesh if you will turn from it and like God’s Spirit lead you. Amen.
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