If my people who are called by my name humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14 (ESV)
Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy. Proverbs 28:13 (ESV)
When you look at the word repent, what comes to mind? When looking at various verses throughout the Bible from the Old and New Testament, repent is mentioned many times, as well as what it truly means.
Unfortunately, there are those who feel repentance means it’s okay to sin. They feel after their sinful act, all that is required is to ask God for forgiveness and cleansing, and then sometime afterward, they’ll return back to their sinful ways. There are some who do not even try to stop their sinful behaviors. They use Jesus’s death and sacrifice as “cheap Grace” to cover their sinful lifestyle. This “rinse and repeat” mentality towards sin is of course not true repentance at all.
Of course, God knows His children are not perfect and we’re not walking around this earth as sinless human beings. Whether great or small, all of us have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (see Romans 3:23). God did not give His Son, Jesus Christ, as an atoning sacrifice for our sins only for us to perpetually continue with our sinful behaviors. Behaviors we are not truly willing to stop nor turn away from because of the pleasures we’ve experienced. We must understand that God does not want to withhold pleasures from His children. He just wants our pleasures to coincide with His wisdom and to be honorable and pure.
In order to have true repentance, one must confess and turn away from their sinful desires. One must daily choose to say no to sinful past choices, to seek to die daily to temptations and to turn and study God’s word to learn the precepts of right living. Now, there can be times when some are caught in a strong vice grip of sinful behaviors, and it is very difficult to shake free. But God, who is all-powerful, can help this person overcome and shake free from whatever is binding them. And once freed, they need to completely cut off their sinful past and continuously walk in God’s direction.
As we seek a closer relationship with God, may we continually ask for forgiveness of our sins with all diligence, and seek to walk in the light of His truth and love. And, while we are walking in that truth, may we seek to share it with others, so that they too can learn of God’s forgiveness, His goodness, and His grace.
Blessings,
Angélique 💐
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