Even If i Walk Alone

Instructing and encouraging you to live your life as a disciple of Jesus

repentance

Genuine Repentance

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After recently writing about repentance (see “Repentance”), I didn’t think I’d be revisiting the topic so soon. Then I came across the following quote from Puritan Josias (Josiah) Shute concerning genuine repentance: “True repentance is when a man grieves for his sin to the extent that he abandons it.” It is one thing to think we are sorry for disobeying the commands of God. It is another to resolve from doing it again.

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But it is something else altogether for our sin to so grieve us that we abandon any thought of pursuing it in the future. We don’t just quit repeating the sin for a moment, or even for an extended period, but become so destroyed by even the thought of revisiting such sin that we scarcely even entertain a thought of it for the rest of our lives.

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Confess and Repent

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Christians have been far too passive in our acceptance of the sins in our society. In too many instances, we have not only capitulated to evil but have even joined the chorus of the culture in singing the praises of man’s ideology. Instead of coming out from among them (2 Corinthians 6:15-18), we march arm in arm to show our unity. Darkness has no fellowship with light (2 Corinthians 6:14).

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It never has, and never will. So why are we so intent on pretending the two can coexist? God hates sin and will pour out His wrath on those who engage in it. If Jesus is our Lord, we will abstain from sin and keep ourselves pure before our holy God and King. We will repent and call others to do the same.

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God Hates Sin

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It’s been a long time since I’ve heard a popular pastor preach about the dangers and horrors of sin. I’ve heard a lot about time management, goal setting, self-improvement, favor, blessing, and healing. The past couple of years have seen a shift to a lot of messages around social justice, tolerance, and welcoming people into the church who are living in proud defiance of the Word of God.

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What I don’t hear is preaching on the depravity and destruction of sin. We hear God is love and forgiveness without the context of why we need His love and forgiveness. Let us be clear in our understanding: God hates sin and so must we. If sin doesn’t repulse us and drive us to our knees in repentance, the odds are better than good you don’t know Jesus as Lord and Savior.

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True Repentance

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True repentance will drive you to your knees and onto your face. It’s not just being sorry about what you’ve done, it’s about being mortified that you have grieved the Holy Spirit of God. Too much is being preached from pulpits today about repentance being about saying you’re sorry.

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I’d like to think many pastors mean well when they give their explanations of repentance, likening it to a turning away from something to walk in the opposite direction. And there is truth in what they say. The reality is, though, true repentance is realizing that you have grieved the heart of the holy God. And that thought should absolutely wreck you.

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Casual Indifference

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I think we have the habit of not taking sin seriously enough. We all sin every day, but how much does it truly bother us? I was reading in Ezra and observed his reaction to his own sin. It says in Ezra 9:6, he was so embarrassed and ashamed of his sin he couldn’t even lift his eyes to face God. He recognized his sins and the sins of his people were higher than his head and his guilt was as high as the heavens.

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When was the last time you considered your sin like this? We are far too casual in response to our own sin. We know Jesus has paid the price for us, so no matter what we do, we’re covered. Somehow this has led us not into deeper repentance, but into casual indifference.

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