|
|
|
RepentanceMarch 10, 2009Acts 3:19 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord. When you hear the word "repent" what comes to mind? Sin? Regret? Blame? Confession? Some might have an image of a preacher standing in the pulpit, red-faced and yelling, calling the congregation to repent from sin. Others might have a more subdued image of going to confession and confessing sins to a priest. No matter what our experience has been, the word repentance usually does not leave us with a warm and cozy feeling. Repentance means that we've done something wrong and few of us like to admit it. Repentance is a common theme in the Bible. In fact, it is mentioned 52 times in the New Testament. Even before Jesus arrived on the scene, John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus' saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of God has come near" (Matthew 3:2). In Luke 5:32, Jesus says that he has, "come to call not the righteous but the sinners to repentance." After Jesus' death and resurrection, Peter continues to preach calls for repentance: "Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord" (Acts 3:19). Why this emphasis on repentance in the Bible? What does it mean for us today? Repentance means to turn or change direction. It is more than feeling guilty about doing something that we shouldn't be doing. The call to repent is a call to turn back to God, to take a step in the direction of God. Repentance recognizes that we have strayed from God, but its focus isn't guilt; rather, it is reorienting ourselves to God. Let's be honest, we are all in need of repentance. We've all strayed from God and need to get back in touch with our creator. The first step is to repent, to turn toward God. So how do we repent? How do we turn our lives back towards God? The process of repentance looks a lot like the twelve-step recovery program for people with addictions. The first step in repentance is an exercise in humility. We must first and foremost recognize that we are powerless to sin. We want to change, but cannot seem to do it on our own. Therefore we must rely on God and trust that with His help our sin can be defeated. It is with this deep sense of trust that we turn our lives toward God. In doing this we take an honest look at ourselves and all our failings and confess them to God. We humbly ask God to remove these things from our lives and He does. God alone has the power to take away our sin. Repentance usually isn't a once in a lifetime experience. Unfortunately, we need to repent many times in our lives. As days and years go by, we slowly begin to turn our backs on God. We get distracted with life and forget that God should be the center of our lives, rather than an occasional focus. Although the thought of this perpetual cycle can be disheartening, we must remember that God knows we need help. God knows that we stray and is always eager for us to turn back to Him. Every time we repent and desire God to be the center of our lives, God rejoices. Eager to take away our sin, God loves it when his children come back home. For Reflection: Are you currently feeling caught in a web of sin? In what ways do you need to repent? From what do you need to escape? Turn to God and confess these things to Him so that you may be refreshed from the inside out. For more informationRev. Leigh Martin |
 |
|