Repentance is not often spoken about from the pulpit. We hear the words, “come and ask God into your heart and life and make him your Lord.” Or maybe, “if you believe in God and want to make Him Lord of your life repeat this prayer with me.” That one is on the radio quite a bit. God expects repentance. Repentance is an action. You must be willing for God to change you, and you are a part of that action. Guarding your tongue is the first action you should consider. You can’t accept Christ as your personal Savior and continue the same path of destruction you were on. Words are not enough; just asking for forgiveness of sins you have committed does not save you. Change is required and a new path must be taken. It is about turning around and going to and with God from that point on. A 180° turn.
Does this change happen the second you accept Christ? Probably not. More than likely, it will be a daily struggle. At 68 God is still working on me and I realize I will never make it to perfection on earth. I struggle every day when I battle the loud voice of Satan. To see change, you will have to stay in close contact with Christ and other believers. You have got to be studying the Bible. You are a baby Christian seeking to walk with Christ as Satan and the world try to pull you back into that path of destruction. Repentance is more than just saying, “God, I am sorry.” We all feel bad about our sins, but God is not looking for an apology, He is looking for a serious change in our behavior. He desires us to be more like Him daily. You will have a desire to be in church, a desire to be mentored by another and you will have a whole new set of friends to help you live for Christ.
Acts 3:19 says, “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.” The proof is in the pudding. Not sure what that means but I think it means show God and others you have made that 180° turn to God and surrendered your life to His will. Many people want forgiveness and eternity in heaven but are not willing to give up their own will. They want to skip the transformation part because they don’t want to go to church or stop looking at pornography or watching tv or movies with people using God’s name in vain or constantly swearing. They like to overlook those things. If you truly have accepted Christ as your personal Savior, then His Holy Spirit resides in your heart, meaning He goes where you go, hears what you hear, and sees what you see. Think about it.
People are willing to say the prayer of salvation if they can be relieved of the consequences of their sins without leaving behind the sins that caused them. Say what? It does not work that way with God. You are either all in or out. Heaven or Hell. Hot for Christ or cold. “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth” (Revelation 3:15-16).
We must lay down what stands between us and God. Bitterness, unforgiveness toward others, pride, lust, anger, addictions, selfishness, you name it. God is not looking for the perfect man or woman. God is looking for surrender, one who is humble enough to say they have made a mess of their life, they are broken and need God’s grace and forgiveness. It requires courage to turn from evil and walk and talk a new life with Christ. That is a path toward righteousness.
Real men will fall on their knees before God and say, “I not only want forgiveness but please change me from the inside out. I can’t do it on my own. I need you Jesus. Please help me change. I surrender to your will and plan for my life.” That is the man who God will restore.
Jim Everett
