Saturday, January 22, 2011

Repent is not a Bad Word

by Charlene Kugler
Agape Life Ministries

Often I’ve noticed how people squirm when told they need to repent. They think of this word as if this is the most terrible word one can ever speak to another. It’s a word to be avoided by every means.

The truth is, repent is a salvation word. Salvation cannot come until and unless we first repent. It is a good word. It’s a blessing word, not a curse as some believe it to be.

Repent really means to change your mind. The purpose of it is to show you the wrong, and at the same time, teach you the right, so you don’t have to continue in a mistake.

For example, if I’ve been trying to make muffins from a wrong recipe, you as my friend will not keep quiet about it if you know that the recipe is wrong. Rather, you’ll be happy to give me your recipe for great muffins. Likewise, I’ll be so thankful for the recipe and gladly throw out the wrong recipe.

Repentance is the same. God is good, and He alone knows what is good. Man can try to be good, but God says:

Romans 3:12 (New International Version)
All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.”

You see how we’ve all turned away from the original goodness, and now we’re lost. Though we may still have the understanding that we’re required to do good, but we don’t do the good that is according to God. The good that we do is so much perverted because the world that we live in, that God is the only One who is able to teach us what good really is. Isaiah spoke of us:

Isaiah 5:20 (New International Version)
Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.

Can you recognise that this woe has come upon us? If you can recognise this, then you’ll agree with me that repentance is good. It’s not a bad thing. It’s only bad if we refuse to change. But if we sincerely desire what is good, if we’re not too proud to admit that there is One who knows all things better than we do, then, repent is really a welcoming word. For everytime we embrace it, we get better.

Acts 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,

There are great and wonderful promises for us from this verse. But first the condition. Can you see that if you want God, there must first be repentance?

It also promises to wipe out our sins, and that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.

What then, do we need to repent from? According to…

Luke 16:15 (New International Version)
He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts. What is highly valued among men is detestable in God’s sight.

Isn’t this true of us? We are offended when told to repent because we feel we are right. But right according to who? As our Lord Jesus says: “We justify ourselves in the eyes of men…”

We must believe that our natural (worldly) values are completely the opposite of what God holds as good.

Truly, friends, look back on our past and judge for ourselves if the word that God spoke is not true. Have we not made so many WRONG DECISIONS, many Mistakes, took many wrong turns, have messed up! All because of our lack of wisdom and our foolishness. And what great distress this has caused us and our loved ones!

Until we are willing to humble ourselves and admit that we are unable to direct our lives wisely, we will not turn to God and lean on Him.

Simply put, if we cannot see that we’ve gone wrong, we will also not need God to save us from our dire situation. But the one who knows his mess and regrets the consequence of it, he will treasure his salvation. A second chance in life - this time to live it right – it’s the greatest gift. It will not matter if he had to forsake all that he had, his only desire is to grab on to this second chance and make it right that he may be a blessing to all.

Matthew 16:25 (New International Version)
For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.

Repentance is to change your mind about all that you think and believe is good and right.

Repentance frees us from all the wrong values and beliefs that we had been fed with all our lives from the world. She teaches us new values and beliefs which are written in the Word of God which leads us to God.

Repentance cause us to admit our wrongs. As we confess our mistakes, God forgives, so that sin may not hold us.

Repentance kills pride and makes us humble, that we may receive grace from God.

Repentance makes us weak that He may be strong, and His strength is made perfect in our weakness.

Repentance makes us in the image of Christ, that those who sees us will no longer sees us, but Christ in us the hope of glory.

Repentance will bring us to God, and when finally her work is complete, the heart is now pure, we’ll see God!

Repentance is the result of love. It’s meant as a blessing not a curse. It’s a Wonder-Full, Miracle Performing Word!

Source: http://kuglers.wordpress.com/2009/03/17/repent-is-not-a-bad-word/

1 comment:

  1. Repentance is turning to God.
    It's not about beating yr chest, crying out loud or any outwardly act as deciphered by some so-called Christian sect.
    It's about turning yr sight to God, away from status quo. Yes, emotions can accompany but not a necessity. It can be accompanied by deep remorse or overwhelming assurance/confidence but that's beside the point. Bottom line is we turn to God.
    Unless Christian are taught the basic/fundamental, we fall prey to the advocate of sects calling for crying, weeping, deep remorse, guilt and private confession/deliverance. Naive Christians are frquently held ransom by those so-called self esteemed deliverer.
    I never want to heard private confession during an act of repentance but simply counsel on the act of true repentance. Basic, fundamental and what a joy it is to repent (turn/look to God) every minute. Minus all the peripherals...rt888

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