When I Repented but Did It Again

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What is repentance? Practice Christians need to repent? When was the concluding time you repented?

As believers, we know that Jesus calls people who have however to believe in Him (Matthew iv:17) and Christians to repent when they take fallen away from Him (Revelation 2:five; ii:xvi; 2:21; 3:3; 3:nineteen).

And withal, repentance seems like a rather unpleasant matter that we have to coerce ourselves to do. It's like taking biting medicine when we are ill. We don't desire to take it just force it downwards our throats anyway, because nosotros know it's supposed to be good for us.

I used to call back of repentance in this way, until I realized what repentance really is. In a nutshell, it involves these 3 things: Recognition of our sin, renunciation of our sin and returning to God.

The more I came to understand what repentance actually is, the more I realized that information technology is, in fact, a wonderful gift by God to us. Here are some reasons why.

one. Repentance lets God restore, forgive and purify us

I used to feel unworthy of God's forgiveness when I fell into sin. I'd think, "I'1000 already a Christian and yet I'chiliad still disappointing and failing God in this way. How can I still wait Him to forgive me?"

Thankfully, God assured me by reminding me of this truth: "If we confess our sins, He is true-blue and simply and will forgive u.s.a. our sins and purify united states from all unrighteousness" (ane John one:9).

Since and so, I've made it a bespeak to confess my sins earlier God no affair how "unworthy" or "unclean" I might feel, knowing that He will forgive me my sins and purify me, then that I will be righteous earlier Him again.

Just as God reached out to us before we came to know Him, He is notwithstanding reaching out to u.s. and calling us to render to Him today if we've fallen in sin: "Render to Me, and I volition return to yous" (Zechariah 1:3, Malachi 3:7). God promises to restore us when we repent of our sins (Jeremiah 15:nineteen).

2. Repentance helps united states of america to be humble

I discover that when I have trouble repenting, it's often because I take pride issues in my life. Pride is spiritual incomprehension that causes united states of america to think our standards are amend than God's standards.

The opposite of pride is humility, and one definition of it, which I really like, says, "Humility means agreeing with the truth." Perhaps that is why Paul says that repentance leads us to know the truth and then that we can come up to our senses (2 Timothy two:25-26). When I apologize and learn to agree with the truth of God's standards of righteousness and sin, I am growing in humility.

God values humility; He shows favor to those who are humble, but He opposes and mocks those who are proud (Proverbs 3:34, James iv:six). So let'due south be quick to repent, so that we may grow in humility and receive and enjoy God's favor.

iii. Repentance drives the devil away from us

During the times when I was willfully disobeying God, I found it and then much harder to believe God'due south truths. Instead, the voices of guilt, doubt, fear and condemnation would ring a lot louder in my heart. Thoughts similar, "God doesn't honey you anymore," "You've actually diddled it this time. God won't give you a 2nd chance," and "God has given upward on you at present" would proceed harassing me, giving me no peace.

Only when I repented and returned to God, these deceptive whispers of the enemy would beginning to fade and I'd exist more able to perceive and receive the truths of God again.

The Bible tells u.s.a., "Submit yourselves . . . to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you" (James 4:7). In this verse, submission to God means washing our hands and purifying our hearts from sin and double-mindedness (James 4:eight).

When we sin, we're really giving the devil permission to describe near to us, for "[t]he 1 who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the offset" (1 John iii:viii). The enemy is close to those who does what he does (John viii:44). And when he is most us, he "comes only to steal and kill and destroy" (John 10:10).

When we submit to God by repenting, we're proclaiming that we vest to God and we can fight confronting the devil and his evil influences in our lives.

iv. Repentance frees us from the torment of sin

I've found this to be true in my life. When I insisted on my own sinful ways, the one who suffered the most was me. Although sin may feel adept, it ultimately hurts more it seems to promise.

And when I wasn't willing to confess my sins to God and others due to pride and shame, I constitute myself continuing in my sins because the devil had gained a foothold in my life to ensnare me in the darkness. Information technology's only when I brought these sins into the light by confessing them to people I trusted, that those sins started to lose their power to farther deceive and hurt me.

I'm thankful that God gives us confession and repentance as the means by which we can receive His mercy. Because Jesus is our nifty loftier priest who is always interceding for us before God (Hebrews 4:14; 7:25), we can "approach God's throne of grace with conviction, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our fourth dimension of need" (Hebrews four:16).

The Bible gives us this promise: "Repent, and then, and plow to God, and then that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord" (Acts iii:xix). If nosotros do not repent, we volition not exist able to receive help and relief from the torment of sin.

5. Repentance leads us to fullness of life with Jesus

Sin will atomic number 82 to spiritual death. God'due south Word tells united states plainly that "the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23) and Jesus said, "unless you lot repent, you too will all perish" (Luke 13:3). On the contrary, repentance leads to life (Acts xi:xviii) and salvation (2 Corinthians 7:x).

Ultimately, when we repent, we are inviting Jesus to have fellowship with us. After urging Christians to "be earnest and apologize," Jesus said, "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with Me" (Revelation iii:19-20).

The immeasurable joy of having intimate fellowship with God is what Jesus won for us through His death and resurrection, then that nosotros "may have life, and accept information technology to the full" (John ten:x). It certainly beats the deceptive and fleeting "joy" of any kind of sin by whatsoever measure!

Eternity doesn't start when nosotros become to sky. It starts correct now with having fullness of life with God, and repentance allows us to have that.

Would y'all repent daily to describe most to God today?

Also Read:

Yous know that living as a Christian involves killing your sin just sometimes you do the things you know aren't right and enjoy them, and every time yous do, you feel like you lot've permit God down once again.

Nearly Raphael Zhang

Raphael enjoys reading and writing, and experiences them every bit means of connecting with the Word likewise beautiful for words. He believes there's no such matter as having too many books. Having been led by Jehovah-Rapha to journey out of brokenness toward wholeness, he is passionate about bringing God'southward healing to others, so that the brokenhearted tin become wholehearted in loving God and people with all their centre, soul, mind, and strength. He's also crazy about cheeses, but his greatest love is still Jesus.

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Source: https://ymi.today/2017/01/5-reasons-you-should-repent-again-and-again/

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