The Surprise about Repentance

Amazingly, the word “repentance” often has a negative connotation. Outside church and Christian circles, very few people use the term positively. The whole idea of repentance is a much maligned concept.

You know, of course, that repentance is necessary in the life of a believer. The Gospel of Matthew gives us the preaching of John the Baptist. He called for the people to “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Matthew records how Jesus preached the same message.

Repentance is essential to salvation and essential to the life of a follower of Christ. When we come to faith in Christ repentance is essential because it means we are turning our back on our old way of Christ. We are shunning our sinful thoughts and actions and turning toward a life lived for the glory of God.

Repentance is not a one time experience. It is also essential for those who have repented of sin and committed their lives to Christ. Since we still have our old sinful nature, repentance is a continuing need. When God reveals our sin to us, we must immediately turn from that sin–that is repentance.

May I tell you an aspect of repentance that you may not have thought about? It may be very surprising.

We know how difficult repentance is, even for believers. Sin gets a hold on us that is difficult to overcome. Repentance is a difficult necessity. That’s not the surprising part.

What’s surprising is how sweet repentance is in the life of a follower of Christ. When we confess our sin and experience Godly sorrow and turn our back on our sin (repentance), we experience the blessings of God and extreme peace and joy. It is a sweet experience that cannot be duplicated in any other way.

I often say, “Repentance is hard, but it is sweet.”

I pray that you will experience the sweetness of repentance as you turn away from those things that weight you down and hinder your progress and commit everything in your life to Christ (Hebrews 12:1).

I write a devotional daily for the church and people of faith. If you would like to start your day with a devotional each morning, you can subscribe for your free membership at waylonbailey.com or in the box below.

 

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4 Responses

    1. Thanks to all of you for your affirmation concerning repentance and staying close to God. Your response shows how important these actions are for living faithfully before God.

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