Repent of your sins
(1st John 2:15-17)
The doctrine of repentance
God said to Solomon in 2nd Chronicles that if God’s people that are called by God’s name would humble themselves, pray, seek His face and turn or repent from their wick ways; then He would heal their land. Repentance means to turn away from that which is considered sinful to that which is considered righteous. According to the Scriptures, anything that is not in total and absolute agreement with God’s word and will is sin. When we repent, we stop doing those things that are not in agreement with the Scriptures. We stop rebelling against God and start to live the way his word instructs us. As children of God, we are to turn away from our self-centered way of life.
The Scriptures refer to this way of life, as going after fleshly desires. 1st John 2:15-17 tells us to ‘stop loving the world and the things that are in the world. If anyone persists in loving the world, the Father’s love is not in him. For everything that is in the world—the desire for fleshly gratification, the desire for possessions, and worldly arrogance—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world and its desires are fading away, but the person who does God’s will remains forever.’ This is a promise as well as wise instructs to be listened to.
We incorrectly believe that the expression desires of the flesh mean material desires. This term more accurately means the desires of the sinful part of man. This is the part of man that is in agreement with the way that Lucifer thinks. Desires of the flesh are rooted in the heart of man and it encourages us to think too highly of ourselves. The desires of the flesh encourage us to become so preoccupied with ourselves that we forget about God. The desires of the flesh encourage us to obtain the joys of life regardless of the cost to others or ourselves. The desires of the flesh encourage us to make the toys of life our gods. The reason many of us are in the shape that we are in today is we have been chasing after the joys and toys of this life. It is all right for us to have the joys and toys. However, if we are seeking the desires of the flesh, then we are not seeking God.
The call for repentance
The gospel is a call for us to repent. It is a call for us to change our minds, and to change our behavior. By repenting from our sins, we give glory to God whom we have offended. By having faith in God’s promise to forgive us, we give glory to Jesus, who came to save us from our sins. The purpose of God’s call for our repentance is to deliver us from the penalty of our sins. The results of our repentance are the remission of sins, spiritual cleansing, and a renewed heart.
When we repent, we allow the Spirit of God to bring the Scriptures into our heart. When we repent, we humble ourselves before God, and the Spirit of God brings us into obedience to the Scriptures. When we repent, God moves everything that hinders us from doing his will. When we repent, we show it by the good that we do. There is no way for us to avoid the penalty for our sins except by repentance. The same Scriptures that call for us to repent for the kingdom of God is at hand, advises us to repent or else we shall die.
The nature of repentance
Repentance begins with us seeing ourselves as God’s unrepented children. This is a turning point in every sinner’s life. God opens our eyes to the truths of the Scriptures, and convinces us that we are sinners. He encourages us leave Lucifer and the desires of the flesh alone and return to Him. God has already given us an unexpected token of his love by allowing Jesus to pay the price for our sins. When we accept this precious gift, God clothes us in the robe of Christ’s righteousness, adopts us into his family, and give us never ending peace of mind. The Scriptures promise that God will give us peace if our minds are stayed on him. Repentance allows us to focus fully on God, because we have done away with the cares and desires of the flesh.
True repentance
Repentance is God’s gift to us. We are not only given it by His grace, but God’s grace works it in us. God takes away our heart of stone, and gives us a heart of flesh that is willing to do his will. The best sacrifice that we can ever give to God is a broken or humble spirit. True repentance humbles us so that God can use us. True repentance glorifies God. True repentance frees us from the shame and penalty of sin and from the power and control of sin. Nevertheless, only God can bring us to true repentance. He does this by the Spirit of God working with the Scriptures to awaken us to the reality of sin. True repentance brings a hatred of our sinful lives and thoughts. True repentance demands that our intentions be pure, and that we reject all the desires of the flesh.
Strife or contention against God or the will of God is the beginning of evil. Sin is the human will in a state of contention against God. However, true repentance brings sorrow to our heart for our disagreement with the will of God. True repentance makes our heart humble, regretful, and obedient to the Will of God. True repentance is connected with the saving faith in Christ, and is important in his atonement for our sins. The benefits of true repentance are a changed heart, a changed life, changed actions, hatred of sin, faith in Christ, and deep humility before God. True repentance brings God and us together.
The proof of true repentance consists of returning to the practice of seeking God, watchfulness, a humble mind, and a continual dependence on God, Jesus, and the presence of the Spirit of God to keep us from evil. The Scriptures says that the joy of the Lord is our strength. There is joy in heaven when one of God’s children repents
