Twenty-Three Areas of Repentance (Psa 51:1-12)
Too often we generalize our repentance without getting specific. Failure to pinpoint areas where we need to change our mind, attitudes and actions on often allows us to go along without experiencing spiritual change.
Illustration: On his death bed John Newton said, "Because of my sin I feel that I will sit at the feet of the thief on the cross. I have been saved entirely by the gracious forgiveness of my Savior. The closer we get to the light the more I see my imperfections."
God delights in a humble and contrite heart.
Psa 24:3-5 "Who may stand before the Lord. The one who has a clean hands and a pure heart."
Matt. 15:17-19 - Jesus said, "It is not what is on the outside of a man that defiles him, but what comes out of a man’s heart. Envy, jealousy, hate, malice..."
Psa 66:19 - "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me."
Let us confess and forsake all of our sins of omission, commission, faulty dispositions (attitudes) and erroneous assumptions.
James 5:15,16 - "Confess your faults to one another and pray for each other that you may be healed."
Let us consider twelve areas where we often need to repent in order to allow the word of God and the Spirit of God to transform us by the renewing of our mind:
1. MISTAKEN NOTIONS OF GOD - David said, "For I know my transgressions and my sin is always before me." (Psa 51:1) Only when we specifically designate the areas of our life that need changing can God begin to do the spiritual surgery that is necessary to bring healing. So much of our sin is rooted in an inadequate conception of God’s attributes. Let us press on to know the Lord and not be content with a superficial understanding of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.
2. MIS-MANAGEMENT - David said, "Against you, you only have I sinned." When we try to take control of our lives without fully submitted to God’s word, Spirit and will, we are guilty of mis-management.
3. MIS-DIRECTION - David said, "Surely I was sinful at birth." We were all born into sin and we need the grace of God and His Spirit and word’s correcting power to direct us rightly. May we confess all our sins of omission, commission, disposition, pre-disposition and original sin so that we can enjoy the full blessings of being forgiveness and cleansed from all our unrighteous thinking.
4. MIS-ALIGNMENT - David said, "Surely you desire truth in the inner parts." Only when we allow the Lord to work in our hearts after thorough repentance can we experience His realignment of our emotion, mind and actions. We are not capable of realigning ourselves to please Him without His remaking, remolding and reworking of our inner atttidues.
5. MIS-PERCEPTIONS - David said, "Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from all my sin." Without full and sincere repentance we are not capable of perceiving that which God has for us. Sin has a way of distorting and obscuring God and His will for our lives. Repentance has a way of lifting the scales off of our eyes so we can see Jesus.
6. MIS-APPROPRIATIONS - David said, "Surely you desire the truth in the inner parts and wisdom in the inmost place." Without genuine repentance we are unable to see the blind spots that often lead us to mis-appropriate the resources God has given us. Ask the Lord to allow you to fully repent of all greed, covetousness and selfishness so you do not mis-appropriate anything He has given to you.
7. MIS-READING - David said, "Wash me and I will be whiter than snow." Only when the Lord washes us are we able to read His will for our lives correctly. Too many believers are misreading His will because they try to read it through a cloud of dust, darkness and distortions.
8. MISUNDERSTANDINGS - David said, "Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me." Whenever people fail to abide in Jesus they lose sense of God’s presence leading them into wise judgment. People who are not filled with the Spirit of God are often guilty of misunderstanding God’s will given to the them by godly counselors.
9. MIS-BELIEFS - David said, "Let me hear your joy and gladness let the bones you have crushed rejoice." Many believers have beliefs that are about 50% correct and so they operate on 50% mistaken beliefs. Only when we are full fellowship, obedience and trusting intimacy with the Lord can we understand His word correctly. Let us ask the Lord to give us greater insight into His word so that we can say I have studied to show myself approved of God a workman who does not need to be ashamed, having handled the word of God with accuracy and truth." (2 Tim 2:15)
10. MIS-USE - David said, "Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity." We need to admit that we have not fully used our time, talents and resources in a way that pleases the Lord in all respects nor have we born fruit in every good work. Only when we confess our failure to use everything for God’s greater glory, His greater love and His great commission’s sake are we able to be freed from the sin of mis-use of what God has entrusted to us.
11. MIS-JUDGMENTS - David said, "Restore to me a willing spirit." We need to repent of our tendency to be overly critical of others and not hard enough on ourselves. Too often we are guilty like the Pharisees who Jesus warned, "Before you try to take the speck out of our brother’s eye, first remove the log from your own eye." (Matt 7:1,2)
12. MIS-CONSTRUING OF THE FACTS - David said, "Grant me a willing spirit to sustain me." When we repent of our fleshly attitude than we will realize that we cannot do the will of God with our own power, might or cunning, then we understand our need for total dependence on the Lord. Let us remember, it is not by power or by might but by My Spirit says the Lord of hosts. (Zech 4:6,7)
13. MIS-STATEMENTS - David said, "Then I will teach transgressors your ways and sinners will turn back to you." We all are guilty of saying the wrong thing in the wrong way. This is mis-communication of the worst kind. Let us ask others forgiveness for our mis-statements so that we can be reconciled with our brothers and sisters. Prov. 18:21 - Death and life are in the power of the tongue. Let us remember that he who restrains his lips is wise. Let everyone be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger. (James 1:19)
14. MIS-TREATMENT - David said, "Save me from bloodguilt O God the God who save me and my tongue will sing of your righteousness." We need to ask the Lord to cleanse of from all the ways we have mistreated people, ourselves and God both consciously and subconsiously. Only the Lord is able to renew, restore and reconcile us with people who we have hurt and fractured a unified relationship with.
15. MIS-REPRESENTING THE FACTS - David said, "Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight." It is erroneous to think that sin is merely against another person, it deeply grieves the Holy Spirit.
16. MIS-PLACED ENERGIES - David said, "Restore to me the joy of your salvation and then I will teach transgressors your ways." The real purpose of repentance is so we can begin to effectively minister to others, not to wallow in self-pity.
17. MISSED OPPORTUNITIES - "The sadest words from pen or tongue are the good deeds left undone." Jesus said, "Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." (Matt 5:16) Faith without works is dead, wrote James. Let us ask the Lord to not miss any opportunity to complete God’s perfect plan for our life so we will not fail to do any aspect of His will for our lives.
18. MIS-CHARACTERIZATION - Do not be guilty of mis-characterizing people as evil. Romans 2 teaches us that when we judge others we are trying to put ourselves in the position of God the judge and that calls for His chastening. Neither should we be guilty of mis-characterizing the discipline that God sends our way as punishment. "No discipline seems pleasant at the time but grievous, nevertheless, afterwards it yields a peaceful fruit of righteousness for those who have been trained by it." (Heb 12:11) The Lord uses hardship in our life not to put us down but to build us up through His godly training program.
19. MIS-GUIDED ACTIONS - Do not fall into the trap that David did in giving in to his lust for Bathsheba. By surrendering to his flesh, he was misguided in having Uriah killed and thinking of himself as immune to scrutiny of God. People who are mis-guided fail to realize that if anyone thinks he stands let him take heed lest he falls.
20. MIS-GIVINGS - We should give up our feelings of mistrust, apprehension and unbelief toward God and His word. When people surrender to their mis-givings about the actions God has called us to do they slip into lethary, complacency and a dull lukewarmness that is similar to people who are slumbering while it is time to harvest. Yes, we all have hesitations but do not let one’s natural skepticism grow into cynicism that is so rampant in our society today.
21. MIS-COMMUNICATION - Ask the Lord to help you avoid the sin of failing to communicating correcting the scriptural truths of the Bible. When we speak to hastily we often mis-communicate either in word, deed or in tone of voice something that is not a true rendering of the Biblical truth. Study to show yourself approved of God a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth. (2 Tim. 2:15) People who mis-communicate often fail to pray and think before they speak. Spend time with the Lord and be in a continual state of prayer so you can do as Jesus taught us, "Watch and pray that you do not enter into temptation, the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak." (Matt 26;41)
22. MISTAKES - We all sin in many ways, but if we confess our sin, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (I John 1:9) Ask the Lord for forgiveness and cleansing so you can live, walk and minister in the power of a pure heart, mind and life. If anyone thinks they have not sinned, they are a liar and do not know the truth. Let us remain humble and teachable and always willing to grow more in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior. (2 Pet 3:18) None of reach the point where we cannot improve. Let us press on for the upward call, (greater excellence) in Christ Jesus.
23. MIS-LEADING OTHERS - Ask the Lord for the grace, wisdom and self-control not to mis-lead others as David did. As a result of his sin of mis-leading others the Lord caused David to lose much of his power, influence and credibility. When we sin it does not merely affect ourself alone but it redounds to contaminate others. Just as a pebble that falls in the water causes wripples so does our sin have a myriad of effects on others. James wrote, "Do not many of you become teachers for they will be held to a higher standard of judgment, for some who err lead many who go astray." Oh, Lord help me to consider the terrible multiplying effect that one sin can have on thousands of others lives.
The fruit of repentance is joy:
1. Labors in Prayer
2. Ladder Giver
3. Lame Healer
4. Laments Sin
5. Lamp to our Feet
6. Land Giver
7. Luggage Holder Rewarder
8. Landlord
9. Landowner
10. Laodicean Exposer
11. Last & First
12. Laudable One
13. Laugh Giver
14. Launcher
15. Launders Our Soul
16. Law
17. Law Giver
18. Lawful One
19. Lays us Green Pastures
20. Leader
21. Leak Repairer
22. Lecture Enabler
23. Legacy Determiner
24. Legend Giver
25. Legitimizes
26. Length of Life Determiner
27. Lens and Vision
28. Lesson Giver
29. Letter Inspirer
30. Level determiner
31. Leveler
32. Liberator
33. Liberty
34. Life Giver
35. Life, truth, way
36. Lifeboat
37. Lifespring
38. LifeWay
39. Lifter
40. Light
41. Light Provider
42. Light Reflector
43. Lightener of our Load
44. Limit Setter
45. Linguistic Master
46. Link to Resources
47. Listener
48. Living Enabler
49. Location Determiner
50. Lodge Giver
51. Logic Giver
52. Lonely Soul Friend
53. Longing Soul Filler
54. Looking After Everything
55. Looking at the Heart
56. Looking Forward
57. Looking Over Faults
58. Look-Out for Evil
59. Look-Up Urger
60. Loosens the Chains
61. Lord
62. Lord’s Prayer Giver
63. Lovable One
64. Love
65. Love Determiner
66. Love Giver
67. Love Initiator
68. Loving Father-Friend
69. Loving Friend
70. Lowly-Humble One
71. Lucrative Rewarder
72. Lantern
73. Luminous One
74. Lustrous One
75. Lyrical Inspirer
