Turning From Sin and Turning to God

The Doctrine of Repentance 

When we think of repentance, we often think of saying “I’m sorry.” True repentance involves much more than an apology or sorrow over consequences. Repentance and faith go hand in hand. Belief without repentance is not true saving faith. Even demons believe that God exists. Likewise, repentance without belief in God’s right to be obeyed yields only sorrow over sin’s painful consequences. Those who repent turn their backs on their sin to worship and obey the one true God. 

We cannot conjure up repentance. In kindness, God leads His people to repent through the mysterious working of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit convicts sinners of their guilt before a holy God. By God’s power, repentant people receive God’s mercy and desire to please Him. Jonah repented, as did Nineveh, after God confronted them with His power and holiness. The posture of repentance leads us to pray with the tax collector, “God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” 

Over time, the Holy Spirit transforms a believer’s heart, attitudes, and motives. Love for God along with a longing for His righteousness grows within the believer. The path of spiritual growth involves ongoing repentance as God continues to purify our desires and actions. Until final glory, we must repent over and over again. We continue striving for holiness in dependence upon God’s compassionate grace. Thanks be to God that His mercies are new every morning. 

Without turning from sin and to Christ for salvation, we walk a road that leads to eternity under God’s wrath. If we only repent to escape sin’s consequences, our repentance is pretense. To refuse to repent while continuing in sin is to reject God’s offer of mercy. Without repentance, we are left carrying our burden of sin without hope of relief. Attempts to numb the pain and escape the guilt and accompanying shame come up short. 

God does not leave us in a place of despair. Do you sometimes wonder if God really forgives a sinner like you? Take heart! When you repent and confess your sins, “… he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). Repentance brings supernatural peace as well as an assurance of God’s love and salvation. God lifts our eyes beyond our circumstances to see His greater plan for our lives. What would it look like for you to rest in this truth as you confess your sins?

Resource: Bible Study Fellowship - People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided - Lesson 12

Joy

When the heart is full of joy, it always allows its joy to escape. It is like the fountain in the marketplace; whenever it is full it runs away in streams, and so soon as it ceases to overflow, you may be quite sure that it has ceased to be full. The only full heart is the overflowing heart.


Charles Spurgeon

The Kingdom of God Is Not a Democracy

R.C. Sproul

Let’s take a moment to look at this dimension of the character of God that is most clearly communicated by the title Adonai. The word sovereignty. That’s a word that’s become almost an obscenity to American people. One of my favorite illustrations of this goes back a few years when the episcopalian minister whose name is John Guest came to this country from England, from Liverpool. And when he came to the United States, his initial place of residence was in Philadelphia. He landed in Philadelphia and was having his virgin exposure to the culture of the United States. And the first week that he was here, he visited the historic sites in Philadelphia, Independence Hall, and the Liberty Bell and all of that. And then spent some time visiting the antique stores that specialized in revolutionary war memorabilia. Now, remember, he’s an Englishman trying to adjust to the new world, to the enemies of King George.

The Painful Path to Spiritual Growth

The Doctrine of Suffering 

Life in a broken world brings pain in many varieties. Our human experience can involve physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual distress. Suffering entered the world when Adam and Eve fell into sin, and sin’s curse corrupted the natural world, including the people of earth. Some suffering is the direct result of personal or societal sin. Much pain, however, represents the natural consequences of sin’s broad damage. Life on planet Earth includes natural disasters, aging bodies, global pandemics, and strained relationships. Grief and anguish regularly invade human lives. Like Elijah, even God’s faithful servants suffer. 

The Doctrine of Sin: Its Character and Universality

People in today’s world highly value personal autonomy and believe they can make their own life choices without accountability. What is right or wrong, true or a lie has become a moving target for most people. However, without clear boundaries, chaos and confusion abound. Who has the ultimate right to declare what is good and what is bad? Only God, the Creator, knows all and evaluates everything rightly. God stands apart from humanity in His absolute purity and holiness. Therefore, everything we do, think, or say that opposes Him and His will is defined as sin. Opposing God invites His justified wrath and causes untold harm to ourselves and others. Human history and personal experience confirm this is true. 

When Did The Catholic Church Get Wonky?

 

Queen Elizabeth II Dies at 96

70 years she reigned with Christian integrity. Today, her son Charles III will succeed the crown. May God bless the new King of the Britons and let him reign with a heart for God. 

"The Queen is dead, long live the King!"

And remember which king you serve. Now go serve your King!