WHEN MUST CHRISTIANS REPENT?
To the thinking of most “repentance” is something that sinners must do. And it is truethat Jesus said: “Except you repent, you shall all perish.” (Luke 13:3,5) Repentance isfundamental to being born again. Except you turn from your sins and unbelief (repentance) to confess Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord of your life, you will never be areal Christian.However, repentance is very much a normal part of the life of a sincere Christian. Thereare many reasons under different sets of circumstances that call for repentance on the partof Christians. When is it that Christian must repent?Christians must repent when they discover that they have sinned against God andfailed. When king David sinned by committing adultery with Bethsheba; in humility,shame and brokenness he cried unto the Lord. His prayer is found in Psalm 51. He took full responsibility and cried “against thee and thee only have I sinned and done this evilin your sight.” He pleaded that God would have mercy on him and cleanse him from hissins. The Bible teaches us “
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness
.” 1John 1:9 (KJV) In the model prayer,Jesus teaches us that we are to confess and repent of our sins.Christians must repent of their sins when they have discovered they have left their first love. Jesus confronts the believers in Ephesus (Rev ch 2) saying to them: “I knowyour works and patience and uncompromising loyalty to righteousness and faithfulness , but I have somewhat against you because you have left your first love. Remember howyou once was driven by love and vision, Repent of your matter of fact legalistic serviceand serve me with the same heart you had in the beginning.”Christians must repent when they have rebelled against the will of God. When weget in the flesh and do not allow the Spirit of God to have control, we always get introuble. Well known examples of that are Jonah, David, king Saul of the Old Testamentand Peter, Demas and Ananias and Sapphira in the New Testament. In Jesus’ parable of the two sons; the son who rebelled and refused to obey his father, came to his senses andrepented and did the will of his father; while the other said that he would perform hisfathers command, but never got around to do it. I ask you: “Which was the mosthonorable son?”Christians must cry out to God and confess the sins of our churches and our country. Daniel repented for the sins of his people and Jerusalem:”
O Lord, according toall thy righteousness, I beseech thee, let thine anger and thy fury be turned away from thycity Jerusalem, thy holy mountain: because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and thy people are become a reproach to all that are about us
.” Daniel9:16 Oh how we need such a cry of repentance today! The only answer for our troublednation is a national repentance and spiritual revival of God’s people (2 Chronicles 7:14
). Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joyto heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
James4:9-10 (KJV) .
For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping mayendure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning
Ps 30:5
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