Repent or Repeat
I wish I could say that when I repent of my sin, I never go back to it. I get so frustrated with myself when I repent of a sin and then later repeat it. I will say that the Lord has been a huge help to me reminding me of the path I’m on before I fall in the trap.
In studying the history of Israel, this seems to be common practice – repent and repeat. I used to think that these people were idiots until I looked at the “history of me”. I’m not a stellar example of repentance. Oh, I can repent of my sin, the problem is, I repeat it later.
Isaiah calls out the people of Jerusalem and reminds them that the Lord called them to repent, but they ignored His call. Check this out….
12 At that time the Lord, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies,
called you to weep and mourn.
He told you to shave your heads in sorrow for your sins
and to wear clothes of burlap to show your remorse.
13 But instead, you dance and play;
you slaughter cattle and kill sheep.
You feast on meat and drink wine.
You say, “Let’s feast and drink,
for tomorrow we die!” (Isaiah 22:12-13 NLT)
Repent means to feel sorry for; regret. I think repentance also involves change of heart and resolve to reflect that change in my behavior. I used to describe repentance as a “U-Turn” of sorts. I sometimes need a complete change of direction.
I’m so thankful for Jesus as I read the Old Testament. They are only under law and they hear that Jesus is coming, but they don’t know grace at this point. Jesus didn’t come to destroy the law, but He did fulfill the law. He introduced the law of love. He introduced grace and mercy. Jesus came and revealed the heart of The Father. Check this out….
14 So the trouble is not with the law, for it is spiritual and good. The trouble is with me, for I am all too human, a slave to sin. 15 I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. 16 But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. 17 So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. 25 Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin. (Romans 7:14-17,25 NLT)
I repent often of my self-centered behavior called sin. I do try not to repeat my sin. I’ve discovered the amazing love of God for me. His Presence in me compels me to repentance. He is so kind and patient with me, especially when I repeat my sin instead of repent. His forgiveness is crazy ridiculous! His love is reckless and relentless. I am so thankful for His Presene in me.
Pressing On!
Dwayne