To repent in biblical terms is to take a 180’ turn away from sin and towards Christ. Repentance is essential to a devoted relationship with Christ. We need to turn away from the ways of the world in order to give ourselves to God. The good news is that when we repent we are heard and we are forgiven.
I’m sure we’ve all heard the phrase “ repent and be saved”. “Repent and be saved” to me brings back memories of listening to street preachers in movies. They set the scene of the world ending and there is an old man, on a street corner, screaming at people that they are all headed for condemnation. That is not at all what Jesus wants us to see when we think of repentance. “Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying “ I repent” you must forgive him.” Luke 17:3-4 This verse is Jesus’ words. Jesus doesn’t want us to look at our sins as a hopeless condemnation. Jesus died to save us from our sins. He died so that we can repent and be forgiven. Though, when we repent, we aren’t just asking for forgiveness we are asking Jesus to change us, we are asking Jesus to take our sins. We should repent and turn away from our sins. Jesus will always grant us grace and forgiveness but we must be true to Him and have reverence towards His words. We should repent, not just be forgiven but be forgiven and turn away from our sins in the same. I read a book once and the author said something along the lines of “ Jesus died to save us from sin, not so that we may continue to go on sinning.” Sin is in our nature but to repent is to recognize how we sin and do our best to turn away from it and towards Christ.
Ephesians 4:32 says “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” We are called to look at each other as Christ looks at us. Jesus sees us not for our sins but He looks at us with love because love covers sins. We all are to look at each other through the lens of Christ. We are to see each other as Christ sees us. Loved. 1 Peter 4:8 “Above all love each other earnestly for love covers a multitude of sins.” The blood of Christ covered our sins. Jesus died to save us from the death that was inevitable. He took our punishment. He gave us the ability to repent and the grace to be forgiven. He wants us to come to Him with our trespasses and ask Him to take them from us. This is the only way to be free from the weight that sin and death have on us. We must come to Christ ask, and we shall receive. Matthew 7:7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” With God’s grace, though unworthy we are still saved because we are not seen by God as the sinners that we are but as the children, He has created and loved. So please friends, let go of the sins that you desperately hold on to. Let God grant you grace and show you forgiveness. Feel the freedom that comes with repentance.
