Today's article follows right along with last week's article. Today we talk about repentance. When we think of repentance, I think an image that easily comes to mind is the one of a person who is standing on the street corner, or maybe even in a pulpit, and they are yelling, or screaming, and telling everyone that we need to repent. Then we either feel guilty, or we get angry and the whole thing is a mess. The problem is that when someone is telling us that we need to repent, they are right. Because we do. We are sinners. We have broken God's law and we need the repentance. That is the truth. However, the yelling and screaming, especially by people we may not know all that well tends to make it a negative thing. And yet repentance is a wonderful thing.
It was never meant to be a tool that someone would beat us up with. It was never intended to be a source of control and manipulation. Rather, repentance, which we can define as changing the way that we think and act about something, holds with it the promise of God's forgiveness. When we repent of our sins, when we ask for God's forgiveness. We receive it in full. Not because we have done anything to earn it or deserve it. We are not forgiven because our our repentance. We are forgiven for the sake of Jesus. And when we repent, God forgives us. It is a wonderful and precious gift. It is good news. It is very good news.
Some of you know that this past Lent I began of practice of private confession and absolution for myself. I found a person I trust and meet with him ever month. It has been one of the most beautiful and awesome experiences of my life. I would strongly recommend it. I know that it can be scary. And our sinful nature will tell us all kinds of reasons why we can not and should not go through with it. But let me tell you from my own experience; this is one of the best things that I have ever done. I would encourage you to give it a try sometime.
When we repent. Our God forgives. He always forgives. So repentance can be see now, not as something that is done to appease an angry God, but as a way to receive his forgiveness. Because he is gracious and good.
I pray that the grace of God would be a source of strength and blessing in your life. Now and always.
Pastor CJ
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