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"People who conceal their sins will not prosper, but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy."
(Proverbs 28:13, NLT)
How's your repentance?
This might be an odd question, but let's talk about it! If you haven't read the passage for today, go ahead and read it. Now, read it again slower if you just sped-read through it. This is a great passage of scripture to think about when discussing repentance.
Repentance is a humbling, God-honoring, self-crucifying act of faith in a holy and good God. At salvation, this is what we do when we turn from our sin, and then we place our faith and trust in God; however, repentance is not just a salvific discipline. Repentance is a daily discipline for the believer in Jesus Christ, because the believer in Jesus Christ still falls short daily.
Repentance is healthy in the believer's life because it shows you your sinfulness and reminds you of God's grace. If you are still unsure about your need for repentance, think about saying sorry in a marriage. When Kyndall and I got married on May 31, 2019 and we pledged our loyalty and love to one another, how good of a marriage would she and I have if I never apologized for the dumb things that I say, do, don't say, or don't do? It would NOT be that good of a marriage, because there is no recognition of wrongdoing and no making amends for the wrongs. My and Kyndall's covenantal standing has not changed, but our relational health is going to take a major hit if there is not frequent repentance in our marriage.
The same is true of our relationship with Jesus. Our covenantal standing does not change based on the quantity of repentance of the follower of Jesus, but you will be in much greater relational status if you are constantly repenting of all your sins. Here is a quote to remind you of the seriousness of your sin and why you should repent:
"If you view your sinfulness as a bothersome headache more than a lethal cancer, you will see tepid growth, if any." (Deeper, by Dane Ortlund)
We must view our sins as dangerous things we MUST repent of and not view them as mere "bothersome headaches". Repentance keeps our hearts soft to the things of God and keeps us humble to remember the grace, mercy, and kindness of our God.
So I will ask you again what I am now asking myself again:
How's your repentance?
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