WATCHWORD:
4 Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight. You will be proved right in what you say, and your judgment against me is just. 5 For I was born a sinner— yes, from the moment my mother conceived me. Psalm 51:4-5
5 “But now I am going away to the one who sent me, and not one of you is asking where I am going. 6 Instead, you grieve because of what I’ve told you. 7 But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Holy Spirit won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send him to you. 8 And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment. 9 The world’s sin is that it refuses to believe in me. John 16:5-9
19 Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away. Acts 3:19
Meditation:
Regrets vs. Repentance
Nearly 5 years ago I wrote an essay entitled “Regrets? No!” it began with this paragraph: “Regrets, I’ve had a few, but then again too few to mention…” Can’t you just hear old Blue Eyes crooning that hit song so many years ago. Even now, the words of that song touch my tender spots. Then you hear: ”I did it my way”, and you wonder.
Do any of us live our lives solo? I mean, do any of us live our lives strictly Your Way or My Way? The focus of that particular essay was not on regrets, it was on blessings and I still agree with the argument that I made back then. But now I have a different take on regrets and I tie it closer to repentance. Something I read recently about the ministry of John the Baptist and his call for people to come and repent, had shone a different light on my understanding of the word repent.
I had always thought that repent meant stop sinning, which had a lot to do with how we treat others. But now I think it has more to do with being led by the Holy Spirit to a different understanding of my relationship with God. I struggled with that idea but then I got some comfort from Oswald Chambers when he made the statement, “Conviction of sin as one of the most uncommon things that ever happens to a person,” referring to John 16:8 which makes it clear that this conviction is the work of the Holy Spirit.
So, shouldn’t we know that it is not our turning from sin as much as more fully following the Holy Spirit into a closer relationship with God. That wee small voice within, that Holy Spirit speaking to us, drawing us ever closer into the presence of God. In short, it is not our relationship with others that is the sin, it is our relationship with God.
Okay, here is the “kicker”: The Holy Spirit opens our hearts and minds to the awareness that we are separate from God, and through that awareness the grace of forgiveness draws us closer to Him. It is God’s forgiveness that makes us truly holy. And the proof that we are forgiven is that we have left our old life behind, through the grace of God.
Oswald Chambers tells us that “The foundation of Christianity is repentance.” Early in my walk with Christ, I thought that repentance was a decision we make. But now I realize that I cannot repent whenever I choose, because repentance is a gift of God. The early Pilgrims used to pray for “the gift of tears,” godly sorrow or the awareness, or regrets, of our former life. Should we back-slide into our old sinful life, that is a sure sign that we have forgotten how to be truly repentant. “Godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation.” (2 Corinthians 7:10)
A Bit of Repentant Humor:
A minister waited in line to have his car filled with gas just before a long holiday weekend. The attendant worked quickly, but there were many cars ahead of him. Finally, the attendant motioned him toward a vacant pump. “Reverend,” said the young man, “I’m so sorry about the delay. It seems as if everyone waits until the last minute to get ready for a long trip.” The minister chuckled, “I know what you mean. It’s the same in my business.”
Closing Prayer:
God, we love you with all of our hearts. We know that sin and its desires will always lead us away from righteousness. But I pray that we take heed of the conviction you give us through prayer and repentance as the Holy Spirit guides us. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for taking the sacrifice we could never make in our earthly, sinful bodies. It is in that sacrifice we hope and have faith that we will soon be rid of sin as we come into our new bodies as you, Father, have promised us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
