When I became a Christian twenty years ago the topic of repentance didn’t seem to be a controversial issue. I’m sure it was. However there seems to be more of a debate about it today. I have heard people preach that you no longer need to repent because you’re now under grace. It seems to be yet another ‘new revelation’ that people are taking in.

Now I know that preaching on repentance has also gone way over the other side. Many have said that you must repent of every sin that you ever committed and name it by name. Others think that every day you must look inside yourself and repent of every single sin you committed that day.  Now of course this is another radical teaching that we need to stay away from or else we become ‘sin-conscious’ and always think we aren’t good enough.

However, as Christians we should repent on a regular basis. Not always coming and ‘saying sorry’ but true heartfelt turning away from sin. For instance, you get upset with your spouse, friend, colleague or pastor and you’re infuriated about what they said or did. If you don’t repent you become bitter. The ‘root of bitterness’ (Hebrews 12:15) begins to settle in and then you begin to hate the person.

We know that hating someone isn’t good, for God is love. Jesus taught us that we were to ‘love one another’ (John 13:35). How can we continue with bitterness and anger and still think things are alright? Yes Jesus died for us, yes He paid for that sin of bitterness and anger, but you’re not to hold on to it. If you do, you are living in sin.

Another topic today is depression. Many Christians want to accept it as truth. People are fighting for their right to feel depressed. My heart goes out to them, I know what they are experiencing is a very real thing. However, I know that they can be free from it. You don’t need to live in depression. You need to press in to the things of God. Learn to get into an intimate relationship with Him. As you develop this relationship, I can assure you that depression will leave.

Worship allows us to see how big our God really is. He’s powerful and has set us free. There is no sickness or disease that God cannot deliver us from. If you’re feeling depressed begin to lift up your hands and worship God. If you don’t feel like it, do it anyways. God wants to reveal His love to you.

TRUE REPENTANCE

I find many times as I worship God He reminds me of things that I did, in a gentle way. He’s not pointing out my faults in order to condemn me. He wants me to come to repentance. “For the goodness of God leads us to repentance” (Romans 2:4).  As I yield myself and confess my wrong to Him and decide to change my ways, He reminds me of His forgiveness. He doesn’t need to forgive me again, because He already has. Rather, I need to line my heart up with His. I need to embrace that forgiveness and the way I do that is through repentance. Click here to read a great blog on this subject by Dr. Michael Brown.

As we come into God’s Presence and sense His Holiness we realize that there are some things that we need to get right. If I want to walk in all God has for me I must live a life of repentance. I want my life to always line up with His will.

Repentance isn’t wrong. It’s a Biblical principal that if we would grab hold of once again, we’d realize that we will have more joy. We won’t have to live in depression or regret. We don’t continually in every moment look within ourselves. Look to Jesus! As He reveals things in us we repent and move forward.

Jump into God’s arms of love today. Embrace Him! Allow Him to show you the secrets of His heart. He longs for you to get to know Him!