REPENTANCE
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Job 42:6 |
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Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes. KJV |
Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes. NIV |
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Ezekiel 14:6 |
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…Thus saith the Lord God: “Repent, and turn yourselves from your idols; and turn away your faces from all your abominations.” KJV |
This is what the Sovereign Lord says: “repent! Turn from your idols and renounce all your detestable practices!” NIV |
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Ezekiel 18:30-31 |
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“Therefore I will judge you O house of Israel, every one according to his ways,” saith the Lord God. “Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin. Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit…” KJV |
“Therefore, you Israelites, I will judge each of you according to your own ways,” declares the Sovereign Lord. “Repent! Turn away from all your offences; then sin will not be your downfall. Rid yourselves of all the offences you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit…” NIV |
The dictionary describes the word Repent or Repentance as the act of turning from sin and changing one’s orientation from rebellion against God to acceptance of God’s will and Lordship in our lives. Which is exactly what we need to do in order to have Christ in our lives.
Many years ago, I heard a sermon preached by a godly man who described his sinful lifestyle up until the age of 22 when he was challenged by the Gospel message and accepted Christ into his life. During the days that followed, he discovered that the more he read the Scriptures and prayed, the more he realised just how sinful he was and had been throughout his young life. He illustrated how he had come to a crossroads, and how crystal clear it was to him that he had to:
| · Change direction. | · Have a new heart. |
| · A complete turnaround in mind, thoughts and actions. | |
Our verses of Scripture today tell us:
- Of Job who was so overwhelmed with his own sinfulness that he repented in dust and ashes.
- In Ezekiel 14, we are told to repent and turn ourselves from idols.
- We are to turn our faces away from all our abominations. (outrages, horrors, disgraces, revulsions)
- In Ezekiel 18, we are told to repent and turn ourselves from all our transgressions (disobediences, offences, sins).
- There is repentance and conversion.
- There is asking for forgiveness.
- There is changing direction.
- They are two sides of one coin.
D.L. Moody once wrote: The more one grows in grace, the meaner he is in his own eyes.
It is hard on the flesh to repent, but until we turn from our sin and make proper restitution we are not cleared of our guilt, nor have we changed anything for the past, present or future. God cannot bless us.
The Bible makes it very clear that we must all come to the point in our lives where we have to deal with the subject of sin. Most ignore it and carry on living as though there is nothing to worry about or be sorry for. But the fact remains that Jesus died on the Cross of Calvary and paid the ultimate penalty for our sins.
He gave His life for us. He gave His life that we might live. Sin is what separates us from God and unless you have dealt with your sin you will spend eternity without Jesus.
The decision is yours and yours alone.
Today’s post is dedicated to my dear Mother-in-Law who passed into eternity on this day in 2017. At a young age, she realised that her life was not what God intended for her and she invited Jesus Christ to take charge. She never looked back! Now she is with Him, rejoicing that she took Him at His Word. May you find a willingness of heart to do the same.