REPENTANCE
“I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”
Luke 5:32
Before I go further, it’s important that we clearly understand what repentance really means.
In the Old Testament, two Hebrew words help us understand repentance. The first is the word ‘nacham’ , which means to turn around or to change your mind. The second is the word ‘sub’ and is translated by such words as “turn,” “return,” “seek,” or “restore.” You often see it in phrases like “to turn to the Lord with all your heart.”
When we come to the New Testament, we need to know the Greek word ‘metanoia’ , which literally means “to change the mind.” Repentance fundamentally means to change one’s mind about something. It has to do with the way we think about something. You’ve been thinking one way, but now you think the opposite way. That’s repentance — the changing of the mind.
2 Chronicles 7:14
and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
Today people finish sinning and they start smiling, they lift up their hands in worship “ I love you Lord”. You just finished committing fornication, no fear of God again !.
This is what I have been seeing on a regular basis.. You have just duped a church member and you are doing thanksgiving over the money you duped the person of.
Repentance has to return back. Genuine repentance, for even thinking evil thoughts, one needs to repent !.
Always know this, the sin you don’t repent will sink you, it will sink your destiny, sin is a sinker, the moment you sin and you don’t feel it again, you are definitely in danger.
You are in danger because it will kill your conscience and you will not know the difference between right and wrong again.
Repentance! Repentance!
Every time you do evil and your conscience strikes your mind, just say, Lord, I am sorry, please empower me not to fall into sin again.
You know yourself! Repent and be sober.
There is the story of the king, a very wicked king called Ahab, in 1 Kings 21: 25-29, the Bible says there was none like Ahab who sold himself to the work of wickedness, he was wickedness personified, the wife was a research officer in doing evil.
When Ahab had a problem and they gave it to his wife, it is done. She will calculate and organize how he will go about it, but one day the prophet said, you are gone, you are finished.
It came to pass, when Ahab heard those words, he rented his clothes and was very sober, God forgave him because he was genuinely repentant.
Don’t pretend as if you don’t know what you are doing, you know how you are lying, don’t pretend as if you don’t know. You are turning your head like an ostrich when the whole body can be seen.
Let repentance, true genuine repentance come back, don’t use a bold face to pretend as if you don’t know what you did. You know where you went to on the weekend and you came to church on Sunday dancing.
Let’s return to genuine repentance with our hearts (Ezek. 18:24), the moment your hearts strike, just scream Lord, I’m sorry! Help me Lord. If we confess our sin, he is faithful and just, to forgive us and cleanse us from our unrighteousness.
And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.
Mark 11:25.
Know that Prayer enhances spirituality. Sin on the other hand gives rise to lukewarm attitude towards prayer. That is why it has been said that prayer keeps people from sin and sin keeps people from praying. The life of prayer and the life of sin are mutually exclusive. The decision to sin is a decision against prayer, and the decision to pray is a decision against sin. This means that one of the major objectives of sin is to attack your prayer life.
So my dear brothers and sisters, let’s make up our mind not to live a life of sin in order to maintain a spiritual buoyancy in the place of prayer.Repent from any sin(s) that may hinder us from making eternity in Heaven.Let’s avoid the wrong company and every temptation that would lead each of us into sin.
PRAYER
O LORD, I ask for forgiveness from any sin that has hindered my prayer life. Help me to cultivate and maintain a buoyant prayer life, LORD, in Jesus’ Name . Amen.
Sol.Fiona