Sorrow

II Cor 7:10

For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death.

Isn’t this an awesome verse?

Sorrow is sad, and no one really wants to experience it, although we know that life brings it and interrupts our happy lives.

However, there’s a kind of sorrow that brings no regret, and only life, and only good stuff.

Say what?

It’s the kind of sorrow we feel when we have wronged someone or grieved God and we repent quickly, and forgiveness is ours.  

That’s the kind of sorrow that we can welcome. Because it feels like a warm wave of goodness that covers us from head to toe, and we don't have to be in sorrow any more.

Pretty cool…

The Riches

Romans 2

Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?

God and his kindness, tolerance and patience – leads us gently toward repentance.  He’s that kind of father, not the one who prods us into line by jabbing us in the side and attacking our character.

Sometimes we think horrible thoughts about ourselves, that we are sorry, we are no good, and God must not like us.  Those thoughts are not true.

The truth is that He loves us, he wants the best for us, and he is longsuffering and patient to brings us into that love, as we continually bend toward that kindness – and not away.

That’s what true repentance is – bending toward the kindness of God in a way that causes us to fall on our knees in reverence and awe at his goodness and love to us.

Don’t ever think lightly of it.

Give thanks for it.

And receive it.

Just Do It

Acts 3:19

Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord;

I don’t believe I’ve noticed the last part of this verse before.  It must be necessary, in order to be refreshed, that we repent first.

It’s hard to be refreshed and even enjoy the presence of the Lord when sin is standing between us and Him.  If we’ve been hating our brother, talking bad about a neighbor, or planning revenge on an enemy, those things are all like a dark screen that keep us from seeing and experiencing the Holy God.

But that screen can be wiped clean when we repent and turn, by simply asking forgiveness.

And he is faithful to do so, when we ask.

That’s the kind of God and Father we serve.

Now go be refreshed!

The Big Party

Luke 15:10

In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.

Isn’t this a great verse?  God isn’t shaking his finger in our face when we repent (ask forgiveness of sins), criticizing how bad we’ve been, or saying degrading phrases against our character.

No.

In fact, there is rejoicing going on in heaven over each and every one who repents.

Why? 

Because God wants fellowship with us.  And he can only have it when we repent and allow our sins to be covered by the blood of Jesus, so that we can experience all that He is.

I keep saying that. And it’s true.

Repentance is an event that calls for a party like none other.

Skewed Thinking

Matthew 4:17 say From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”

I just recently heard a message on how the kingdom was “near” but those who heard that call had to be willing to make that kingdom a reality in their own lives, not just live “near” it.  It was a great sermon, and it also taught how too often we desire a God of our own preference, instead of a holy God that requires repentance.

Repentance isn’t a bad thing, it’s not just something we do to escape hell, but it’s something we get to do, in order to experience his kingdom of love, peace, and joy.

Somehow, we’ve gotten it all skewed, when we think repentance is someone hammering us over the head to shape up or ship out.

Repentance is just bowing before him and acknowledging our wrongdoing because we want to be like Him so that we can experience all that He is and does…

It’s really a beautiful thing.

No Pleasure

Ezekiel 18:32 

For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent and live!

Some think God doesn’t care when people die, when there are disasters, when homeless pass away on the streets, or that he quite enjoys destroying the wicked.

God so loved the world so that anyone who believes will not perish, and this verse says he does not delight in the death of anyone!

He has given us a way to escape death, and that is by believing in Jesus, and repenting of our sin – turning away from a self-fulfilled life that leads to sure death – and turning towards a savior to a God-filled life of joy, peace, and love that leads to eternal life.

Stay in sin, selfishness and self-gratification and that’s your life – it ends on earth.

Surrender to the Savior, his supernatural love, such kindness like you’ve never known – and your life is eternal.

All you have to do is repent.

The Refusal

Jeremiah says this…

Although they say, ‘As surely as the Lord lives,’

    still they are swearing falsely.”  Lord, do not your eyes look for truth?

    You struck them, but they felt no pain; you crushed them, but they refused correction. They made their faces harder than stone and refused to repent.

 I thought, “These are only the poor; they are foolish,

for they do not know the way of the Lord, the requirements of their God.

So just what are the requirements of our God?  To be holy, as he is holy.  Not because he’s mean, wants to us to shape up because we’re bad, but because he’s holy and he wants us to experience every aspect of who He is.

When we refuse correction and refuse to repent, when we are instructed to do so, we are like children who throw tantrums, who slam doors, who hit and fight…and that is not a pretty sight in any home.

God requires that we be holy, and he will see to it, to bring that process about, IF we humble ourselves under his loving corrective hand that says stop hating, stop lying, stop taking…and just rest.