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April 13, 2023
Repent
Beloved child, do you long to be free of the pain of the past? There are 8 R’s to freedom. Today we are dealing with step three: Repentance. The first three steps are:
1. Recognize – you must recognize you have a problem personally.
2. Responsibility – Take responsibility for your actions and where you have made mistakes.
3. Repent – Repent of your sins and be free.
Do you have a contrite, broken, humble heart? These are just different ways to say the same thing. Repentance is when you truly have remorse because you have sinned. Many people are sorry they got caught, not remorseful because they have sinned against God. They want to figure out a way to get out of the situation and not have to suffer the consequences of their sin. They don’t want to take responsibility for their actions, always blaming someone else for the way they acted or what they have done. Many attorneys have gotten wealthy defending a guilty party because the parents will take their hard-earned money to try to get their child out of the mess, they got themselves into. Their parents don’t want to see their children behind bars but look in the Word at all the people who went to jail and won people to the Lord namely Paul and Silas. (Acts 6:25-34)
I can say this from experience. Ryan, my son, has a high calling on his life. Years ago, he was facing 17 years in prison and the judge stood firm. I spent two hours a day for four months on my face before God praying for favor with the judge. Why? Because no matter how wrong he was, he was still my son. I prayed while he sat in jail. The bottom line is that judge went on vacation, and a new judge filled in for him and gave Ryan 5 years’ probation wearing an ankle bracelet and being accountable 24×7 to his probation officer. Tough love is difficult but necessary. I would like to tell you that was the only time he broke the law. There was no encounter with God during that time. There was no true repentance. If you don’t get the lesson, you must repeat it.
Many people have divine encounters with Jesus sitting behind bars, and it has changed their life. I have a spiritual son who went to prison for being a drug dealer many years ago. He had a divine encounter with God behind bars that completely changed his life. He has pastored a church since 2003 and today he has a powerful prison ministry and is an apostle. He and his wife are doing powerful work building the Kingdom of God. Pastor David had a contrite, broken, humble heart! He recognized the condition of his heart, took responsibility, and repented for his sins; you must do the same thing. So repent (change your mind and purpose); turn around and return [to God], that your sins may be erased (blotted out, wiped clean), that times of refreshing (of recovering from the effects of heat, of reviving with fresh air) may come from the presence of the Lord. (Acts 3:19 AMPC)
What is sin in Greek? In ancient Greece archers would compete, trying to hit the bullseye. If they missed the person keeping score would yell, ‘SIN!’ Why? Because he missed the mark. Sin means you missed the mark. Repentance means you are truly remorseful for your sins, you change the way you think, and you turn and go in the opposite direction. When you repent times of refreshing comes from being in the presence of the Lord. (Acts 3:20-21, Isaiah 2:2) There is a teaching that once you repent of your sins, you never have to repent for sins again because it negates grace and mercy. According to the Word, we are not to sin for grace to abound. (Romans 6:1) I want to ask you since you believed, have you missed the mark and sinned? I wish I could tell you I haven’t made mistakes in the last 45 years as a Christian but that would be a lie. But just like David, I am quick to repent and quick to obey God. (2 Samuel 12:1-13)
Relief will not come until you repent. Why is repentance so important? Because God wants us to know that what we are turning away from, through repentance, establishes a new destiny of right standing with God on the earth for ourselves and our children. When you recognize your guilt, take responsibility and repent, and deal with your sins what happens? Tremendous peace will flood your heart, soul/mind, and body. Repentance is a quality decision! Either you choose to participate or not to participate with sin. You sin either according to knowledge or according to ignorance. Either way, it’s sin. Hosea 4:6 says people perish for lack of knowledge. Sin causes sickness and dis-ease in your body. (2 Chronicles 6:22-30, 36-39) Repentance is the beginning of breaking generational curses and receiving the blessing. (2 Chronicles 7:14)
Our sins cause grief, but God desires for you to align with His Word and be well, and free, and teach others how to get well and free, but it begins with repentance. (2 Corinthians 5:10) When we sin against God, He will give us over to what we want. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so, you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge. (Psalms 51:4) Salvation is a personal experience with Almighty God. Once we repent, we must begin to do the Word, which means live it! Repent of your sins and let God be true! (Romans 3:4) In order to be a born-again believers, we must repent of our sins. Acts 2:38 says, ‘Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Are you ready to repent for your participation in sin?
Pray this with me:
Father God, I boldly come before Your throne of grace with confidence, so that I may receive mercy and find grace to help in my time of need. (Hebrews 4:16) Father I recognize that You are justified when You speak and when You judge because You are God Almighty. (Ezekiel 18:25-30) I take responsibility and repent for participating with sin (_____ name your sins) and overthrowing who You are in the earth through me. I ask You Father to please forgive me. Your Word says, ‘If I repent of my sins, you are faithful and just to cleanse me of all unrighteousness and I wash me white as snow. (1 John 1:9) And Your Word also says, ‘When I repent You bury my sins in the sea of forgetfulness (no matter how bad the sin was) and you remember them no more. (Psalms 103:12) Thank You Father for forgiving me, I commit to reading (washing my mind with the Word every day) to remember my sins no more. (Ephesians 5:26) Right now, not only do I ask You to forgive me Father, but please help me to forgive myself of my sins. Say this: I forgive ______ (Your name) for sinning against God and breaking His commandments (Name the sin). Thank you for making me white as snow in the all-powerful name of Jesus. Amen.
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