As I keep studying this book, I find I'm still only at the introduction. Funny, how the introduction and the 'to the reader' can be so long. But it's good doctrine :D
Anyways, many parts of this book stuck to me. There would be thousands of posts on repentance if I talked about every single powerful sentence. That is why I encourage you to order the book, and read it. Then we can study together, by blogs, and can enjoy the full power of God in this book.
The first thing I learned, was that Repentance isn't any type of joke. It's not something to play with. And while we'd never actually play with it, we may misuse it. Repentance is SO deep. And to get a glimpse of it's true meaning would be amazing. I wanted to state that it can be misused before I went any further. How? Well here's one way.
"Be warned, however, against taking pride in your repentance. Some have unwisely set themselves up as the standard of repentance and have looked with disdain on others whose repentance did not match their own. Such foolishness! Christ alone is the standard. Still others have attached merit to their repentance as if in repenting they gained some favor with God. How absurd! Repentance is a grace Christ gives that can only result in His glory, not ours."
One of our greatest sins is pride. We take pride in EVERYTHING. We take pride in our knowledge of God, we take pride in our discipline, we take pride in our gifts, and we take pride in anything else you might think of. And it's a great curse. Pride is one of the most hated sins. When we think we are better than God. And SO Mr. Roberts says that we can even take pride in our REPENTANCE! It sounds funny but it is all the more true. My repentant life isn't half of what it should be, is yours? Remember God is our standard! HE IS OUR ONLY STANDARD. And with great sadness, we must realize that we can never be his standard, because we weren't made for that. So we must REPENT. We must weep in sorrow at our sins, and never compare. And we must remember that we cannot merit our way into heaven. While Repentance may be an act we do in private, it can still boost our pride into thinking we're better because we Repent and that we're God's favorites. That mindset will send us the exact opposite way we want to go.
And so with great care, we must consider our Repentant life. Repentance is a cry out to God. It's realizing that every single day, every single our, up to every single minute that you are lost, and in need of a savior. There are people in the world who have spent days and nights on their knees weeping because of their sins. Sin is a direct affront against God. To keep up our relationship with God, we need to keep repenting. Because I know for a fact that if I went to my sister every day and slapped her in the face, no matter how many times I said sorry, she wouldn't forgive me; I'd go on and on and on, slapping her, soon it would come naturally. But every night I'd go to her and say Sorry; would you forgive someone who did that to you? Probably not. But that's why we must realize that we have such a wonderful and powerful God. HE IS MORE THAN CAPABLE OF FORGIVING YOU. Every sinful act we do, down to the last tiny thought, is a slap in the face to God. But he has the power to forgive. TO FORGIVE. He promised he will forgive you.
So, we must not use our Repentance wrongly, by foolishly thinking it's merit to God or that we are better than anyone else. We're all in the same boat, but some of us CAN have a keener appetite for God, and he will reward those who do. Never give up hope in God, because as Isaiah says "The hand of the Lord has not grown so short that it cannot save; nor his ear so dull that it cannot hear."{favorite verse, can you tell?:}
Tonight, I urge you to Repent. Repent the way God wants you to repent. And if you don't know how, ask him. He'll reveal himself, but sometimes you have to seek him first.
Have a blessed night.
~Hope your day was awesome.
{And may everything you do be for His glory.}
----Hannah
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