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Why Repent

--From Our Perspective

Can't Forget Who and Where We Are!

It would be easy for me to say that we should turn from our earthly ways because it is right. And, we should. Repentance honors God. God is holy. We should be holy too. Most of us already know that. The problem is that for all we know, we don’t seem to be getting on with the process of directing our heart toward God. For most Christians today, knowing that repentance is right, and even that we should obey, hasn't been enough reason for us to get around to doing it. 

It is time we take an approach that is more consistent with who and where we are as people.

The Bible approaches it that way, why shouldn't we?

"Ho! Every one who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and delight yourself in abundance. Incline your ear and come to Me. Listen, that you may live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, according to the faithful mercies shown to David" (Isa. 55:1,2).

The price of repentance that allows us to "delight ourselves in abundance" is like buying "without cost." We give our earthly ways of drinking, the same ones that hurt us so often, in trade for being able to drink from the abundance of God. That is the Bible's appeal to selfish people. It is an appeal that is consistent with who and where we are. 

If the Bible does it, so can we.

Two Reactions...  

Consider the reactions of two different groups of people when they consider ‘repentance’ for themselves. One group is concerned about how much they would have to give up in order to be really close to God. The other group says, "Just tell me how."

The Bible does say, "Be zealous and repent" (Rev. 3:19). But before we can do that we have to address the concerns of the first group of people above. We have to think about repentance on an everyday level. Before we buy anything and long before we do anything whole-heartedly we always want to know, "What is in it for us?" Turning to God is like that, "If God is asking me to turn from my earthly ways, I want to know what I get out of the deal." From a human perspective, it is reasonable to think of repentance in this way. We are human. Therefore, this concern must be considered acceptable and addressed honestly.

The first step toward making repentance practical is to establish the grace of God as the reason you can move forward without hesitation and with great zeal. The grace of God is His overwhelming tendency to give. Anytime we talk about God’s grace we must also, of necessity, talk about what we receive. By considering repentance because of God’s grace, the concerns of both groups are addressed.

God is not asking you to give up anything that He doesn't fully intend to replace with something far better! 

Repent Because of God's Grace!

Repentance is not a morbid thing--it is not something to fear. The Bible speaks about repentance as, "always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body." (2 Cor. 4:10). Repentance is a process of constantly living out the dying of Jesus. But please note; we have here a very clear promise concerning why you should repent. 

Repentance is not about how well you grovel before God!!! 

According to the verse above, repentance is "so that" the "life of Jesus can be manifested." Carrying our cross is not an end in itself. Life is the goal of repentance, not dying. "Dying to self" is not the goal you should be pressing toward. Dying to our earthly ways is a means to experiencing times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord. Once you clearly understand the benefits of repentance, "dying" won’t be a morbid thing at all. It will become a process you enjoy.

By repentance, you can experience God's presence more fully than what you may have ever thought was possible. 

The Bible explains, "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" (Acts 3:19). The result of applying biblical principles of repentance is that you find greater freedom from bondage to sin—even sins you may not currently be aware of. You also experience thrilling "times of refreshing" from the presence of the Lord. 

People everywhere are "thirsty" for God’s presence (Psa. 63:1,2). It is a great and unnecessary tragedy that this need so often goes unmet--even for people inside the church. The Bible explains the reason. It says God’s people are avoiding the fountain of God and are drinking from wells that don’t hold water (Jer. 2:11-13).

Your longing for God's presence is strong and driving--take that by faith. 

You can see evidence of your desire for God's presence in your every-moment longings for acceptance, love, power, companionship, knowledge, beauty, kindness, perfection, security, adequacy, and in your desire to be held and hugged. Even the twisted and evil opposites of these kinds of things are evidence of a desperate unmet longing for the presence of God.

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God's presence close to you can be what meets these needs. You can experience God as your security by refuging yourself inside intense levels of His presence. You can reassure yourself with the closeness of God as your strength. You can hide yourself inside God's love to such an extent that you know He is loving you. You just have to begin thinking bigger than anything you may have observed in the church today. You don't have to keep going deeper into greater and greater bondage. 

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Earthy substitutes for God will never be enough—you will always suffer those quiet feelings of desperation because you are trying to settle for so little. You can repent and turn to God. 

Take it by faith that behaviors aimed to thrill you, fill you with pleasure, make you feel loved and strong, are all being driven by a strong underlying desire for God's presence—even at those times when you seem to be running from Him and don't appear to be wanting God at all. You can enjoy God in ways that result in greater delight than anything this world has to offer. 

Damaging behaviors and attitudes don’t change easily because most people fail to understand that it is their unmet need for God’s presence that drives their unwanted behavior. On a practical level, this is strong reason why repentance is so important. 

When your longings for God's presence are being met--in abundance--the desire to reassure yourself with sin isn't nearly so strong.  

You don't have to keep trying to fill yourself from earthly sources! You can experience God's presence because God wants to be God to you. He doesn't want you to depend on the little "gods" of this world.

God offers you more—even though it may be hard for you to believe at this time.

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You are not alone because disbelief of this kind is rampant in the church today. Jesus explained why when He said, "How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and you do not seek the glory that is from the one and only God? (John 5:44). We have difficulty believing what God offers freely by His grace because we are to intent on "receiving glory" from earthly sources. Repenting will help you to believe and receive from God.

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That Christians have such great difficulty getting along with each other is strong evidence of our unmet need for God—inside the church. Jesus was praying for us when He said, "The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one" (John 17:22). It is only the glory of God that will unite us! It is wide spread repentance that will help us.

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Biblical repentance helps you meet your need for God so well that earthly things just aren’t so attractive any more. The—here and now—benefits of God's presence close to you far outweigh anything else this life has to offer.

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In today’s terms, repentance helps you find freedom from needing to reassure yourself with compulsive behaviors, addictions, co-dependence, damaging reactions, and harmful pursuits. That repentance helps you to experience the "refreshing" from God’s presence is why you can find freedom from the damaging behaviors and dependencies.

Many who experience the manifest presence of God refer to this experience as an "anointing" from Him. But it has been my observation that few of those who call it an "anointing" actually experience His presence—strongly lavished upon them—outside of an occasional gathering with other Christians. It should not be this way because we are told to "abide" with Him in us and us in Him (John 15).

Jesus told us, "...I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matt. 28:20). But, the Bible also tells believers, "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you..." (James 4:8). Both of these verses are true! Because God is Spirit (John 4:24), it is possible to experience His presence more—or less—intensely, at any given moment. The Bible promises that God won’t ever leave you (Heb. 13:5). But it is your birthright as a Christian to always be able to experience His presence more fully. God is God—that is why more is always possible.

You don’t have to keep drifting along! Life can get better. Our problem is with the many ways we fill our desire for God—apart from Him. The solution is to repent in ways that allow us to fill our need by experiencing His presence intensely. Anything less will never be enough. Repentance by "changing your mind" can help you find freedom to turn to God and receive from Him.

Speaking completely on a human level, the biggest practical reason for you to repent is because there is so much in it for you--repent because of grace. Let me say again that God is not asking you to give up anything that He doesn't fully intend to replace with times of refreshing from His presence (Acts 3:19).  

Begin now to thank the Lord often that you can turn toward Him. Thank Him that you don't have to live in hopelessness or fear. You can turn to God! 

Repentance is not something you should fear and you should certainly not feel hopeless about doing it!  

May God bless you richly as you move ahead into the exciting process of directing your heart toward Him. Great rewards are just around the corner.

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I am praying for the Lord's abundant blessing on your efforts to direct your heart toward Him.

Barry.

     Why Repent — Continued...

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(C) Barry Hall 1999

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