Walking With Jesus (Repentance)Uzorak

A true repentance

Since the fall into sin of the first human, the sinful nature has become a part of our lives. We are born with a heart tendency to do evil things. David realized this and said, "Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me" (Psalm 51:5). We struggle with sin every day, and it haunts us. As sinners, we deserve punishment based on God's holiness and justice, but God has provided a way out.

Because of His love for us, God the Father has given us His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross. The blood of Christ reconciles us to God. Because of Him, we are no longer enemies of God. "...Christ himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness" (1 Peter 2:24). We must earnestly live in repentance after receiving the gift of salvation. We must repent of our sins! We cannot receive God's grace and remain living in sin. God has poured out His grace while we were still sinners; now we are cleansed and our sins are forgiven. Living in repentance is a commandment; it is not just an appeal. We must consciously forsake and reject all sinful acts. Living in the truth is a necessity and a logical consequence of accepting God's grace.

Therefore, let's pay attention to our lives and examine the things that might drag us into sin more: the environment, what we watch and read, and our relationships. We are at war with sin and the flesh. The works of the flesh are sinful natures that we must abandon. The war against sin and the flesh will go on every day for the rest of our lives.

We must stop sinning and escape the trap of sin. We are indeed still living in a sinful world, but we must choose to live according to God's will every day because we can't only repent once in a lifetime; it is a continuous process in our lives. We will perish when we do not truly repent.

Reflection:

1. How did the conversion process take place in your life?

2. What is the most difficult struggle in your battle against sin and the sinful nature within you?

Practice: Stay away from an activity that you know is sinful before the Lord.