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Repentance - the path to a victorious Christian life

In Genesis, the first book of the Bible, we read the story of how sin entered the world. When Adam sinned, God asked him “Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?” (Genesis 3:11). Instead of acknowledging his mistake, Adam decided to blame his wife…

He shamelessly declared that the fault was with “the woman you put here with me” (Genesis 3:12). When God confronted Eve, she made the same mistake: “The serpent deceived me” (Genesis 3:13).

Ever since then, all mankind has struggled with the issue of taking responsibility for their mistakes. It is easier to put the blame on someone else or on a circumstance, but that does not fix the issues with our character. When we try to escape responsibility for our mistakes, we may feel vindicated in our pride, but we stop growing. Blaming others will cause us to fall into the quicksand of toxic behaviors and attitudes that ultimately will harm us.

God wants to heal and restore us, but in order for that to happen, we need to stop the blame game, take responsibility for our mistakes and turn away from them. This is what the Bible calls repentance and it follows true faith in Christ.

The word repentance means ‘change of direction’ or ‘change of mind’. God knows what is best for us and He is worthy to be trusted. When we repent, God answers with forgiveness and healing.

As we consider the issue of repentance, it is vital to understand that God hates sin, but the reason He does is not because it will somehow hurt or upset Him. He is God and absolutely nothing is able to remotely scratch His majesty and glory.

If that is the case, then why does God hate sin? Because it hurts us! He knows what is best for our lives and invites us to leave behind all that stands between us and the abundant life Jesus came to bring.

What are the issues in your life that you need to repent of? Are you blaming someone else for your own mistakes? What are the habits, thoughts, feelings or attitudes in your life that have become a bondage to you?

Perhaps something bad happened to you and by no means should you belittle it, but while you cannot change what happened, you can choose how you respond to it with the help of Jesus. Through repentance and forgiveness, Christ can give you victory over any catastrophic situation in your life. You are called to freedom, and repentance is an essential stepping stone to receive all that Jesus has for you.

Today, you are invited to look at your own life, to give up all pride, to confess your sins and leave them behind. It doesn’t matter what you’ve done, where you’ve been, or who you’ve been hanging out with. If you truly repent and leave your sin behind, God is willing to forgive you and restore your life.

He is also ready to do more than that, He is ready to call you His child, fill you with His Holy Spirit and give you a completely new life. He promises to replace your guilt and shame with His joy!

It is important that you learn about repentance because this is not something you do once in your life and then forget about it. Our salvation doesn’t mean we will not struggle with sin anymore. On the contrary, because we have now decided to live for God, we may face trials and temptations that we’ve never even faced before.

For a Christian, repentance and forgiveness are not a license to sin, but a means to restore our relationship with God if we stumble in our walk with Jesus. Repentance is a lifestyle. The greatest evidence that you have repented is that you are constantly willing to submit yourself to the Lordship of Christ and allow Him to change the things in your life that do not bring honor to Him.

Here are four simple steps that can help you practice the spiritual discipline of repentance and receive God’s forgiveness in your life:

1. Acknowledge your sins. Be honest with yourself, search your heart and confess your sins to God, whatever they are.

2. Ask for forgiveness. Ask God to forgive your sins and know that He is more than willing to forgive you any time you need it.

3. Receive God’s forgiveness. Once you have confessed and turned away from your sin, accept God’s forgiveness. He removed your guilt and shame. Do not look back. Lift up your head and move on in your new life with Jesus!

4. Live a victorious life! Now that you are forgiven, do not go back to sin. Submit your life to the control of the Holy Spirit and be transformed by the grace, love and power of God.

In our next devotional reading, we will learn more about how to communicate with God through the amazing experience of prayer. See you tomorrow!