WHY REPENT?

I am always grateful for God’s correction and spiritual realignment. He is calling His Church and the world to repentance, so it was not surprising when He urged me to revisit repentance and prioritization of time with Him.

Each day, we become preoccupied with worldly things, and in the difficulties, irritations, and business of daily living, we sin with our words, thoughts, and actions, yet we often dismiss those things. Therefore, in our humanness, repentance is required, and like King David, we must ask God to search our hearts and reveal any sin within us.

What does it mean to “repent?” 

The Hebrew of the Old Covenant has two words for repentance: NACHAM -(nay-hom) to lament; to grieve; to change

SHUB - a radical change of mind toward sin; a decision to forsake sin and agree with God.

The Greek of the New Covenant has two words that parallel the Hebrew. METAMELOMAI (met-a-mel-o-my) - to change one’s mind; to have concern or remorse.

MATANOEO - (met-an-o-a) - to repent; to radically change and turn to God and away from sin.

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, “repent” is a sincere regret or remorse for an action. The world’s definition of regret does not require “change” as indicated by Scripture. You can express contrition about an action, yet commit the sin again and again.

True repentance requires a heart-change that motivates change in behavior and thoughts. We may not commit murder or adultery, but have we lied, stolen, gossiped, judged, or criticized. Do we hold grudges or unforgiveness in our hearts? Do we have secret sins? Are our hearts set on worldly things or on God? 

When Jesus was addressing the Pharisees and the people, He said, “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. They worship Me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules” (Matthew 15:8-9 NIV).

Saul, a Pharisee and persecutor of the Christian church in Jerusalem, went house-to-house, dragging Christians to prison. If a believer was found guilty of what Saul considered blasphemy, he demanded their death by stoning. Speaking threats and murder against the disciples, he asked the high priest for letters to give to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if Saul found any who were of the “Way,” he could bring them to Jerusalem for trial (Acts 9:2; 26:10).

People might have said that Saul was unredeemable. For him to become a Christian would be like changing a frog into a prince, yet God had a plan for Saul’s life. So, as Saul journeyed on the road to Damascus, “a light shone around him from heaven. He fell face-down on the ground and heard a voice, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” When Saul asked who was speaking, the Lord answered, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. Saul asked, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” Saul’s question revealed an immediate repentant and changed heart. Jesus then told him to go to Damascus, where he would receive instruction. 

Saul, blinded by the light, was led to the disciple, Ananias, whom God had instructed beforehand to pray for Saul, who would become Paul. Ananias knew of the great harm Saul had done to the Christians in Jerusalem and the authority he had from the chief priests to arrest all who were Christians. However, Ananias obediently prayed and immediately Saul received his sight. He was then baptized and after a few days with the disciples, he began to preach the Gospel. Now that is a transformed heart!

Numerous times, Israel was warned to repent because of her apostasy, yet she refused. So, in God’s great love for His people, He sent the Prophet Jeremiah to issue another warning to Israel—a warning that holds true for America: “Can I not do with you, Israel, as this potter does?” declares the Lord. “Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in My hand, Israel. If at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down and destroyed, and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned. And if at another time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be built up and planted, and if it does evil in my sight and does not obey me, then I will reconsider the good I had intended to do for it” (Jeremiah 18:5-10). Despite numerous warnings, Israel, refused to repent and suffered God’s judgment. 

America, like ancient Israel, suffers from a heart issue that refuses to repent. Many confess they are Christians, but their lives reveal that their hearts are far from God. That was proven when the Church remained silent as America turned to apostacy in 1963 and removed prayer and Bibles from schools. Since then, we, like the Israelites, have co-joined the worship of God with the gods of self, materialism, and pleasure. All that God calls sin, society has redefined as good and acceptable, even the killing of children. 

The Coronavirus has killed numerous people, decimated our economy, destroyed livelihoods, and caused people to commit suicide. Recovering alcoholics and rehabilitated drug users have relapsed. Spousal abuse, violence, rioting, hatred, anger, and killing have escalated. If America refuses to repent and turn back to God, the violence and apostasy will continue to grow and America will fall under God’s mighty hand of judgement.  

Before our world turned upside down, were Christians investing time with God in prayer and studying His Word? Were they praying for our nation? As I previously shared in the blog, “Seek Me,” posted April 7th, I thought I was doing all that was needed to build a relationship with God. Yet He revealed that He wants all of my heart, which requires daily reprioritizing of my time and repenting of those missteps in obedience, ungodly attitudes, behaviors, and speaking careless, unprofitable words (Matthew 12:36).

God invites all. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls (Matthew 11:28-29). God is calling America and the world to repent from apathy, disobedience, arrogance, pride, acceptance of evil, apostasy, sexual sin of every kind, and from failing to speak truth when truth is known. 

Today is the day to seek God while He may be found. Call upon Him while He is near. Pray the wicked forsake their way and the unrighteous turn to the Lord. Like Saul who became Paul, the greatest and most prolific advocate for Jesus, God will have compassion and will abundantly pardon all who turn to Him (Isaiah 55:6-7).

PRAYER: FATHER, forgive me for not seeking You with all my heart. I ask that Your Holy Spirit daily reveal any actions, words, or deeds that require my repentance. Evil surrounds us and we need Your protection, intervention and a healing of our land. Please initiate change and repentance in the hearts of the lost, the backslidden, and the apathetic Christian, so that there is a turning to You and a surrendering of hearts. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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