Repentence
Is there a difference between forgiving and repenting? If so
what is it? Peter asked Jesus how many times he was suppose to
forgive someone who has sinned against him? Jesus responded by
saying seventy times seven. That is a lot of forgiveness. But
what about asking for forgiveness? What does the word forgive
actually mean? To ask to be forgiven means to lay aside, or let
go, to send away, according to the Greek translation. If I sin
against my brother and ask forgiveness and he forgives me am I
forgiven? The answer is yes, however unless I repent of my sin I
will most likely repeat the transgression. What does it mean to
repent? The Greek translates: to think differently, to exercise
the mind, to perceive or consider. In other words to repent is
to change our way of thinking about that thing we transgressed
in. My brother will forgive me for sinning against him but
unless I repent of my sin I will most likely repeat it because I
have not considered, I have not changed my mind about it. To
repent is to re-think and have a change of heart. "Therefore if
any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation, new
person): old things are passed away; all things are become new"
(2 Corinthians 5:17). By asking forgiveness I may merely be
trying to restore myself to the one I sinned against or ease my
conscience. By repenting I am saying I will never do that again
because I now look at it through new eyes and have a change of
heart. When I give an alter call at the end of our shows I see
many young people coming to be forgiven of their transgressions.
What I seldom see is true repentance. For godly sorrow worketh to
repentance to salvation and brings no regret (2 Corinthians
7:10). If those who come forward for forgiveness would not only
ask God to forgive them and restore their relationship with God
(due to the fact that they have been separated from God by sin)
but to also repent from this sin then they would not have to
address the same issue again, and again, and again. In John
chapter 8 brought to Jesus a women caught in the act of adultery.
They wanted to stone her but Jesus said unto them "He that is
without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her". The
men went out one by one leaving the women to face Jesus who had
just saved her life. Jesus said to her "Neither do I condemn
you, go and sin no more". What Jesus was saying do not go away
merely forgiven, but go and live a life of repentance.
In Christ
Dale Thompson
BRIDE
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