REPENT!!! 🔥😬

Does the word "repent" sound a little scary to you?

 

Whether it's a stern preacher screaming it at the top of their lungs or a group of people holding it up on street signs to passersby, the word "repent" can invoke some negative mental images. There's no doubt it can be an intense topic to consider. At the same time, repentance is described as a vital part of a healthy relationship with God from the Old Testament to Jesus to Revelation. So it's clearly something God wants us to be mindful of.

 

QUESTION 1: What does it mean to repent? It's a change of thinking (mind) that leads to a change of feeling (heart), that leads to a change of action (transformation).

 

QUESTION 2: What does it look like to practice ongoing repentance?

 

1. Repentance = renewal of the mind. Ongoing, regular repentance is a huge part of spiritual transformation. Romans 12:1-2 tells us that part of our worship is renewing our minds daily. It's not something we just do when we become Christians. It's something we are doing until the day we die.
2. Repentance does not always mean it's a "BIG SIN" in our lives. Sometimes it might be a negative way of thinking or a practice we have been ignoring that God says is there for our good.
3. Repentance is often connected to relationships. The older we get, the easier it can be to get stuck in our ways, to become stubborn, and to stop listening to the people we love and who love us the most. Jesus speaks of remaining reconciled to other Christians as one of the highest priorities in life (Matthew 5:23-24). Whether it's a misunderstanding or something that created a direct offense, we frequently need to repent to God and to others for our part in creating a wedge between ourselves and others.
4. Sometimes we will repent of something only to repeat it later. In the Christian life, this can lead to a toxic cycle of guilt and shame or it can drive us closer to Christ whose wounds (on the Cross) bring us healing. This is also a great moment to bring another mature Christian or two into our process. James 5:16 says "Confess your sins to one another and pray for one another that you may be healed."

 

Romans 2:4 reminds us that it is God's kindness that leads us to repentance. When it's done right, repentance is a practice where we experience God's grace and He grows us. God is not trying to shame us into realizing how bad we are. God wants us to experience His love, His grace, and His transforming power. Somehow along the journey of humbling ourselves before God and others through repentance, He shows up in our lives.

 

So I ask you this question to ponder in your heart with God and perhaps process with a close friend: Is there anything you need to repent of today?

 

I hope you have a fantastic rest of your week and we look forward to seeing you Sunday!

 

Pastor Kyle