posted by Heather @ http://www.foolishblog.com/ Why does Jesus demand repentance? Because we are sinners. All of us. And sin is “an assault on God” (p41).
As a believer, this chapter served to remind me of how serious my sins and my need of repentance were and are. In a world that downplays sin and requires nothing more than trite apologies that seem to have more to do with being sorry about being caught than truly mourning over one’s actions, we as Christians need to be reminded often that our sin is a terrible thing and that God’s provision of repentance and salvation are amazing.
“Jesus’ view of sin is that it dishonors God and puts us in debt to restore the divine honor we had defamed by our God belittling behavior or attitudes ” (p41-42). Wow! How often do we think of our sin as something that has belittled God? My two year old can tell you that sin is disobedience of God, but to take that a step further and see that my disobedience dishonors and belittles God allows me to see my sin in an even more serious light.
So what am I to do when I have dishonored God and am in debt to restore the divine honor I have defamed? The answer is repent. If I truly repent, I will experience “a change of mind so that (I) can see God as true and beautiful and worthy of all (my) praise and all (my) obedience” (p42).
“Repent. Be changed deep within. Replace all God-dishonoring, Christ-belittling perceptions and dispositions and purposes with God-treasuring, Christ-exalting ones” (p43). This is the fruit of true repentance. Without the work of the Holy Spirit in my life leading to repentance I would never see my sin as God-dishonoring and Christ-belittling and I most definitely would not have any God-treasuring or Christ-exalting purposes in my life. How amazing that God would make a way for me, the one who belittled and dishonored Him, to repent and be forgiven by Him! May I never take this for granted, but instead use my experience of repentance and forgiveness as a way to teach transgressors God’s way, sing of God’s righteousness, and declare God’s praise ( Ps 51).
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