Repentance means
“a change of mind and purpose and life“
Easton’s Bible Dictionary. 2024.
2 Corinthians 7:10-11 NKJV
[10] For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.
[11] For observe this very thing, that you sorrowed in a godly manner: What diligence it produced in you, what clearing of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what vehement desire, what zeal, what vindication! In all things you proved yourselves to be clear in this matter.
Repentance opens the door to saving faith. Without repentance first, it is impossible to have the faith that saves.
Repentance to salvation involves the things Paul wrote here. "Sorrow" for the extremely horrible crimes we commit against God, who has done nothing but good and kind things for us. "Vehement desire" to never sin again. "Carefulness" to never sin again. "Fear" of ever sinning again. "Zeal" to never sin again.
A person who has repented to salvation desires to never sin again. He does not have a light attitude towards sinning. His sins cause him disgust, shame and horror. All of them. As a wise preacher once said, "Anything less than repenting of all your sins is not repentance, but indecision."
People try to attach Christianity onto their current lives. It seems we have an epidemic of "saved" people trying to embrace sin/the world with one arm, and embrace Christ with the other.
Repentance must be boldly proclaimed to the lost, and it must be completely and carefully explained to them. Repentance is an extreme and costly decision; and, as Jesus said, people must count the cost first (Luke 14:25-33). They can only do that if they know exactly all that repentance involves.
תגובות