Faith and Repentance

If it's the goodness of God that leads a man unto repentance, which it is! Then how does repentance work in an individual’s life, what should it look like?

Both the saved and unsaved man have a built in barometer that drives them to places of regret and eventually once they come to their senses seek out forgiveness for their folly. Let’s face it any form of sin springs from irrationality, an action contrary to God’s character who is perfect and full of light. We have a built in conscience that measures our actions and I suppose we all have a differing tolerance line for it and if we blow past that the fruit of regret germinates.

Who is it that brings a man to his senses? Well, surely that is the work of God the Holy Spirit.

Understanding the need to repent and then acting in accordance with the will of God in that area of one’s life is an ongoing daily activity, or at least it should be. Are we seeing the same grow spurt with our faith and repentance, or is the one being left way behind? We have been called to a more excellent way, the art of bonsaiing is not the way of the Christian or at least it shouldn’t be. A seed germinates and then grows in accordance with nutrients within the soil and the watering thereafter; “repentance grows as faith grows. Do not make any mistake about it; repentance is not a thing of days and weeks, a temporary penance to be got over as fast as possible! No; it is the grace of a lifetime, like faith itself.” (Charles Spurgeon)

Let these words germinate deep within the recesses of the soul, because once it has settled we can get on with the task at hand and we will stop living in the “why” and get on with the “now” with the “endgame” in sight. Repentance and faith has locked hands and they have purposed to run their course, it’s only when we breathe our last breath that their work will end. Evolution has nothing to do with the purpose of God, whatever He wills comes to pass, and this is the power He possesses. Its time we swept out the cobwebs of humanism and got on with the task at hand. We must constantly be looking in the mirror with an honest stare, confessing our sin before a holy God with our faith anchoring the process. The work is complete, it is finished we have been forgiven, Jesus has overcome, it is over! So why the need for the struggle in our lives? I believe it’s to prove our commitment to our heavenly Father, that in spite of the struggle, we will still be grateful. And obviously it’s the hardship that teaches us obedience.

I am convinced that with God everything has been perfectly positioned and even the evil we see is in the process of servicing its purpose. Because we may lack understanding highlights our defects. God is perfect and perfection lacks nothing. Once faith is no longer needed I am persuaded that we will be blown into orbit when the brilliance of God is revealed. Faith uses a different dimension to engage and repentance is the evidence behind it all.  

Signing off

Tyrone