Repentance''
Repentance
As we can see in the passage from Malachi above, as Jesus comes to us there is going to be a need for repentance.
To repent is to change our direction.
We can repent on behalf of other people in the sense that we can pray that God will forgive them. This really is intercession. We can pray that they will change their direction. We can pray they will express sorrow for things they have done, and ask God, and sometimes other people, for forgiveness.
If they have aborted their baby, or committed some other crime of this sort, we can pray that they will go to God and seek His forgiveness, being aware that what they have done has grieved the Lord seriously.
Nehemiah took upon himself the sins of Israel.
We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses. (Nehemiah 1:7)
Then there is repentance which is a renewing of our mind, in that we choose to go in a different direction.
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:2)
The following practices may direct us to go in a different direction:
Meditating in the Bible every day.
Attending church and listening carefully to the sermon.
Reading wholesome literature.
Keeping our exposure to worldly media to a minimum.
Repenting by changing our mind when we perceive that what we are doing is not in line with God's will for us.
Finally there is repentance which is deliverance from bondage .
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (I John 1:9)
Sometimes when we confess our sins and seek to cease practicing them, they keep recurring and we keep falling.
How we respond to a situation of this sort makes the difference between being an overcomer and not being an overcomer.
Some of our acts of sin and self-will are caused by evil that dwells in us. The evil will not leave us without a struggle, a fight. We may persist for a while, but still that bondage is present.
What are we to do?
First of all, we must recognize that there is to be no compromise. It is not a case of ceasing to pray and resisting the temptation, it absolutely must be conquered!
The promises of the second and third chapters of the Book of Revelation, and Revelation 21:7, inform us that all the gifts of eternal life and glory are reserved for those who overcome.
Also, the letter to the angel of the Church of Sardis implies that if we do not overcome, we stand in danger of being erased from the Book of Life—a fearful prospect indeed!
So overcoming every sin is absolutely necessary if we are to govern with Christ.
What then can we do if there is some behavior we just cannot overcome?
First, we do not leave for Christ to do, something we can do. On the other hand, we are not to try to do what only Christ can do.
If we do what we can to gain the victory, Christ will do the rest.
Overcoming evil requires two swords. If we are to gain victory over the enemy, both the sword of the Lord and the sword of Gideon are necessary, so to speak.
We take our stand on the following two passages:
For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live. (Romans 8:13)
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (I John 1:9)
We name the sin we are committing clearly to the Lord, resolving never to practice it again for eternity.
God will take fire and life from it so we can tread on all the power of Satan.
You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent. (Psalms 91:13)
It will be removed from our personality in the Day of Resurrection, when our corruptible body puts on incorruption.
Be prepared to fight if need be. Pray for a fighting spirit.
Get others to pray with you.
Next Part Never, never, never give up!