To truly repent we must start to do the right things, and stop doing the wrong things.
How do we know what the right and wrong things are?
It is written, we need only to seek it with the mindset of doing it, and to live it out. In many aspects it is really quit simple, until theologians get a hold of it that is!
Repentance is not a justification for sin, it is a turning from sin, and a returning to God.
So what is the actual first step to take for repentance?
It has to be the realization that repentance is needed. You cant ask forgiveness of a sin, or sins you are not sorry for. You can not ask forgiveness for sins that you do not know are sins. The first step must be to understand what sin is, see it in your life, truly feel sorry for it, and want to stop. The first step is a recognition that repentance is needed.
So once we have that understanding, what's next? How is it that we are to repent?
Jer 29:13 When you seek me, you will find me, provided you seek for me wholeheartedly;
We must seek for God whole heartedly.
How are we going to turn to or return to Gods path if we do not know him, or His ways to do so?
We must seek Him.
To search for Him with all of our heart is something that I believe is grossly misunderstood in most theological circles today. To seek Him is not simply to want Him, or even to ask for Him. To seek Him can be summed up in one word.
OBEY!!!
To seek God is to seek His ways, to truly seek His ways, is to obey His Word. We cant go running into the chambers of the King, and say “ I have been looking everywhere for you. Well everywhere you said you wouldn’t be”.
Seeking the King where He said He would not be is not really seeking Him. We must seek Him where we know He is. In His Holy Word! We will not seek Him, and find Him by chance in some unknown dark location.
We must come to our King as a humble servant. We must recognize that it is about Him, and we are His servants. We must realize that we are the problem that needs to be fixed, not Him! We must come as obedient servants striving daily to live a life he wants us to lead. To be the image of God in this world, and represent the perfect picture given to us in our Messiah. Only then can we say that we have sought Him with all of our heart, and through that search have found repentance. You can not have repentance without obedience!
All things start in the heart. So the heart is where we begin our search. Searching the heart leads to action. Seeking God with all of our heart is obedience!
So obedience is the first step to repentance.
As we go forth and test these new ideas in Scripture let us pray that our Father gives us His Spirit of wisdom, understanding, and truth. So we may see and walk as our Messiah walked, and be true disciples in the Name of Yeshua (Jesus). May we pray for eyes to see, ears to hear, and hearts to change for the glory of our God
i would think recognition of sin in one's life is the first step. recognizing by listening for the Holy Spirit who convicts one of a sin in their life. that would be the first step.
ReplyDeleteActually the recognition of sin must start with the idea that one needs to change. Many people have a false definition of sin so how can they recognize sin? If sin separates us from God how can we feel the holy spirits conviction of sin. Sin is not a specific act it is any acts that are against our God and His Word.
ReplyDeleteMany people think they are good people. Hitler thought he was a good person and probably even recognized some sins in his life. But to see the need to change and follows Gods path as he has set forth is the first step. Other wise how can we know sin to recognize it? We must recognize Gods control of our lives, see we are the ones who need to change, seek Him and His ways, recognize the sin, then repent and change.