TRUE REPENTANCE PART III
People who conceal their sins will not prosper, but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy. (Proverbs 28:13)
True repentance consists of making a change in our being: mind, will, and emotions. It’s an attitude just as much as it is an action. God calls us all to true repentance.
The second word that “repentance” stems from is:
“METANOEO” = “changing the mind”.
- It’s changing the way of thinking: (Romans 12:2). Repentance is not only changing our way of acting, but also our way of thinking. Instead of loving sin, we hate sin.
- To be ashamed of our sins before God. (Psalm 51:1-4).
True repentance is a pain felt not only for oneself or another person but being in genuine pain for having offended God. A repented person doesn’t stop sinning to make others happy but stops doing what’s wrong because they want to please God. - It’s being sincere and confessing our mistakes. (Psalms 32:5). We need to be sincere with God and confess in detail our sins. When we do this with all our hearts, He will forgive us.
- It is correcting our mistakes.
A person who has truly repented tries to repair whatever damage he may have caused or pay any debts he owes. An example of this is Zechariah, who returned four times the amount that he had taken.
Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood before the Lord and said, “I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!” (Luke 19:8 NLT)
Think about it:
Are you more interested in pleasing God or people?
Do you recognize your sins before God voluntarily?
In what way do you try to repair the damage caused to others?