Repentance

Repentance

I know you have all probably heard the word “repent” a lot from the many ministries and individuals who come down here. I know I have even spoke the word myself a time or two.

Some of you may be questioning what this word “repent” means. Hopefully with the Lord’s help we will be able to not only explain what this word means but how you can experience this in your own life.

Repentance is a hard but simple thing to do. It is an action that requires involvement from you and me. The word itself means “a change of mind”.

In the New Testament this subject chiefly has reference to repentance from sin, and this change of mind involves both a turning from sin and a turning to God. In other words to repent or to have repentance means to turn from your present sin and turn fully toward God.

What do you mean Tony? How can I turn from sin and turn totally toward God?

Matt 6:24 of the King James Bible says that (Christ speaking) “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”
The word mammon means treasure.
To break it down another way “you cannot serve both God and the things of this world you treasure.”

Ok Tony; I will agree that I can’t serve both God and pleasure but my pleasure is not my master. In John 8:34 the Lord says “Verily, verily, I say unto you that, whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin”. (Truly, truly I tell you, whoever commits a sin is servant of sin)
For you to be a servant you must have a master. In this verse we see that sin or our worldly desires and pleasures are the master.
This word master used here means “a lord, one who exercises power”; another way of understanding it is Ruler.

Let us look at the story of the Prodigal son. Luke 15:11, 17-24.
You see in verse 11 the son wanted his share of the inheritance,
When do we normally get an inheritance?
When someone dies. This young man looked at his father and said “to me you are dead and I want my share right now”. I am going to live my life just as if you were dead.
Doesn’t this sound like he was being controlled by is worldly desires and pleasures?
Look at what happened after being left to himself  v 12-16
His pleasure ended he found himself in the worst state you could find a Jew. He was feeding swine; you see to the Jews swine was the foulest and most unclean animal there was.
There is hope for you if you are willing to make the appropriate steps to receive it. v.17- 24
When he realized what had become of him, he repented (turned from) of that lifestyle and returned home.
What happened when he returned home?
He was met with opened arms.

The Lord God is waiting with open arms. He is calling to you today to come home. The first step is yours are you willing to make it? Will you repent (turn away) from the strongholds you face now.