Repentance - Part Three

So how do we repent? James MacDonald suggests that the best biblical model for repentance is the story of the prodigal son found in Luke 15:11-32. (let me encourage you to take some time and read through that text) MacDonald then writes that repentance involves the mind, the emotions, and the will. (I Really Want to Change...So, Help Me God, 92)

First is the mind. In the story of the prodigal son verse 17 says that he "came to his senses." We too must come to our senses we must begin to see our sin for what it really is - disgusting and destructive!

Second is the emotions. As we discussed earlier, grief is the appropriate emotion (2 Corinthians 7:10). Our sin should grieve us and not just because we suffer the consequences of it, but because it displeases and grieves our Father. The prodigal was grieved by his sin; he returned home guilty, humble, and weeping.

Third is the will. Here is where the rubber meets the road; here is where plans begin to form, that is, plans to avoid our specific sin in the future. So, what will you do to avoid your sin in the future? Let me give you a few suggestions:

1. Accountability is a must. Find someone you can depend on to provide you with biblical encouragement.
2. Renewing your mind with Scripture is also vitally important. You must continue to remind yourself what God has to say about your sin. (Ephesians 4:20-24)
   
3. Finally radical amputation may be necessary (Matthew 5:29-30).

I know this is a pretty simplistic approach to a big issue, but my hope is you might find some help in these posts. If you are struggling and need some one on one counsel don't hesitate to let me know.

Repentance - Part Two

Yesterday we began a discussion on the topic of repentance. Most of our attention was focused on determining what it is we (individually) need to repent of. Once the Holy Spirit reveals to us our sin, repentance is the process of seeing our sin the way that God sees it. Once we see our sin the way God sees it we will have what the Bible calls 'Godly Sorrow' and 2 Corinthians 7:10 teaches that godly sorrow leads to repentance.

For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.

The question is does our sin cause us to sorrow? And I am not talking about sorrowing because of the consequences of our sin, but rather to sorrow because the sin itself brings displeasure to our loving Father. Do you weep for sin? Do you cry out to God for mercy? Maybe we can all take a cue from the grieved and humbled tax collector in Luke 18:13

But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, a sinner!'

Brothers and Sisters we (I'm in this with you) must come to the place where we weep for our sin; we must hate it just as our Father in heaven hates it. God be merciful to us!

Repentance - Part One

Repentance is more than saying, "I'm sorry;" it's more than regret. To repent means to change your mind (and purpose) about something. In his book I Really Want to Change...So, Help Me God, James MacDonald defines repentance as the process of seeing our sin the way that God sees our sin. I love that definition because it reveals a much deeper issue: we don't like to call sin, sin. In a recent Wednesday night discussion we were talking about getting frustrated by circumstances that don't go the way we want them to go. In the discussion that word "frustrated" kept getting used, over and over again. Until someone finally called frustration what the Bible calls it: Anger. You see "anger" is a much heavier word than 'frustration.' But we resist the heavier words; we make light of our sin or we don't even classify our sin as sin.

I write all this to direct our attention to the first step of repentance - recognizing our sin; recognizing what needs to change; viewing our sin as God views our sin. James MacDonald asks these provoking questions: "Can you name a specific area of your life that is not like that of Christ and is bringing you heartache and struggle because of it? What specific thing is God seeking to work on in you?" He then goes on to list 5 steps to help us get specific in naming our sin:

1. Ask God for wisdom to know exactly what He wants to change in you. (James 1.2-7)
2. Review Biblical lists for attitudes and behaviors to change. (Colossians 3.5-10; Galatians 5:16-21; etc.)
3. Isolate your own areas of need.
4. Confess to a friend.
5. Express to the Lord your willingness to change.

So here is where we must begin, calling our sin what God calls our sin; seeing our sin the way God sees it. Let me encourage you to spend some time searching the Scriptures and allowing the Spirit to search your heart and we will pick up here tomorrow.

Labor of Love

This is "Labor of Love" performed live with Jill Phillips singing the lead. This song is one of several great ones on the album Behold the Lamb of God by Andrew Peterson. I highly recommend this album!

The Key to Spiritual Growth

So often we talk of "growing in Christ." We talk of our desire to "grow in Christ." We confess certain struggles or areas that we need to "grow in Christ." Yet so often that growth never happens, the transformation we long for never comes. Why is that? Author, RC Sproul offers his thoughts:

The key method Paul underscored as the means to the transformed life is by the 'renewal of the mind.' This means nothing more and nothing less than education. Serious education. In-depth education. Disciplined education in the things of God. It calls for a mastery of the Word of God. We need to be people whose lives have changed because our minds have changed...To be conformed to Jesus, we must first begin to think as Jesus did. We need the 'mind of Christ.' We need to value the things He values and despise the things He despises. We need to have the same priorities He has. We need to consider weighty the things that He considers weighty. That cannot happen without a mastery of His Word. The key to spiritual growth is in-depth Christian education that requires a serious level of sacrifice. (The Holiness of God, 164)

Consider that last line: "The key to spiritual growth is in-depth Christian education that requires a serious level of sacrifice." My question is, what will you sacrifice for your spiritual growth?

The Pride of Hezekiah....and Me

In Isaiah 39 (which by the way follows 36-38 where God miraculously saves Hezekiah and Judah from the destruction of the Assyrians and then also adds 15 years to Hezekiah's life) the king Hezekiah receives some guest from Babylon and proceeds to "show off" all the possessions of his kingdom. When confronted by Isaiah Hezekiah openly admits that he showed them everything. Isaiah then prophesies the coming of the Babylonians, even going as far to mention that Hezekiah's sons (probably grandchildren) would serve as eunichs in the kingdom of Babylon. And here is how Hezekiah responds:

Then said Hezekiah to Isaiah, “The word of the LORD that you have spoken is good.” For he thought, “There will be peace and security in my days.”

Do you hear the self-centered pride? Hezekiah doesn't really care what happens after he's gone, just as long as there is peace and security in his lifetime.

Well I can't be too hard on Hezekiah because I too struggle with self-centered pride. I too get wrapped up in my own world. I too get set in my own agenda, ignoring God's and others - which if I'm not mistaken is the complete opposite of what I am supposed to be doing - the command is to love God with all of your heart, soul, and mind and love your neighbor as you love yourself. Hezekiah's story of pride works like a mirror revealing my own self-centered attitudes and actions. So my prayer today is that God would help me to get over myself and love Him and others more than I love me.

Pleasing My Father

Over the past several weeks I've been reading through The Holiness of God, by RC Sproul. Below is a quote that I found very encouraging yesterday:

"....We are to fear God not with a servile fear like that of a prisoner before his tormentor but as children who do not wish to displease their beloved Father." (pg. 154)