Acts 3:17-23
“And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. In this way, God fulfilled what He’d foretold through all the prophets, that his Messiah would suffer. Repent, therefore, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that He may send the Messiah appointed for you, that is, Jesus, who must remain in Heaven until the time of universal restoration that God announced long ago through His holy prophets. Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you from your own people a prophet like me. You must listen to whatever He tells you. And it will be that everyone who does not listen to that prophet will be utterly rooted out of the people.’"
“If you pretend that you are not a sinner (refusing repentance) you are pretending that you will be forgiven.” -Jim Thomas
Repentance is a greater gift than Grit!!!
Repentance is a glorious gift, for I know that on the other side of repentance, I find grace! Real Grace!!! Joy!!!! Forgiveness!!!!Repentance!!! Not grit!! Grit has helped me to walk daily with God, but it has its limit. Grit cannot replace grace. A life of grace grounded in Truth is a true gift from God! Grace, like oxygen, is a gift from God. We are called by God to be a people who are committed to living lives that make God happy--a calling of grace from Heaven. We are summoned by God’s grace in Scripture to make the glory of God known to everyone on the earth. We are sinners saved by grace, not by grit. He is holy, but we are not holy. He is righteous. Only repentance produces the joy that we seek from the heart of God!!!
Repentance calls me to run to God. I refuse often because I love my sin--I actually love my addiction to carbs more than I love the Word of God! My body actually craves sin rather than God. But God calls me to a different life--a life of radical commitment to grace; a life of radical commitment to Truth; a life of radical commitment to repentance. Grit is awesome, but Grace is a river that allows me to experience the results of a heart that seeks after God.
Repentance is a gift that keeps giving me Joy
Repentance, then, is my only option to truly and successfully pursue a daily walk with God. Repentance is not a chore, but instead, it is what we experience when we have faith in a God rich in mercy and whose heart for us is radically greater than our own imaginations, actions and emotions.
Friend!!!!!The fruit of repentance through grit is affirmed, not by our feelings, but by our faith in the Word of God. It is a gift that can come only from God, and repentance is a joy from God.
Grit, although a good virtue, will not allow me to experience the peace that comes from obeying Christ. Grit, though a core value of the successful, will not cause my heart to experience the grace flows into a heart of repentance. Forgiveness, then, is a gift from God that allows me to experience His power in a very real way. Repentance is a glorious gift, for I know that on the other side of repentance, I find grace from a good father! My admission of my need for God allows me to experience His grace. Praise God!!!!The water of God’s forgiveness flows to a heart that is willing to repent and turn from sin.
Repentance is my daily desire!
God, make my heart a celebration of your grace through relentless and daily repentance! Make my mind one that cherishes repentance in the name of the fantastic and awesome Jesus Christ! Amen.
Respectfully
Pastor James Owolabi
Comments