Repentance

1-16-10 Rom 2:4b “…the goodness of God leads you to repentance.”

Repentance is a tough word. Why? Because it is an admission. An admission and a realization that I am wrong, that I don’t know what I am doing, that what I am doing is improper, or incorrect or sinful. Beyond that, it is a turning. A turning from what I am doing to something else. A turning from the wrong way to the right way. A turning from what I want to what God wants. And it is not just crying. Genuine repentance is an actual change in attitude, a change in heart, a change in behavior.
Do you want to know if someone has genuinely repented? Don’t watch their blubbering, watch their life after the blubbering. Is it different? Is it going in another direction? If so, repentance was genuine. If not…

Repentance is a necessary word. Why? Because we all need it. We all screw up. We all make mistakes. We all sin. We all have to go a different direction, not just once in our lives but continually. I know that I hate to admit when I am wrong. I want to do what I want to do. I think that my way is the right way. Unfortunately, that is not always the case. I don’t like correction. I don’t like to be pointed in the right way. It hurts my ego and it reveals my sin. This hurts. Yet it is necessary because if I continue to go down the road I want to travel, I will eventually meet destruction. I will eventually meet the wrath of God. (v5) The only solution is repentance…a necessary action.

How do I get there? The goodness of God. The integrity of God. The character of God. Seeing who God is and comparing it to who I am. This has to lead to repentance.

Also, the kindness of God. The Gospel. The realization that God sent His Son to this world to deliver me from my mistakes. To free me from my sin. To turn me in the right direction. When I think about how much God gave up, how much Jesus gave, when I truly consider His kindness, I can’t help but turn around. His love compels change.

So don’t resist repentance. Embrace it. Do it.