Daily Bread - 05/14/07
Acts 11:18 - And when they heard these things they grew silent and glorified God saying, also unto the Gentiles God has given repentance unto life.
Repentance is a gift that is granted to us by God. Repentance takes us from spiritual death to life and from spiritual darkness to light (Ephesians 2:1; 5:18; Colossians 2:13; 1 Peter 2:19). Repentance takes us beyond just being sorry but results in a forgiveness that frees us from both the deed and the guilt of wrongdoing (Hebrews 9:14; Acts 5:31; Titus 3:5; Ephesians 1:7; Revelation 1:5; Acts 26:18). For example, Judas was sorry (Gr-metamellomai), but his being sorry did not result in seeking forgiveness (Matthew 27:3). God grants us the gift of having a complete change of mind (Gr-metanoian).
When the light of the gospel shines into our heart and we realize that God loves us and has called us to His own realm of life and righteousness, the weight and guilt of sin stands before us. Because of God's unspeakable gift He has provided the blood of Jesus to wash away every stain of sin and free us from all of the past with one simple request from our heart (Romans 10:9-10, 13; Acts 16:31; Matthew 26:28; Romans 3:25). The gift of repentance gives us a change of heart, a change of desires, and a change of life because God makes all things new (2 Corinthians 5:18; Jeremiah 31:33; Ezekiel 36:26; Acts 3:26; 1 Peter 1:22; Ephesians 4:23-24). Because of this change we feel differently about sin; it is not something we want; rather, we begin to desire righteousness and purity for our lives. The deception of sin and darkness that once blinded us to the truth and reality of God is removed by this simple act of repentance (2 Corinthians 4:4; Revelation 13:14).
God in His amazing love for us also grants us the privilege of being forgiving as many times as is necessary if we simply come to Him in repentance (Luke 17:3-4; Matthew 18:22, 35; 6:15). His forgiveness is totally unlike the forgiveness of man because He restores us to a relationship with Himself as though we had never done anything wrong. He erases our sins and never again remembers them so that there is no threat of repercussions in the future (Hebrews 8:12; 10:17; Isaiah 43:25; 44:22; Jeremiah 50:20; Micah 7:19; 1 John 1:9; Revelation 1:5).
Be blessed,
Pastor Mark Spitsbergen
abidingplace.org
About Me
- Carol L
- San Diego area, California, United States
- I started this blog back in 2005, but in 2006 began dedicating it solely for the purpose of posting email messages called, Daily Bread, sent out Monday through Saturday by my pastor, Mark Spitsbergen. These daily emails contain fresh revelation that Mark gets from the Word of God by the Holy Spirit for that day for the church that God has called him to pastor, Abiding Place. 1 Peter 4:11 says, "If any man speak let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister let him do it as of the ability which God gives that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ to whom be praise and dominion forever and ever. Amen." Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, (John 14:6), and He says, "The words that I speak to you are Spirit, and they are Life." (John 6:63). For the Word of God is quick (alive), and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12).
No comments:
Post a Comment