Importance of Repentance

In the O.T., we have two examples of men chosen by God to be king over Israel. Saul, the first king of Israel, knew the miracle of God's leading and the unexpected opportunity of being anointed to be king by the prophet, Samuel. David also had the stunning, but dangerous, opportunity of being anointed to be king of Israel by the prophet, Samuel. Both kings sinned against God. To the natural mind, the sin of David was much worse than the sin of Saul, but both sins were failures to respond to the Covenant with God.

Saul repented with excuses. He held on to his pride of being king and in control. David repented in sackcloth and ashes in front of anyone to see. He acknowledged he had sinned against God. Psalm 51 shows us the depth of his agony at the thought of losing his relationship to God. Losing his awareness of God's Presence was more dreaded than losing his position as king. Knowing what was in his heart was a despair worse than the thought of people knowing what he had done. His repentance centered on God rather than who people thought he was. He humbled himself before God and did not care what effect it might have on his image. His relationship with God was his treasure and the thought of losing that was the source of his sorrow. He mourned that his son's death was the result of his sin but his comfort lay in his faith in God's mercy.

We have the tragedy with us that people are not allowed to mourne over their lost condition but are encouraged to repeat a sinner's prayer with the assurance that they are now saved. The tears of a repentant heart are beautiful to God and are preserved by Him. Birth is never without labor pains. Our new birth cost Jesus everything and it should be so with us. We move out of this realm's control over us with a cutting off of that control. We do so with the recognition of the sin within us that has cut us off from God.

I pray that God becomes so real to us that we truly realize His Holiness and Love and our lives reflect that light to all around us. Then sin will be exposed by that light and true repentance will usher people into the power of the gospel that is able to set all free who come to Him. Paul warns us that in the last days there would be those who have a form of godliness but deny the power in true godliness. God shows us what His Church is to be by the parable of the early Church, walking in love and power of the Spirit dwelling within. When this realm is not denied the control it exerts, we lose the power of a relationship of following Jesus. Those who follow the Lamb are called eunuchs in the Revelation, for they have freed themselves of this realm's temptations. How? By true repentance that longs for that relationship with God and will not be denied.