Chapter 11 Call To Repentance

Humble Yourself, Pray, Seek God, Turn From Sin

2 Chronicles 7:13–14 NASB95

“If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people, and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

Humble Yourself

Humble- lower (someone) in dignity or importance. This is a matter of recognizing that you need Jesus. Many times we try to handle matters on our own apart from prayer and guidance from scripture and the Holy Spirit. This demonstrates that we can live our lives apart from Christ. John 15:5

John 15:5 NASB95

“I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.

We can do nothing apart from Christ. We must always engage Christ in the daily decisions we make.

Humbleness is also key in forgiveness of sins. When we sin, we must come to a point where we recognize that we have sinned against God of our own choice. We must not make excuses to God for what we did, but confess that we made the mistake and ask for His mercy and forgiveness.

There also must be remorse and shame that accompany our humbleness. Unfortunately many believe in cheap grace. This is those who intellectually know that what they did was wrong and ask God to forgive them because they believe He is obligated to forgive if we ask.

Asking for forgiveness without true repentance will not bring about the forgiveness one looks for. There must be a humbling of your personhood and craving for restoration by the mercy of God.

Pray

Prayer is essential for forgiveness. When we sin, we must go before the Father and confess our sin. This is best done by sharing what the Word of God says and how we violated it. This demonstrates a full understanding of what we did wrong. This also shows that we agree with God and the holiness of His word and that we transgressed it.

When we don’t adequately confess (agreeing with God’s word) then we are not genuinely sorry for what we did. This is because we don’t know how we violated God’s word. When we articulate this through prayer God’s hears and dispenses mercy and forgiveness.

Some believe that they do not need to confess daily sin. They believe that Christ forgave them of all their sin and there is no need for confession. This is true when it comes to salvation, but not relationally. Our sin breaks fellowship with the Father. Ephesians 4:25-32

Ephesians 4:25–32 NASB95

Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity. He who steals must steal no longer; but rather he must labor, performing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with one who has need. Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear. Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.

Unconfessed sin dulls our sensitivity to the Holy Spirit and inhibits our relationship with the Father. Prayer is the vehicle that we can confess

Seek My Face

When we sin our natural tendency is to run from God. His desire is that we run to Him. When we are seeking the face of God, we are not pursuing the ways of the world. We need the Lord to escape the temptations of the world.

When we just turn our eyes away from the thing that makes us sin and do not seek His face, we just put it on something else that is going to cause us to sin. Seeking the face of God enables us to overcome sin.

Just because we are a Christian doesn’t mean that we are not prone to sin. As a matter of fact there are times where God will not even remove the desire for your sin. He will allow you to walk by that tree of the knowledge of good and evil every day. God did not promise to take away our desire for sin, but to give us the power to overcome sin. 1 Cor. 10:13

1 Corinthians 10:13 NASB95

No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.

The way of escape is to seek the face of God.

Turn from your wicked way

This requires action. It is not enough just to humble yourself, or pray, or seek His face. You must turn away from your wicked way. Romans 6:1-4

Romans 6:1–4 NASB95

What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.

3 Proofs of Repentance

Mind Change- We agree with God that our behavior, words, or attitude was sinful. It was wrong. Psalms 51:3-4

Psalm 51:3–4 NASB95

For I know my transgressions, And my sin is ever before me. Against You, You only, I have sinned And done what is evil in Your sight, So that You are justified when You speak And blameless when You judge.

2. Our Heart changes - Our hearts are broken for our sin. Instead of celebrating or trivializing our sin we become broken hearted over our sin. Psalms 51:17

Psalm 51:17 NASB95

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.

3. Our actions change- It requires turning away from sin and walking in righteousness Psalms 51:12-13

Psalm 51:12–13 NASB95

Restore to me the joy of Your salvation And sustain me with a willing spirit. Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, And sinners will be converted to You.