Introduction:
“I’m sorry.” We’ve all heard it. We’ve all said it. As the parent of nine children, I’ve heard it spoken more times than I can count. I love my kids. I want what is best for them. I want them to grow into well-adjusted, productive adults who love Jesus and love others. One thing I hope to teach them is that “I’m sorry” is not a get out of jail free card. There are consequences that follow the decisions we make. Some of those consequences are painful and costly. I also want my kids to know that true regret and a sincere apology is never an easy way out, but an open door for change of behavior. That’s called repentance.
In our relationship with God, genuine confession is the fruit of genuine regret and repentance is the fruit of genuine confession. God tells us that the wages of sin is death. Jesus died to deliver us from sin and death. Sin is serious business. When we come to God as sinners, confessing (agreeing with God) our sinful ways, He opens a door for life-change. As sinners, we had no power to overcome the sin that ruled over us. As children of God, forgiven and given the Spirit of God, we now have a choice. We have the power to turn from sin and “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.” Genuine repentance is not a one and done affair. It is the daily walk in which we choose to live God’s way for God’s glory. It’s much more than, “I’m sorry.”
First Study: Repentance is Turning to God
READ:
“After that, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, but declared first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout the countryside of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God and do deeds consistent with repentance. -Acts 26:19-20 (NRSV)
DECIDE:
Confession, which we talked about last week, and Repentance are two sides of the same coin. God helps us see the truth that we are sinners in need of forgiveness. When that happens, we are truly sorry because we know that our sin separates us from God. In the simplest of terms, we turn to God and say, “I’m sorry!” and we really mean it. We make the decision that we want to turn away from the sin that has condemned us to die and turn to the God who offers us life. There are many illustrations of this in the Bible. In Ephesians 5:8, it is from darkness to light. In Ephesians 2, we are taken from death to life. Then there is from blind to sighted, from slave to free…you get the picture. When we turn to God, we REPENT of our sin. We turn around and walk away from sin into the open arms of the God who love us.
DECLARE:
I turn to you God, REPENTING of my sin. I don’t want sin to rule my life. I don’t want my life to be filled with darkness, but to be filled with Your light. I don’t want to live as a slave to sin any more. I want to live free to make right choices, because that is what You want for me. I love you, Lord, and want to live for Your glory.
DEVOTE:
- What does it mean to REPENT? (To turn away from my sin and turn to God)
- What are some of the ways the Bible illustrates the change that happens when we repent and turn to God? (death to life, darkness to light, slave to free, blind to sighted)
PRAY:
God, we know you love us and want what is best for us. You want us to turn from our sins and turn to You. We do that now. We trust you with our lives and ask You to help us to love You and live for You. Thank you, Lord for giving us everything we need to do just that. In Jesus name, Amen.
Study Two: Grief, Repentance and the Way of Salvation
READ:
Now I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because your grief led to repentance; for you felt a godly grief, so that you were not harmed in any way by us. For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation and brings no regret, but worldly grief produces death. – Second Corinthians 7:9-10 (NRSV)
DECIDE:
Sin separates us from God. Sin destroys relationships with family and friends. Sin ultimately leads to death. When we become aware of our sinfulness, the Holy Spirit brings “godly grief” or conviction to our heart and mind, moving us to make a choice. We either reject God’s grace and forgiveness or we repent, turning to God and experiencing the joy of forgiveness and a restored relationship with God. That is a decision we will never regret. In fact, as the fruit of the Spirit is activated within us, we begin to experience the eternal realities of faith, hope and love that only God can give. There is no shame here. That is a lie of our enemy. There is no isolation here. We are part of an eternal family, the Church, the Body of Christ. Once more, turning away from sin and turning to God should become a daily practice, not to “get saved” again and again, but to express our continued commitment to choose to walk in righteousness, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith.
DECLARE:
Again, today, God, I choose to turn to You and follow You. When temptations come, remind me that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead lives in me through your Holy Spirit. I choose to reject the sin that will only lead to pain, chaos and death. Thank you, Lord, for giving me the power to live Your way for Your glory.
DEVOTE:
- Why is godly grief or conviction a good gift from God? (Because it produces repentance that leads to salvation, forgiveness, and cleansing)
- What is worldly grief? (regret, shame, and guilt that makes us feel bad, but does not prompt us to turn to God or repent. It leads us away from God and others who love us.)
- Why is worldly grief dangerous? (Feeling regret, shame, and guilt that does not spur us to action will only isolate us from God and others.)
PRAY:
Lord, I want to seek You and know You. I realize that You alone can deliver me from evil. When temptation comes, help me to resist and depend on You. When I fall into sin, may godly grief spur me to repentance and confession, knowing you are faithful and just to forgive and cleanse. God, don’t allow me to fall into the trap of regret, shame and guilt that will cause me to run away from You rather than run to You. In Jesus name, Amen.