Why Repentance leads us to God and Salvation

[Hobie]

What does repentance do for us, does it lead to change, real repentance does. Does it bring us closer to God, as we clear out the anger and hate and addiction to sin, I would say it does. Most importantly, how does it bring us to the Kingdom of Heaven and eternal life with Christ? True repentance is not merely feeling guilty or avoiding punishment or being shames, it is a sincere turning away from sin and toward God, involving humility, honesty, and a change of heart. We must allow the Holy Spirit to do its work and guide us down the path of transformation, and stop holding on to hating our brother or breaking what allows for sin and iniquity, and what takes us away from loving God and our fellow man. True repentance involves as what is simple, sincere pain and sorrow for our sins; and the honest decision to abandon sin. In the Bible, repentance is almost always connected to forgiveness. We genuinely repent; God forgives. It’s that simple.'

So why dont we repent and turn from what is evil?

 

[bobinfaith]

Good morning, Hobie;

You posted a great question. This passage has always spoken to me.

Romans 2:4-7, 4 Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance? 5 But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. 6 God “will repay each person according to what they have done.7 To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. - NIV

Repentance for me at first was hard with God. Example, remember when our habits of sin didn't bring us immediately to confession? For me it was a gradual change of heart, mind and spirit.

Repentance brought me into a relationship with God. As God spiritually grew me up He was more on my heart which turned me more from those habitual sins and brought me into a discipline of obedience.

Relationship.

We should keep in mind it's not a one way relationship. God knows and understands us better than we know and understand ourselves. This is why He is constantly working faithfully within me too.

So when that moment happens when I let down my guard and sin, my relationship with God has already been solidified, not perfect, leading me to stop whatever I'm doing and go into repentance, confessing my wrongdoing and seek His forgiveness.

God bless you, Hobie.

Bob

 

[David]

So why dont we repent and turn from what is evil?

Because repentance does not just ask a man to feel sorry. It tells him to step down from the throne. That is where the fight is.

Jesus said, “men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil” ~John 3:19. The problem is not that the light is unclear. The problem is that sin has a grip on the heart, and the flesh does not want to let go.

People want forgiveness, but many do not want to surrender. They want peace, but not holiness. They want heaven, but not the rule of Christ. They want God to remove the guilt while they keep the sin that caused it.

But Scripture does not preach that kind of repentance. God says, “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD” ~Isaiah 55:7.

And for the believer, this is where Philippians 2:12-13 speaks clearly: “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” We do not work for salvation. We work out what God has worked in. God gives the desire and the power, but we must obey.

So when a person refuses to repent, the issue is not lack of religious talk. It is stubbornness before God. Pride hates confession. The flesh hates surrender. Darkness hates light.

Real repentance says, God is right, I am wrong, sin must go, and Christ must rule.

God still commands it: “but now commandeth all men every where to repent” ~Acts 17:30.

So the answer is simple and serious: people refuse to turn from evil because they still love what God commands them to forsake. And until a man stops defending his sin and bows before Christ, he is not repenting. He is negotiating.