Tag Archives: repentance

Guilt is Not Just A Feeling

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Genesis 43

In his book Be Authentic (David C. Cook Publisher), Warren Wiersbe points out that the brothers were relieved when they were invited to a banquet at Joseph’s house instead of being thrown into prison for the confusion over the silver the last time they were in Egypt. But, as Wiersbe says, “it’s one thing to be relieved and quite something else to be forgiven and reconciled.” The brothers had not confessed their sin from twenty years earlier, and they were not reconciled with Joseph.

Recently I heard of a newly retired man who shared that there were certain pieces of equipment he had used on the job that he wanted to keep for himself. The thing was, he was required to turn in everything on his last day. So, he went to the warehouse where the company kept old equipment that would eventually be sold or trashed, and found pieces of equipment like the ones he wanted. On his last day, he turned in the equipment he’d stolen from the warehouse, and took home the things he had used for years on his job. He rationalized that the company wasn’t using those things and they would eventually get rid of them anyway. He said that he didn’t feel guilty about what he’d done.

I thought of that as I read about the brothers in Genesis 43. They thought they were in trouble, and felt relieved, safe, maybe even thankful that they weren’t going to jail. But how they felt didn’t change the fact that they were unrepentant sinners.

The man I told you about might not feel guilty. But he is. Feelings aside.

How easily we all are to rationalize our own sin. We might tell ourselves it’s no big deal, no one is getting hurt, or everybody does it. We most likely convince ourselves we deserve whatever it is we’re doing because it makes us happy. And we can harden our hearts and not feel guilty.

Dear ones, every sin is serious. Every sin is a slap in the fact to God. Every sin comes with a death sentence – no matter how good you feel about yourself.

Doing the Unthinkable

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Genesis 37

We can read about Joseph’s brothers and see where their jealousy and hatred led. Their actions against Joseph have no rational explanation and cannot be justified. Joseph was innocent. There is no excuse for what his brothers did to him.

In fact, most of us can’t imagine the heartless actions of the brothers, from plotting to kill him, throwing him into a pit then sitting down to enjoy a meal together as if nothing had happened, to selling Joseph into slavery. It’s unthinkable that someone could treat a brother with such contempt.

But Warren Wiersbe in his book entitled Be Authentic (David C Cook publisher; Second Edition 2020; p98) warns us that all of us are potentially capable of doing what the brothers did. He cites Jeremiah 17:9 that says we have hearts that are deceitful and desperately wicked. We all do.

Newton’s first law of inertia says once an object is set in motion it will continue moving until acted upon by an external force. I think that applies to jealousy, or any sinful thought and feeling.

Once it is put into motion it will continue moving. But like a snowball rolling down a hill, it won’t just keep moving, though; it will grow, it will get faster and move with more power until is gets out of control…

Until!

At any point an outside force can step in front of it and bring it to a complete stop, destroy it, get rid of it.

I think the lesson here is never put that thought in motion in the first place. Recognize it as sin. Repent of it. Allow Jesus to step in front of it and destroy it while it’s still the size of a snowflake. If you don’t, you could be dealing with an avalanche somewhere down the road.

Never underestimate those sinful thoughts of jealousy, hatred, pride, lust, revenge, etc. Put any of those in motion and you will find yourself doing the unthinkable – just like Joseph’s brothers.

Don’t tell yourself that can’t happen to you. That thought might be pride speaking, and that’s something you don’t want to put in motion.

God Refuses to Forgive

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2 Kings 24:4

Jehoiakim was an evil King of Judah. He was so bad that when Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon invaded Jerusalem and slaughtered and imprisoned Jews, Jehoiakim defected and joined the enemy camp.

Now, to his credit, he did change his mind and ended up rebelling against King Nebuchadnezzar. But it was too little, too late. He had shed so much innocent blood, nothing he did – not a change of mind or making better choices – could erase his guilt.

I have to say this verse didn’t sit well with me this morning. It says God refused to forgive him. That didn’t sound like the God I know. While I sat here asking God to make this verse make sense a thought came to mind. “Do you see repentance anywhere here?”

Oh, Jehoiakim changed his mind. He changed his actions. But it doesn’t say he changed his heart. Big difference.

I think there are a lot of people who pray a prayer, start making better choices, give to the poor, volunteer at the hospital, and start going to church who think they are saved. However, without repentance, without a humble change of heart, there is no salvation.

Listen to what Scripture says about that:

Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out. (Acts 3:19)

The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promises as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. (2 Peter 3:9)

From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. (Matthew 4:17)

Google what the Bible says about repentance. There are a lot more verses than these that show the necessity of true repentance for salvation.

So here is what I believe God would have us consider today: there are people God refuses to forgive.

You can’t go to God and say, “My bad,” then continue in sin and expect to be forgiven. You can’t change your mind and suddenly be a philanthropist or a member of the church choir and expect God to forgive your sins. He’s very clear.

No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. (Luke 13:13)

People will see the result of your repentance in your changed lifestyle, attitude, actions. But unless you repent, turn from, submit to God from your heart, your changed lifestyle, attitude, and actions aren’t enough to erase your sins.

Repent. Otherwise God will refuse to forgive.

And I promise you, if and when you do repent, they throw a party in heaven rejoicing over your decision. You are forgiven! Your life will never be the same!

Purge

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Deuteronomy 16-20

I walk into my closet and know I need to purge. I know it feels good once it’s done. I just hate the thought of “doing.” I can come up with so many reason to keep those blouses I haven’t worn in three years. I mean, I just might start that diet and lose those twenty pounds so those blouses fit again.

I might.

God told the Israelites to purge the evil from among them. It wasn’t a suggestion. But Scripture tells us they didn’t always do that. They came up with many reasons to hold on to things that should have been eliminated. The outcome was always disastrous.

I think we can apply this same principle to the Church in 2024. So much of the evil God pointed out to the Jews has found a home in our churches. And we’ve come up with many reason to keep the evil there. Call it tolerance. Call it love. Call it preference. Call it being relative to societal changes. Sin has found a home where it should not be.

I think I can apply this same principle to myself. I have to ask myself if the sins God addressed to the Jews have found a home in me? Or have I done the work? Have I purged sin in my actions, my thoughts, my words? When I recognize that sin hiding behind a good deed or time in God’s Word, do I immediately throw it under the blood of Jesus, or do I tell myself I’ll get to that later?

Purging is hard. It takes work. It has to be intentional. The thing is NOT purging the evil in us has disastrous results.

You know that, if you have purged, surrendered to God, confessed and repented of sin, there is joy that comes from being clean. You know it’s worth the “doing.”

Purging my closet can wait. Purging my heart cannot. And purging the Church might be something we can work on together.

If Only

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Numbers 33:55-56

If only. If only Israel had listened to and obeyed God, and had driven out the inhabitants of the Promised Land, life would have looked a lot different for them – and maybe for us.

If only I had eliminated sin in my young life, and obeyed God instead of ignoring Him, life would undoubtedly look different for me – and maybe for my family.

If only I would take my sin seriously today and drive it out instead of tolerating it, my life and that of those I love would look differently.

If only.

How Much Clearer?

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Jeremiah 18-22

If you turn from wickedness. If you obey. If you humble yourselves. All of these “ifs” are followed by God’s promise to bless and not curse, to restore and not destroy.

If you continue to sin. If you turn your back on God and refuse to repent. If you insist on being your own god, then brace yourselves. God’s judgment will come without mercy.

How much clearer does God have to be?

Come on, Christian. What is it going to be? The choice you make today will bless or curse your life both now and in eternity. But it will also impact your family, your church, and collectively our communities, nation, and the world. Your decision, my decision, the decision of all of us who call ourselves Christians is that important.

How much clearer does God have to be?

The Perfect Gift

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Isaiah 66

There is this idea out there that if we are good people, kind, and generous, God will somehow balance the scale and accept us by what we do. It seems people want to believe a loving God would never send a good person to hell.

There are many things wrong with that kind of thinking. Isaiah addresses one of those in chapter 66.

God, through Isaiah, says to His children: you want to build a house for me as some great gesture? I created anything you’d use to build it. What kind of gift is that?

You don’t gift something to someone they themselves own. If you want to give something to God, it has to be more than doing good. He IS good.

You don’t hold someone’s hand, point to their thumb and say, “Let me give you this thumb.”

Do you want to know the perfect gift for God?

But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word. (vs 2b)

The perfect gift is YOU! That’s one thing He doesn’t have until you give yourself to Him.

Arms Open Wide

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Isaiah 54-65

Have you ever bent down and opened your arms, expecting the embrace of a child running toward you, only to have them veer away and jump into the arms of someone behind you who also has arms stretched out to receive them?

That’s the picture I get when I read 65:1-2. It’s a picture of God, saying to a rebellious people, “Here I am! Here I am!” Arms outstretched to receive them, coming up empty. How many times can God be rejected before He responds?

I will not keep silent, but I will repay. (verse 6a)

God’s not talking only about people who have never known Him. He’s talking about His children. Earlier, God inspired Isaiah to tell us what He thinks about His children’s religious activities.

In chapter 58 He talks about false fasting. They go through the motions in order to feel good about themselves. They think God owes them something because they fast. But even in their fasting, their hearts are unrepentant, and God’s not having it!

When I read Scripture I see our God who is not willing that anyone die without Him. I see our God who goes to great lengths to draw everyone to Himself. I see His anger toward sin, and His desire to save us from the devastating consequences of our sin.

I see God stretch out His arms on that cross and say, “Here I am! Here I am!” knowing that whoever calls on His name will be saved.

It’s not about religious activity. You can go to church and be as disobedient and lost as an atheist. It’s about surrender. It’s about humility and repentance.

In these chapters I read today in the book of Isaiah, there is also a picture of what God intends for those of us who don’t veer away, but who jump into His saving arms and experience His grace and mercy. It’s what He wants for all of us.

I hope you’ll take time to read these chapters and hear God say to you, “Here I am! Here I am!” Whether you’ve never repented, or if you call yourself a Christian yet hold onto sin, run into the open arms of your Savior and let Him do what He died to do.

Right now, God is bending down and opening His arms to you. Arms open wide! Run! Jump! You won’t be sorry.

Not Without You

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Isaiah 33-37

The King of Assyria’s representative stood before the people of Israel and threatened them using half-truths, mocking them for their faith in God. Assyria was a strong nation, a very real threat with the power to destroy nations. In fact, they had destroyed many cities and nations, now had set their sights on Jerusalem. The Assyrians believed they were unstoppable. In a sense, they were.

No other nation had been able to stand against them. On the other hand, no other nation had God on their side, either.

We, the Church, have what many think is an unstoppable enemy. So far this enemy has conquered academia, medicine, governments, banking, morality, churches, the media, parents and families. Our enemy’s representatives threaten us with half-truths and mock us for our faith in God. They believe they are unstoppable. And in a sense they are.

But their god of self will never defeat a people whose God is the Lord.

Hezekiah heard the threats and didn’t ignore them. He didn’t hide in the safety of his comfortable home. He took it to God, with humility and trust.

If my people, who are called by name, (that’s you who wear the Name of Christ by calling yourself a Christian) will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. (1 Chronicles 7:14)

When you look at the state of our world, are you ready to cash it in? You’ve got your ticket to heaven. Are you praying God will just come back and end it all?

Or are you willing to humble yourself, repent of your sin, turn from your wickedness, and obey God by standing firm on the Truth that is Scripture, by voting, shopping, supporting causes that align with God’s Word? Will you quit being silent and start being His voice, His hands and feet, making disciples of people who need Him, in a world that is lost without Him?

God will save our land. But not without you.

Moving The Boundaries

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Hosea 1-6

God is condemning the Jews for their unfaithfulness. He paints a real-life object lesson through the prophet Hosea. So much of what God is accusing the Jews of, I see in our world today.

But God isn’t condemning the world here in Hosea. He’s condemning His own children. In today’s terms, He’s condemning the Church.

One of the things that spoke to me is found in 5:10. I believe God has established boundaries for the Church in the same way He established boundaries for the OT Jews. Are we as guilty as they of moving those boundaries? Haven’t we convinced ourselves we have to adjust the boundaries in order to be relevant to society in 2023?

Our pastor spoke about the dangers of compromise last Sunday. Maybe that’s what got me thinking about this today. I’m thinking we are moving boundaries when we compromise.

First of all, we need to survey the land so we know where the boundaries are set. We do that by reading God’s Word. Too many of us read what people say about God’s Word, and neglect our personal responsibility to read Scripture ourselves. Do you know where God has set the boundaries on marriage, parenting, obedience, sexuality, self, sin, and salvation? What are God’s boundaries around worship, Truth, Jesus, eternity? Get out your Bibles and survey the land.

Secondly, once we know those boundaries according to Scripture, we’d better let them be. The property line between you and your neighbor isn’t fluid. Infringing, or moving the boundaries because you’d be happier with a few more feet of land, is against the law and there are consequences to be paid for breaking the law.

Read what God says to us through Hosea. Moving the boundaries God has set invites His wrath to be poured out like water. Chew on that a minute. If you recognize your own tendency to push on a boundary or two, confess it and repent of it. If you recognize your church pushing on a boundary or two, speak up. Demand adherence to that boundary. Don’t just sit idly by and invite God’s wrath.

God has set boundaries, not to make life difficult for us, but to make life better, freer, blessed by Him. Life gets difficult when we try to move those boundaries. (by the way, God calls that sin).

Don’t have any part in moving the boundaries God has established, either in your personal life or in your family or in your church. He’s warning us today that moving the boundaries comes with serious consequences..