Genuine Repentance
Acts 3:19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;
Repentance is a summons to a personal, absolute and ultimate unconditional surrender to God as Sovereign. Some times may include sorrow and regret, and it is a process of making a complete change of direction (180° turn) toward God.
Our God is so loving and gracious, holy in act and righteous in deeds... As a means for us to enjoy His benefits and attain our rightful place in Him we must repent from our act of sin, and reunite with Him.
There are three stages of genuine Repentance
1. The act of being remorseful of what you have done, the consciousness of accepting you are wrong and the willingness to surrender.
Adam and Eve were the first being to sin against God, after sinning, they feel remorseful, they know they were wrong and hid their faces from God who is holy... (Genesis 3:8)
When David sinned against God by taking another Uraiha's wife and killing him, God sent a prophet to him to reveal to his evil act, upon hearing the words, he became sorrowful and bittered, and cried unto God. (2Samuel 12:13)
Whenever you sin and you wish to repent, do you always feel remorseful?, do you always feel guilty of the sins you have committed?, are you willing to confess them before God and man?, Are you ready to take responsibility of your wicked actions? If yes then you are on your way to true repentance.
2. Asking for forgiveness
After feeling remorseful before God with a humbled heart, then we pray to God for forgiveness... The forgiveness is made available unto us through the death and resurrection of the Lord, that anytime we call unto Him, our sins will be forgiven and reunited with our maker. (1 John 1:9)
Asking for forgiveness is not limited to God alone, we need to do the same to our fellow man that we have wronged.. In most cases this include restitution. (Luke 19:8)
3. Turning away from the sin.
Most of the problem we have today is that, at times when we sin, we always feel remorseful and wish to repent, but at the longrun we still find ourselves back into the same sin we had first repented from
Repentance is NOT asking the Lord for forgiveness with the intent to sin again.
Repentance is an honest, regretful acknowledgement of sin with commitment to change.
Repentance leads us to cultivate godliness while eradicating habits that lead into sin
You can say you repent from the sin of fornication today and tomorrow you still go back to the same sin...
There is no magic in living a righteous life, you must be able to discipline your body, your desires, your life and bring it unto subjection under authority of the Lord Christ Jesus, then the Holy spirit will keep guiding you, warning you and directing you towards the parth of godliness.
1 John 3:9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
When you know the true God, and you surrender your all to Him, His seed (Jesus Christ) will remain in you, and as long as it remain in you, your life and sin will walk in opposite direction.
Have you truly repented?
If not, now is the time, your life cannot continue in sin any longer... Receive a new life in Christ and enjoy everlasting peace.
Say after me... Lord Jesus, I come before you with a humble heart, I confess my sins before you, forgive me and give me a new life, I promise not to go into sin again... Let your son Jesus Christ continue to live in me and let my life be an expression of your glory. for in Jesus Christ name I pray. Amen.
Begin to walk in the new life in Christ by reading His words (Bible) and praying without ceasing.
God bless you.
Prayer key:
1. Lord, thank you for the bless of today in Jesus Christ name.
2. Lord, give me a heart of genuine repentance in Jesus Christ name.
3. Lord, help me to love above flesh and sin in Jesus Christ name.
4. Thank you Lord for answered prayers in Jesus Christ name. Amen.