What is acceptable repentance?

Repentance is a subject that we may have trouble understanding all of its implications.  You might say that we do not understand all of most subjects, and you would be right.  What I mean is… I think we might have misunderstood what God meant when He says we ought to repent.  John the Baptist preached it often.  It is the call out to all people everywhere so that they can become followers of Jesus Christ.

Here is where I think the rubber meets the road.  People, all of us, repent of a sin and then go back and repeat it again.  Well, you say, God forgives and that is correct.  Of course, we still have our sinful nature and we are prone to sin and sin again.  God’s forgiveness continues to cleanse us from all sin, which is a wonderful comfort.

The true meaning of repentance is that we ask for forgiveness from God and then make an about face, turn 180 degrees from our present situation and go another direction.  The question then comes: How many times can we repent and then return to the same sin again and again.  Is it truly repentance?  The answer is an emphatic “no”.  Repentance requires a turning point, somewhere at some juncture in your life that you carry on successfully from that time forward forsaking that sin and rejoicing that you overcame and are free from that sin with God’s empowerment.

A person who continues to practice sin as a habit, even though he or she has repented many times, has not truly repented.  You can take that to the bank!  They are going through a religious formality of verbally repenting, but they never mean to give up that sin at all.  They are hoping God is pleased with their admitting their failures.  However, God is not pleased with that kind of repentance which is not repentance at all but just verbal repetition.

I John 3:6 says No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. (ESV)  Words to heed.

Here is the simple conclusion to the matter.  When you repent, seek that sin no more.  It may take you a while to get things under control, but take heed to The Scriptures, The Holy Spirits power and try to obey.  It is for your own good and your eternal value designed to give you rewards for overcoming.  It takes spiritual discipline.  You will not find that from the secular world.  You will only find that in Christ.  May God bless!