February 25, 2016

True Repentance Brings Change

27 Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron. “This time I have sinned,” he said to them. “The Lord is in the right, and I and my people are in the wrong. 28 Pray to the Lord, for we have had enough thunder and hail. I will let you go; you don’t have to stay any longer.”

29 Moses replied, “When I have gone out of the city, I will spread out my hands in prayer to the Lord. The thunder will stop and there will be no more hail, so you may know that the earth is the Lord’s. 30 But I know that you and your officials still do not fear the Lord God.”

31 (The flax and barley were destroyed, since the barley had headed and the flax was in bloom. 32 The wheat and spelt, however, were not destroyed, because they ripen later.)

33 Then Moses left Pharaoh and went out of the city. He spread out his hands toward the Lord; the thunder and hail stopped, and the rain no longer poured down on the land. 34 When Pharaoh saw that the rain and hail and thunder had stopped, he sinned again: He and his officials hardened their hearts. -- Exodus 9:27-34

We all sin. That’s a given. We are humans living in a fallen world. The real question for us is what happens after we sin.

Do you confess your sin to God and ask for forgiveness? It’s what we Christians are called to do. And God forgives us. He grants us mercy and forgiveness we don’t deserve because of the blood of Jesus Christ.

Then what? If we truly regret our sin, our mistake, we make every effort to change. We repent. That’s what God wants us to do. Will we still mess up? Sure. But God knows our hearts and He knows when we are truly trying to change.

Unfortunately, many view God’s grace as just another reason to go out and do what they want. Saved people are saved. We won’t lose our salvation, if that salvation is real. But we will grieve the Holy Spirit when we don’t at least try to become more like to person God called us to be.

Have you ever had someone ask for your forgiveness, then turn around and do or say the same thing again? How did that make you feel? You probably thought the other person really didn’t mean the apology. You probably believe the other person really doesn’t intend to change. Because apologies and pleas for forgiveness without a change in behavior really don’t mean much.

So think for a moment about how God feels when we go to Him, confess our sins, ask for forgiveness -- then go out and do the same thing again. Do better. Mean it next time or don’t say it at all.