Page 31 - what a christianbelieveslastfinaltest3a_Neat
P. 31

Repentance from sin

                response begins with REPENTANCE.

                When man becomes aware of his true condition and when he
                sees the true nature of GOD, the desire to confess to himself
                what he is really like increases.

                As he begins to  have  an  encounter  with God, the desire to
                change  his  condition  and  turn  away  from  it  also  begins  to
                grow within.

                The word REPENTANCE literally means:

                To understand afterwards, by reflection, to have a change of
                mind  for  the  better,  a  change  of  purpose,  to  reverse  the
                effects of previous thinking.

                In  the  New  Testament  the  word  REPENTANCE  is  used
                chiefly in reference to SIN.

                So it can be said that REPENTANCE is 'realisation  of what
                sin is and what its results are, leading to having a change
                of  mind  about  it,  abandoning  sin  and  everything  to  do
                with it AND a turning towards God's holy will.'

                What  is  repentance?    It  begins  with  grieving  as  one  would
                grieve at a funeral. But instead of grieving over another, it is
                for  oneself.    Luke  18  v13  'The  tax  collector  stood  at  a
                distance and could not look up to heaven and said 'God
                have mercy on me a sinner'.'

                The promise to the one who is grieving is in Matthew  5  v4
                'Blessed are they that mourn, they shall be comforted.'

                This  mourning  comes  from  seeing  that  sin  is  more  than
                something that harms us but is evil done by us toward a good
                and holy God.

                                          31
   26   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   36