About-Face July 8 /2013 Scripture reading: Acts 3:19 "Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord." Acts 3:19 You catch a friend in a lie, and she says she’s sorry. But the next day, she lies to you again. Once more, you accept her apology. Now if on the third day she lies again, will you believe her when she says she’s sorry? Probably not. Will you be satisfied with her apology? Probably not. That’s because what you really need from your friend isn’t a routine apology; it’s repentance. Repentance. It’s one of those fancy theological words you hear at church. But what exactly does it mean? Repentance means that you realize you’re heading in the wrong direction—acting and thinking a certain way—and then you do a 180-degree turn and head in the exact opposite direction. It means doing an “about-face” and doing things God’s way instead of your way. It means being sorry enough about your actions to want to change them. And just like you want your friend to off er you more than an insincere “I’m sorry,” God wants more from you when you sin against him. He wants sincere repentance. Do you have an area in your life where you need to repent? Maybe you’re going further with your boyfriend than you know you should. Maybe you’re deceiving your parents by only telling them part of the story. Maybe you have a habit of saying some catty things about other girls to make you feel better about yourself or to look cool in front of your friends. Whatever the issue is, it’s time for an about-face. Confess your sin to God and ask for forgiveness. Ask God to give you a sincere sorrow over your sin that will cause you to turn from it. And know that when you do, God will wipe out that sin completely, and you’ll experience how refreshing it is to have your relationship with God back on track. FOR AN EXAMPLE OF AN HONEST PRAYER OF GENUINE REPENTANCE, READ PSALM 32. ~Dear God, I don’t want to keep blowing off my sin. Help me to have true sorrow that leads to real repentance. Forgive me for my sin and restore my relationship with you...Amen~
Posted on: Mon, 08 Jul 2013 08:52:42 +0000
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