“Repent, repent, repent – I am tired of hearing it. Why do they keep harping on repentance? Don’t they realize we just need to love each other instead of making us feel guilty? WHAT IS THEIR PROBLEM?”
Have you heard that, or something like it? There is false guilt that comes from our culture, but anyone who resists repenting of true sin is resisting the Holy Spirit, who convicts us of our sin. Instead, Christians should welcome conviction and repent – as quickly and as often as necessary, for the following reasons:
God is a holy, righteous, and jealous God, and He will not tolerate sin in His presence. If we approach Him with unconfessed sin on our hearts, we are idolators, worshipping another god. Although our unconfessed sin may be hidden from others, God sees it as a carved image which we revere more than Him.
“Take heed to yourselves, lest you forget the covenant of the Lord your God which He made with you, and make for yourselves a carved image in the form of anything which the Lord your God has forbidden you. For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.” Deuteronomy 4:23-24
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Unrepentance refuses Christ’s gift of salvation, because He died for all our sins. We are saying – thanks anyway, I am doing fine and will just keep my sins. And if we refuse His free gift of grace, we will be judged under the Law and found guilty.
Unrepentance drowns out the still, small voice of the Holy Spirit. The sin in our soul also sends messages to our spirit, and we lose our ability to discern what is from the Lord and what is from the evil one. The Word of God even tells us that without holiness (which requires repentance), we will not see the Lord.
“Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God…” Hebrews 12:14
Repentance frees us from the bondage of sin and death. When we retain sin in our hearts, we remain in bondage, enslaving our souls to the world, the flesh, and the devil. Receiving Christ as our Savior frees us from the slavery of sin and the fear of death.
Conviction from the Holy Spirit is our friend, as it is a warning sign that we are straying off the narrow path. But we have to repent of our sins to get back on that path.
Unrepentance pollutes our witness to others. Each of us influences others by what we say and do. Unconfessed sin sends mixed messages about Christ and those who follow Him.
If we don’t sanctify the Lord in our hearts (repent of all sin), we will not be able to give a sound defense for the hope that is within us:
“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with gentleness and respect for God;” I Peter 3:15-16
Unforgiveness is a powerful example of unrepentance. When we are wronged by someone, we feel they do not deserve to be forgiven. True, but neither do we deserve to be forgiven of our sins. And if we don’t forgive someone of their wrongs against us, our Lord will not forgive us of our sins.
Unconfessed sin is a cancer to our souls, and we need to get rid of it before it spreads and takes over completely. Repentance kills this cancer to the soul.
Unrepentance opens the doors to demonic influence in our lives. Unconfessed sins attract demons like fresh meat attracts flies, but repentance closes those portals to our soul.
There is no sin in heaven. If we arrive at the pearly gates with sin on our souls, we are idolators and rebels. We are defying the sovereign, living God of the universe by refusing to die to self and live for Christ, which is the entrance fee to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
“But there shall by no means enter it (Heaven) anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.” Revelation 21:27
The Lord is sending us into the front lines of the great spiritual battle for the souls of men and women – the ultimate prize. But we can only do this if we are spiritually clean, have our spiritual armor on, and are in touch with the Holy Spirit.
If we hold on to any sin and refuse to die to self, we are saying no to life in the Spirit – a great spiritual adventure filled with blessings, sorrows, and the joy of the Lord that only comes from His presence in our lives. We will then take this banner of defiance and rebellion against God with us as we march down the broad path that leads to the Lake of Fire.
So let us repent, forgive, and go forth with the love and truth of God, for time is short, eternity is a very long time, and we are not guaranteed tomorrow.
To God be the glory.
Mark Peterson is a retired educator who’s worked with people in Southeast Arkansas. He’s a member of the vestry at First Lutheran Church at Eighth and Rock streets at Little Rock. The community is invited to join them for worship at 10:30 a.m. on Sundays. Details: FirstLutheranLR.com.
Editor’s note: Pastors, ministers or other writers interested in writing for this section may submit articles for consideration to shope@adgnewsroom.com. Please include your phone number and the name and location of your church or ministry. Writers should have a connection to Southeast Arkansas.