" Repentance and Forgiveness "
"We've been 'seeking God's face' and looking for forgiveness, but
revival just doesn't seem to be coming like we had hoped." Words to this
effect, from a local pastor recently during a radio interview.
"Well, can't you just Forgive and Forget!" is another whining
expression one hears. "You need to have forgiveness in YOUR heart."
In one case a hoped for sense of blessing and revival is not
forthcoming. In another, a person who has wronged someone else is not
experiencing forgiveness. What is the missing element?
In Solomon's temple dedication prayer, "When [Your people] sin
against You (for there is no one who does not sin)...yet when they come
to themselves...and repent, and make supplication to You..saying, 'We
have sinned and done wrong, we have committed wickedness'; and when they
return to You with all their heart and with all their soul...then hear
in heaven...and forgive Your people who have sinned against You...and
grant them compassion." (~1Kgs8:46-50)
What did God respond? "If My people who are called by My name will
humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked
ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal
their land." (2Chr7:14)
What are the conditions for cleansing? REPENTANCE. What is
repentance? Here are three elements:
First of all, a feeling of remorse, contrition, or self-reproach
for what one has done or failed to do. At Peter's preaching it says the
hearers were "cut to the heart." (Acts2:37) James says, "Lament and
mourn and weep! ..Humble yourselves.." (Jas4:9-10)
Why is there no revival today, nor forgiveness? Are people
humbling themselves before God? Hardly! They are too busy feeling a
distorted sense of "graeess." Are pumped up to "feel good about
themselves." Recognizing their "self-worth" and "value" to God. Or so
they suppose.
But then, why should they feel remorse? They don't feel they have
even done anything wrong. They don't recognized the Truth of God's Word
which says, "But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our
righteousnesses are like filthy rags; (Isa64:6) They are part of: "there
is none who understands; there is none who seeks after God."(Rom3:11)
So then, obviously, the second part of repentance is missing. "to
change one's mind regarding past conduct." There is no remorse. There
isn't even regret. And certainly, no CHANGING anything!
And if there is no changing "one's mind" about it, there certainly
isn't going to be a NEW BEHAVIOR. An improvement of one's attitude to
rectify anything...if it is not recognized that anything has been
"wrong." The term here.. "SIN."
This is the source of the old expression, "forgive and forget."
Have you ever been wronged, and the person who wronged you, no matter
what one tries to do, continues the attitudes which caused that wrong?
As a result, the offenses repeat. In your heart you may be trying to
forgive that person, and perhaps you actually have. But the next time
the offense occurs, you find yourself of necessity responding as
appropriate. And what does the offending party retort? "Why can't you
JUST forgive and forget!"
Well, they have never repented have they. Perhaps, in their heart,
they actually feel they are in the "right." That they have done no
wrong. And yet they know they have offended you, and want to be ab-
solved, somehow magically, without having to humble themselves and
admit, "I was wrong! I'm oh so sorry. I will make efforts to correct my
behavior. Please forgive me?"
You see, there is a prescribed order to things. Jesus put it this
way, "Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke
him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven
times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, 'I
repent,' you shall forgive him." (Luke 17:3-4)
If someone commits an offense against you, you have the right (and
obligation) to confront him with that offense. A rather strong word,
"rebuke." The act of rebuking has nothing to do with one's state of
heart in terms of "forgiving." The offense has occurred. Now, get it out
in the open and deal with it.
Upon being rebuked, the offender has two choices. Either to
recognize his guilt and repent, or refuse to humble himself. If he
repents, he is to be forgiven.
Do you see the order here? Repentance first. Then, forgiveness.
We have a society that forgives everybody when there has been no
repentance. No confrontation. People are allowed to go about without
being held accountable for their actions.
Christians "forgive" sinners in like manner, telling them they
don't need to repent before God, because they are so "valuable" to Him,
and God accepts them "just as they are." They are "already" forgiven.
That is a "different" gospel. (Gal1:8)
What does God's Word say? Jesus "opened their understanding, that
they might comprehend the Scriptures..."Thus it is written, and thus it
was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the
third day, and that REPENTANCE and REMISSION of sins should be preached
in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. (Lk24:45-47) This
is the Gospel Jesus commanded to be preached.
What did the Apostles preach? "Repent...for the remission of
sins." (Acts2:38) "...to give repentance... and forgiveness of
sins."(Acts5:31)
God said, "If my people...will turn from their wicked ways
[repent]...I will forgive. Conversely, God REFUSES TO FORGIVE when there
is no repentance, "your iniquities have separated you from your God; and
your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He WILL NOT HEAR."
(Is59:2)
People are "seeking God's face" but are not repenting. Thus, there
is no forgiveness. No revival. People are wronging each other, and not
accepting rebuke. Thus, there is no fellowship. No forgiveness, that
comes with a cleared conscience.
You see, it is a very "hard thing" to humble one's self to admit,
"I was wrong." The anticipation of condemnation and rejection at the
hand of the one we've wronged really hurts. It's scary. We'd rather not
do it. But if a person will..the rewards are incalculable.
"Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is
covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity,
and in whose spirit there is no deceit."(vs1-2)
"These times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all
men...to repent."(Acts17:30)
The result of repentance?
"The LORD is merciful and gracious, Slow to anger, and abounding
in mercy...He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor punished
us according to our iniquities...For as the heavens are high above the
earth, So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; As far as the
east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
(Ps103:8-12)
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