Readings for today: Psalms 75-76, Romans 6
Boil everything down. Reduce all the problems in our world and all the problems in our lives to their root and you will find sin. Human sin is the most pervasive, corrupting force in the universe. It tears at the fabric of our lives. It weakens the bonds we have with God, with each other, and with the world around us. It isolates and alienates and incites chaos at every turn. The Bible teaches there is only one prescription for human sin and that is repentance. It is the intentional turning away from sin and turning towards Christ. Listen to how the Apostle Paul puts it in Romans 6…
“Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.” (Romans 6:12-14)
Repentance is more than feeling sorry for ourselves. It’s more than feeling guilt or remorse over what we have done. It is a decision to make a 180 degree turn in life and go in a different direction. I love the phrase Paul uses here…”present yourself.” Do not present yourselves to sin and allow it to use you as an instrument of unrighteousness. In other words, don’t show up at sin’s doorway looking for work. Don’t clock in. Don’t give sin your precious time or talent or treasure. Don’t give sin a foothold in your life. Instead, present yourself every day to God. Show up in His throne room each morning and let Him give you your marching orders for the day. Intentionally place yourself at His disposal and give Him permission to use you for His purposes.
Far too often, we make the mistake of thinking repentance is simply about what we have to give up. We think of it solely in terms of what we have to sacrifice. But that’s not the whole picture. Repentance is not just about what we have to give up but also what we do to fill up. I love the story Jesus tells in the gospels about the man who’s been possessed by demons. He tells His disciples it’s not enough to simply cast the demons out of the man’s life. It’s not enough for the man to even work hard to clean up his life. He has to fill himself up with something lest the demons return, find the “house” still empty, and take back over. True repentance involves both a “turning from” and a “turning to” if it is to be real and effective.
Repentance is one of the key marks of discipleship for a Christian. It’s not something we ever grow beyond or graduate from so where do you need to repent in your life today? What attitudes, thoughts, feelings, or actions do you need to turn away from as you turn towards Christ? How are you intentionally yourself before God today and giving Him permission to use you as an instrument of righteousness in our world?
Readings for tomorrow: Psalm 77-79, Romans 7