| True RepentancePosted Apr-20-07 06:36:10 PDT Come, let us return to the Lord. He has torn us to pieces, but He will heal us; He has injured us, but He will bind up our wounds. After two days He will revive us; on the third day He will restore us, that we may live in His presence. Let us acknowledge the Lord; let us press on to acknowledge Him. As surely as the sun rises, He will appear; He will come to us like a winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth.
Hosea 6:1-3
This is presumption, not genuine repentance. The people did not understand the depth of their sin. They did not turn from idols, regret their sins, or pledge to make changes. They thought that God's wrath would last only a few days; Little did they know that their nation would soon be taken into exile. Israel was interested in God only for the material benefits He provided; they did not value the eternal benefits that come from worshiping Him. Before judging Israel, however, consider your own attitude. What do you hope to gain from your "religion?" Do you "repent" easily, without seriously considering what changes need to take place in your life? Repentance means to do an "about face;" to do a 180 degree turn in your life; to stop what you are doing and to leave it behind and to go in the opposite direction. It is not simply to say that you are "sorry" for what you have done and then continue to go down the same path only to get stuck in the same sin somewhere further down the road. That is absurd. In order to truly repent in the eyes of God, we need to leave our old life, our old habits behind and learn new ways of living. That is why the Bible is so important. It shows us the way we are supposed to go.
God Bless you,
J.H.
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