A REPENTANT HEART YOU CANNOT HIDE

How many times do we say we are sorry just to do the same thing again. What does it really mean to say “I’m sorry?” I think most of us think it means forgive me, don’t hold it against me, and please don’t make me pay for what I did. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 7: 9-11 that he was glad not because you were sorry but that you were made sorry in a godly manner. Because godly sorrow produces repentance that leads to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death. Salvation delivers us of sin and its consequences of ruin or loss. When one truly has repented, it will not only be known to God, but it will be recongnized by those around you. His acceptence of your repentant heart will forever change your life to where you will never be the same again!

We See Repentance

Repentance produces so much more than just being sorry. Paul says, what diligence it produced in you, what clearing of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what desire, what zeal, what vindication! You cleared yourselves in this matter. In other words, salvation has come! Jesus said “…if thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him: and if he repent, forgive him.” Luke 17:3. When you repent you acknowledge what you did and say your sorry. You must realize the pain and suffering you caused or else how can you repent. You have an outward showing of a repentant heart. Repentance brings forth good things!

How do you know you have repented?

In Luke 3:7-14 the people asked Jesus saying, “What shall we do?” Jesus answered to each group of people was often specific to where they lived or how they lived: to the common people He said to share with their brother, their neighbor and those in need. Jesus told the tax collectors to be fair and don’t collect more than what you are supposed to. And to the soldiers He said don’t intimidate anyone or falsely accuse and be content with their wages. Those were all good examples to show us we have a repentant heart. We don’t hide our heart, we reveal the change God has made.

God gave us pastors, prophets, and teachers

2 Samuel 12:1-10. The Prophet Nathan tells King David about a poor man that was treated badly by a rich man. David’s anger is so great against the man that did the wrong. David said the man shall surely die! Nathan then tells David, “You are the man, you have killed Uriah and taken his wife to be your wife. Sometimes we do not know our own heart. Sin deceives us into thinking we are right. Which is why God gives us Pastors, Prophets and Teachers to open our eyes, even as the Prophet was used to open David’s eyes to his sin that brought him to repentance.

Judgement!

In 2 Samuel 12:10-13 Nathan tells King David that the sword will never depart from his house and adversity would rise up against his house. The Lord said to David that he did his sin secretly but God would give judgement openly. David told Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.” Such a simple but profound confession of guilt that brought his forgiveness. So, Nathan then tells David that the LORD had put away his sin and that he would not die. Yet because his sin gave the enemies of the LORD an occasion to blaspheme, the child that was born to David would surely die.

No Excuses, Just Repentance

In the rest of the chapter we find that Kind David fasted and prayed and wept for the child for a week. When David knew that the child was dead, he arose and ate. Then the servants came to David and asked him how he could get up and eat seeing that he had been in despair for his son. David said while the child was alive maybe God would change His mind and let him live. But now that he was dead, he could not bring him back but he could go to him. David went in and comforted his wife, and she bore him a son. David called him Solomon and the LORD loved him.

Godly sorrow worketh repentance

A Psalm of David when Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.

Psalm 51 We are told that David starts off where we all need to start off when we go to our God for His Forgiveness, crying, “Have mercy upon me, O God!”

Then David continues, “According to Your lovingkindness; according to the multitude of Your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions”.

Still pleading he cries out further, “Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin”.

For God to forgive us of our sins, we must be willing to confess those sins to Him, which is what David does when he continues, “For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is always before me”.

Then David asks for God to do a work in him that will change him in such away, that he will no longer continue in a life of sinning, by asking, “Make me to know wisdom. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow”.

“Make me hear joy and gladness, that the bones You have broken may rejoice. Hide Your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities”.

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me”.

“Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me by Your generous Spirit”.

“Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners shall be converted to You. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall show forth Your praise. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart — These, O God, You will not despise”.

AS THIS CHAPTER IN GOD’S WORD CLEARLY SHOWS, WHEN ONE TRULY REPENTS, IT WILL NOT ONLY TAKE AWAY ONE’S DESIRE FOR SINNING, BUT IT WILL REPLACE THAT DESIRE, WITH A DESIRE FOR GOD AND ALL THAT HE HAS FOR US, AND IT GIVES US A WILLINGNESS TO SHARE HIM WITH OTHERS

The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.

A Repentant Heart You Cannot Hide!