Repentance is Not Just for Sinners

by David Wilkerson

The longer I walk with Jesus, the more I am convinced that repentance is not just for sinners, but also for believers.

It is not simply a one-time thing, but something God's people are called to do until Jesus returns.

Every Christian who maintains a repentant attitude brings upon his life God's special attention.

Indeed, repentance opens up something to us that nothing else can.

If we walk before the Lord with a repentant heart, we will be inundated with incredible blessings!

A repentant heart is soft, tender and pliable, is and easily moulded by the Holy Spirit.

It responds to and acts upon Godly reproof.

The number-one characteristic of a repentant heart is a readiness to acknowledge guilt.

It is a willingness to accept blame for wrongdoing, to say,"I am the one, Lord. I have sinned!"

If there is no admitting to sin, there can be no repentance: 

"Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death" 
(2 Corinthians 7:10).

If you are not willing to acknowledge you are wrong, you are saying you don't need to repent.

Before Pilate released Jesus into the hands of murderous priests and elders, he wanted the world to know it wasn't his fault. He called for a basin of water, dipped his hands into it and declared himself innocent of Christ's blood before the angry mob:

"When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it" (Matthew 27:24).

The phrase, "See ye to it" here means,

“Make sure you all know my hands are clean. I have done nothing wrong and I am clean from all guilt."

Pilate's hands were not clean, of course; he was about to hand over the Son of God to murderers. This kind of thinking shuts a person off from any possibility of repentance. Had a prophet approached Pilate the next day, preaching,

"Repent or perish!" the ruler would have been aghast. "Who, me?" he would have asked.

"I've done nothing wrong. How can I repent when I haven't sinned?"

John writes:

"If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us."

(1 John 1:8-10).

Your Weakness

Psalm 103:13-16New International Version (NIV)

13 

As a father has compassion on his children,

    so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;

14 

for he knows how we are formed,

    he remembers that we are dust.

15 

The life of mortals is like grass,

    they flourish like a flower of the field;

16 

the wind blows over it and it is gone,

    and its place remembers it no more.

Any weakness you refuse to deal with will draw you towards the wrong things and set you up for defeat.To live victoriously you must recognise that, first, your weakness can emerge at any time. What you allow to take root will grow within you. What you fail to master now will master you later.

The Psalmist prayed, 

Psalm 71:9New International Version (NIV)

9 

Do not cast me away when I am old;

    do not forsake me when my strength is gone.

Secondly, God's Spirit will repeatedly warn you.

 Jesus told Peter:

Luke 22:31-32New International Version (NIV)

31 “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”

Imagine the Lord praying for you. He does! He intercedes for you, clothes you in His righteousness, and draws you back to Himself.

1 John 2:1New International Version (NIV)

2 My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 

Thirdly, God will continue to use you even while your weakness is growing within you. He provides opportunity after opportunity to reach for His help. Jesus warned Jerusalem

Matthew 23:37-38New International Version (NIV)

37 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. 38 Look, your house is left to you desolate.

When you neglect God's grace, what's left? Your consequences! You ask, 'What can I do?' Turn to God. He's neither shocked by your weakness nor unwilling to help you. Acknowledge your weakness. Become an enemy to it. Let God's Spirit empower you. Not only can He deliver you, He can turn your greatest weakness into your greatest weapon.

Cartoons (A Joyful Toon) by Mike Waters

Picture of Mother Mary

So back in 2011, I thought I'd upgrade the micro SD card on my phone to a better one. One day, I formatted it (or tried to recover files, I don't remember which). To my surprise, I saw a few files which were not mine at all. Among these was a picture of Mother Mary :D

Also check out this video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=LD0eLiTw36I