"REPENTANCE in 2017"

“REPENTANCE in 2017”

 

 

Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.  See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done.  At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter.          2 Corinthians 7:10-11

 

Every new year we face a year of uncertainties, some for the good, and some for the bad. Uncertainties that can or will in some instances, alter our life-style.  Some look at a new year, as an opportunity to CHANGE their life-style, they may want to CHANGE their way of THINKING, or their APPEARANCE, they may want to make CHANGES in their STATUS in life, and so they will go to whatever extremes they have to, in order to make it happen. 

 

And for some, they may NOT necessarily want to change ANYTHING, but they are content with the status-quo.  I for one do not really like CHANGE, when it comes to my life-style, however, there are times that I know CHANGE is needed in order to see or experience POSITIVE results.  So I have to ACCEPT the CHALLENGES that goes along with the CHANGE in order to do what I know is the BEST situation in the long run. 

 

The Apostle Paul, in his letter to the believers in Corinth, wrote to them concerning the behavior of some of them.  And the strong disciplinarian tone of the letter brought the Corinthian believers to a SORROW, a GODLY SORROW that led them to REPENTANCE and to CHANGE in their behavior.  Paul applauded their GODLY SORROW and REPENTANCE, which brought about the kind of behavior that would exemplify their FAITH.  He gave them a bit of a warning about worldly sorrow, which was the type of sorrow that Judas had when he betrayed the Lord Jesus Christ, and it brings about NO REPENTANCE, only SPIRITUAL DEATH.   However, GODLY SORROW brings about an earnestness to make amends, and eagerness to clear oneself from blame, indignation against wrongdoings, alarm at one’s own passivity concerning sin, longing and concern for fellow servants of Christ, and a readiness to see JUSTICE done. 

 

For the TRUE BELIEVER, Paul’s words to the Corinthian believers are GOOD instructions leading us into a New Year.  We NEED to be cognizant of the sin that is in our own lives and have a GODLY SORROW in our HEART, which would lead us to the REPENTANCE of that sin.  We NEED to be able to approach, in LOVE, a fellow believer, who may have sin in their life, and encourage them to CONFESS that sin, so they too can experience GODLY SORROW, and be drawn to REPENTANCE of their sin. 

 

If you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to God, then you are experiencing  ONLY the WORLDLY SORROW, which leads to a SPIRITUAL DEATH, and an ETERNITY in HELL, the place of FOREVER torment, torture, pain, agony and despair, with NO way of escape.  However, God is offering you the opportunity NOW to enter the NEW YEAR, a CHANGED person, with a future full of the HOPE of HEAVEN, by coming to Him with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART, CONFESSING your sins to Him and asking Him for His FORGIVENESS, BELIEVING, with ALL your HEART, that Jesus died for YOU, and is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God, then ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and enter 2017, a NEW, CHANGED, IMPROVED CHILD of the LIVING GOD, who’s on their way to an eternity in HEAVEN.  Do it NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!