Devotionon

REPENTANCE to

Leader’s Pre-Induction Training23.11.2013

Elder Wamagata Kairu wa Njeri (Wama G)wamagz@gmail.com

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Leading Scriptures• When I shut up the heavens so that there is no

rains, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. - 2 Chronicles 7:13-14 (NIV)

• For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. -Romans 3:23-24 (NIV)

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Definition

• Repentance means a sincere turning away, in both the heart and mind, from self to God.

• Repentance also means the action of repenting; sincere regret or remorse.

• Repentance is also recognizing that our sin is offensive to God.

• Key words; sin, action, self and God.

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Sin• Sin means transgression (going against) or breaking

of God’s law (or commandments).• Sin can either be an action or the lack of it.• Sin separates us from God. But your iniquities have

separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear. (Isaiah 59:2, NIV)

• Sin leads to death. – The soul who sins is the one who will die. (Ezekiel

18:20a, NIV)– For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is

eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23, NIV)4

Sin Cont’d• We have all committed sin(s) at one time or

the other – that is why we are Christians. –For the Son of Man came to seek and to

save what was lost. (Luke 19:10, NIV)–“If any one of you is without sin, let him be

the first to throw a stone at her.” (John 8:7b,NIV).

• Committing sin(s) causes problems that include physical, mental, emotional and spiritual damage.

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Examples of Sins• But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the

vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars – their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulphur. This is the second death. (Revelation 21:8, NIV)

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Examples of Sins Cont’d• The major categories of sins affecting the

Church today can be classified into or be said to emanate from: -

• Pride• Power• Love of money• Sexual immorality

• The above has led to many Christians (mostly leaders) living a life of deception e.g. Peter Popoff (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Popoff)

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Repentance and Salvation• When we are in sin, we can only be reconciled

with God through repentance.• Repentance is an essential part of salvation,

requiring turning away from the sin-ruled life to a life characterized by obedience to God.

• Salvation means deliverance from the power or penalty of sin; redemption (the action of saving or being saved from sin, error, or evil).

• Calls for repentance are found throughout the Old Testament and the New Testament.

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Examples of Repentance Scriptures• Therefore this is what the LORD says: “If you

repent, I will restore you that you may serve me; if you utter worthy, not worthless, words, you will be my spokesman. (Jeremiah 15:19a, NIV)

• And if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned. (Jeremiah18:8, NIV)

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Examples of Repentance Scriptures Cont’d

• "Therefore, O house of Israel, I will judge you, each one according to his ways, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent! Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall." (Ezekiel 18:30, NIV)

• For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent and live!(Ezekiel 18:32, NIV)

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Examples of Repentance Scriptures Cont’d

• In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” (Matthew 3:1-2, NIV)

• "The time has come," Jesus said. "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!" (Mark 1:15, NIV)

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Examples of Repentance Scriptures Cont’d

• “Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.” (Revelation 2:5, NIV)

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Biblical Themes• Repentance is one among the prominent

themes in the Bible after the fall of man (Adam).

• Some of the other prominent themes are Love and Salvation. These themes are however not mutually exclusive.

• Repentance came after man (Adam) broke the covenant with God and God desired to restore the fellowship with man.

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Repentance Process

Proverbs 28:13 (NIV)

He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy

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Repentance Process Cont’d1. Recognize your sins

The first step of repentance is to recognize that you have committed a sin(s) against God's commandments. After I strayed, I repented; after I came to understand, I beat my breast. (Jeremiah 31:19, NIV)

One then needs to feel sorrow for their disobedience to God and the pain it may have caused to others. Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. (2 Corinthians 7:10, NIV)

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Repentance Process Cont’d

2.Confess your sinsThis involves telling God your sin(s) by

acknowledging you are the one who has committed the sin(s). No justification is required. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9, NIV).

Where appropriate tell those whom your sin(s) has hurt or affected. Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed their deeds. (Acts 19:18, NIV)

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Repentance Process Cont’d

3.Renounce your sins• Involves identifying what led or leads you to sin and

discontinuing association with it or with ways that leads to you. Simply put, you decide to stop committing your sin(s) and terminate any and all sinful relationships with what causes you to sin. If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. (Matthew 5:29, NIV)

• You need to make a promise to God and yourself to never repeat the sin(s)

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Repentance Process Cont’d

3. Renounce your sins cont’d• Where appropriate rectify or make restitution for

what you have done. But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” (Luke 19:24, NIV)

• If you can't rectify the problem caused by your sin(s), sincerely ask for forgiveness from those you have wronged and try to find other way(s) to show your change of heart.

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Repentance Process Cont’d4. Forgiveness• Pray to God for forgiveness. For I will forgive their

wickedness and will remember their sins no more. (Jeremiah 31:34b, NIV)

• Forgive others who have hurt you (The Lord’s Prayer).• Truly forgive yourself and do not hold on to your sin or

the sorrow it caused you.• Re-affirm to yourself that God loves you, even though

you have sinned before. • Having peace with yourself is at times a sign of

forgiveness• Remember God will forgive your if you truly repent. 19

Repentance Process Cont’d5.Recommit yourself to God• Recommit yourself to obeying God’s

commandments. Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. (Joshua 1:8, NIV).

• Purpose to do only that which pleases God. So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. (1 Corinthians 10:31, NIV) 20

Types of Repentance

1. Repentance can be shallow, such as the remorse we feel because of fear of punishment.

2. It can be deep, such as realizing how much our sins cost Jesus Christ and how his saving grace washes us clean. The understanding of the everlasting love of God to us.

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Some hindrances to repentance• Sin easily entangles – our environment if full of ever

encroaching opportunities to sin. “...let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles....”(Hebrews 12:1,NIV)

• Lack of knowledge – of things that lead us to sin or sin itself e.g. influence of modern technology. “My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge.” (Hosea 4:6a, NIV)

• Peer pressure – others are doing it syndrome. “Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition.” (Matthew 15:6, NIV)

• Lack of completion of repentance process – especially confession and renouncing of sins.

• Living in denial – not coming to terms with your sin(s) and/or consequences of your sin(s)

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Sin and Service• It is possible to be in the service of God and yet

be living in sin. “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ (Matthew 7:21-23, NIV)

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Sin and Service Cont’d• The Churches in Revelation 2 and 3 were

commended for big things yet five of them were living in sin.

• Jesus warned the five churches to repent or face consequences if they didn’t repent.

• When God works through us, it is not necessarily a sign that we are walking right with him. It could be a manifestation of God’s gifts to edify the Church. For God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable. (Romans 11:29, NIV).

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Further reading• God is calling the PCEA church to repentance as

witnessed in recent forums e.g. The Presbytery Convention held in Aug 2013 whose theme was Jeremiah 2:13.

• God is also using individuals to pass the message of repentance to the Church. For more details, read the following internet link and repent as appropriate. http://revdavidgithii.me/crev/article/100

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God bless us all

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