Week 19 - May 5-11, 2024: Repentance as a Lifestyle

This week’s daily readings:

May 5-11, 2024

This week’s devotional:

Repentance as a Lifestyle

By Pastor Frank Albert

Scripture:

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 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 (NIV) 

Reflection:

When I was young, the word “repentance” always bothered me. The word seemed unnecessarily strong to me, like God was too serious about things. Later, I learned that God’s holiness is utterly beautiful and also not to be taken lightly. One of the greatest gifts of the Holy Spirit is to see clearly how utterly wretched my heart is and to confess my sin with confidence. It’s a bit like an onion: peel off one layer of understanding about my sin and the next layer reveals itself. By God’s grace, I can boldly look at the ugly parts of my heart and repent, meaning turn and go in the other direction. 

This is why the testimony of the criminal who learns of the cross and repents is so powerful to hear: he sees his sins and goes in the other direction, becoming utterly different than he once was. We don’t have to be a criminal or go to prison to experience this turnaround. By admitting what is true and believing that God still loves me in spite of it, I become the most powerful person in the world through repentance. I overcome the greatest of calamities simply by humbling myself and telling the truth about my heart.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, show me my sin. Show me what grieves you. Give me the courage and confidence to tell the truth about my sin and deliver me from the evil in my own heart. Give me also the hope of the resurrection, already complete, but still at work in my heart to grow me up into Christ. Make repentance a habit and not an exception in my life through the power of your Holy Spirit. Amen