Lost Art of repentance

THE LOST ART OF REPENTANCE

“Remorse is becoming obsolete in the USA. Excuses cover all misdeeds. After all, there is a disease to cover just about every immoral action, and if you question that, you are a mean, insensitive person.” ( “The No Spin Zone; pg. 2) So writes Bill O'Reilly, the commentator and TV journalist. “Almost every wrong action can be stripped of consequences, along with the need for feelings of guilt and remorse.” ( Ibid. p.3) With few exceptions, our entire society has bought into this mindset. So has most of the body of Christ. Granted that feelings of remorse or guilt are a long ways from true repentance; when was the last time that you actually confessed anything as sin and repented of it? I do not hear this though James 5:16 admonishes us to confess our sins to one another and pray that we might be healed.

Some Christians are familiar with Psalm 51, David's confession of sin after the adultery with Bathsheba following his murder of her husband Uriah. Other psalms have similar themes.

“For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me: my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, 'I will confess my transgressions to the Lord, and you forgave the iniquity of my sin.” (Psalm 32:3-5 ESV)

“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” ( 1 John 1:8-9 ESV) One way to think of repentance is a change in direction. If I live in Chicago, and want to go to Boston, I do not head west to Los Angeles. I must, by the grace of God, turn from my sin, and go towards Him.

“For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death. For see what earnestness this godly grief has produced in you...” ( 2 Corinthians 7:10-11a ESV) The context is the obedience of the Corinthian church to expel a fornicator. cf. 1 Cor. 5:13)