As I get back from a retreat for InterVarsity, I am overwhelmingly humbled by God. I ended the school year finished questioning forgiveness and my own personal sorrow for doing wrong. I saw that I really wasn’t sorry for doing wrong, and that I was only trying to make myself feel better by going through the motions of asking forgiveness. During this retreat we discussed repentance, and what exactly it requires of us, and how little of it we do. Repentance is turning from sin, stepping the other way and “Produce fruit in keeping with repentance” (Matthew 3:8). We have cheapened it down to no longer caring about producing fruit, not taking a step towards something new, and even to where we don’t turn from sin entirely. We go half way by asking for forgiveness without ever feeling sorrow.
Are we really sorry for our sin? Are we really sorry for disobeying the law, whether it is God’s or man’s? Obedience does not show righteousness, but instead demonstrates our love for God. When we don’t do entirely what God asks of us, it is as if we have doing none of it. “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it” (James 2:10). The person who only sins once thinks he/she is fine because “it’s only one time.” How do we act in the little things? How do we act when no one is looking? Do we say “it’s only this once”, “it’s only a little”, or “it doesn’t really matter”? Do we swear, if only once? Do we look at something we shouldn’t, even if it’s only once? Do we drink underage, even if no one will catch us? Do we break the speed limit, even if it doesn’t get anyone hurt?
Do we really care about obedience, or are we trying to be our own masters while claiming to be obedient to God?
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ReplyDeleteMy thoughts exactly. As we went thru Matthew, I remember thinking that I don't actually repent...I just go thru the motions. How does one be truly obedient and repentant?
I think that you have to first admit that what you're doing/where you're headed is wrong (again there has to be a real sense of regret for this), and then from there you have to realize God is the only one that can help you and take a step towards him. That's why salvation, repentance and everything to do with growing closer to God is focused around humility. "More of Him, less of me." And just like what the Matthew passage said, "...bear fruit in keeping with repentence. (Matthew 3:8) Fruit is just what is seen by others that is in line with those actions and that closeness to God.
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