ICS Daily Devotions
Restored Through Repentance
Hebrews 4:15-16 (NKJV) For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
One of the toughest things to do when we are wrong is to admit fault to ourselves and admit to the Lord that we have sinned. Sin is not a very popular term on the world these days, and it is even harder to admit when it is your own. But the good news is that, biblically speaking, sin is a simple thing to deal with. Jesus Christ as the High Priest came to this earth to sacrifice himself for our sins and enabled us to walk in the Spirit.
Freeing yourself from sin also involves repentance. It means to admit and say to God, “I’m wrong.” King David knew he was wrong when he committed adultery. But he did not repent first. Only after the reality of committed sin moved from his head to his heart, he finally took responsibility for it. Before you can move to the next step, you need to admit your sin to God.
Psalm 51:10-12: Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
The true repentance is a repentance of the heart. One man was praying with his pastor at the altar. He prayed a prayer that the pastor had heard many times before. “Lord, take the cobwebs out of my life.” Just as he said this again, the pastor interrupted, “Kill the spider, Lord!” Many times, we ask the Lord to forgive us of some sin, yet we leave the source of temptation in our life!
You are not leaving any backdoor behind you if you truly repent. You take responsibility for your actions. Repentance is saying to God, “I’m sorry.” However, it’s important to remember that you aren’t simply telling God you’re sorry in order to make yourself feel better. It’s saying, “I’m sorry God and I really meaning it.”
2 Corinthians 7:10 (NKJV) Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.
One well-known preacher committed adultery. On a TV show he tried to explain it as if his inner defense mechanism was intact, but the devil just found a way to strike him. He illustrated it with an example of the pilot who during the Cold War flew to the Red Square in Moscow in his small plane and landed there. There was nothing wrong with the military defense or radars, but the system was not made for small planes such as this. The danger of the illustration is that it partly takes away the personal responsibility for your actions. How can your defense mechanism be perfect if you still fall into sin? Sin is not a disease that comes upon you out of the blue. God is not a source of temptations. We just simply make a poor choice in a certain area and allow the devil to step in so the true repentance requires taking responsibility for the problem.
If we then say “Please, God, forgive me for the wrong that I have done” and really mean it, God’s peace will come into our hearts. No matter how we feel, God restores us on inside! The Spirit of God will pray with us for God’s presence. We will cry out in all sincerity: “God, cleanse me. I’m not just wanting relief from my sin. I want a change of life. I want you to restore fellowship with me as if I have not done anything wrong.” It will lead us to admit that we cannot walk in the Spirit in our own flesh, and we say “God, I am at the end of my rope, so please empower me.” You will let the Lord take over your life.
Sermon series: Having the Peace of God (3)
