Lately i have  been studying and meditating on what i means to be a good worshiper of Christ. (I mean worship in the broad sense and not the singing that takes place in church settings. But later i will mention the narrower definition.) I’ve found that when we are good worshippers we are more obedient out of desire and obedience feels more natural and that is what God desires. So in this study i have come across repentance and it being one of the ways we are good worshippers. I wanted to know what other scholars had to say about it and what the Bible had to say about it. In the Book “Systematic Theology” by Wayne Grudem, he states that Repentance is two part. 1)It is realizing that our sin is wrong and  feeling sorrow and hatred for the Sin because is displeases God. 2) We make conscious efforts to turn from our sin and make life changes in order to leave certain sin behind. Before i continue i want to be sure to clarify WHY repentance is necessary or desired.

First, let’s talk about the result for genuine worship. When we worship God a few things are the result: We Delight in God, God delights in us, We draw near to God, God draws near to us, The Lord’s Enemies Flee, Unbelievers know we are in God’s presence. God created us not only to glorify Him but to also enjoy him and delight in His excellence. We probably experience delight in God more fully in worship (speaking specifically about singing praise in church) than in any other activity in this life. David from the Bible confesses that all he wants to do is dwell in the house of the Lord forever. (Psalm 73:25). So in addition to just praise and worship sets at church, the goal of everyday and every action should be to worship the Lord. So when we sin we are not glorifying or worshipping God. Repentance is something that is able to take place inside the heart of a believer due to the Holy Spirit and the desire is to turn from our sin and make it right. But how do we do this? I’ve never heard the church talk about HOW… There’s probably a good reason that the church never tells us how to repent since every sin is tailored to the sinner. Also because we fall into risky territory with things like “7 steps to this, 10 steps to avoid…, 3 ways to do…,” etc.

But I believe that the Bible is clear however on taking steps to live out your repentance. Although our faith is not based on works, there is a point where action is needed or else its just cheap talk. You hear and see many Christians today claim they screwed up and others tell them they need to repent and then someone feels sorry, but then the sin occurs again…WHY? Well, for one, we’re not perfect and we usually lack the desire to actually fix things. But i think it is also that we Christ followers don’t take actions against our sin. We cry out in church that we want God to take away this sin in our lives yet none of us do anything about it. If you struggle with watching pornography, then take steps so you have walls up to evade the sin. Be drastic! DO what is necessary to avoid the sin. Bottom line is, if you struggle with sin, the struggle can go away but the temptation will not because we live on earth and we’re just human. I myself have struggles and there was a point in time when i realized God wasn’t going to just snap His fingers and make it not be a problem anymore. How unloving of a God would he be if he just took away all of our problems and we never sought after him and saw this help with us in our endeavors. If the Jesus you think you know is one who wouldn’t ask you to do something because it would make you uncomfortable or unhappy in pressing you toward holiness, you have created a God in your head that does not love you in any way , who is wicked and indifferent and at the end of the day hates you.

What needs to happen in repentance is right action toward making war against what is eminent and long-lasting. What happens in the church is one day out of the blue we will hear of a man’s house being burnt to the ground but never once in the two years leading up to that did we hear of the small electrical faire that began the chain of events that lead to his charred house. What i mean is, if a man struggles with lust we needs to grab that sucker when its small seek help from brothers/sisters in Christ before his marriage ends due to sleeping with another woman for two years. You tracking with me on this? We love to keep our sins hidden and put on this face that everything is OK, when in reality we’re all drowning in sin. It’s ok to be messed up- that’s why Jesus came. But to lie and show a religious face of fake holiness does no one a service. NO ONE!

So here’s what i’m getting at, bring your struggles out of the dark and into the light. Be proactive in repentance. If you continue to drink yourself into oblivion every time you drink alcohol, maybe its time to lay off for a while or seek professionals who can help you figure out why you do this and what you need to do to prevent this. Bottom line is, be transparent and proactive because that’s the only way we can beat sin wit the help of Christ. He’s not our genie, he’s our savior and healer and redeemer. Jesus loves us and wants us to grow and love Him as He loves us.

A few great ways to bring your struggles into the light and live repentance: GET ACCOUNTABILITY! Seek counseling! FOr some reason people think that counseling is for people who are weirdos, sickos and totally jacked up- it’s for healthy people too. But accountability is a huge part of growing as a Christian and living out repentance. if you can’t find an accountability partner with one of your close friends look for someone at your church. if nothing else ask your pastor if he will be your accountability partner. There are groups/organizations/people out there who are there to help all of us a body of Christ. Remember, 100% of the church needs accountability because we all sin.

So may you become a great worshipper seeking proactive repentance and not just a sorrowful mindset and may we all unite in Christ who gives us the strength to do live together in Him.

Shalom,

Mickey