A Life of Repentance

My heart at its most fundamental level, so desires to please my fleshly self. This, sin.

//The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? Jer 17:9//

Many times we try to hide the sins in our lives, afraid it being exposed. But that definitely isn't helping. I mean, I know that hiding sins won't help. But what I learnt today was that, if I try to hide sin, I'm just trying to save my FALSE reputation, while trying to hide the truth about myself. What's the truth about myself? That I'm just a broken, helpless person, searching and searching and searching for something to please myself leaving me with emptiness, when I'm apart from Jesus. But God is so loving and gracious, He knowing the many sins in my life, yet not treating me or disciplining me with manipulative fear, but with grace, love and mercy.

God wants to start from my heart, my heart that's desperately sick, as written in Ezekiel 36:26

//A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh.//

We definitely don't want a bunch of robots coming to church, just trying to fight sin outwardly when truly, the root of our sin lies in our hearts. Therefore, we need need need to start from our hearts.

And don't so deceive ourselves that we don't sin.

//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//

Only God can convict us and change our hearts. God has the power to open our eyes and let us see Christ. When we see Christ, we wanna flee from sin, away from darkness and run towards God and live in the light. We wanna put off sin and put on faith. Because when we see Christ, we see that sin is in rebellion to Christ. So, it becomes a must to get rid off this rebellion (sin). 

We are humans, and we always sin. Again and again and again. Therefore, we need to live a life of repentance. That we grieve because we grieved a holy God.

Repentance is a discovery of the evil of sin, 

a mourning that we committed it,

and a resolution to forsake it. 

It is, in fact, a change of mind of a 

very deep and practical character, 

which makes the man love what he once hate

and hate what he once loved.

Charles Spurgeon

Many of us have the idea that, it's really okay, it's fine, if we keep stumbling and falling and stumbling and falling. Because when we eventually sin coz we can't resist temptation. God has already forgiven us, because Jesus has already paid the price for our sins. Well, that's true. But...

NOOOOOO. God forgave our sins so that we can know Him and love Him! God didn't forgive our sins so that we can keep on sinning! We don't really like the 'idea' of repentance, maybe because it sounds negative. But it's necessary in our Christian walk.

Our life, as Pastor Simon Murphy, puts it, is like a construction sites. Every little thing is happening at the same time. And God is working in it. With chisels and hammers, knocking here and there (ouch does this sound painful, haha! Actually, it is) and filling up cracks and holes and covering them up with His righteousness.

As I receive His grace specifically to overcome the sins in my life, I can't help but be merciful and gracious, speaking the truth in love to others. Because I, myself, am a sinner. It's really hard, I must admit that I'm not like that. And I'm fighting against this, turning to Jesus, because He gives me the confidence to admit sin and error in my life and empower me to turn away from it.

My life, ought to be a life of repentance.

I've been greatly blessed by the service at Redemption Hill Church this evening. 

More Than Songs by Stephen Miller

Let the poor run free from their poverty 

Let the hands of Your people meet their needs 

Let the lives of Your saints be an echo of Your heart 

To the broken and the hurting of Your world

Micah 6:8

He has told you, O man, what is good and 
what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,

 and to walk humbly with your God?

Though many times I find it hard to grasp the conviction that should bring about from the revelation of His Word, but I want to try. I want to do justice, love mercy and walk humbly.

Though many times I fail, but I want to try. I want to struggle through these struggles, and live a worthy and victorious life.

I want to go beyond singing in worship and start worshipping with my life.

Double-edged sword.

Wow!

Have you ever experienced Hebrews 4:12?

For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

Ouch! Sharper than any double-edged sword! Penetrates! How painful is that!

This morning, on my way to work, I was listening to a sermon titled, "Rude Awakening" by R.C. Sproul. Ouch, did it penetrate my heart. It was painful, as I was rudely awakened by the message, and really seeing how powerful God is from that preaching. It was then that I truly understood, and experienced in such a real way, that the word of God is so sharp, it is double-edged, it can penetrate to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and yeah, it's gonna be VERY painful.

To some, the word of God can be offensive.

That is when, truly, the word of God judges ones thoughts and attitudes. Are you gonna be offended by the word of God, or are you, instead, going to be awakened by the word of God?

I believe that most of the time, the reason why we'd get offended, is really because we don't really know God or understand Him. And can I say that, He is truly beyond understanding. 

Can you fathom the mysteries of God? Can you probe the limits of the Almighty?

Job 11:7

Therefore, instead of being offended, acknowledge that our understanding is limited, we ought to humble ourselves and be awed by God's power and sovereignty. Trust Him.

I believe God is a loving God. But so often, we forget to fear Him. This is another topic altogether. You may ask. What? How do you love and fear someone at the same time? Well, this is something I'm learning and figuring out in my walk with God as well. 

Fear of the LORD is the foundation of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment.

Proverbs 9:10

I believe that God's word empowers us to live a life that is pleasing to Him. But nowadays, we hear so many empowering and inspirational sermons we neglect the ways of the prophets, when they are the ones who truly speak the words that no one likes to hear, the ouch words, the word of God.

When was the last time the word of God penetrated your heart that it caused pain?

The bottom line of these all, is ultimately for God to reveal His character and glory.

God is a good God. That is why He do things that we don't understand why He do.

A Bible-believing life

I think at some point in our Christian journey, we'd realise that it will be a struggle to live our lives. Because our flesh is against the Word of God, so while having a willing heart to obey our Father, our flesh is in a constant battle to fight against it. As Matthew 26:41 says, the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.

I am struggling. My flesh and spirit are fighting. I believe that the Bible is God's final revelation to mankind. I believe everything in the Bible, every practice, every character, every event. My belief is legit, (whether it based on history, the origin of the Bible etc.) And it is true that the Bible has a consistent message. And everything points to one Person - Jesus Christ.

In the Old Testament, every famous Bible story isn't really meant to be or focused on teaching us moral values; every story is a reflection or a leading up to one Person and that is Jesus Christ.

True enough, He was born into the world, just as the Old Testament reflected.

The Bible isn't a book to teach us to be moralistic or legalistic

The Bible is the Word of God, and that one message is - Jesus Christ.

We always say that the basis of our living is the Bible. Really?

We are always taught to check on what our pastors preach, to make sure it is in line with the Word of God. Do we do it?

No? So, are we following blindly?

I think the problem with our church today is that we don't think enough.

What makes you so sure you're believing in the truth? Do you read up and study on what you believe in? Or.. Does it even matter to you?

It matters to me. Because my God is so much beyond understanding, and this is what draws me to want to know Him and understand Him even more. My God is so awesome, so wonderful and just so godly. It's no wonder or human minds cannot fathom His ways. But this is no excuse to stop us from knowing Him more.