Beginners Guide to Repentance

Dear reader, 

I don’t know about you, but the term repentance has been something I have wrestled with for the past 4 years or so. 

I’ve heard it used in sermons and worship songs, I grew up hearing it in Sunday school, yet to this day I’ve seldom experienced it. 

I’m sure you and I could create a list of what some might call ‘Respectable Sins’. They would be the ones we all partake in but refuse to acknowledge that they are just as evil as murderers and rapists. 

I’ve been walking through Jonah in our Sunday sermons lately and the past sermon was focused on Nineveh's repentance. 

It was real.

It was raw. 

It was desirable. 

The whole demographic in that area, men, women, children, and even animals experienced a 180 effect. 

They acknowledged their sin, they mourned and fasted over what they had done, and they turned away from their sinful ways. 

That middle portion hit me upside the head. 

“They mourned what they had done.” 

I don’t know about you, but I haven’t considered mourning over my sin, here and there sure, but not consistently. 

Most of us feel a twang of guilt whenever we sin, but how many of us are willing to view our sin as God does? He hates it, absolutely loathes it. His emotions are powerful when it comes to us sinning. 

His anger is great, but his sorrow is greater. 

If I had a son and he went over to my friend’s son and clocked him in the face my anger would flare up against him, but my sorrow would be present too, I wouldn’t want my children to sin against others, that deeply burdens me thinking of the potential future. 

When we turn from a sin there needs to be an element of hatred and sorrow towards our sin. We must view it as God does, only then can true repentance come to pass. 

If there is sin that you still enjoy on a day-to-day basis you truly need to bring that before God.

He doesn’t want that for you. 

Sincerely, 

Your Fellow Repenter in Training

-Mitchell