Part 1 Repent for the Kingdom is at Hand

“It is more important to help a stumbling brother
than to prove yourself correct.”
John Bevere – The Bait of Satan (Page 154)

Repent for the Kingdom is at Hand: Part 1

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ,
so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body,
according to what he has done, whether good or bad.
2 Corinthians 5:10 NASB

Repentance is predicated on our awareness that every action, every word we speak, every thought we conceive will be made open and be judged.
Repentance is not a once-and-done deed. It is a continual humble attitude and contrite heart toward God and toward one another.

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.
Psalm 51:17 NASB

Our lives reflect repentance when we demonstrate that we have changed our thinking and sinful actions, and adopt the ways of God, His statutes and commands. When God reigns in our lives, when sin has been overcome and not returned to, then we have demonstrated repentance.

Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions [altercations and arguments], factions [disunion, lack of unity], envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Galatians 5:19-21 NASB [my edit brackets]

If these types of sin are still apart of our lives it indicates that we have not repented before God.

For most of my adult life I worked as a teacher with children. Children are prone to making mistakes as they mature, making poor choices, simply sinful behavior! It always fascinated me that there were generally two types of resulting reactions when they made mistakes. They all were usually quick to say, “I’m sorry.” What they meant by “I’m sorry,” however was distinctly different. Some meant, “I’m sorry I disappointed you (hurt you) and I’m going to try really hard not to do it again”… they were honestly repentant for their poor choice. Others simply meant, “I’m sorry that you caught me misbehaving, I’ll be sneakier nest time.”

“I now rejoice, not that you were made sorrowful,
but that you were made sorrowful to the point of repentance;
for you were made sorrowful according to the will of God,
so that you might not suffer loss in anything through us.
For the sorrow that is according to the will of God

produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation,
but the sorrow of the world produces death.
For behold what earnestness this very thing, this godly sorrow,
has produced in you:
what vindication of yourselves, what indignation, what fear,
what longing, what zeal, what avenging of wrong!
In everything you demonstrated yourselves to be innocent in the matter.”
2 Corinthians 7:9-11 NASB (my emphasis bold)

Many people express sorrow when they realize the painful consequences of their sin. This is simply not Godly repentance. It is the kind of sorrow that Esau exhibited when he sold his birthright for a cup-of-soup.
True Godly repentance involves a change of heart and a changed life-style.
Repentance reflects three foundational concepts:
We change our minds (how we are thinking about sin)
We change our emotions about sin
(what was once pleasurable becomes distasteful)
We change our direction with regard to sin
(once we were drawn to it, we now walk away)

We become contrite in the presence of the Lord:

Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your loving-kindness;

according to the greatness of Your compassion
blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity

and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions,

and my sin is ever before me.
Against You, You only, I have sinned

and done what is evil in Your sight,
So that You are justified when You speak

and blameless when You judge.
Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,

and in sin my mother conceived me.
Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being,

and in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom.
Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;

wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Make me to hear joy and gladness,

let the bones which You have broken rejoice.

Hide Your face from my sins

and blot out all my iniquities.

Create in me a clean heart, O God,

and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from Your presence

and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.

Restore to me the joy of Your salvation

and sustain me with a willing spirit.

Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,

and sinners will be converted to You.
Psalm 51:1-13 NASB

These powerful expressions of repentance should be our continuous confession before the Lord our God. Such a broken and contrite spirit will do two things:
Take us away from worldly thoughts and actions
Draw us closer to the sweet presence of Jesus

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