🔄 CHANGE TO SEE THINGS CHANGE – Changing your Name alone can’t change things!
Dearly beloved, somethings will NEVER change in our lives, fmlys, businesses, career, ministry until we truly change indeed.
Our character is our TRUE PERSON! It is not a CHANGE OF NAME or WEARS, etc., that changes things but a change of CHARACTER & NATURE !
Character is one of the greatest assets in the school of success! Everyone’s destiny is at the mercy of his/her character, not a change of name or wears. To live right is to go up in life !
I hv learnt by experience that life will continue to beat you with lessons until you learn to change & live right ! Luke 15:17-18, talking about “the prodigal son “.
It is impossible to separate the future of any creature from its nature. A pig has a nature & you can’t separate to act, manifest & produce results like the Eagle! An orange tree cannot bring forth mango fruits!
An evil, wicked, dishonest, fraudulent, corrupt, swindling and double-dealing person may remain who he is, even though he changes his wears to a priestly garment or change his name from Peter to Paul, until he decides to change his real person – his character !
Jesus – the story -changer is ready to change anyone who truly repents & forsakes his evil works & ways of life.
Jesus healed a man & later found him in the temple & said to him ” sin no more, lest a WORSE thing come upon thee “.
It takes a genuine change of our evil works, evil ways & ungodly practices to see things change in our lives!
Honesty, integrity, purity, truly sanctified life etc is far better than changing your name or wearing camouflaged clothes!
I pray, we all receive grace this morning to change our lives for the better & to live right always in Jesus name!
Good morning & do have a great, blessed, profitable, prosperous, healthy, fruitful working week in Jesus name.
Shalom !
🛐 What is Repentance?
A basic biblical definition is: “Repentance is a change of heart that leads to a change in the direction of life”. One of the clearest summaries of what repentance looks like can be found in the book of Joel:
“”Now, therefore,” says the Lord, “Turn to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.” So rend your heart, and not your garments; return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness; and He relents from doing harm” (Joel 2:12-13).
Notice that God does not call disobedient people to tear their garments (external behaviour) but to tear their heart (sorrow for sin with an accompanying desire to change). Changing external behaviour in word or deed without the necessary internal change (belief, thoughts, motives, and desires) is akin to sticking apples on an orange tree. The fruit may look different, but the root is unchanged. Similarly, with repentance the heart is the issue. When the heart is profoundly changed the consequence will be a change of action. If the heart is unchanged then any behavioural adjustments will be temporary.
The second thing we can notice in the passage is true repentance is rewarded with wonderful and gracious promises from a faithful God. He will show grace, mercy, and patience. The gospel message is filled with hope for the repentant believer.
❤️ Signs of Genuine Repentance
Paul, in writing to the Corinthians, states that there is “godly sorrow” and “sorrow of the world”:
“For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death” (2 Corinthians 7:10).
Godly sorrow honours God, trusts in the grace of the Lord Jesus and is enabled by the indwelling Holy Spirit. It comes from a change of heart that has thought differently and produced deeds in line with that change. Examples of those who showed “godly sorrow” include Joseph’s brothers (Genesis 42-45) and the Corinthian believers (2 Corinthians 7).
The “sorrow of the world” has not honoured God and is often associated with remorse over the consequences of sin. Judas (Matthew 27) and Esau (Genesis 27) are examples of individuals who displayed “the sorrow of the world”.
The repentant person will be sickened by their sin.
If I am truly repentant about my sin, I will not treat it as a small issue. Psalm 51 details David’s repentance towards God. He acknowledged that his sin was significant and that, although he had wronged many people, it was primarily and ultimately against God.
A simple “Sorry”, with no consideration of any required change, is like sweeping the problem under the carpet. It may join an increasing pile “under the carpet” that will one day cause a major stumble. It is worth noticing that in Psalm 51 David was dependent on the Lord to change him, knowing that the heart was where the change was required:
“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10).
The repentant person will seek to right wrongs.
If I am repulsed by my sin and am genuinely repentant, I will seek to right any wrongs. The classic example of this is seen in the life of Zacchaeus (Luke 19), when he saw his sin from God’s perspective and sought to pay back those whom he had wronged. The Lord Jesus confirmed the genuineness of this repentance.
Similarly, the repentant believer will, as far as possible, make restitution. If I communicated sinfully to another person I will not only tell them I am sorry but will inform them what I am sorry for. If I slandered someone’s character to others, then I will seek to tell all those to whom I spoke that my words were incorrect.
A good rule in this matter is to genuinely repent and seek forgiveness in the sphere in which the offence occurred. Thus, if I had immoral thoughts about someone, I would confess that to God but there would be no need to tell the person concerned. Likewise, words spoken to one individual do not require confession to a wider group. However, if my actions impacted a wider group then I should apologize to that whole group and be diligent to demonstrate to them all my repentant attitude.
The repentant person will not apologise conditionally.
I have too many childhood memories of having to apologise for bad behaviour. Oftentimes the instruction was given for the quarrelling parties to say “sorry” to each other. If one party did not utter
🔄 The Broader Meaning of Repent
The doctrine of repentance is much broader than a dictionary’s definition. When Jesus said “repent,” His disciples recorded that command in the Greek language with the verb metanoeo. This powerful word has great significance. In this word, the prefix meta means “change.” The suffix relates to four important Greek terms: nous, meaning “the mind”; gnosis, meaning “knowledge”; pneuma, meaning “spirit”; and pnoe, meaning “breath.”
Thus, when Jesus said “repent,” He asked us to change—to change our mind, knowledge, and spirit—even our breath. A prophet explained that such a change in one’s breath is to breathe with grateful acknowledgment of Him who grants each breath. King Benjamin said, “If ye should serve him who has created you … and is preserving you from day to day, by lending you breath … from one moment to another—I say, if ye should serve him with
📖 Repent from Sin
What does it mean to repent? We begin with a dictionary’s definition that to repent is “to turn from sin … to feel sorrow [and] regret.” To repent from sin is not easy. But the prize is worth the price. Repentance needs to be done one step at a time. Humble prayer will facilitate each essential step. As prerequisites to forgiveness, there must first be recognition, remorse, then confession. “By this ye may know if a man repenteth of his sins—behold, he will confess them and forsake them.” Confession is to be made to the person who has been wronged. Confession should be sincere and not merely an admission of guilt after proof is evident. If many persons have been offended, confession should be made to all offended parties. Acts that may affect one’s standing in the Church or the right to its privileges should be confessed promptly to the bishop, whom the Lord has called as a common judge in Israel.
The next step is restitution—to repair damage done—if possible. Then come steps to resolve to do better and refrain from relapse—to repent “with full purpose of heart.” Thanks to the ransom paid by the Atonement of Jesus Christ, full forgiveness is given to the sinner who repents and remains free from sin. To the repentant soul, Isaiah said, “Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”
The Lord’s imperative emphasis on repentance is evident as we read from section 19 of the Doctrine and Covenants: “I command you to repent—repent, lest I smite you by the rod of my mouth, and by my wrath, and by my anger, and your sufferings be sore—how sore you know not, how exquisite you know not, yea, how hard to bear you know not.
“For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent;
“But if they would not repent they must suffer even as I.”
While the Lord insists on our repentance, most people don’t feel such a compelling need. They include themselves among those who try to be good. They have no evil intent. Yet the Lord is clear in His message that all need to repent—not only from sins of commission but from sins of omission as well. Such is the case in His warning to parents: “Inasmuch as parents have children in Zion … that teach them not to understand the doctrine of repentance, faith in Christ the Son of the living God, and of baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost … , the sin be upon the heads of the parents.”
🙏 Becoming a Disciple Through Repentance
Repentance is the key to becoming a disciple. Over and over again Jesus said, ‘Follow Me.’ We are called to be disciples (followers) of Jesus Christ. Read Matthew 16:24. If we are to be true disciples we must understand what it really means to be one of his followers.
The Apostle Peter is one of Jesus’ devoted followers. One day, while he is preaching the good news (the gospel), the people are so moved that they ask, ‘What shall we do?’ If you have heard the gospel, you may also be asking, ‘What should I do now that I’ve heard?’ Read Acts 2:37-38. What does Peter tell them to do if they are to receive forgiveness of their sins?
What does REPENTANCE mean? REPENTANCE = CHANGE
True belief in Jesus leads to repentance, which always brings about change in a person’s life.
Repentance is distinguished from false repentance, and it involves godly sorrow that leads to salvation, not worldly sorrow that leads to death.
According to John 14:15, if a person truly loves Christ, then what should he or she do?
Read 2 Corinthians 5:17. If anyone is in Christ (a disciple), he is letting go of the old (repentance) and taking hold of the new (trusting). How would those around you describe the changes they see in you?
Keep in mind that there are sins you must continue to repent of as long as they keep showing up in your life. When you do sin, what should you do right away according to 1 John 1:9?
