Repentance

Pastor Luke spoke from Jonah 3 today. I was crushed by the reminder of how weak my attempts at repentance are. I say attempts, because true repentance is a turn in the opposite direction, not just a slight detour in the flight plan.

If a pilot were flying from New York to San Francisco, a repentance would be to turn back to New York, not a flight to San Jose. I should not look at repentance as an opportunity to engage in "slightly-less-socially-repulsive" behavior. If I need to turn, I need to turn fully and immediately. We all need repentance and renewal. Romans 12:2 has been a focus for me lately: "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind..."

Luke also noted that the Ninevites (in Jonah 3) were repentant of heart - "they turned from their evil way". God wasn't looking for sackcloth clothing or their fasting... He wanted a change of heart.

We were presented with three points of application:

1. Acknowledge the present evil in my life - both the obvious and the hidden. Idolatry, in many forms, is present in my heart. How I deal with stressful circumstances (for example) is a reflection of my idolatry. Instead of turning to idols (like television, food, sleep), why do I not turn to God with my circumstances?
   
2. Repent - "turn around" - seeling the evil actions/thoughts in yourself, go the other way. Cast aside those things/thoughts and walk the other direction. Martin Luther's first of the 95 Thesis stated that "When our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, said 'Repent', He called for the entire life of believers to be one of repentance". Repentance is not just feeling guilty - that does not constitute change. The change is not a partial change either. It is 180 degrees of change towards Christ. In 2 Corinthians 7:9-10, Paul wrote: "I rejoice, not because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us. For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death." Worldly grief looks only at consequences, not at the heart of man in doing the thing that requires the repentance.
3. Embrace grace - Jesus came to proclaim forgiveness, to give us a chance to repent from our wickedness.