Who Gives Repentance?

Sin is lawlessness. The very existence of sin and evil cannot be where there is no law and moral rules. Those people who doubt the existence of God, saying: "If God exists, then why has He allowed so much evil?", contradict themselves by answering their own question. Without God, there is no criterion of good and righteousness, and any evil becomes something neutral and natural, just as in the absence of a source of heat and light, absolute cold and utter darkness are the normal state of matter.

Only the moral law established by the Creator can determine what is evil and what is good. Where there is no law, there is no sin. And where there is a law, but no authority monitoring its implementation and punishing violators, the law ceases to be itself and becomes an ordinary recommendation.

Sin destroys God's law in my heart and forms in me the mindset of an ungodly person who has no chance of salvation and heavenly life. But it is precisely this fallen state of mine that causes the Lord to feel immense pity for me, and He begins to offer me a better way, while granting repentance.

Repentance is an internal deep regret for the sin committed, followed by abandoning evil and ungodly thinking, and further resistance to the power of sin with the help of God's grace. Each of my sins is carefully recorded against my name in the Heavenly books. Also recorded there are all the opportunities I had to overcome evil within myself and remove it from my life. Without repentance, it is impossible to leave sin or remove it from heavenly records. And only conscious repentance gives me a chance for change for the better.

Christ's blood was shed for my sins and became the cleansing agent that gave repentance special power for my complete liberation.

God's grace, God's laws and commandments carry a message of repentance. Calling me to something good, the Lord also gives me the strength to do this good. And the call to abandon sin contains a promise of God's help in this matter.

Repentance is God's gift to a perishing soul, without which it is impossible to change anything in a sinful life. The Lord constantly calls humanity to repentance. Christ's mission began with such words. The last message also contains this call. And where there is a call, there is also the power for victory.

But do I want this repentance? Sin, although destructive, having become a part of me, gives me pleasure, brings satisfaction to the lust of my flesh, convinces me of the logic of my conclusions. And with this approach, the voice and call of the Holy Spirit are completely ignored, and I convince myself of my rightness.

Don't think that all information is neutral and harmless. This is the means of the enemy of the soul, which very skillfully convinces me to accept evil plans and make them part of my worldview.

If I try something unfamiliar and don't understand how useful it is, then, seeing its harmfulness, I immediately reject it as unclean and no longer touch it. But if I have tasted the aroma of sin and agreed that it is not so bad, then how can I leave it? Only the Holy Spirit can reveal to me my miserable state. Only God is able to convince me that I am committing a sin that is abhorrent to Heaven and is killing me. And with this conviction comes the gift of repentance. God draws the sinful soul to Jesus and calls for the abandonment of evil ways. Such a call can sound for a very long time, as long as there is at least some chance of salvation. But it will not sound forever. Once the Lord said: "My Spirit shall not strive with man forever..." Gen. 6:3. Even God's good offers can be conditional.

What happens when I reject the gift of repentance? I build a wall between myself and God. The Lord wants to save me, but I plug my ears. He stretches out His hands, but I run away. His voice becomes quieter and quieter, but this doesn't bother me. Who is to blame for my rejection of God's calls? Only myself.

The Lord, granting me the gift of repentance, cleanses my heart through its acceptance, and then sends me to my neighbors with this good news so that they too can receive God's grace. God's Spirit accompanies me in the mission entrusted to me and gives weight to my words. Where there is a call to repentance, there is also the power for victory.

It is very naive to think that I can repent as soon as I want. I know such people who plan to live as they want, and then, when retirement age comes, they might decide to reconsider something in their life. It's good if it happens this way, but God sees it differently.

I also know those who fell into sin, and then rejected all calls. And now it seems they want to change something, but they can't. The heart is silent, and there is no strength for change.

When boarding an airplane, I can enter it. But if its doors have closed and it has started to take off, I can no longer change anything. Nothing!

In the message to Laodicea, the Lord calls me to repent of my lukewarm state, offering to be diligent in acquiring His goods. He doesn't just give me this gift of repentance. This is a call to eternal relationships. The problem with my lukewarm state is that there is a mixture of cold and hot, and the presence of hot convinces me that I am something and very rich. And the cold in my life doesn't bother me somehow, because grace will cover everything, and my good deeds will go to my credit.

To each of us now sounds the call: "Repent!!!" Without this, it is impossible to inherit God's Kingdom. Where there is no repentance, sin reigns.

Repent of the evil you listen to and watch, repent of what you give to others after this, repent that you don't hear God's advice and bypass His store.

I know a young woman who was made an offer to become my friend's wife. She rejected this call and tied her life to the one she wanted, and then realized that she had made a mistake and decided to return to my friend, agreeing to any conditions and offering all of herself. But the friend no longer wanted anything and no longer offered anything. He didn't mind remaining friends, but without further plans for a family. Do you want to hear the same from Christ? Do you really think that the message to Laodicea will sound forever for those who ignore it?

Repentance is God's temporary address to the sinner. God is ready at this very time to make cardinal changes in the heart and inscribe His thoughts and laws in it.

Although "where sin increased, grace abounded all the more", this does not mean that I can neglect this grace. It is given for complete victory, not for "sweeping dirt under the rug" and not for covering my vices.

My rejection of God's disposition may prompt God to allow grief or crisis in my life to save me at least through this. Or, perhaps, He will just quietly leave, never to offer me anything again.

God's Kingdom is the Kingdom of God, and He decides who to give inheritance in it and who should not be there. But with my interest and zeal, I can apply for entry into Heavenly citizenship, pass the test, receive what is promised, and live forever.

Questions for reflection on this chapter

1. Please read: Gen. 3:9; Heb. 3:15; Mark 1:14-15; 2:17; 6:12; Acts 2:37-38; 11:18; Rev. 2:5,16; 3:3,19; Matt. 3:8; 9:13; Luke 15:7; 24:47; Rom. 2:4; 2 Cor. 7:9-11; 2 Tim. 2:24-26; Heb. 6:4-6; 2 Pet. 3:9 in light of this chapter.

2. What did you understand from this chapter?

3. What other verses from the Bible came to your mind?

4. How do you understand repentance? Have you experienced this in your life?

5. Can you produce repentance in yourself?

6. What happens to a person's spiritual growth if they ignore repentance?

7. What should be done so as not to repent later?

8. Do God's commandments contain the power for repentance? If so, for whom?

9. What should a person not repent of?

10. Is there any relationship between repentance and blasphemy against the Holy Spirit?

11. Will God forgive those sins that a person does not repent of? If so, which ones?

12. Can repentance be general, and not for individual sins?

13. Is repentance so important? Maybe it's more important to love?

14. What happens to those who have repented and no longer wish to sin?

15. What to do if a person lives purely and righteously, and has no need for repentance? Will they be saved?