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Repentance from dead works is one of the doctrines of Christ (Hebrews 6:1) and it is a core foundation for the Christian faith. One of the essential teachings you need if you are going to have a very strong Christian foundation is the teaching of the doctrine of repentance. When this is not in place in the life of a believer, he will become a half-baked Christian who lacks Christian ethics and morals. If you have ever seen any genuine Christian who is true to his faith and committed to the practice of righteousness, then you have met someone who has an understanding of the doctrine of repentance. In this post, I will biblically explain what repentance is all about and the benefits it brings. If you are a new believer, this post will help you to ascertain your decision for the Lord. An already established Christian will also find this post very useful as no one is exempted from the need for daily repentance from the sins that so easily beset us. A non-Believer reading this post will get value only if he decides to apply the truth of this post to his own life. Now let’s get started.
What is repentance?
Repentance is not crying or weeping for sorrow. It is not shedding crocodile tears. Repentance is not just going to church. That someone goes to church doesn’t mean he has repented. Armed robbers, prostitutes, internet fraudsters, liars, occult people, witches and wizards and all manner of evil people do go to church. Wearing head ties and second handed clothes is not repentance. That someone is speaking religious language is not repentance. Repentance is not in titles. Someone can answer a bishop, prophet, apostle, pastor or evangelist yet he has not tasted the baptism of repentance. Repentance is not being punctual and regular to religious meeting.
What is repentance?
Repentance is a spiritual experience or divine encounter where a sinner comes to an awareness of his own sins then feels sincerely sorry for them and eventually decides to change his ways from bad to good. Repentance means turning away from sin, Satan and your old evil ways to follow God’s ways and plans for your life. The bible says,
“Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon” Isaiah 55:7
Repentance is forsaking your wicked ways to follow God’s righteous ways. Every sinner has lost his way from God, repentance is returning back to God. Repentance is departing from all iniquity. The bible says,
Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, the lord knoweth them that are his. And let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity” 2 Tim 2:19
Repentance is God’s sure foundation and seal of ownership and identity. Repentance is not only for some selected few. It is for every Christian. What qualifies you to become a child of God is repentance.
What are the Benefits of Repentance?
The benefits of repentance cannot be overemphasized. There are several benefits of repentance in the life of a Christian. Let us quickly look at some of them.
1. Repentance delivers us from destruction- Luke13:3
There are numerous dangers and attacks of the devil that seek to destroy the lives of people living in this world. Sin makes a man a slave of the devil and marks him for destruction. But repentance from sin can deliver us from destruction from the attacks of the devil. The devil’s occupation is to kill, to steal and to destroy. He can cause road accident on the high way, cause aircrafts to crash and do all manner of evil but repentance from sin exonerates you from destruction and all the evil plots of the devil and all his agents.
2. Repentance guarantees mental, physical and spiritual refreshment –Acts 3:19
Repentance opens the door for a renewal of mind, spirit and soul. It freshens you up. Newness and refreshment comes through repentance.
3. Repentance qualifies you to become a dwelling place for Jesus Christ-Acts 3:20
One of the benefits of repentance is that it makes your heart a home for the Lord Jesus Christ. When your heart is changed by the virtue of repentance, Christ comes to dwell inside of you.
4. Repentance qualifies you to receive the gift of baptism of the Holy Spirit- Acts 2:38
Repentance leads to the remission of sins which marks you as the right candidate for Holy Spirit baptism. Without repentance from sin, there is no baptism of the Holy Spirit.
5. Repentance gives God a great pleasure- Ezekiel 18:23
God has no pleasure in the death of the sinner, rather it gives God great pleasure to see the sinner repent from his sins. There is a great joy in heaven when just one sinner repents genuinely from sin and follows the right ways of the Lord.
6. Repentance brings forgiveness from God and cleansing from sins-1 John 1:8
When a sinner repents from his sins, God forgives him of them all and cleanses him from his unrighteousness. He becomes a brand new man in Christ.
7. Repentance restores the lost glory and dignity of man- Rom 3:23-24
When Adam sinned, humanity lost her glory and dignity to sin and became naked and driven into the wilderness of life. But repentance restores the glory and dignity that the first man Adam lost in the Garden of Eden.
8. Repentance brings rest from sin- Matt 11:28
Sin is a heavy load and a burden too risky and dangerous for anyone to carry. Repentance brings inner peace and rest from the bondage of sin. The struggle and bondage of sin ends when repentance comes.
9. Repentance guarantees all round fruitfulness- Matt 3:8
There is no genuine result or proofs without a genuine repentance from sin. Until your repentance is in place, there is no fruit. The authentic proof of a genuine repentance is fruit. Result is the end of every argument.
10. Repentance brings elevation and promotion in life and destiny- Prov 14:34
Repentance brings spiritual, mental, financial and physical elevation in life and destiny. But sin brings reproach, stagnation, confusion, frustration and destruction. You can’t genuinely repent from sin and won’t experience divine upliftment in life and destiny. Departure from sin is an adventure into greatness.
11. Repentance brings supernatural prosperity- Job 22:23-24
Departure from iniquity is an adventure into prosperity. The mother of poverty is sin. When sin goes, pure wealth and riches from heaven come in. Repentance from immorality, pride, deceitfulness, lying and financial corruption can open doors for unusual financial breakthrough in life and business.
12. Repentance brings divine protection and coverage over a man’s life and properties- Job 1:8-10
Repentance from sin brings God’s divine protection and coverage over a man’s life and his possessions. When one stays away from sin, God will keep him away from evil. Purity covers a child of God with supernatural firewall which the enemy cannot penetrate.
Conclusion
Repentance from sin is one of the vital doctrines of Christ. Human repentance precedes divine acceptance. God’s foundation does not change. Everyone who calls on the name of Jesus Christ is required to repent from all iniquity. It is not wrong to come to church as a sinner, but you shouldn’t continue in sin that grace may abound. Repentance is a proof that you have heard the word of God and believe it. Repentance is the evidence that you have really had an encounter with God. What we call repentance is actually a change of mindset from your old ideologies to subscribe to the higher plans and will of God for your life. It is to lay down your own will to submit to the perfect will of God for your life. It is to turn from your own evil ways to follow God’s ways that lead to life.
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