Page 7 - Microsoft Word - New Believer Devotional (3)

sin...So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good… For we know that the
law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin” (Romans 7:7, 12, 14).

The Law is a reflection of God’s own nature. God is the Lawgiver. Let’s break down the following
scriptures:

“You shall walk after the LORD your God and fear him and keep his commandments and obey his voice,
and you shall serve him and hold fast to him.” (Deuteronomy 13:4)
“The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole
duty of man.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13)

We see that God gives us commandments; this means that He makes the principles that we should follow.
When we break these principles, we transgress His Law and in so doing, we move in diametric opposition
to His holy nature. When we break God’s principles, we make ourselves His enemy. This is the part
where being holy is now dangerous – because we have by our own actions broken His law, rebelled
against His nature, and separated ourselves from Him. The penalty for living in sin, being God’s enemy,
for breaking His commandments, and for being separated from Him is eventually death – eternal death, in
hell, where the worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.

Repentance is a heartfelt sorrow for sin, a renouncing of it, and a sincere commitment to forsake it and
walk in obedience to Christ by changing one’s mind. Repentance is not saying, “I’m sorry I got caught.”
Repentance is a true heartbroken state of being, where your heart is pricked for how you’ve rejected God,
cast away His advances, gone your own way, and been a fool. Repentance is a sweet sorrow which
results in changing your mind about who Jesus Christ is as the Savior and what He has done and causes
you to turn towards Him. Whether it is repentance from willful rejection of Him and His ways or
repentance from ignorance or disinterest, it is a change of mind. Biblical repentance, in relation to
salvation, is changing your mind from rejection of Christ to faith in Christ.
It is crucially important that we understand repentance is not a work we do to earn salvation. No one can
repent and come to God unless God pulls that person to Himself (John 6:44). The Holy Spirit will prick
your heart if you are sensitive to Him.
Acts 5:31 and 11:18 indicate that repentance is something God gives—it is only possible because of His
grace. No one can repent unless God grants repentance. All of salvation, including repentance and faith, is
a result of God drawing us, opening our eyes, and changing our hearts. God's longsuffering leads us to
repentance (2 Peter 3:9), as does His kindness (Romans 2:4).
It is impossible to truly and fully change your mind without that causing a change in action. In the Bible,
repentance that comes from deep within causes in a change in behavior on the outside. That is why John
the Baptist called people to “produce fruit in keeping with repentance” (Matthew. 3:8). A person who has
truly repented from rejection of Christ to faith in Christ will give evidence of a changed life (2
Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 5:19-23; James 2:14-26).

Repentance, properly defined, is necessary for salvation. Biblical repentance is changing your mind about
Jesus Christ and turning to God in faith for salvation (Acts 3:19). Turning from sin is not the definition of
repentance, but it is one of the results of genuine, faith-based repentance towards the Lord Jesus Christ.
Repentance is something that occurs in the heart and involves the whole person in their decision to turn
and live to and for Christ.