Welcome back Balanced Life Readers!
I’d like to share an experience that I had. One Saturday morning I was ironing my favorite white shirt. I didn’t know that someone had left water in the iron a few days before, which caused rusting. Unknowingly, I added more water. As I was ironing, I pushed the steam button and out came a blast of this yucky brown water. Have you ever done that?
Well, now the shirt had a big ugly spot on the front. I thought it was ruined! I immediately ran into the bathroom, turned on the water, put it under the running water with a little soap, and without too much effort the spot came right out. What does this experience have to do with repentance? Well, I got rid of a spot before it became a stain. Stains are stubborn and hard to remove. So it is with sin that remains.
When you receive new life in Christ, your body is the temple of God. The church is in you. It’s pure, it’s clean, it’s holy. However, when you get out of your godly character, and commit a sin, whether you mistreat someone, spread gossip, falsely accuse someone, lie, cheat, fornicate, or sin in some other way, repent immediately. That sin is a spot on your spiritual life. Don’t let it become a stain. Your church has a blemish, but thank God it can be cleansed if you repent. "Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin"…. Psalms 51:2
If there’s something ungodly in your life, God wants you to repent right now. Get rid of it! He’ll forgive you.
Repentance is the action of sincere regret that has two elements, sorrow and change. Yes, you have to be sorry, but proof that you are sorry is in the change that you make. Change your behavior so that you don’t commit that same sin again. Saying “I’m sorry” is not repentance. It’s not enough. If you’re sincere and you want God to blot out that sin, you must make a change. The longer you wait to repent, the harder it gets to do it. Don’t put it off. When you first feel that condemnation, stop and repent.
Catch that spot before it becomes a stain so that your growth in the Word won’t be hindered. The scripture says "Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.” Ephesians 5:25-27
God has given his people a spiritual spot remover. It’s called repentance. Use it IMMEDIATELY when needed!
