"In the eighth place, the Word of God is not rightly divided when the preacher represents contrition alongside of faith as a cause of the forgiveness of sin." C. F. W. Walther, Thesis 12.
The role of repentance is one that quite often gets misplaced when it comes to the hope we have in Jesus. Sure, we are quick to say that all you have to do is to believe that Jesus died for your sins, but we are also quick to add, but you also have to feel sorrow for the sin you have and change what you are doing. At its worst, this comes across as though a person has to change their behavior to be in line with God's commands before they can be saved by Jesus' death and resurrection.
Make no mistake about it. God wants people to feel sorrow over their sin. He wants them to realize their sins and faults, and to heartily want to change, whether that sin is adultery, murder, idolatry, lying, pridefulness, or self-reliance. No matter how big or how small, God wants people to feel sorrow for that, since it separates them from the just, yet compassionate God.
However, there are times where that sorrow needs to be given space to be realized. In God's way, it really is about realizing that God has rescued us from our sin in Jesus' death and resurrection. While we may hope and pray for an outward change, the biggest thing is the state of the beliefs of the person. If they cling to God's word in Jesus' perfect life, death, and resurrection for them, they are rescued, even should they not immediately express godly sorrow over their sin.
That's where one significant part of the word repentance comes into play. One part of repentance is realizing that you are not trusting in God above all things, and in turning to Him for your hope in life. Another part is the change of life, of behavior, to be in line with God's commands. The first part of repentance must take place as God turns the heart of the sinful person to Himself in Jesus. The second part, to be quite frank, is never fully achieved in this life, and therefore, becomes an unrealistic expectation if we try to put it as a condition of being in the state of salvation.
Godly sorrow quite often grows out of our experience with the Gospel. As we see just how wide and deep the love and compassion of our God is, we start to see just how wide and deep is the quagmire of our sin. We also realize that there is no way we can ever drain that swamp ourselves. Only God can rescue us from it, which He has happily done in the death and resurrection of His Son Jesus.
The role of repentance is one that quite often gets misplaced when it comes to the hope we have in Jesus. Sure, we are quick to say that all you have to do is to believe that Jesus died for your sins, but we are also quick to add, but you also have to feel sorrow for the sin you have and change what you are doing. At its worst, this comes across as though a person has to change their behavior to be in line with God's commands before they can be saved by Jesus' death and resurrection.
Make no mistake about it. God wants people to feel sorrow over their sin. He wants them to realize their sins and faults, and to heartily want to change, whether that sin is adultery, murder, idolatry, lying, pridefulness, or self-reliance. No matter how big or how small, God wants people to feel sorrow for that, since it separates them from the just, yet compassionate God.
However, there are times where that sorrow needs to be given space to be realized. In God's way, it really is about realizing that God has rescued us from our sin in Jesus' death and resurrection. While we may hope and pray for an outward change, the biggest thing is the state of the beliefs of the person. If they cling to God's word in Jesus' perfect life, death, and resurrection for them, they are rescued, even should they not immediately express godly sorrow over their sin.
That's where one significant part of the word repentance comes into play. One part of repentance is realizing that you are not trusting in God above all things, and in turning to Him for your hope in life. Another part is the change of life, of behavior, to be in line with God's commands. The first part of repentance must take place as God turns the heart of the sinful person to Himself in Jesus. The second part, to be quite frank, is never fully achieved in this life, and therefore, becomes an unrealistic expectation if we try to put it as a condition of being in the state of salvation.
Godly sorrow quite often grows out of our experience with the Gospel. As we see just how wide and deep the love and compassion of our God is, we start to see just how wide and deep is the quagmire of our sin. We also realize that there is no way we can ever drain that swamp ourselves. Only God can rescue us from it, which He has happily done in the death and resurrection of His Son Jesus.
No comments:
Post a Comment