The Need For Repentance

If anyone tells you that repentance is not needed for Christians, they are lying to you, and also love their sins more than God. Repentance is so needed in each of our lives and I will personally explain why in detail. If you love God, then you will want to change your wicked life and live for Him instead of the world. It will even be so that when you fall into sin, that it will grieve your heart and lead you to cry out to God for forgiveness. This is the type of person that the Lord expects of each of His children. He doesn’t expect us to always be perfect, but to strive to be like Him. And when sin takes us captive, that we do something about it. Here are some of these sins that I can think of right away that we need to always come to God about after they are committed. We have the stains that come from pornography, masturbation, getting drunk, having sex outside of marriage, adultery, doing drugs, a dirty conscience because of lust, anger outbursts, cussing or taken the Lord God’s name in vain, lying, cheating, stealing something, and there are many other things as well. Many of you will admit that you fell into one of these sins I just mentioned or something else today. And if you know this to be true, the next steps are to make things right with God and whomever else is affected. With God, we ask that He will forgive us and have mercy for our soul. We also ask that He will change us from within since we can’t change ourselves on our own. We admit that we need a Savior, and pray that Jesus Christ will save our lives. Then, a wonderful work will take place inside your heart. Where filthiness once reigned supreme, His holiness and purity will begin to make a home in you, that You may follow Him. This is what it means to repent, for it is a 360-degree turn from our sins and unto God.

Here is what the Bible says about the need for repentance. It reads, ¹“but those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled. Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you.” (Acts 3:18-20) ¹“Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.” (Acts 3:26) ²“Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.” (1 Corinthians 6:9-11) So we learn that we are converted when we repent. This is when our sins are blotted out and the time of refreshing takes place in our lives through the presence of God. It is Jesus that will help turn your heart from iniquity. So call upon His Name for help. And lastly, we learn that there is a laundry list of sins that will lead a person to hell if nothing is done about them, as we just read above. However, through Christ we can be washed in His blood, that was shed on the cross for us. He can take a sinner like you and me and sanctify our lives. If Jesus is working in our lives, then we are already justified and found worthy in His sight. Through His power, combined with the Holy Spirit, we are led from temptation and can serve Him in HIs kingdom.

Sinner’s Prayer:
Oh Lord, my God, please forgive me and hear my cries. I have fallen once again and know that what I have done is terrible. I deserve to be punished. Nothing is hidden in Your sight and I feel very ashamed for the evil things I have committed. I am filthy in Your sight and weighed down in all my sins. I have betrayed You and am so sorry. Please forgive me. I am sorry for (fill in the blank) and pray that You will take this iniquity and cast it out of my life. I don’t want to turn from You again, but follow You, Jesus, the rest of my days. I feel so guilty for what I have done and pray that You will find mercy for my soul. It is my desire to be cleansed and conformed in Your ways. Take my old life and make me new. Give me eyes to see what is evil in this world, that I may no longer desire it. Help me to hate what is evil and love what is good. I know that You can help me live differently, so I offer You my life today to follow You. I admit that You are the Lord God of all and pray that You will become the Lord of my life also. I need a Savior and pray that You, Jesus, will save from my soul from death and hell. I want to go to heaven, God. I want to be where You are and not where the world leads me. Take every evil influence from my life, that I might serve You in Your kingdom and not be distracted. Make me whole again, Jesus. Cleanse me through Your blood. I trust in You, Lord. You are the king of my life. Give me wisdom and direct my paths. Take me into Your presence this hour. My arms are wide open to receive You. I love You, Lord. May my life ever showcase what You have done for me. Amen.

Let us read the Bible:
Note: Any Numbered References, found above, are listed below.

Acts 3

¹Acts 3 (KJV)
1 Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour.
2 And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple;
3 Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms.
4 And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us.
5 And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them.
6 Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.
7 And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.
8 And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.
9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God:
10 And they knew that it was he which sat for alms at the Beautiful gate of the temple: and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto him.
11 And as the lame man which was healed held Peter and John, all the people ran together unto them in the porch that is called Solomon’s, greatly wondering.
12 And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk?
13 The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go.
14 But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you;
15 And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses.
16 And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.
17 And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers.
18 But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled.
19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.
20 And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:
21 Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.
22 For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you.
23 And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people.
24 Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days.
25 Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.
26 Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.

1 Corinthians 6

²1 Corinthians 6 (KJV)
1 Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints?
2 Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?
3 Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?
4 If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church.
5 I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren?
6 But brother goeth to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers.
7 Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded?
8 Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren.
9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
12 All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.
13 Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body.
14 And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power.
15 Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid.
16 What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh.
17 But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.
18 Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.
19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.