OBEY AND REPENT

Each of us knows we should renew our commitment and love to Jesus Christ. How do we do that? Revelation 3:3 puts it plainly: we are to hold on to the teachings the Lord has given, and repent. This is crucial because Christ can come for us at any time.

This is a call to obedience, to follow God’s directions for living, to honor God above all things. The word for honor in the Bible means “give weight to.” So this means we consider God’s commands the most weighty words in our lives. We give the Lord true honor when we do what he asks.

To obey is more difficult than it sounds. Though we may honor God with our high-sounding words, our behavior can dishonor his name.

Repentance is something we think we know about—but do we? In Scripture, repentance is more than being sorry. To repent means “to turn around.” As one dictionary puts it, repentance means “feeling regret about a sin or past actions and changing your ways and habits.” I often find it easier to rationalize wrong behavior than to be genuinely sorry for it. What about you?

It’s a huge challenge to repent and obey. We need help to do this. Tomorrow as we worship with God’s people, we’ll find that God meets us to work in us the sincerity he desires.

Prayer

Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, how I need your help to obey you and sincerely repent of my sins. Thank you, Jesus, for pardoning all my sin. Amen.

Jack Gray