Listen to this articleSubject Verse:
Mark 1:15
[15] And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.
Throughout the New Testament, not once did Jesus nor any of the twelve disciples call individuals to make a split second decision and pray a made up prayer. A prayer doesn’t cover your sins nor makes atonement for them. The blood Jesus shed on the cross does. When He said the words, “It is finished,” the debt for our sins had been paid in full.
When we get to the Gates of Heaven, St. Peter isn’t going to go, “Let’s see, says here you said the sinner’s prayer, let’s see if you were sincere when you repeated it.” No. Don’t deceive yourself.
Repentance is a lot more than saying, “I’m sorry, forgive me for my sins.” Repentance is more than parroting a prayer someone else asks/tells you to pray.
Repentance is brought by conviction put on you by God!
Matthew 3:8
[8] Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:
True repentance brings forth the fruit of good behavior.
Matthew 3:9
[9] And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.
Repentance is not generational. It’s not inherited. Just because Sister So-and-so is your grandma or Brother Jack is your grandpa, and they’ve been in church for 30 years, and they’ve prayed 100 souls through to Jesus doesn’t mean you’re saved. Brother Jack and Sister So-and-so has their own soul to account for and might be hiding something they haven’t repented for.
1 John 1:8
[8] If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
If one day you’re confronted by an unclean thought when looking at something filthy on the internet, and you say to yourself, “I’ve prayed the sinner’s prayer, so once saved always saved.” That’s a lie and you’re deceiving yourself.
True repentance isn’t that you’ll never sin again. No. True repentance is when you sin, you instantly recognize it, despise it, and find yourself an alter somewhere. But If we’ve repented to God, put away sin, we shouldn’t be going places we shouldn’t be going on the internet. You shouldn’t be putting yourself in a position to be tempted of the evil fruits of the world.
Ephesians 2:8-9
[8] For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
[9] Not of works, lest any man should boast
Every modern religion says there is one of two ways to be saved. One is by doing good deeds, helping others, and doing what’s right in their own eyes. And the second, I tell you brothers and sisters, there isn’t any amount of deeds you can do to earn your place in Heaven. The only way to receive the gift of salvation and get to Heaven is through the repentance of sin to God and belief in the Gospel.
The only person ever sinless and guiltless was Jesus.
John 8 shows us where the scribes and Pharisees bring a woman literally caught in the act of adultery. They were going to stone this woman under the law of Moses. Jesus said in verse 7, “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.”
We can see in verse 9 that, they were convicted by their own fruits, their own conscience, remembering they too have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. The scripture says that they all left, one by one. There was not one accuser left that was without sin, besides Jesus. He asked the woman where her accusers were and that neither he too condemn her and to go and sin no more.
James 4:12
[12] There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?
There is only one judge that is just and right, and that judge is God.
Acts 7:51
[51] Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye
Remember I mentioned repentance bring forth fruit?
True repentance humbles you before God. It circumcises the heart to not want to sin. It circumcises the ear and gives you a hunger for the Word of God.
The more you are immersed with God and His Word, the less you sin. The more you are separated from sin and repulsed by it, the closer you are to God.
I ask you to humbly come before God with a repentant heart. Turn from sin and start believing in Jesus. That might mean, don’t hang out with certain friends and influences, or don’t go to certain places.
Luke 13:3
[3] I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
This is a call from God to each individual that has not already repented from their sin and put their faith in Him and believe in the one person, who is the only person, who can save us from our sins. The one person who always loves us, and cares about us, and is there when we need him, because we are made in His image. Jesus Christ.
Proverbs 27:1
[1] Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth
We are not promised tomorrow. Our life can be taken from us in the blink of an eye by an accident, because of our health, or we can die in our sleep. Don’t wait until it’s too late, your soul depends on it!