Saturday, December 7, 2013

Stop Making Excuses .. Embrace The Truth ... And Live

My Utmost For His Highest
 
‘Repentance always brings a person to the point of saying, “I have sinned.” The surest sign that God is at work in his life is when he says that and means it. Anything less is simply sorrow for having made foolish mistakes— a reflex action caused by self-disgust. The entrance into the kingdom of God is through the sharp, sudden pains of repentance colliding with man’s respectable “goodness.” Then the Holy Spirit, who produces these struggles, begins the formation of the Son of God in the person’s life (see Galatians 4:19). This new life will reveal itself in conscious repentance followed by unconscious holiness, never the other way around. The foundation of Christianity is repentance. Strictly speaking, a person cannot repent when he chooses— repentance is a gift of God. The old Puritans used to pray for “the gift of tears.” If you ever cease to understand the value of repentance, you allow yourself to remain in sin. Examine yourself to see if you have forgotten how to be truly repentant.’ CHAMBERS
 
“I have made some mistakes.” “I need to try to do better.” “I wish that I had not said or done that.”  Although all of those words may be true .. they are not sufficient.  What they describe is someone who is trying to or wanting to be “good”.  We may feel bad about what we have done, are doing or will do, but, by ourselves, all we can do is try to do better.  We must come to be the point where we acknowledge that we have sinned against God and others.  To live the life that God intended, the life that we are thirsting for …. we can only do by the power of God… not by good intentions or trying harder.
 
“But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment” John 16:7-8.  God has given us His Spirit and His Word to help us live our new life.  When you realize the truth that you have sinned you must seek forgiveness not offer excuses.  Two of the best examples of that best examples of that are King Saul and King David.  When Samuel confronted King Saul over his sin, King Saul made excuses for what he had done.  God took his kingdom and removed his anointing.  When the prophet Nathan confronted King David over his sin, David repented before God.  (Read Psalm 51) God called David a man after God’s own heart.
 
Don’t make excuses for your sin, but turn to God and repent. 1 John 1:9
 
Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

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