Why Repentance Shouldn’t Intimidate you!

Repentance is one of those words that people avoid using, nowadays.                  

It’s an intimidating concept.                

I usually think of a Churchgoer or Pastor raising their voice, saying…       

“SINNER, YOU NEED TO REPENT!”                       

Some think repentance is just an apology, so they are not as anxious when they hear this word.              

However, some believe that repentance means: ‘change right now!’             

This word oftentimes strikes immediate fear, because we are hit with the idea that we need to change; and we need to change fast.                 

We know that real change is rarely done rapidly; it’s usually gradual.          

Immediate change is not typically the change that lasts.              

So, when we feel that we need to stop every terrible thing that we are doing right now, even if we don’t know how… it’s a pretty terrifying concept.             

That’s why I had to write this post for you!               

God recently opened my eyes regarding 

repentance and why it shouldn’t be intimidating!              

I can’t wait to share this with you!              

First, let’s define repentance!                   

The common definition of repentance is to feel remorse or regret for what you’ve done.            

This is seldom what repentance means in the Bible!               

In God’s word, when His people are called to repentance, in the original text, is defined as:       

Changing your mind and implementing that decision.              

In other words, to turn in a different direction.           

Repentance is an action word!       

Just feeling sorry for what you have done is called remorse.                

Repenting is actually turning away from the direction that you were headed towards, and choosing to walk in the opposite direction.       

This does apply some pressure, though.                 

Repentance is not as simple as a feeling, you actually need to decide to do something different!           

This is what people find intimidating about Repentance!         

What if we fail while trying to repent?     

We know that we feel remorseful after doing what is wrong, but we are not confident that we can just change that behavior in an instant!           

Over time, change seems more achievable…        

but turning towards the opposite direction, in one moment, seems impossible!             

At least, impossible in our own strength.           

Half the battle of repentance is facing the intimidation of repentance!            

Which is like facing the fear of failure.              

The fear of actually committing to put action behind knowledge!                

It’s like the difference between acknowledging that you need to exercise more and actually committing to a gym membership.            

Taking the first step towards change is way harder than acknowledging the problem.          

Telling God that you’re sorry for your sin is easier than committing to stop doing that sin, because you will feel terrible if you end up failing.           

The pressure oftentimes keeps us from stepping into repentance.       

However,         

There is a way to look at repentance, that will remove the intimidation!           

God put this on my heart…         

Consider that we are not just the creation of God, we are also chosen to have a relationship with our Heavenly Father!                                   

We have access to Him and can come to Him.        

It’s not about being religious, it’s about living our lives, with God present in them.          

Collectively, God refers to His people as the bride of Christ and God refers to Himself as their husband.         

What does this look like?               

Let’s look at the kind of relationship that God wants us to have with Him, in Ephesians‬ ‭5‬:‭22‬-‭33.                

“Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.”             

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭5‬:‭22‬-‭33‬ ‭NKJV‬‬.              

If God wants our relationships with Him to look like that of a healthy marriage, we ought to see what repentance should look like in the same context.           

The pattern that is clearly seen throughout the Old Testament is, God being the faithful husband and His people playing the harlot.                  

The book of Hosea gives us a very plain example of this.               

Repentance for two people in a committed relationship looks different than our views of repentance with God.         

God showed me why repentance isn’t as intimidating as we think.          

Sin for us is basically us turning from God and turning to something or someone that we believe will better fulfill us in a certain area.         

If we are His bride, and we have turned to someone or something else to take God’s place; because we don’t trust that He is sufficient in that area…                      

That is a bride choosing to be unfaithful to her faithful husband.         

So, when God asks us to repent, which is defined as changing your mind and turning towards that direction…                

He’s asking the bride to come back home to Him.               

If an unfaithful wife expresses regret or remorse for cheating on her husband, but still chooses to leave him for another man, it reveals that she has no interest in preserving her marriage.           

If a woman is truly remorseful and does want to preserve her marriage, she turns back to her marriage and works things out.               

She can’t have them both though.                    

God shows us throughout history that He doesn’t just wait for His wife to change her mind…               

He runs after her, buys her back from the life she sold herself to, and He brings her back home!                            

God didn’t have to run after His unfaithful wife… yet He loves her, so He made a fool of Himself just to bring her home.                

That’s what Jesus dying on the cross was!           

God paying everything He had to bring His wife back home!               

For deeper understanding of this concept, see the post …        

Why did Jesus have to die 

Repentance shouldn’t be intimidating!            

If we want to preserve our relationship with God, repentance is just another way to say:      

We have turned from what we left God for; 

Turned away from trusting in other things to do what only God can do…        

and have decided to trust only in God again.            

This is why repentance isn’t intimidating!             

It is actually quite beautiful!