The “R” Word…and why it’s not popular

All kinds of R‘s…there’s us…the Reimer’s

And there’s Rest and Relaxation which I guess I have had just about enough of because really…

there is only so much me-time I can take…

and then there’s that word that starts with R that causes all kinds of controversy if you bring it up.

Inside or outside of the Christian church these days, the word “Repent” is a volatile topic or a non-issue….depending on where you land.

And here’s why.

The need to repent is based on the reality that we sin.

And talking about sin is offensive to people.

And goodness knows, we certainly don’t want to start offending people.

ESPECIALLY if we are Christians.

Or we don’t want to appear judgmental so we shy away from any conversation regarding sin and we focus on the warm fuzzy aspects of salvation, which I admit are a part of this Christian walk that I treasure deeply.

Except while I have been laid up here I have been feeding a weary spirit on God’s Word.

And I have been camping out in the Gospels.

You know…the GOOD NEWS chapters.

And here is what Jesus says.

Jesus: who never sinned and healed and forgave and ministered and delivered.

Jesus: who ate with sinners and pharisees and talked about the Kingdom of God and showed us how to love and how to live.

Jesus:  who began and continued His earthly ministry preaching…

“Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven has come…” Matthew 4:17

His preaching was a preaching of repentance… to turn from evil/from our natural bent toward choosing wrong…and turn to God/relying on His Spirit in us to guide us into choosing right.

I am not here to point out sin.

I understand that.

God already has.

Repentance is agreeing with Him that what He calls sin, I call sin.

It is admitting I have the old nature of sin still being worked out of me.

It is confessing when I realize that I am…

embracing

harboring

protecting

rationalizing

analyzing

cherishing

excusing

renaming

prioritizing…

or in any way continuing on with the practice of something that He clearly has outlined as sin.

And it is turning away from that and turning towards God.

It is not popular.

It is offensive.

It is the absolute Right thing to do.

I pray that God would convict us and that we would Respond with Repentance.