There are some people who put people off by their self-righteous attitudes. They can quote scripture left, right and backwards, and usually find a way to use it often in any conversation. They demonstrate and show you good works they do, and they act that, since they’ve ben saved, they have been on the straight and narrow ever since. That’s not how it works, though, is it? We can’t, when we surrender to Christ, say “I’ve repented, I’m good. I’ll see you in Heaven!” Repentance isn’t a once all, catch all, cover all. The only thing that covers all is the blood of Christ, but repentance is a daily thing. And why? Because our thoughts echo the fleshliness that’s still in our heart. It’s not a one time, it’s a (sometimes multiple times) daily process called “Sanctification,” where the Holy Spirit, through God’s word, cleans us up, and makes us look more and more like Christ.
In my own life, I’ve struggled. I have to repent daily, of thoughts and actions that do not reflect the image of God I was designed to be. Following Jesus is not a sprint; it’s a marathon that takes our whole life, and daily, as we’re able to handle it, the Holy Spirit reveals more and more that needs to change, and, as we’re able to handle it, changes us day by day into the image of God we were meant to be. So repentance is a daily process. It’s something we must get to every day, and serves as a reminder that Jesus isn’t just our Savior, but the Lord of our lives who gets to determine each and every step we should make.
1 John 1:1-2:6
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing these things so that our[a] joy may be complete.
This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
2My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.
