Are you truly Repentant?

When you mess up, and you repent, are you truly repentant? Do you face the same sin again and again only to decide to give in to it and then ask for forgiveness? Is this a merry-go-around with you?

As Christians, we need to realize that if we keep giving in to the same sin over and over again, and keep repenting of it over and over again, that maybe we really are not truly repentant. Now I’m not condemning anyone who falls into this circle of sinning, repenting, sin again, repent again, as I have my own Achilles heel I struggle with. I am merrily sharing what the Holy Spirit has shown me in hope that it may help others with their own Achilles heel.

The word repent in the Greek literally means “to repent, to change any or all of the elements composing one’s life: attitude, thoughts, and behaviors concerning the demands of God for right living.”

How can we change our attitude, thoughts and behaviors about the sin that is our Achilles heel? The first thing we can do is call upon the name of the Lord. Romans 10:13 says this; “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Now this isn’t what the verse says, I’m using it as a life application. If we call on the name of the Lord He can and will save us from the temptation we are facing. Who better to help us in our time of temptation than Jesus Himself!

We can also, and we should, give thanks in that time of temptation. Please note that I did not say to give thanks for the temptation, but in that time of temptation. Give thanks and praise Him for His promise that He “… is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” 1 Corinthians 10:13. Believe His promise to us, and trust His Word that He will make a way for us to escape the temptation.

Let us “Trust in the Lord with all of your heart, and lean not on our own understanding;” (Proverbs 3:5). If we attempt to resist the temptation on our own understanding, on our own power, we will fall every single time. Trust in the Lord to provide a way of escape, and how then can we not fall. The Lord has to be our strength, and the fortress we run to in these times. We can not do it on our own!

Meditate on God’s Word. When we focus all of our being – body, mind, and soul – on God, we draw close to God, and He draws closer to us (James 4:7).

In these few ways of changing our attitude, thoughts and behavior, we actually are resisting the devil and his demonic mafia. We willingly open ourselves up and allow the Holy Spirit to work in us, and to strengthen us so that the next time we are tempted, we can more readily face it and defeat it with God’s help. The more we rely on Him, the easier it seems to be to resist the temptations. Yes we will still fall and sin, but the good news is that we won’t fall as often, and we won’t be so willingly to give in.

Remember that God is our strength, and we need to lean on Him. Trust Him to provide a way out!