Scripture: Luke 24:44-48
The Lord Jesus Christ said, “I have not come to call the
righteous but sinners to repentance” (Luke 5:31). He wanted unbelievers to turn
from their wrongdoing toward a life of obedience to God. That is still His
desire today. Repentance, which follows confession of sin, is a commitment to
alter direction and leave wrongdoing behind. This change of heart is a
necessary step in the decision to follow Jesus Christ as Savior. The Holy
Spirit transforms the inner person so that the child of God has a new attitude
about his purpose. And when attitude is different, conduct will be too.
Soon the believer begins to see that some choices do not fit
his new life. He becomes sensitive to habits and attitudes that displease God.
And when he discovers one in his life, he confesses and repents so the wrong
does not hinder his relationship. The changes take place gradually—we should
all realize that God loves us just as we are, but He loves us too much to let
us stay that way.
Some unbelievers refuse to receive Jesus as Savior because of
an incorrect assumption: they think that all wrong behavior must be fixed
before one can come to Christ. But they realize that on their own, they cannot
live a righteous life. Since this predicament can seem like an insurmountable
obstacle to salvation, believers must know the truth about repentance and share
it with lost souls.
People don’t clean up their life before entering church—they
come to church “dirty”! God does the cleaning of heart, soul, and mind when
someone repents.
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