Repentance Means To Forsake Your Sins

by John Waddey⁽⁴⁰⁾
firstcenturychristian

Sin is a universal experience for humanity. " All have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God " (Rom. 3:23). Sin is a life-wrecking, heartbreaking, damning power. " The wages of sin is death " (Rom 6:23). Because of the disastrous consequences of sin, the wise person will strive to immediately forsake any and all sin that he is aware of in his life. James exhorts us, " Draw nigh unto God, and he will draw nigh unto you. Cleanse your hands ye sinners and purify your hearts ye double-minded. Be afflicted and mourn, and weep, let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord and he shall exalt you " (Jas. 3:8-10). Here we see a call to repentance that all thinking people will heed. There are numerous significant reasons why we should forsake our sins. The thoughts that follow will explore some of them.

I. Because sin in any form ruins the soul. Solomon observed that " His own iniquities shall take the wicked, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sin " (Prov. 5:22). Like cords that bind the prisoner, so sin shackles our life. Isaiah plainly declares that " your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your iniquities have hid his face from you, so that he will not hear " (59:2). Sin drives a wedge between man and God thus destroying man’s relationship with the Source of every blessing.

II. Because one sin not repented of inevitably leads to another until we are ultimately destroyed. We see this vividly illustrated in the episode of David and Bathsheba in (II Samuel chapt. 11). First, David lusted after another man’s wife. He then invited her into his home. They committed adultery and she conceived. To escape detection and shame, David sought to deceive Uriah her husband into thinking the child was his. Unable to accomplish this, he " got Uriah drunk. " But even this failed. Finally he ordered Uriah to be " set up " for death in battle. Only when David repented and forsook his sin did this malignant cycle stop. Remember that every unforgiven sin is another link in the chain which binds the sinner. Sin never gets better by being left alone. " Evil men and imposters wax (grow) worse and worse " (II Tim. 3:13).

III. Because even one sin is sufficient to enslave and damn one’s life, the Hebrew author warns us to be rid of " the sin " (singular) that so easily besets us (Heb. 12:1). In his first epistle, John tells us that " there is a sin unto death. " That is an unrepented sin. It cannot and will not be forgiven so long as it is clung to. It is useless even to pray for the man who clings to his sin unto death (1 John 5:16). Now we can understand more clearly James’ warning, " Whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is become guilty of all " (Jas. 2:10). The one sin which we refuse to forsake can neutralize all the other good we may do. Mankind has not generally realized that sin is so potent a poison that even one can rob a man of heaven’s reward.

IV. Because the very sin you are clinging to may bring down the wrath of God upon you. Sin deserves punishment (Rom. 6:23). God has thus far been gracious to you, in spite of your transgressions. But the time will come when justice demands that the penalty be inflicted. God told Abraham that the Amorites had not yet filled the cup of iniquity therefore his descendants would have to wait to receive the land of Canaan (Gen. 15:16). In Moses’ day, the Amorites reached that breaking point and God ordered their destruction (Lev. 18:24-25). Luke tells us of the death of Herod Agrippa in Caesarea. Because this wicked man allowed men to acclaim him as a god, he was smitten by an angel of the Lord and perished (Acts 12:21-23). Both nations and individuals can reach the point where judgment is inevitable and inescapable. Forsake your sins this day, lest you tempt God too far.

V. Because your sin was responsible for Christ’s death. Seven hundred years before Jesus was born, Isaiah predicted that he would be wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities and that the chastisement of our peace would be upon him (Is. 53:5-6). Paul reminded the Christians in Corinthian that " Christ died for our sins " (1 Cor. 15:3). How grieved we would be if because of our carelessness we caused a traffic fatality. How much more should we grieve that our sins made it necessary for Christ to die. Realizing this awful fact should prompt us to abandon whatever sin is in our life.

VI. Because God hates sin. He loves righteousness but he hates iniquity (Heb. 1:9). In Proverbs we are told that there are six things which Jehovah hateth: yea, seven which are an abomination unto him: Haughty eyes, a lying tongue and hands that shed innocent blood… " This is only a partial listing. Other scriptures catalogue other sins of mankind. But note please that God even hates such sins as pride and lying. The soul that loves God will do nothing to grieve his Lord. And since sin pains the heart of our God, we gladly forsake it once and for all.

VII. Because sin in all its forms and degrees is hateful and despicable. The word iniquity is frequently used synonymously for sin and means warped, twisted or perverted. Sin destroys, it corrupts, it defiles every life into which it comes. Yesterday’s beautiful, chaste little girl can be tomorrow’s brazen prostitute by the influence of sin. Today’s loving son can be tomorrow’s fiendish murderer if sin is allowed full sway in his life. Even the sin of false teaching is likened unto gangrene in (II Tim. 2:17). Nothing is more repulsive than dying flesh yet that is what sin is like. Jehovah told the nation of Judah that she would bear her shame because of all she had done. (Ezek. 16:54).

VIII. Because the consequences of sin are so far-reaching, I must realize that my sins will seldom affect me alone. Isaiah wrote, " The earth also is polluted under the inhabitants thereof, because they have transgressed the laws….therefore hath the curse devoured the earth…and few men (are) left " (Is 24:5-6). Even the good people who are innocent often suffer because of the sins of others. Moses warned that the consequences of the father’s sin are visited upon the children and grandchildren (Ex. 34:5-7). A parent’s promiscuity may cause child complications of venereal disease. A liquor drinking mother can damage her babe in the womb. A gambling father may leave his wife and children in poverty.

One’s sins may haunt him for a lifetime. After his adultery with Uriah’s wife Bathsheba, David wrote, " My sin is ever before me (Ps. 51:3). Years after Stephen’s death, Paul referred to himself as the chief of sinners " (1 Tim. 1:15). Unforgiven, these same sins will curse us for eternity. " Some men’s sins are evident, going before unto judgment (i.e., they are forgiven, JHW) and some men also they follow after. " They follow them to judgment condemning them (1 Tim 5:24). Jesus reminds us that sinners who do not seek his pardon in this life will hear him say on judgment day, " Depart from me ye that work iniquity! " (Matt. 7:2).

IX. Because sin must be renounced outwardly as well as inwardly before one can have forgiveness. " If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins…. " (1 John 1:8-9). Peter thus called upon Simon of Samaria to " Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray the Lord, if perhaps the thought of thy heart shall be forgiven thee " (Acts 8:22). It is not enough to be sorry for your sins. " Godly sorrow worketh repentance unto salvation " (II Cor. 7:10).

Repentance is a change of heart which results in a change of life. But even repentance must be accompanied by a confession of the wrong done (Jas. 5:16). This confession should be as public as the sin which was committed (Matt. 18:15-18).

You can cut down a tree but chances are it will sprout again with many more shoots. To be rid of it, you must dig out the roots. So it is with sin. It is not enough to quit committing a foul deed, the heart must be changed from which the sinful acts arise (Matt. 15:18). This God calls repentance and you must repent, said Jesus, or you will surely perish (Luke 13:3).

Article submitted Wednesday, November 11, 2009 & read 1566 times.

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