For thought and meditation

[rl69]

Godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation… 2 CORINTHIANS 7:10
Conviction of sin is best described in the words:
My sins, my sins, my Savior,
How sad on Thee they fall.
Conviction of sin is one of the most uncommon things that ever happens to a person. It is the beginning of an understanding of God. Jesus Christ said that when the Holy Spirit came He would convict people of sin (see John 16:8). And when the Holy Spirit stirs a person’s conscience and brings him into the presence of God, it is not that person’s relationship with others that bothers him but his relationship with God— “Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in your sight…” (Psalm 51:4). The wonders of conviction of sin, forgiveness, and holiness are so interwoven that it is only the forgiven person who is truly holy. He proves he is forgiven by being the opposite of what he was previously, by the grace of God. Repentance always brings a person to the point of saying, “I have sinned.” The surest sign that God is at work in his life is when he says that and means it. Anything less is simply sorrow for having made foolish mistakes— a reflex action caused by self-disgust.
The entrance into the kingdom of God is through the sharp, sudden pains of repentance colliding with man’s respectable “goodness.” Then the Holy Spirit, who produces these struggles, begins the formation of the Son of God in the person’s life (see Galatians 4:19). This new life will reveal itself in conscious repentance followed by unconscious holiness, never the other way around. The foundation of Christianity is repentance. Strictly speaking, a person cannot repent when he chooses— repentance is a gift of God. The old Puritans used to pray for “the gift of tears.” If you ever cease to understand the value of repentance, you allow yourself to remain in sin. Examine yourself to see if you have forgotten how to be truly repentant.

[Pine Baron]

"...conscious repentance followed by unconscious holiness..."
Never thought of it this way before. Good message.
Amen.

[USMC87]

A great much needed lesson, Amen!

[dverna]

I became a Christian a few years ago and my experience was much different.

I was affected by how my sins have hurt the people around me. Never once was I concerned about how I had sinned against God.

Now, after a few years, I am more cognizant of my relationship with God yet I know it is lacking. I am less likely to justify my sins as I once was...I KNOW I am sinning and I KNOW God is disappointed in me. It matters....it did not matter before. Some progress i suppose.

I see many on this site who hate others...Democrats, Muslims, LBGT's, illegal aliens, etc etc. They justify their sins as I used to....and at times I still do!!. It shows how hopeless we are....men....flawed and needing salvation. Born and created as sinners.

Our relationship with God is not necessary to appease God, but to serve as a constant reminder of what His expectations are.

[Boaz]

Good lesson this morning Ronnie .

[Wayne Smith]

Hate grows out of fear, and fear in the Christian flows from a lack of true faith in God. If God is for me then who can be against me is a scripture that most have not put into their lives - and do not accept that what we experience as 'bad' or evil is a) God himself opposing my prideful attitude or b) God disciplining me or c) God making me more and more like Him. He never promised that we would not walk through the valley of the shadow of death, He promised to be with us and comfort us when we do. The strong implication is that we will walk through that valley, perhaps several times.