New
It is beautiful in London at the moment. Spring is here with its clusters of yellow daffodils under the trees, and the blossom of pink magnolias. The sun is gentle and lingers, long into the evenings.
Spring is the season where the promise of new life is so beautifully demonstrated in all of this, the creation around us.
New life is also something we celebrated recently in our churches and in our hearts, with the resurrection of Christ, death swallowed up in victory 1 Cor.15:54, the promise of life everlasting before us in Him John 3:16.
And as His children, the promise of newness is our heritage. We are new creations in Christ 2 Cor.5:17 when we repent of our sin, embrace Christ’s sacrifice for us on the cross, and receive Him as Lord. His mercies are new every morning Lam.3:22-23, and every moment, as we confess our sin and turn from it, receiving His forgiveness. We are invited to sing Him a new song Psalm 33:3. New praises for new mercies, new joy for new grace He so fully supplies.
But what if newness in our life with God is not our experience? What if we feel stagnant? Old sins defeating us still, a listless apathy in the place of what was once an adventure with God, a hungry pursuit of Him?
Recently I’ve felt God reveal to me again the newness that repentance brings.
There is our repentance at the point of salvation, but this is more repentance as an ongoing, daily and powerful reality in our life with God. Not just words spoken, half-hearted and quickly forgotten perhaps, but a complete, deliberate, turning around. A changing and renewing of heart and mind. Repentance of sin in thought and word and deed. Repentance of selfishness and self-focus that so insidiously takes root in the crevices of our heart, and unnoticed and untended, begins to suffocate the Lordship of Christ. Repentance of failing to pursue, and by His grace, act on, His Word, His revealed will for our lives, “God-breathed (given by His inspiration) and profitable for instruction, for reproof, and conviction of sin, for correction of error and discipline in obedience, [and] for training in righteousness (in holy living, in conformity to God’s will in thought, purpose and action)” 2 Tim.3:16 (Amp).
What if, in this stopping and turning around and returning to Him again with our whole heart, we experience something new? Forgiveness that assuages guilt. Grace that conquers habits of sin. Hope that inspires, where regret has defeated. Intimacy with Jesus, where distance has disillusioned. Newness in Him.
“Search me [thoroughly], O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there is any wicked or hurtful way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” Psalm 139:23-24 (Amp).
“So repent (change your mind and purpose); turn around and return [to God], that your sins may be erased (blotted out, wiped clean), that times of refreshing (of recovering from the effects of heat, of reviving with fresh air) may come from the presence of the Lord” Acts 3:19 (Amp).
Lovely said Birgit…a topic very close to my heart as I too have recently had such a revelation of repentance and the necessity of it in my walk with God. I have sometimes been reluctant to ask for forgiveness because I know that I will just sin again and again and again (and sometimes purposefully which is annoying in itself).
But the bible says that we can boldly approach the THRONE OF GRACE so that we may RECEIVE MERCY AND FIND GRACE to HELP us in our time of need. It is ONLY the GRACE OF GOD that can help and train us to overcome sin and temptation. Grace teaches us to say ‘No’ to unglodliness and worldly passions and to live a live self controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age’ – Titus 2 vs 11 – 13. We will continue to fail when we manage our own life and try and overcome evil/sin/temptation in our own strength. It is only when we truly submit to Christ and embrace what the Holy Spirit is doing in us (rather than ‘doubling up on our own efforts’) will we truly find freedom and victory.
Finally, I’d like to end off with this scripture from Phil 2 vs 12 – 13 “For it is GOD who works in you to WILL AND TO ACT according to his good purpose’.
When will we learn that we can’t do anything without God and all he asks of us is to draw close to him and make him number !
oh yes Birgit so true. The holy spirit has been dealing with me about my heart. not my head knowledge. And wow! things i thought i had dealt with. But now looked in a fresh light of revelation. I love the fact that untill the day he calls us home, he is making his Church Christ like. That is what we were born again for. His mind, His thoughts and his ways. He sweeps away the Adamic man and makes us anew! oh! Glory to the Father the Son and the Holy spirit
Birgit our Lord and Saviour has so many good things planned for us. Our daily repentance allows these good things to flow. On Friday, we had a bit of a tradegy in our garden. Our chickens were killed by the dog next door. How does this relate to your words of wisdom above. Well, I spoke with the neighbour, as the Bible instructed me too. She offered to replace the chickens which I agreed. Sunday morning, I felt the Lord say to me take nothing from her, when I died on the cross for your sin I did it freely.I have already paid her debt. This got me thinking that my repentence brings me into relationship with God. If I am to reflect Jesus my heart must also be filled with mercy and grace. That evening I spoke with my neighbour, who is not a believer, explained what I believed God was saying to me. I know that God has a plan for her, only he knows what, why, when and how her faith will grow. My role in this is to daily repent that I may reflect Jesus in all that I do. You wrote “Not just words spoken, half-hearted and quickly forgotten perhaps, but a complete, deliberate, turning around. A changing and renewing of heart and mind. Repentance of sin in thought and word and deed. Repentance of selfishness and self-focus that so insidiously takes root in the crevices of our heart, and unnoticed and untended, begins to suffocate the Lordship of Christ.” New mercies every morning, God uses us to be a living testimony. His mercy is new every morning, repentence has to be on our hearts for us to fully appreciate the awesomeness of God. Your words bring truth, truth brings freedom. Amen thank you for your post I needed to be reminded of his glory
Thank you for these beautiful truths Birgit. He is the God that makes all things new.
What a good and gentle reminder of a profound truth. Enjoy the Spring!
Thank you God that you want to use us daily to inspire others. Thank you Birgit for your post, and thank you to everyone who commented in such a personal way!
Thanks so much for your thoughts here Sands, and for sharing about what God has been revealing to you recently. I so appreciate your reminder here about God’s incredible grace, the way that He Himself “works in us to will and to act according to His good pleasure” Phil. 2:13. That He takes no pleasure in our own striving, “in the strength of the horse” or “in the legs of a man” Ps.147:10.
How gracious He is to bring us to a place of repentance, that our sins are erased, and we ourselves, refreshed by His Presence (Acts 3:19)
Thanks and lots of blessings to you xo
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Cyril, your life and love for God is a blessing! I so relate to what you say here about God continuing to bring fresh revelation of things we thought we had learnt, and the way His work in us is continuous, until the day we go to be with Him. That we can confidently trust that “He who began a good work in [us] will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” Phil.1:6.
Many blessings to you and Gladys! :)
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Tina, it is so wonderful to hear this story, what the Lord revealed to you, and your obedinece to Him. It really inspired my faith to see God at work in your life, and at work in the life of your neighbour through this situation. May the love and mercy of Christ shine through your grace in this.
It is so true that repentance is the key to much in our relationship and experience of God. The verse, Acts 3:19, really reminded me of this – not only freedom from the weight of sin, but the refreshing of coming back into the fullness of the Lord’s presence.
Lots of blessings to you and Patrick.
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I love that, Rain – He is! A God of restoration and newness :)
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Thanks so much, @ngie, I am so thankful the Lord has been reminding me of this recently. Yes, the spring is really lovely, thank you! :)
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It’s so lovely to hear from you Desire, and like you, I’m so thankful for each of the comments here, hearing about God’s grace and guidance and work in each of our lives. He is worthy of our praise! Have a lovely day my friend.