A Lifetime of Repentance

(Scripture reference: 2Cor.3:17-18, Romans 8:18-27, Rev. 3:19.)

I used to believe that repentance was the moment I confessed my sins and accepted the gift of salvation in Jesus Christ. I am now starting to understand that it was only the beginning.

God's grace and mercy are renewed every day towards us, because, quite frankly, we're a mess! The example that comes to mind is infants. Every day, a child goes to the bathroom on themselves in the diaper; it would be horrible to imagine a parent leaving the child in that same diaper, day after day (Yuck!)!!! Likewise, our infancy in Christ is peppered in these moments, multiple times – daily – that require cleaning. (Granted, not everyone is a babe in Christ; for those whom have matured further in Christ, we have Depends, for those “off” days we suffer incontinence!) Grace and mercy are the baby wipes that have to be used as we grow in the faith; thank God that He has a huge stockpile!

The walk towards conformity in Christ is not a singular leap of faith, but rather a steady pace that begins with, and continues with repentance. As we allow the Holy Spirit to analyze us, it will tell us the areas in our walk that need attending to - those filthy areas in our lives that require confession, repentance, change, & conformity to the standard of holiness. Just as we must transition from milk to meat, we must also transition from diapers to potty-trained! Maturity in the faith is a requirement, and we have a responsibility towards our maturation.

As we undertake this exercise, we may become frustrated in our walk (probably because we never realized we had so many sinful hang-ups!). This is not a point of discouragement, but rather a point of gratitude. How? God loves us so much, that he desires us to conform to the image of His son, Jesus Christ. The revelation of our issues provides opportunities for growth, opens the door for a deeper relationship in Christ, and yields a testimony to share that will help someone else who has struggled in the area that we have obtained victory. Most importantly, it makes us look more and more like Christ.

The walk towards the altar and the baptism pool were the first steps in a journey on a path that will mold us and shape us, from glory to glory. The steps required are the ones of repentance - not just one, but many. Repenting and accepting Christ as our Lord and Savior was the first cleaning; there will be a lifetime of more cleaning required as more is revealed about us through the Holy Spirit. However, the revelations of ourselves is not condemnation, but rather confirmation of the love that God has towards us, and of the wonderful plans God has in store for us, His children. Knowing this, let us therefore embrace a lifetime of repentance, as we walk towards the goal of conforming to the image of Christ.