Repentance is the daily spiritual exercise of the Christian. Rend your hearts! Last week we talked about how there are two parts to repentance: contrition and faith. The sorrow over sin is good. Daily taking a hard look into God’s holy law is a productive activity for the Christian. When combined with faith it produces the 180 turn that is seen in lives lead by the Spirit. When it isn’t, there results can be disastrous. Judas’ had plenty of remorse for betraying his Lord, but because there was no faith to go with his contrition, he ended in despair and look his own life.
Today we talked about the source of repentance. None of this happens without our God. The Word of our God is a double edged sword – dividing joint and marrow – straight down to our souls. It cuts with the Law and heals with the Gospel. The Spirit is the one who does that heavy lifting in the heart.
Our God says through the prophet Jeremiah, “Is not my word like fire,” declares the LORD, “and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?” And how many of us haven’t made the words of King David our own from the psalm “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”
The case studies this week look at King Saul and King David. These first two kings of Israel are both deeply flawed. Who among us isn’t? The disease of sin infects us all. The symptoms and consequences of that sinful life can be different, but the disease is the same.
Want to hear more? Watch this week’s lesson, the final in our two part Bible class on repentance.
Please click HERE for the Bible class slides.
Please click HERE to find all of the lessons in Rend Your Hearts.