“The action of repenting; sincere regret or remorse” is what is meant by repentance. Nations have laws, and those who break them are guilty and will face consequences. It is hoped they will see the error of their ways and decide not to do the same act. In the context of Christianity, this is also what God seeks. However, the majority of people ask themselves, “Why should I repent?” when they believe that they are excellent citizens who have never broken the law—either national or divine. What sins do I have to confess?
God declares, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” in Romans 3:23. In order for us to “have life, and have it abundantly,” He created us and gave us laws and guidelines to follow (John 10:10). This is not the experience of the majority of people on the planet. Though they may have moments of joy and satisfaction, they are unable to consistently live an abundant life.
Anyone who reads, watches, or listens to the news should be persuaded that evil exists everywhere. God has made a path for us to return to Him and for our lives to resume as He intended, but this is the outcome of people disobeying His plan for us.
God’s plan
In the Old Testament, God makes His plan known. First of all, He instructed the people to confess their transgressions to God and bring a lamb sacrifice as proof of their repentance, which God would accept. God was pointing to His ultimate plan, which included a sacrifice that would permanently eradicate sin and eliminate the need for ongoing sacrifices.
The New Testament reveals that Jesus was the Lamb that God had in mind. God, who was once a man. God saw his crucifixion as retribution for all of humanity’s transgressions. 1 Peter 3:18, which states, “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God,” teaches us that Christ died on our behalf. The same idea is expressed and explained in greater detail in numerous other verses.
Repent of our sin
God demands that we turn from our transgressions and disobedience to Him. Even while we can still insist that we are sinless and nice people, God gave us His 10 commandments in Exodus 20. While we may believe we already follow the majority of them, the first one—”You shall have no other God but me”—in verse three is one that none of us can fully fulfill. Actually, God states that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” in Romans 3:23.
We must therefore confess our sins. We must admit that we have frequently disobeyed God in order to please ourselves; we have valued other things over God. “To love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind” is the highest commandment, according to Jesus (Matthew 22: 37). We are all accountable for this. “He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness,” according to 1 John 1:9.
God will forgive us when we come to Him in confession, at which point He will take us into His family and we will start a relationship with Him. We’re going to start living the full life He promised. According to John 14:2–3, He will set aside a space for us in heaven and send the Holy Spirit to assist us in obeying Him and leading godly lives.
Have you admitted your transgressions and sins to God? Did a new life come to you?
