6. None of us truly realize just how awful our sins are

 None of us truly realize just how awful our sins are

The more we understand how terrible our sins are, the more we will understand the depths of God’s love and grace towards us. The fact that God wants us to turn to Him as He will abundantly pardon a repentant heart that is eager for reconciliation.

But we perish if we do not repent.

LUKE 13:5 "I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish".

The knife of sorrow cuts out the cup that holds our joy.

The more we grieve over our sins, the more we appreciate God’s grace.

God owes us nothing, we owe Him everything.

There is absolutely nothing we can do to atone for sin.

We must have zero tolerance for sin in our own lives.

But we must seek persistently for wisdom to know how to love the sinner but hate the sin.

When we repent, our awful sins flow onto Christ on the cross where a cross-over effect occurs as His righteousness and innocence flows back onto us.

ACTS 3:19 "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;"

We come to God covered in sin but we cannot stay in this sin. The blood of Jesus on the cross cleanses us from all unrighteousness.

JEREMIAH 31:18 "… turn thou me, and I shall be turned; for thou art the LORD my God".

We must allow God’s Spirit to enter us as God alone can effectively turn us away from the sins that so easily beset us.

When we undergo a change in our hearts then there will be a noticeable change in our behaviour and lifestyle.

We have to be inwardly humbled and humiliated to produce an outward show of holiness and obedience towards God.

A tree is known by its fruit.

Repentance is a declaration of faith in a forgiving God but it is always accompanied by works that testify to the change in heart. The forgiven heart hates sin and is careful to avoid any circumstances that may lead to sin. Sin is an offence to any person who repents so that the repented person has no desire to partake of sin again.

A repentant heart trembles in the presence of a holy God and thus avoids all sins, however small.

The repentant heart realizes how serious the sin issue is and how awful the consequences of sin are. The love of God that is awakened in the repentant heart makes that person dead scared of approaching God if he or she harbours any sin in their heart.

A repented person wants all sins rooted out and through the power of faith tries to establish a stress on virtue and godly living. The focus now is on a decent and helpful life wherewith the person can labour in some way for the glory of God.

Wanting to be obedient to the Word of God is a noticeable fruit of repentance.