Defective Repentance
- Get link
- Other Apps
I spoke with a woman was told me she could not wait to get to heaven because she would see her mother there. The woman explained her excitement further: her mother had been an atheist all her life, but now she was enjoying the presence of God in heaven! Really?
Time after time I’ve heard people speak of the forgiveness and grace of God as if were automatic, as if God was obligated. Are mercy, grace and forgiveness part of the package deal of life simply because God knows we are sinners? Does God owe anyone forgiveness simply because they repent? People tell me, “I repent all the time! God just forgives!” He does?
Let’s think about David for a moment. Most people remember him for killing Goliath, the champion of invaders. David is also known for murdering a man and taking his wife. He later repented and was granted forgiveness and we have evidence of this in a few places in scripture, namely Psalm 51: David cries out, God responds. That settles it, right?
Hebrews 12:16-17 (from the Greek) makes a curious statement regarding Esau, “who in exchange for one meal sold the birthright of himself. For you know that also afterwards wanting to inherit the blessing he was rejected, for a place of repentance he did not find, although with tears having sought it.” Esau was in possession of every blessing of the firstborn, but he sold it and was embittered. We learn that Esau wanted back what he sold but was denied; further, “a place of repentance he did not find.” He was most very, deeply sorry for what he had done, but could not gain it back no matter how heartbroken he was.
Consider this: we make mistakes. Let’s use the biblical word: sin. We are sinners and as such, we face consequences. This is one point of Esau’s record. Another point is this: repentance does not remove the consequences. Sin brings death. Someone must die. Since Christ paid that penalty for us on the cross, then rose again, why would anyone want to keep what they have now and not take what is being offered that brings life for eternity?
Esau shed tears because he wanted the blessing but the truth remained that he cared nothing for it nor the giver of it. Though we cry out for forgiveness, do we want anything to do with the one who grants it? Are you able to enjoy the divine giver of grace and mercy forever? Are you willing to let bitterness against God die?
David’s prayer in Psalm 51 reveals no bitterness against God or anyone else. David’s prayer shows a man who is honest and broken to say he prefers the blessing-giver over the blessing. He was the king! What more could he want? He wanted God Himself and nothing between the two of them.
Like Esau, we are without the ability to materialize the desires of our hearts by the strength of our will. We make God do nothing. If we prefer to pursue and satisfy the hunger of our sin in exchange for reconciliation with God there is no place of repentance in us, no brokenness before Him that results from true sorrow. If we have no desire to be free from the power of sin, God will not grant the ability to escape so much as the penalty of the same.
Time after time I’ve heard people speak of the forgiveness and grace of God as if were automatic, as if God was obligated. Are mercy, grace and forgiveness part of the package deal of life simply because God knows we are sinners? Does God owe anyone forgiveness simply because they repent? People tell me, “I repent all the time! God just forgives!” He does?
Let’s think about David for a moment. Most people remember him for killing Goliath, the champion of invaders. David is also known for murdering a man and taking his wife. He later repented and was granted forgiveness and we have evidence of this in a few places in scripture, namely Psalm 51: David cries out, God responds. That settles it, right?
Hebrews 12:16-17 (from the Greek) makes a curious statement regarding Esau, “who in exchange for one meal sold the birthright of himself. For you know that also afterwards wanting to inherit the blessing he was rejected, for a place of repentance he did not find, although with tears having sought it.” Esau was in possession of every blessing of the firstborn, but he sold it and was embittered. We learn that Esau wanted back what he sold but was denied; further, “a place of repentance he did not find.” He was most very, deeply sorry for what he had done, but could not gain it back no matter how heartbroken he was.
Consider this: we make mistakes. Let’s use the biblical word: sin. We are sinners and as such, we face consequences. This is one point of Esau’s record. Another point is this: repentance does not remove the consequences. Sin brings death. Someone must die. Since Christ paid that penalty for us on the cross, then rose again, why would anyone want to keep what they have now and not take what is being offered that brings life for eternity?
Esau shed tears because he wanted the blessing but the truth remained that he cared nothing for it nor the giver of it. Though we cry out for forgiveness, do we want anything to do with the one who grants it? Are you able to enjoy the divine giver of grace and mercy forever? Are you willing to let bitterness against God die?
David’s prayer in Psalm 51 reveals no bitterness against God or anyone else. David’s prayer shows a man who is honest and broken to say he prefers the blessing-giver over the blessing. He was the king! What more could he want? He wanted God Himself and nothing between the two of them.
Like Esau, we are without the ability to materialize the desires of our hearts by the strength of our will. We make God do nothing. If we prefer to pursue and satisfy the hunger of our sin in exchange for reconciliation with God there is no place of repentance in us, no brokenness before Him that results from true sorrow. If we have no desire to be free from the power of sin, God will not grant the ability to escape so much as the penalty of the same.
- Get link
- Other Apps
Popular posts from this blog
“Men and women who saw God in the Bible: Why did they not all die?”
July 2004 I went to Kenya, Africa to speak in two Pastor’s Conferences on the subject of Man, Sin and Salvation. At the end of each day I left just over an hour for questions (half the time were questions touching the subject of my lectures, and the other half for “open questions”; that is, people could ask anything). For the next few weeks, I will be sharing the questions that were asked of me, and my answers—and believe me when I say these people really know how to think! Question from Kenya #1: “Men and women who saw God in the Bible: Why did they not all die?” [“ But He said, ‘You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live! ’” (Exodus 33:20) was the basis of the student’s question]. Answer: First, consider those who did see God—how did they respond when they saw Him? They were instantly aware of their sinfulness, and God’s holiness and righteousness (to name a few. And notice also that each responded in an attitude of worship, bowing down): Abraham built altars, wors
A Sonnet
“My God, where is that ancient heat towards thee, Wherewith whole shoals of martyrs once did burn, Besides their other flames? Doth poetry Wear Venus' livery? only serve her turn? Why are not sonnets made of thee? and lays Upon thine altar burnt? Cannot thy love Heighten a spirit to sound out thy praise As well as any she? Cannot thy Dove Outstrip their Cupid easily in flight? Or, since thy ways are deep, and still the fame, Will not a verse run smooth that bears thy name! Why doth that fire, which by thy power and might Each breast does feel, no braver fuel choose Than that, which one day, worms may chance refuse. Sure Lord, there is enough in thee to dry Oceans of ink; for, as the Deluge did Cover the earth, so doth thy Majesty: Each cloud distills thy praise, and doth forbid Poets to turn it to another use. Roses and lilies speak thee; and to make A pair of cheeks of them, is thy abuse Why should I women's eyes for crystal take? Such poor invention burns in their low mind Wh
Welcome, May!
The past few weeks have been stressful. Training new employees, dealing with difficult customers, not sleeping well, not exercising (I’ve gained 20 pounds in the last two years), getting through family drama (two life-threatening events in the same day, 2000 miles apart: my dad’s heart attack in NM and a 9 year grandchild starting the rest of his life with Type 1 Diabetes) . . . My CrossFit lifestyle withered into oblivion when I lost my job at the University in 2020, as Covid got going. Deep depression brought me to a standstill as I took a few months to try to reset. Since then, my physical status has been on steady decline. Now my daily schedule looks something like this: Work 3-11 pm (on a good day), Go to bed at 4 am, get up between 10:30 am and noon, get booted up and go back to work. If I get one day off a week I’m fortunate. At least I don’t have to work all night for now. That was the worst. So I haven’t had time or energy to do much, even read, much less write. And since my