Requirements of Repentance
You have just gone through & said sorry for a lot of past actions that were wrong. If you were sincere then you have been forgiven because of what Jesus Christ did all those years ago...but it is vital that you decide to turn away from these things. 2 Timothy 2:22 says to run from anything that creates lust. Run away - continued sin can trap, deceive and blind you - it can rob you of joy and condemn you to hell.
You now need to choose to do good & not bad.
The below are ways to transform your life - NOT to earn forgiveness, Jesus has already paid the price for forgiveness!
* If you were a thief - turn your hands to honest work...
* If you cheated people - start to help people without reward
* If you dealt drugs - turn the other cheek & go share Jesus with those you sold to
* If you used to imagine dirty deeds - think on Jesus & things that are pure
* If you were a successful, start to use your money & talents to spread the truth about Jesus
If you stuff up - don't worry - confess it & ask forgiveness...and be sure to ask God to help you. He will every time. The Holy Spirit will help you overcome & avoid areas that you find hard. There is more in the relationship section later.
For some sins - particularly repetitive things (commonly called addictions) turning away may not be as easy as you think - or as easy as some people say so be sure to read the next page...
Consequences of Sin
Although your sin has been forgiven, the consequences for some things may not be removed from you. For instance I used to do a lot of illegal things - and God worked things so that I have not had to go to jail. The consequences for some things have been removed from my life totally. But for other things (ie drug use and extreme activities) He has not removed the consequences and I still have to grapple with health issues & pain. This does not mean that He will never remove these from me - only that at this stage He has chosen not to, so that I persue Him and a deeper level of healing. Amazing Love!
Remember that there is a reason for everything that God does and it is always for your best (Jeremiah 29:11) - you may not know it at the time! In fact sometimes at the time it totally sucks!
Ask Him to show you & help you in each situation...Your journey is unique - so it is not about formulas & things may be different for you. Some may have to go to jail - others will get off scott free - either way it will be for your best! Follow Jesus whether you go to jail or not...He will orchestrate things so that your journey brings healing to all areas of your life!
Payback Time!
Luke 19:1-10
We named our dog after a short man in the Bible. He received the message of Jesus - and this was evident from his actions towards others... He was dishonest and he had cheated people. His reaction after Jesus changed His life was to pay back the wrongs. He repaid much more than what He took - and was happy about it! He did this because he wanted to - not because he had to. If we are truly happy that we have been forgiven we will have a similar reaction. We will WANT to do right - that's the difference Jesus makes - we put our effort into knowing Him & He changes us from the inside out (more in the relationship section).
There may be things that you have done to others in the past that you know are wrong. It is my opinion that you should pray & ask the Lord what to do about it. Often He wants us to go & say sorry & make things right. If you can't face it right now ask Him to help you, as He will. He wants to restore all areas of your life. This does not mean that your life will all be rosy or that you should pretend...in fact some things that you used to avoid may now be things you need to address.
A note of warning here - be sure that you have others' best interest at heart. Jesus, towards the end of His ministry said to His disciples "I have so much to tell you, but you can't handle it now" If there are things that you have done to others - it may cause pain bringin it up & the healing process may hurt & take time - this is still a good thing. But if brining it up will damage the other person or if they can't handle it - don't do it just so you feel better...
You have just gone through & said sorry for a lot of past actions that were wrong. If you were sincere then you have been forgiven because of what Jesus Christ did all those years ago...but it is vital that you decide to turn away from these things. 2 Timothy 2:22 says to run from anything that creates lust. Run away - continued sin can trap, deceive and blind you - it can rob you of joy and condemn you to hell.
You now need to choose to do good & not bad.
The below are ways to transform your life - NOT to earn forgiveness, Jesus has already paid the price for forgiveness!
* If you were a thief - turn your hands to honest work...
* If you cheated people - start to help people without reward
* If you dealt drugs - turn the other cheek & go share Jesus with those you sold to
* If you used to imagine dirty deeds - think on Jesus & things that are pure
* If you were a successful, start to use your money & talents to spread the truth about Jesus
If you stuff up - don't worry - confess it & ask forgiveness...and be sure to ask God to help you. He will every time. The Holy Spirit will help you overcome & avoid areas that you find hard. There is more in the relationship section later.
For some sins - particularly repetitive things (commonly called addictions) turning away may not be as easy as you think - or as easy as some people say so be sure to read the next page...
Consequences of Sin
Although your sin has been forgiven, the consequences for some things may not be removed from you. For instance I used to do a lot of illegal things - and God worked things so that I have not had to go to jail. The consequences for some things have been removed from my life totally. But for other things (ie drug use and extreme activities) He has not removed the consequences and I still have to grapple with health issues & pain. This does not mean that He will never remove these from me - only that at this stage He has chosen not to, so that I persue Him and a deeper level of healing. Amazing Love!
Remember that there is a reason for everything that God does and it is always for your best (Jeremiah 29:11) - you may not know it at the time! In fact sometimes at the time it totally sucks!
Ask Him to show you & help you in each situation...Your journey is unique - so it is not about formulas & things may be different for you. Some may have to go to jail - others will get off scott free - either way it will be for your best! Follow Jesus whether you go to jail or not...He will orchestrate things so that your journey brings healing to all areas of your life!
Payback Time!
Luke 19:1-10
We named our dog after a short man in the Bible. He received the message of Jesus - and this was evident from his actions towards others... He was dishonest and he had cheated people. His reaction after Jesus changed His life was to pay back the wrongs. He repaid much more than what He took - and was happy about it! He did this because he wanted to - not because he had to. If we are truly happy that we have been forgiven we will have a similar reaction. We will WANT to do right - that's the difference Jesus makes - we put our effort into knowing Him & He changes us from the inside out (more in the relationship section).
There may be things that you have done to others in the past that you know are wrong. It is my opinion that you should pray & ask the Lord what to do about it. Often He wants us to go & say sorry & make things right. If you can't face it right now ask Him to help you, as He will. He wants to restore all areas of your life. This does not mean that your life will all be rosy or that you should pretend...in fact some things that you used to avoid may now be things you need to address.
A note of warning here - be sure that you have others' best interest at heart. Jesus, towards the end of His ministry said to His disciples "I have so much to tell you, but you can't handle it now" If there are things that you have done to others - it may cause pain bringin it up & the healing process may hurt & take time - this is still a good thing. But if brining it up will damage the other person or if they can't handle it - don't do it just so you feel better...