“You need to repent,” I heard the Holy Spirit speak clear as day to my heart.
“I’m sorry,” I told God in my heart.
But I have long since learned the truth about repentance, and the conviction from the Holy Spirit came strong.
“I’m sorry” wasn’t what God wanted. He wanted repentance.
Friend, repentance isn’t about telling God a zillion times “sorry God” for the same thing. Repentance is about being TRULY SORRY for disobeying God, for rebelling against Him, for going against Him, for hurting His heart, for grieving His Holy Spirit, with our wrongdoing. AND MAKING THE NECESSARY CHANGE. Turning back to God and doing WHAT IS RIGHT IN GOD’S EYES.
Sure, we should tell God we’re sorry! We should seek His forgiveness! But this is NOT ENOUGH. Genuine repentance involves true remorse, a change of heart, and a change in direction. With the fruit of a change in our actions!
Need to repent?
“For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.” 2 Corinthians 7:10 NKJV
“Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent,” Acts 17:30 NKJV
“But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance,” Matthew 3:7-8 NKJV