“True belief and true repentance are twins: it would be idle to attempt to say which is born first. All the spokes of a wheel move at once when the wheel moves, and so all the graces commence action when regeneration is wrought by the Holy Ghost. Repentance, however, there must be.” ~ Charles Spurgeon
How do you know if God has truly saved you, your faith is genuine, and the Holy Spirit dwells deep inside you; how do you know? You know these things are authentic if you have repented (turned the other way) and died to your old self. If you don’t believe, think, or live any different than you did before turning your will and life over to the care of God, then you haven’t turned your will and life over to the care of God. Faith and repentance go hand in hand. If there is no evidence (no fruit) proving you are born from above, and your whole attitude and outlook on life haven’t changed, then you are fooling yourself, your faith is superficial, and your false belief will eventually elude you.
The bedrock of faith is repentance. You should grow to view and hate sin in the same way that God views and hates sin. The bottom line is this; if you have given your life to Jesus and your life doesn’t mimic the life of Jesus, then you need to go back to square one. Repenting of your sin is a significant must for living the kingdom life. In the kingdom of God, the old self must die, and the new self, embedded in Christ and Christ in you, must prevail. God’s promise of living in the kingdom and experiencing a whole new self will always materialize if we are rightly related to God and fully surrendered to God. You have a personal invitation from God to live and experience the kingdom of God, but you must surrender, repent of your sins, and put your faith in Jesus Christ.
Scripture Readings
Reflection Questions
- What did you take away from today’s reflection and scripture readings?
- Have you repented from sins?
- Have you died to your old self?
- How is it possible to do a complete 180-degree turn in life?
- How does God help us with repentance?
- Do you believe faith and repentance are twins?
Prayer
Lord, You know my heart, and you know my ways. I confessed with my lips that You are my Lord and asked You to forgive my wicked ways. I feel I have repented and turned from the old life. I believe my old self has died, and my new life in Christ is alive. Please remove any lingering desire to return to the old life and the old self I used to claim to enjoy. Allow my heart to be full of gratitude for the grace you have bestowed on my life and the liberation from my sinful ways. I truly enjoy living in Your kingdom, and I hope to invite as many people as I can to do the same. In Your Spirit and Name, I pray these things. May Your will not mine, always materialize, now and forever, Amen.
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