"I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee." Luke 15:18
The first message that Jesus preached was that of repentance. "From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." (Matt. 4:17) Repentance is not passive, it requires that something be done- even the word itself is a verb that means to "change your mind, which involves turning with contrition from sin to God".
In the story of the prodigal son we see a picture of a repentant young man- we also see a prime example that action accompanies repentance. Repentance in this young man's heart did not start when he got home. It did not start when the father embraced him. It started in the pig pen when he said, "I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee." At that moment not only was there contrition of heart, but a turning away from sin. He got up out of the pig pen (symbolic of the life of sin) and started in the direction of home.
Repentance isn't just a confession of sin and then continue going in the same direction- it always requires that you go in the opposite direction from the sin you just confessed. "Go, and sin no more." (John 8:11) What is in the opposite direction of sin? God. To sum up what I have already said- repentance means that we turn our backs on sin and our faces toward God and start heading in that direction. That is exactly what the prodigal son did- he left the pig pen behind.
Where are you today? In confession or repentance over your sin? Confession only (acknowledging that it is there) does not get you out of the "pig pen." Repentance on the other hand causes you to arise, get up out of it and head toward the Father.
Have a great day. If it's true repentance it will be accompanied by action.
For further reading:
Luke 15:11-22; 8:36-39
Acts 14:15; 26:20
Ezekiel 18:30
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Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell
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