Effective Repentance

[Herald]

Isaiah 1:15-20 15 "So when you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you; Yes, even though you multiply prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood. 16 "Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Remove the evil of your deeds from My sight. Cease to do evil, 17 Learn to do good; Seek justice, Reprove the ruthless, Defend the orphan, Plead for the widow. 18 "Come now, and let us reason together," Says the LORD, "Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They will be like wool. 19 "If you consent and obey, You will eat the best of the land; 20 "But if you refuse and rebel, You will be devoured by the sword." Truly, the mouth of the LORD has spoken.

There have been times in my life where I have wandered from God and acted opposite of my profession. Many of us have found ourselves in that situation. Sadly, some of us have been there more than once. I have been pondering the fruits of true repentance. This is a subject that has been on my mind for sometime. In the text I quote above the LORD is speaking frankly to Israel through the prophet Isaiah. The part that stuck me was the mention of unheeded prayer:

"So when you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you; Yes, even though you multiply prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood.

Blood is a term for guilt. The prayers of the people were not heard because of their sin. There are times when I have felt like this. Because of disobedience I either didn't want to pray or my prayers seemed hollow; ineffective. The LORD's proposed remedy seems simple enough: repent! Change your actions. This takes up the rest of verses 16-20.

This passage leads me to a thought. Repentance from sin is not real until changes are made. Until those changes are made then our spiritual duties are not only are hampered, but we should refrain from the pretense of going through the motions. First make the change(s) in our life, then perform our spiritual duties, with joy!

 

[Blueridge Believer]

Isaiah 1:15-20 15 "So when you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you; Yes, even though you multiply prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood. 16 "Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Remove the evil of your deeds from My sight. Cease to do evil, 17 Learn to do good; Seek justice, Reprove the ruthless, Defend the orphan, Plead for the widow. 18 "Come now, and let us reason together," Says the LORD, "Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They will be like wool. 19 "If you consent and obey, You will eat the best of the land; 20 "But if you refuse and rebel, You will be devoured by the sword." Truly, the mouth of the LORD has spoken.

There have been times in my life where I have wandered from God and acted opposite of my profession. Many of us have found ourselves in that situation. Sadly, some of us have been there more than once. I have been pondering the fruits of true repentance. This is a subject that has been on my mind for sometime. In the text I quote above the LORD is speaking frankly to Israel through the prophet Isaiah. The part that stuck me was the mention of unheeded prayer:

"So when you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you; Yes, even though you multiply prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood.

Blood is a term for guilt. The prayers of the people were not heard because of their sin. There are times when I have felt like this. Because of disobedience I either didn't want to pray or my prayers seemed hollow; ineffective. The LORD's proposed remedy seems simple enough: repent! Change your actions. This takes up the rest of verses 16-20.

This passage leads me to a thought. Repentance from sin is not real until changes are made. Until those changes are made then our spiritual duties are not only are hampered, but we should refrain from the pretense of going through the motions. First make the change(s) in our life, then perform our spiritual duties, with joy!

Good post brother Bill. Oftentimes believers find themselves in postions they thought could have never happened to them. We fail to "watch" and fall into greivious and hurful sins. It is not enough to be sorry ABOUT sin but to be sorry FOR sin and repent, meaning amendment of life. I have learned this lesson very painfully in past years.
During my morning reading of scripture I was blessed by this passage from Joel:

Joe 2:12 Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:
Joe 2:13 And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.

May God cause us all to 'rend our hearts' and turn to Him with all our hearts and do works meet for repentance.
I pray the Lord will bless all here with a blessed sabbath day.

 

[Pergamum]

Repentance is a life time process. We are to always be repenting.