The need for repentance

“Godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted.” 2Co 7:10 NKJV

There’s a difference between confessing your sin and repenting of it. In Scripture, the word “repentance” means “to turn away from sin.” By confessing your sin you acknowledge what you have done; by repenting you turn away from it. And the good news is that there’s no limit to God’s forgiveness. The moment you ask for it, you receive it. However, God doesn’t intend you to keep repeating your sinful patterns over and over again. That’s where “godly sorrow” comes in. Paul writes, “You sorrowed in a godly manner: What diligence it produced in you” (v. 11 NKJV). The purpose of godly sorrow is to make you more diligent when it comes to changing behavior. When you allow sin into your life, you violate your core of righteousness. “For [God]…made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (2Co 5:21). At the point of salvation God literally made you “the righteousness of God in Christ.” You’re a regenerated spirit living in an unregenerated body, and when you permit sin into your life, it violates the very core of who you are! And that will cause you godly sorrow, leading to repentance and turning away from sin. Don’t settle for saying, “This is a habit I can’t break. But it’s okay because God will forgive me.” Yes, He will forgive you, but He doesn’t want you to settle for a cycle of sin, repentance, forgiveness, and then repeating the same sin. He wants you to be strong and effective in His service. That’s why He’s calling you to a higher level.

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