Day 2677 of the 7 day Bible verse challenge.

Matthew 3:8 NIV

As I mentioned the other day, repentance isn't a one-time deal. It's a daily choice, a constant responsibility, a life-long calling for every single Christian to undertake. The reason being that sin doesn't just vanish. We don't wake up on day and find ourselves suddenly free from temptation and immune to making mistakes. Sin is something that is all around us in this evil world, and so it's something that we will have to fight off every single day that we're here.

But unfortunately, this world sends this message that we can't help but hear. We're told by so many just how fun and carefree sin really is. People make it out to seem completely harmless, and in many ways they even pass it off as something to be enjoyed and celebrated. And when we're constantly surrounded by that kind of thinking, it can quickly rub off on us and things that once seemed horrible may start seeming a little less dangerous. Things that we once wouldn't consider may become things that we're willing to try as the warnings aren't there to help remind us of the horrors that lurk in the dark.

And that's why repentance has to be a daily focus in our minds and a constant pursuit of our hearts. You see, repenting isn't just feeling bad about messing up or falling short. It's not just a little bit of guilt over a bad decision or a silly mistake. It isn’t a quick little prayer telling God that you’re sorry about something that you’re probably going to go and do again later. Repentance isn't that quick or simple. Repentance is a change. It's changing our minds toward sin's offerings. It's changing our hearts to hate what's evil rather than trying to find ways to enjoy it. It's a turning of our thoughts to seek what God wants for us because when we change our minds and learn to hate sin, then He can get to work at changing our hearts to where we no longer crave those dark delicacies.

So it's something that I think we need to actually stop and consider for a moment. Because as easy as we try to make everything seem, this is something that we can get wrong. So where's the fruit? Where's the evidence? What can we point to that testifies to the changes we claim we've experienced? What message do our thoughts and actions send? And does that message match up with this idea of the true repentance that our faith demands?

You see, it's just far too easy to assume we've been changed and never stop and actually question whether or not we have. I think most of the time it's because we don't really want that answer. We just want to assume that we're really doing better, but if we don't take time to actually take stock of where we are, where we're going, and what we're allowing to come along with us, then we cannot be absolutely certain that we're growing or improving in any way.

I had this idea hit me a few days ago, and it seems like something that we should all consider. As Christians, we're claiming that we're living lives that have been surrendered to Christ and changed by the blood of His atoning sacrifice on the cross. But is that really the case? Hard question. Tough question. One of those kinds of questions that we don't really want to stop and ask. But the fact of the matter is that our eternal salvation is at stake, so as uncomfortable as it may be, it's a question we have to ask.

Is there evidence that our lives have been changed? Is there fruit that we can point to that offers indisputable evidence that we have in fact been made new? Are the words we say different? Do our actions say something different about us than they used to? Are our thoughts about better things than our old thoughts were? Or are we just telling ourselves that we're doing better so that we can feel better about ourselves without actually having to do better?

Friends, so many things in life are laughed off and joked about and made to seem unimportant and trivial. But when it comes to our faith, we simply cannot afford to approach it with this same nonchalant attitude that we tend to have with the rest of our lives. Again, our salvation is on the line, so this ought to be something we want to take seriously and ensure that we're doing the absolute best that we can do. So are we doing the best we can do to actually grow toward Christ, or are we simply using His name in vain so we feel better about ourselves while remaining completely unchanged and unworried about the sins still hanging around in our hearts?

So again I ask you, where's the fruit? Does your life prove that you've been changed? Does your life look like your faith really matters to you? Are we willing to lose things in this life to prove that our faith means something? Are we willing to make changes? Are we willing to admit our guilt? Are we willing to actually repent and turn and change and strive to do better, or are we just putting on a show?

Yes, this is a very heavy topic, and we've sadly been dumbed down to where we don't like to take anything seriously. But friends, Christ took it seriously enough that He died for it. What are we willing to do for our salvation? And is there evidence in our choices that prove that we're doing it? We can't afford to take this lightly or just assume we're doing okay. It would be a real shame to spend our lives convinced we've been saved through repentance only to reach the end of the line and realize that we never actually changed anything but instead we just learned to ignore our sins so we didn't have to face them head-on and accept the responsibility of doing something about them.

Where's the fruit? Our choices say a lot my friends, so what are your choices saying about how important your faith and your salvation are to you? Are you just sorry because you feel bad, or are you sorry because you want to do better? There is a massive difference, and that difference is one of the things that makes repentance so important and so powerful. So does your life prove that your faith really matters? And if it doesn’t, then does it?

#LeaveNoSoulUntold