There's a new movement in popular culture that says we can willfully sin and pervert the grace of God. This movement says that because Jesus loves us we can basically do anything we want to and it's okay with Him. Let's look at this "belief" from a disciple's perspective.
If we call ourselves "Christians" or "believers in Jesus Christ" and we have truly been born again, we will not want to purposely continue in sin. In fact, the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit will be quick to convict us of our sins which would lead to repentance. Repentance for most people is not something they want to discuss. As a disciple of Jesus, however, repentance is not a dirty word, but it's a word that one must constantly keep at the forefront of the mind and heart. It is both a noun (idea) and a verb (action).
For the novice, repentance may simply be saying I'm sorry after committing a sin, but God means for it to be much more than that. You see, it's easy to say, "I'm sorry" and repeat the same offense over and over again. True repentance is about changing one's heart, behavior, and actions. Only by cooperating with the Holy Spirit will we be able to do that. So not only do you have to have the Holy Spirit, but the Holy Spirit has to have you.
Recently after reading the books of the Kings and Prophets in the Bible, I encountered an obscure little king that I was certain would come to a predictable end. His name was Manasseh. As you read the book of Kings and Chronicles, you'll come across kings who did right in the sight of the LORD and kings who did evil in the sight of the LORD. It's like a rollercoaster ride of good and evil and you begin to wonder why aren't they learning from each other's reign? Why didn't they listen to the godly priests and prophets that God sent to advise and take counsel with them? The same can apply today if we simply substitute the word "leader" for "king" in our government, in our churches, in organizations, in our families, and individually.
Manasseh was twelve when he became leader. He was one of the sons of King Hezekiah, who God had blessed with an extended life. If he was paying attention at all in his young life, he would have seen the godly example of devotion, trust, and faithfulness to God that his father King Hezekiah had demonstrated. Even if he wasn't able to observe these deeds, the historians, the priests, prophets, and his elders should have reminded him of them. Yet, the Bible says in 2 Kings 21:2, "And he (Manasseh) did evil in the sight of the LORD." In fact, he undid everything his father had done before him. He rebuilt the high places. He raised up altars to idols and worshipped the host of heaven and served them. He made his son pass through the fire, practiced witchcraft, and put demonic images in the house of the LORD. The bible says, "He did MUCH evil in the sight of the LORD to provoke Him to anger." What a contrast to what we see his father doing.
Yet God tried over and over to get Manasseh's attention by sending prophets to speak to him and his people. But, they would not listen. However, if we simply read the book of Kings we would rightly predict the outcome he deserved. But, we need to go to the book of Chronicles to pick up the story. There we see the consequences of Manasseh's sins. God had enough. He sent the Assyrian leader who took Manasseh away with hooks in his nose, and fetters on his feet. In 2 Chronicles 33:12 the bible says, "Now when he was in affliction, he implored the LORD his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers, and prayed to Him, and God received his entreaty, heard his supplication, and brought him back to Jerusalem into the kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD was God."
After reading this, I was awed at the mercy and forgiveness of God. But Manasseh didn't just stop with a confession of his sins and a prayer of repentance. Once in Jerusalem he begin to take action. He took away the foreign gods and idols. He cast out the altars of idolatry, and repaired the altar of the LORD. He also sacrificed peace and thank offerings to God and commanded that the people serve the LORD God of Israel. His repentance was not just of the heart. It wasn't just an "I'm sorry LORD" but he changed his behavior and actions. That's what God requires of us, too. The bible says in Proverbs 28:13, "Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy."
God had to humble and afflict Manasseh before he could see the error of his ways. In the New Testament, an adulterous woman was cast at the feet of Jesus. He told her accusers, "He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her." No stones were thrown. The bible says, "All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." Jesus told the woman, "Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?" The woman responded, "No one, LORD." Jesus then said to her, "Neither do I condemn you, go and sin no more." Jesus in essence told her to change her behavior.
As disciples of Christ, we should embrace a lifestyle of repentance. The Holy Spirit has been given to us to help in this area. God's grace is not a license to continue in sin. In fact, we are explicitly told this in scripture. As a disciple of Christ, I just don't want to do the things I used to do. In 2 Corinthians 5:17 it says, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."
If you somehow find yourself flaunting your sins and embracing this new movement, please examine yourself and ask, "Am I truly saved? Have I really been born again?" God's grace operates in us to regenerate and sanctify us. It gives us strength to endure and resist temptations. It is unearned. It is undeserved. And, it is freely given by faith in Jesus Christ.
Comments