A Call for Change – Part Two
By Sandy Holden[1]
Portions of the following concepts were obtained from study of The Pursuit of Holiness by Jerry Bridges, The Walk of Repentance by Steve Gallagher, and lectures by Jeff Colon of Pure Life Ministries.
Just as we receive a call to repentance that leads to a changed life in the salvation process, there is another call for change. We also receive a call to live in repentance. The Bible tells of two kings that sinned against God. One chose to love himself more than God and lost all fellowship with God. The other acknowledged his sin against God and humbled himself before the Lord and was forgiven.
King Saul loved and cherished his sin. What a hideous thing! Like King Saul, we can deceive ourselves by reforming some actions without repenting in our hearts. Disobedience in one area of life increases the likelihood of disobedience in other areas. We tend to rank our sin and work on the areas that we find most offensive, while all sin is equal in the eyes of God. So, if we’re struggling to overcome what we consider a “big” sin, but continue to drive 15 mph over the speed limit, our progress may well be hindered. He has provided instructions for us in honoring civil laws provided by our governing system just as well as moral laws provided by His Word. A turning away generally means leaving the source or environment. While there are some situations that cannot be changed, most can. Being obedient and diligent is critical in turning away from sin.
King David, on the other hand, committed horrible sin; to include adultery and murder involving his commander, Uriah, and his wife, Bathsheba. But, his repentance was sincere and accepted by God. David faced the truth and accepted full responsibility for his sin. He was humbled and broken before the Lord. There were consequences for his sin, but he was reconciled to his Lord. He was able to write:
If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened; but God has surely listened and heard my voice in prayer. Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me! Psalm 66:19-20
Just as King Saul and King David were called to live in repentance, we are as well. We can choose to keep ourselves on the throne or humbly allow our precious Savior to reign in our lives. God sees the heart as it truly is.
We are made holy by the grace of God. But, many question their ability to live in holiness, with the belief that sinning is part of the Christian life and that God doesn’t expect obedience because He knows they will fail. This belief interferes with determination to live in obedience to God, and it is false.
We must be willing to live morally blameless and to die to the sin which reigns within our heart. This requires making a choice to resist sin and to break old habits that come from the desires within the heart. Discipline is required if we are going to have the resolve to overcome our desires and live a life of moral purity according to God’s standard of holiness.
This means coming to the Word of God in all humility and contrition as we openly understand the corruption in our own heart and our need for the Holy Spirit’s work therein. We must become convicted of areas of sin in our life and address those through obedience to God’s Word. This is done by fixing our mind on the commands of God. His Word must become the dominant influence within our thoughts, attitudes, and actions.
Change comes through meditation on and memorization of God’s Word. As His Word becomes the dominant influence in our own heart, then it can be applied to our daily life.
While it is possible and our objective to live in holiness, when sin happens, it must be dealt with sincerely, as God’s truth is revealed to us. We must consistently watch for His nudging to turn around and go the other way. But, when we fail, we must repent and get right back up and keep going. We do this better as we train ourselves to listen for God’s voice. He’ll faithfully show us the truth. Our responsibility is to guard the truth He has shown us.
But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God. John 3:21
[1] Sandra K. Holden is pursuing her Master of Arts in Christian Studies degree with a major in Biblical Counseling with IABC Certification from Master’s International School of Divinity.
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