No One Wants To Repent

“Why don’t people say to God, ‘I have sinned, but I will sin no more’? Or ‘I don’t know what evil I have done—tell me. If I have done wrong, I will stop at once’? [Job 34.31-32]

The answer to Elihu's questions above is simply this: pride.

I am going to go out on a limb here... Perhaps the reason we don't see more immediate results in our prayers to God is because we are too slow (if not altogether negligent) to repent.

It is worth noting here a very important fact: Elihu was the only one of the characters in Job's story that did not get rebuked by God! So, I think it safe to conclude that what Elihu said was, in fact, correct.

That said, Elihu suggests repentance. But furthermore, Elihu suggests repentance for even unknown sins. He suggests asking God, "What sin have I done?"

So, what is the sign that there is un-repentance? Well, in Job's case it was physical and material loss - his health and his wealth were taken away - the very things God said in Deuteronomy 28 would happen in response to disobedience. Certainly nothing Job or his friends said (and they said a LOT) remedied the situation for Job either (and they all got rebuked by God).

As I sit here writing this, I have pain in my own body. There are physical things I have been praying for for a while that remain unanswered - the pain remains. Wouldn't it make perfect sense, based on Job's story, to just repent? And, if I don't know what I've done wrong, wouldn't it make sense to ask God?

I suffer from what so many on the earth today suffer from: ignorance. Like so many, I have been 'taught' by doctrines of man that deny the obvious signs of material and physical loss resulting from sin! I have been taught that pain and suffering are just "the way it is sometimes" with no persuasion whatsoever to repent. Instead of being taught that Deuteronomy 28 defines (quite clearly) that suffering and loss are resultant to sin and that blessings are resultant to obedience, I have been indoctrinated with falsehoods that deny the obvious. I have been confused to question what sickness or loss means - I have been duped to doubt God! I have been steered away from repentance. I have been misinformed that, if I (or those around me) think I haven't sinned, then I haven't.

Something Elihu said is absolutely true:

Truly, God will not do wrong. The Almighty will not twist justice. [Job 34.12]

Justice is reward for what is done, right or wrong. Justice demands suffering and loss for sin. Justice demands blessing and abundance for obedience. It IS that simple. But man's doctrines have complicated it, confused it, and therefore, confounded the TRUTH.

#1 lie of the enemy today: Bad things happen to good people.

No, bad things happen because of disobedience - WHETHER WE ACKNOWLEDGE (OR EVEN KNOW IT) OR NOT. Who is man to declare his own innocence? It is not man's place to declare his own innocence! That is God's role and God is control of everything!

The implication of what I have written here is this: we must repent in the midst of our trials (it matters not how we judge ourselves).

But no one wants to repent...

Father, I come back to the same conclusion: I need to repent before You. Forgive me for not being a student of repentance! Forgive me for ignorantly shrugging my shoulders at the continued curses upon my life instead of pressing into repentance until the curse is gone. Forgive me for the very same pride that Job displayed. Forgive me for being so proud and arrogant. Forgive me for being so foolish. Forgive me for being so lazy to not make sure I know why I suffer. Forgive me for accepting doctrines that clearly violate Your character and justice.