Repent Until You Win

Again the Israelites did evil in the LORD’s sight. They served the images of Baal and Ashtoreth, and the gods of Aram, Sidon, Moab, Ammon, and Philistia. They abandoned the LORD and no longer served him at all. So the LORD burned with anger against Israel, and he turned them over to the Philistines and the Ammonites, who began to oppress them that year. For eighteen years they oppressed all the Israelites east of the Jordan River in the land of the Amorites (that is, in Gilead). [Judges 10.6-8]

 How is it that we cannot 'connect the dots' between sin and defeat?

The Church at large (at least in the Western hemisphere) has become calloused. By this, I mean that we have become so accustomed to 'bad things' that we no longer see the bad things as resultant to sin.

Worse yet, we have adopted absolutely ridiculous doctrines that make 'bad things' out to be good things from God!

As seen in the scripture above, and throughout the Bible, when Israel turned their back on God, they were 'rewarded' with defeat of all kinds. As Israel's history goes, when their 'defeat' got bad enough, they repented and turned back to God.

But something atypical happened in this instance in Judges 10. God refused to help. God refused to accept their repentance! God had had enough.

What we see however in this story is that Israel prevailed with God in their repentance and He did grant them victory over the Ammonites.

They could have denied their guilt - and their defeat would likely have continued. But they did not. They confessed their sin, repented, and did so until God relented and helped them.

There is simply not enough that can be said for the importance of repentance. However, we must first recognize God's call to repentance! God's call to repentance looks like this: defeat, loss, troubles, and general despair. But if we embrace these things as "masked blessings from God," and subsequently remain unrepentant, then we get what we deserve.

For the record, Jesus never came to redeem us from unrepentance. In other words, there is no forgiveness given when no forgiveness is sought. God simply will not allow the blood of His only Son Jesus to be mocked in that way! Repentance is just as necessary in New Testament times as it was in Old Testament times.

Call me what you wish, but call me "Christian" (like Christ) in this regard because Jesus Himself was very clear in His ministry, "Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!"

So, what do we do when our lives seem riddled with troubles and defeat? REPENT. And if repentance does not seem to change our circumstances, what do we do? REPENT SOME MORE! And, if our circumstances remain unchanged? REPENT EVEN MORE STILL!

We all think the same way though, don't we? "Well, I have repented enough... if my circumstances haven't changed, then it must be God's doing and..." At this point we have a choice to two one of two things: reject God entirely, or make up some non-Biblical doctrine about Him that makes our troubles no fault of our own. 

The second option above is unfortunately the choice of many and the 'church' today looks the part all too well. In fact, the church looks no different than the world. There is a form of 'godliness' but no power that says, "God is with us!"

The solution? REPENTANCE.

Father, forgive me for insisting upon my innocence when my circumstances cry out that I am not. My own circumstances indict me of sin. With all that is in me, I will continue to repent until I see Your might and power move on my behalf!