"As faith without works is dead, remorse without repentance is also dead."
We've all been through it. We have all been wronged by someone in our past and when we ask them to apologize, they look at you and in an irritable voice, say "I'm sorry!", then walk away. You know very well they weren't sorry at all! I am convinced there are individuals that can't say "sorry", or know how to be "sorry".
So when it comes to us asking God for forgiveness in prayer, how truly sorry are you? What level of sincerity does God the Father see in you when you approach Him to ask for forgiveness? (2 Corinthians 1:12; Revelations 3:16) To understand what He sees, two words should come to mind when being redeemed: remorse and repentance. What fuels a person's desire to be sorry in a way that leads to true change? Remorse. (Joel 2:12; 2 Corinthians 7:9-12)
Feeling guilty is one thing, (Romans 2:15) but taking ownership is quite another. (Proverbs 12:22; Proverbs 28:13) Taking ownership gives birth to remorse allowing you to mourn your decision to sin. Once you cross that boundary of taking ownership, "remorse" is set ablaze and action can be taken that is honored by God. Deep remorse is an ugly feeling, I know. Mourning anything sounds "not fun". When guilt forces action, it can be quite an uncomfortable position to be in.
To grow in Christ, however, you must address your guilt, take ownership, and allow remorse to drive you to action. It is a high calling and required of us as Christians. But how do we recognize true remorse? How do we gauge our own sincerity? What does remorse feel or sound like? In these next examples, try and gauge the agony in the words:
“Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin.” Psalm 51:1-2 (NKJV)
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"See, O Lord, that I am in distress; My soul is troubled; My heart is overturned within me, For I have been very rebellious. Outside the sword bereaves, At home it is like death." Lamentations 1:20 (NKJV)
Now imagine YOU saying those words in anguish, in tears, on the floor and on your knees. Does that paint a picture? Read these verses again and picture yourself absolutely devastated crying out to God. Seems extreme, but if you had to paint a picture, that would be remorse.
Remorse is absolutely essential. God wants you to feel remorse and if necessary, to reconcile with those you've sinned against before coming to Him. (Matthew 5:23-24) But once the requirements have been met (remorse and reconciliation), approach His throne humbly in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. (John 14:6) He longs for you to lay your remorse at His feet. (Hebrews 4:16; Hosea 6:6) His forgiveness will be waiting for you. (Psalm 103:12; Ephesians 1:7; 1 John 1:9) Sincere remorse is critical and a healthy part of a Christian's walk. You will find it is truly what draws God near to you:
"The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit." Psalm 34:18 (NKJV)
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"The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart -- These, O God, You will not despise." Psalm 51:17 (NKJV)
After receiving forgiveness, our natural response must be "gratefulness" and "thankfulness". (Jonah 2:9; 1 Thessalonians 5:18; Psalm 69:30) Those are two very different words. Based on your sincerity, the more grateful and thankful you are, the more effective the next phase of your redemption: repentance. (Romans 2:4) Without a grateful and thankful heart, there is little to no desire to change, and at some point, God will push back and correct you. (Philippians 1:6) To truly want to change your ways, your thankfulness and gratefulness must exceed your stubbornness, complacency and pride that led you to sin in the first place. If taking ownership of your guilt drives you to remorse, then it is gratefulness and thankfulness from receiving God's forgiveness that drives you to repentance.
As faith without works is dead (James 2:14-26), remorse without repentance is also dead. If you truly make the effort, both before you ask God for forgiveness and after receiving it, God will bless you. Once finally free of your desire to sin habitually in the same manner through repentance (however long it takes, however many times it takes), you can then begin to experience the freedom and redemption Christ died to give you. (Titus 2:14; Colossians 1:14; 1 Corinthians 6:20)
God bless you in Christ Jesus the Lord, always.
* Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
* Article itself Copyright © 2020 by WordwaswithGod.com
* Links to verses provided by BibleGateway.com
