Good morning and welcome in everybody. Today, we are going to take a look at a passage of scripture, but before we do that, I wanted to tell you a little story.
When I was a young child, I used to go and visit relatives out at their cabin. But right after supper time, we would normally huddle up in the truck cab and take a drive out to the garbage grounds. After waiting for a little while, we could watch as two big black bears walked slowly out of the woods, putting their noses high up into the air to sniff at the dumpsters. When they climbed up on top, they would try to figure out a way to get the food out of them, but no matter how hard they tried, they failed to be successful because the dumpsters were locked up as tight as a drum. Eventually they gave up and walked away, unable to succeed at grabbing their nightly meal.
This reminds me of the Christian Life.
Just like food locked up in a dumpster, people are going to be unsuccessful too. Just like those bears, people who choose to lock up sin inside of their hearts are not going to prosper either.
“He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.” Proverbs 28:13
In order to acquire mercy from God, we must be capable of forsaking sinful living. This is why the Apostle Paul preached that we must turn away from sins.
Imagine a student playing on the school playground, and someone pushes them to the ground. They might actually apologize for what they did, but they didn’t feel bad enough about what they did to quit doing it, and a few minutes later, they pushed the child down again. If this is the case, they really didn’t repent of their sins, because they are just continuing to do it. When a confession is made in this manner, it is insincere, without contrition, and without any Godly sorrow, qualities that must be obtained for our own salvation.
When you forsake something, it means to renounce and turn away from it entirely. It makes sense that if you continue doing it over and over again, then you really haven’t changed anything at all. Sometimes people can be caught up in behavioral issues or bad habits, but in order to overcome them completely, they need to strive to show a great effort to repent of them. This is so they can finally break free from the grasp of sin. In order to obtain mercy, you must confess and forsake sin. In order to successfully turn away from sin, it also must be performed out of a grief stricken heart.
James 4 ⁹ Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. ¹⁰ Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
You can tell somebody to repent, but in order for them to truly forsake sin, it requires Godly sorrow. This is a genuine and sincere sorrow for the seriousness of your faults.
2 Corinthians 7 ⁸ For though I made you sorry with a letter, I do not repent, though I did repent: for I perceive that the same epistle hath made you sorry, though it were but for a season. ⁹ Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. ¹⁰ For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. ¹¹ For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.
You can admit sorrow or you can feel sorrow, but only one will lead to God’s forgiveness. This is because when true contrition is attained, the heart will change.
Luke 18 ⁹ And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: ¹⁰ Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. ¹¹ The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. ¹² I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. ¹³ And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. ¹⁴ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
Before forgiveness can be received, one must display a repentant heart, accompanied by a great desire to do what is right.
Acts 26 ¹⁸ To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me. ¹⁹ Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision: ²⁰ But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.
If you bury your sins in your heart, you will never prosper in the sight of God. Prosperity is to succeed in an enterprise or an activity, especially to become strong and flourishing. It is to become pleasing unto God in everything that we do.
“And the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.” Genesis 39:2
The effects of repentance are seen through one’s works, because without works, faith is dead.
James 2 ¹⁸ Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. ¹⁹ Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. ²⁰ But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? ²¹ Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? ²² Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? ²³ And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.
²⁴ Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
So you see, it’s the turning away from darkness to the light that shows that you are walking in the true Grace of God, something that was working mightily in the Apostle Paul.
Colossians 1 ²⁸ Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus: ²⁹ Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.
Just remember that sins need to be confessed, and also accompanied by a sincere sorrow that causes a change in your life. If you lock up your heart and try to cover them all up, you will never prosper, just like the unsuccessful picnic, of the ….
…….. Two Black Bears
Let’s think about these things for right now. We can be found on your web browser by searching, tlkjbc where you can find our diaries distributed through various platforms. We are not associated, nor affiliated with any other religious groups. You can get our entire podcast feeds directly, along with transcripts at tlkjbc.com or I suppose you could find us somewhere up here, in the Great Northern Minnesota woods. Peace to you all, and Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody.❤️
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