Fighting the Flesh #26: Practicing Repentance

“I fear that when I come again my God may humble me before you, and I may have to mourn over many of those who sinned earlier and have not repented of the impurity, sexual immorality, and sensuality that they have practiced.”
 —2 Corinthians 2:12

Repentance is something that every single Christian must practice. It is different from remorse. Remorse is only experiencing sorrow for what one has done. Repentance is different. Repentance is the experiencing sorrow for sin coupled with the desire to turn away and never do it again. Consider the example of Esau, as the author of Hebrews wrote,

“See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no ‘root of bitterness’ springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled; that no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal. For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears”—Hebrews 12:15-17.

Esau was sexually immoral, unholy and sold his birthright for a single meal. But, it was after he finished eating that he wanted the birthright back. He cried, pleaded, and was sorry for what he had done, but he wasn’t repentant, he was remorseful. Repentance means an about face, a complete turning from one’s sin, which involves godly grief, as Paul wrote to the Corinthians,  

“For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death”—2 Corinthians 7:10. 

Esau had a worldly grief—sorrowful for what he did, but unwilling to turn from it.

As believers, we must keep a short account on sin and make sure that we are practicing repentance. In today’s passage, Paul was grieved because although he had written to the Corinthians confronting the sins of many in their midst, they hadn’t repented. They continued on in their sin. But Paul would have none of it. He was going to rebuke them, and if they didn’t repent he wouldn’t “spare” them (2 Corinthians 13:2). We are not told what he was going to do, but we can be sure that with the power of God at work in him, their punishment was going to be severe. He wasn’t going to embarrass them or wield his authority in an improper manner, but he wanted their restoration (see 2 Corinthians 13:11) to discover that they were truly in the faith (2 Corinthians 13:5).

Repentance is the birthmark for every child of God. Are we repentant? When we sin, do we experience worldly sorrow or godly sorrow? Or are we simply sorrowful that we got caught? Anything less than true repentance is a sign of a heart still in rebellion toward God. If you want to experience the reality of a cleansed conscience, then confess it all to God and turn away from it! Don’t hold on, but turn away from your sin and cling to the cross of Christ! In this battle against the flesh, we must not let our sins build up, but must confess them the moment that the Holy Spirit brings them to our attention, in order that we may experience the joy and peace of a restored fellowship with God, made available through the cross of Christ, but appropriated through faith and repentance in His name. Amen.