|
Dear brothers and sisters in our Lord Jesus, part of the growing repentance remnant, members of His flock, of which Jesus is the Shepherd (John 10:16), Jesus being the first to preach His gift of repentance (Matthew 4:17), now calling on each of us also to preach repentance (Luke 24:47).
Why no repentance? Sister Basilea Schlink in her foundational book on repentance, Repentance: The Joy-Filled Life has many insights why you and I fail to treasure this loving Gift from God. These are excerpts from chapter 6, pinpointing one obstacle:
Why is it so hard to come to repentance? Primarily it is because we don't want to: we are so sure of our own rightness. Have we as believers lost the gift of tears? It is nothing short of a miracle when a believer walks in repentance. None are so prone to self-righteousness as the religious. But if we want Jesus, the Friend of sinners, to come to us as individuals, as a church or community, there is only one way. Self-righteousness must be dethroned and demolished.
Self-justification is a legacy of Adam and Eve. Insisting on our innocence, we ultimately blame God. Even the worst criminals display this urge to clear themselves. They claim innocence in the face of the most heinous crimes. Prison chaplains say that there is nowhere like jail for finding so many people in one place maintaining their innocence. ........
Our reservations, whether psychological or theological, usually have one root: pride. It is pride that makes us reject the message of repentance. Repenting means humbling ourselves before God and people, changing our ways, making amends. It means admitting we've been wrong---and that goes against the grain. No other sin is so firmly rooted in our hearts as pride, and Christians are no exception. Pride rises up in protest at any criticism. Too slow? Just thorough. Too hasty? Just pressurized. Too forceful? Just trying to get a point across.
If, however, we are dismissive of criticism, we can end up finger-pointing. We can complain we've been misunderstood. " They're forever picking on me, never satisfied with anything I do." But unwillingness to listen is a sign of pride. The humble are open to criticism and can take advice. They have the courage to face the truth and admit where they need to change. "Yes, that is an area of my life I need to work on." ........
So as Chrisitans we need to start by repenting of our proud and defensive attitudes. The first step is to admit our failings when others point them out. Next, to heed the prickling of our own conscience, instead of stifling it with all sorts of excuses. This means declaring war on self-pity and self-justification. Jesus clearly warns where those routes lead: not to heaven, but hell--an eternity without God (Matthew 25: 14-30; Matthew 11:20-24). Every time we catch ourselves evading the issue or mentally justifying ourselves, we need to make a U-turn and let God's truth shine into our true motives. Jesus will set us free from self-righteousness, for He won the victory on the Cross. Bit by bit He will answer our prayer for a contrite and broken heart. As we honestly acknowledge our faults, heaven will be open to us, and we will taste the love, joy and fulness of life that He gives.
| 
