Rewarding Repantance

I have been thinking a lot lately about Repentance. Why we do it, how to do it, and it's effect in our lives. I am learning more and more that sin is not just the bad things we do, (gossip, envy, lying ect.) but refusing to live for God's glory and seeking our own glory instead.

In our sin, we must repent. But even repentance can be selfish. When we look at it through the eyes of the Gospel repentance takes on a whole new meaning. Tim Keller said it best in the study on Gospel Christianity I am studying.

"In religion the purpose of repentance is basically to keep God happy so he will continue to bless you and answer your prayers. This means religious repentance is selfish, self righteous and bitter all the way to the bottom. We are mostly sorry for the sin mainly because of its consequences to us. It will bring punishment, or guilt and we want to avoid that so we repent."

The Gospel makes repentance "God Centered" not "self centered". We become sorry for the sin itself, not just trying to atone for the sin by repenting hoping to be better in God's eyes. Tim also says "In religious repentance we try to convince God and ourselves that we are so truly miserable and regretful that we deserve to be forgiven."

In the Gospel Jesus suffered and was miserable for our sin, We don't have to make ourselves suffer He did that for us. The reason we should repent for sin is because of what it does to God. A good example of true repentance is found in Psalm 51. David confessed that his sin was against GOD! Yes he killed a man, and had an affair with a woman but ultimately his first offense was trying to be lord of his own life. All sin is a result of us thinking we have the right to be our own lord and make our OWN choices. Instead we should think that we belong to HIM. David just didn't repent because of the consequences he would face (won't be able to rule Israel, failing his standards, hurting people) He wasn't sorry for what had happened to himself but that it broke God's heart and dishonored HIM! Tim also says :"Only when we do that and realize we owe HIM everything, we will begin to find the sin itself heinous and it will lose its power over us."
The more we see our own flaws and sin, the more precious electrifying and amazing God's grace appears! That should lead us to repentance and obedience out of love, not out of duty. I love the Gospel and the freedom it brings! We are free and atoned for! Praise be to JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD!