Man’s repentance, as it is presented in the Bible, always speaks of a change of purpose, a turning from sit to God. God is never far away from us, all we need to do is turn ourselves around and there He is!. 1 Thessalonians 1:9 says, “For they themselves declare concerning us that manner of entry we had to you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and rue God.” Here we see 4 elements of repentance:
1. They turned to God – If we feel that God has moved out of our life, it is not because He has moved, it is always because we have move, turn back to Him and He is there for us (Revelation 3:20)
2. We turn from idols – These do not have to be wooden or stone images, but rather they can be idols of the heart and mind. The reality is that an idol is anything that we put before God in our lives.
3. We turned to God with the intention of serving God – It is not enough to turn toward God, Jesus said that if we wanted to be His disciple we must “follow him” (Luke 9:23).
4. Included in that is a determination to live a God centered life – Repentance means that I choose to make Christ the reason for doing the things that I do, life is no longer just about me. Repentance will change your life, It will work to give you purpose and peace. Choose today to turn from your idolatrous life, and to the Lord.
