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Mission Statement

HEBREWS 4:12 NIV

For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attributes of the heart.

2 TIMOTHY 3:16-17 NIV

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

CHRISTIAN

Becoming a true Christian is a change of life and mind. 2 Corinthians 5:17 states: “Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are new.” A change from the world and the things of the world. Romans 12:2 says: “And be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

No matter how good we feel that we are, we ALL have sinned. We read in Romans 3:12: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”

A Christian is someone who has repented of their past and submitted to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Before doing so, one needs to count the cost of following Him. And then, having repented, he/she needs to continue in the faith they profess to have.

WHO IS A CHRISTIAN

A dictionary definition of a Christian would be something similar to “a person professing belief in Jesus as the Christ or in the religion based on the teachings of Jesus.” While this is a good starting point, like many dictionary definitions, it falls somewhat short of really communicating the biblical truth of what it means to be a Christian. The word “Christian” is used three times in the New Testament (Acts 11:26; 26:28; 1 Peter 4:16). Followers of Jesus Christ were first called “Christians” in Antioch (Acts 11:26) because their behavior, activity, and speech were like Christ. The word “Christian” literally means, “belonging to the party of Christ” or a “follower of Christ.”

Unfortunately over time, the word “Christian” has lost a great deal of its significance and is often used of someone who is religious or has high moral values but who may or may not be a true follower of Jesus Christ. Many people who do not believe and trust in Jesus Christ consider themselves Christians simply because they go to church or they live in a “Christian” nation. But going to church, serving those less fortunate than you, or being a good person does not make you a Christian.

Going to church does not make you a Christian any more than going to a garage makes you an automobile. Being a member of a church, attending services regularly, and giving to the work of the church does not make you a Christian. The Bible teaches that the good works we do cannot make us acceptable to God. Titus 3:5 says, “He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.” So, a Christian is someone who has been born again by God (John 3:3; John 3:7; 1 Peter 1:23) and has put faith and trust in Jesus Christ. Ephesians 2:8 tells us that it is “”by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.

” A true Christian is a person who has put faith and trust in the person and work of Jesus Christ, including His death on the cross as payment for sins and His resurrection on the third day. John 1:12 tells us, “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” The mark of a true Christian is love for others and obedience to God’s Word (1 John 2:4, 10). A true Christian is indeed a child of God, a part of God’s true family, and one who has been given new life in Jesus Christ.

How Do I Repent? Clarence L. Haynes Jr.

To repent or not to repent, that is the question. Well actually it’s not really the question because all of us at some point in life will have to repent. Since we all have to do it, I guess what really needs to be asked is how do I really repent? If you look in the dictionary it defines repenting as “feeling or expressing sincere regret or remorse about one’s wrongdoing or sin.” While that is part of repentance the question remains – is there more to it? As you will discover from Scripture, repentance goes beyond just feeling bad . It must involve change – the type of change that influences how you think and ultimately how you act. Let’s look further. What Does Repent Mean?

To repent or not to repent, that is the question. Well actually it’s not really the question because all of us at some point in life will have to repent. Since we all have to do it, I guess what really needs to be asked is how do I really repent? If you look in the dictionary it defines repenting as “feeling or expressing sincere regret or remorse about one’s wrongdoing or sin.” While that is part of repentance the question remains – is there more to it? As you will discover from Scripture, repentance goes beyond just feeling bad. It must involve change – the type of change that influences how you think and ultimately how you act. Let’s look further.

What Does Repent Mean?

If I was really repenting I would have said before I got the ticket or got caught, this behavior needs to change. I therefore would have changed my mind about how I was driving and would have slowed down to the speed limit. This is repentance. If all you do is feel sorry after you have been caught in your sin, then that is not repentance. If repentance doesn’t move you to change your actions, then unfortunately you have not repented. This is a big part of what is involved in repentance and moves us closer to answering the question: how do I repent?

Where Does the Bible Talk about Repentance?

The Bible talks a lot about repentance but I want to give you two examples, one from the Old Testament and one from the New.

Old Testament

“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14).

This is a very popular Scripture and it really defines what repentance is, even though it doesn’t use the word. There are four key words that really answer the question of how to repent. I will flush it all out later. For now, here are the four words: humble, pray, seek, turn.

At this moment let’s just look at the last word, turn. Notice God says “turn from their wicked ways.” This is what repenting is. Notice he didn’t say to feel bad about your wicked ways (though you should) he said turn from them. There cannot be forgiveness of sin unless you have a sincere desire to turn from your sin. This does not mean that you won’t sin in that area again, it means you have a real desire not to.

New Testament

“Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first” (Revelation 2:5). Notice again something very interesting about repentance – it requires action. Notice what Jesus is saying here: Consider – Think about where you are and what you are doing.

To understand why you need to repent, you must understand the impact of sin in your life. I want to consider sin from two perspectives, the perspective for the unbeliever and the perspective of the believer.

For the unbeliever, repentance is needed to restore relationship.

If you don’t know Jesus as your Savior, then your sin has put a separation between you and God. You cannot enter into a relationship with God through Jesus Christ until you first admit you are a sinner. You agree with God that you, just like every other person on this earth, has fallen short of what he requires. Once you acknowledge this and recognize your need for a savior, it opens the door for your relationship with God to be restored.
For the believer, repentance is needed to restore fellowship.

Once you have received Christ as your savior, your relationship with God is now intact. However what sin does is it puts a wall in the fellowship between you and God. Have you ever made a decision to sin? Have you ever ignored the conviction of the Holy Spirit to engage in activities that you knew were sinful? I know I have. After doing that what is the last thing you want to do? Spend time with God. You don’t want to pray, worship, read your bible, and you are definitely not going to be around other believers. In this instance, while you are still in relationship with God, your fellowship is broken. The only way to restore that fellowship is to repent and turn from your sin.

Remember the four key words, humble, pray, seek, and turn. Within these words is the answer to the question how do I really repent?

Humble – This means we have to get off our high horse and admit that we have sinned and have violated God’s standards or commands. If there is no humility, there will never be any repentance. In fact, if you believe you have never sinned, you are deceived.

“If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8).

Pray – It is in prayer that you confess your sins and ask God to forgive you. The beautiful thing about God’s love for you is this. If you ask him to forgive you, he will. Obviously there has to be a sincerity of heart, but God knows your heart so you can’t fool him anyway.

You may sin again after repenting. You may even commit the same sin again after repenting. Regardless keep getting up and repenting of your sin. Understand this is not about giving you a license to sin where the attitude is “I can sin as much as I want, I just need to ask for forgiveness.” That is not repentance.
Remember repentance requires a change of mind and actions. If your heart is sincere and you are walking with God and fall into sin, repent and keep walking with God.

However, if you find yourself struggling with a particular sin and you can’t seem to get freedom from it then you may need to get some help and accountability. This can come either through counseling, your pastor, leaders at your church or from another brother or sister in Christ. By the way if you need the help don’t be ashamed. These are some of the ways God helps you overcome.

One of the biggest tricks and lies of the enemy is to tell you that you can’t share your struggle because people will condemn you. Unfortunately, there are some Christians and leaders who will condemn you and that’s a shame on them. If you really are struggling and want freedom, don’t let that stop you from asking for help. That’s why you are part of the body of Christ. You don’t have to go through your struggle alone.

As you can see, the question of repentance is a very important question. As you walk with God you are going to make mistakes. You will sin. When that time comes, run to God and repent. He will not reject you and more importantly he will welcome you with open arms, because he was waiting for you to repent all along.

Clarence L. Haynes Jr. is a speaker, Bible teacher, and co-founder of The Bible Study Club. He is the author of The Pursuit of Purpose which will help you understand how God leads you into his will. He has also just released his new book The Pursuit of Victory: How To Conquer Your Greatest Challenges and Win In Your Christian Life. Do you want to go deeper in your walk with the Lord but can’t seem to overcome the stuff that keeps getting in the way? This book will teach you how to put the pieces together so you can live a victorious Christian life and finally become the man or woman of God that you truly desire to be. To learn more about his ministry please visit clarencehaynes.com.

FROM BIBLE STUDY TOOLS.