10 Mistakes People Make with Repentance (plus 1 bonus)

January 9, 2014 by

The Preaching of St. John the BaptistLightning fast read meant to make you think…

10 Mistakes People Make with Repentance (plus 1 bonus):

1. Think it’s just about admitting you were wrong after you are forced to do so. (Exodus 9:27)
2. Equate repentance with a person’s statement of good intentions to change (verbalizing isn’t enough). (Exodus 9:28)
3. Don’t realize it is a 180-degree, opposite direction, about-face in actions (repentance literally means a change of mind). (Matthew 3:7-8; John 8:11)
4. Overlook their need for repentance not recognizing they are sinners like everyone else. (Romans 3:10, 23)
5. Think they can change themselves via their own will power and mind set (repentance is a work of God, too). (Acts 11:18b; Zechariah 4:6)
6. Mix up worldly sorrow (sorry you got caught) with a godly sorrow (sorry/grief over the sin you committed). (2 Corinthians 7:9-10)
7. Allow room for justifying, rationalizing away or pinning the blame on someone else rather than taking full responsibility for sin. (2 Corinthians 7:10)
8. Go back on their promise to change (repent) once the consequences subside. (Exodus 9:34-35)
9. Are confused on the subject of God’s “repentance” / changing His mind as mentioned in the Scriptures (for an excellent explanation on this, click here). (Exodus 32:14; Genesis 6:6; Numbers 23:19; Hebrews 13:8).
10. Don’t realize that a helpful approach to proper repentance is the realization of how one hurts Jesus Himself when he or she sins (and so you never want to do anything to hurt your Lord and Savior). (Genesis 39:9c; 1 John 1:9)

BONUS Overlook that repentance sometimes requires restitution for past injuries (seek God and godly counsel for discernment). (Luke 19:1-9)

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About Pastor Mike

Pastor Mike is making the most of web technologies to encourage disciples. A self-proclaimed “twitterholic,” one twitter follower describes him as the “jogging, blogging, tweeting Pastor.” Visits to Pastor Mike’s blog (A Heart For God) number in the hundreds of thousands. His video blogs have been viewed over a half a million times.