Live in the Light: A Call to Heartfelt Repentance

1 John 1.7-10 Blog  

The sky had opened, and torrents of rain drenched the crowd at the Billy Graham crusade in Fukuoka, Japan. Despite the cold and relentless downpour, I was amazed at the number of people who braved the weather to hear the message of Christ. My husband and I, soaked to the bone, spent hours praying for those who came forward, deeply moved by the sight of hundreds surrendering their lives to Jesus. The anointing was at the crusade. Holy Spirit was drawing the people to Jesus. 

But not everyone was ready to accept that message. The day after the crusade, I visited a friend whose husband had attended but hadn’t come forward for prayer. “I’m a good person,” he said, his eyes hard as steel. “I don’t need to repent. I don’t need Jesus.” His words cut through me, and though I wanted to say more, I realized that only God could soften his heart. 

Even believers can treat repentance lightly, just as I once did. But being forgiven is no small thing. It’s the difference between life and death, light and darkness. 

Repentance isn’t just about saying “sorry”; it’s about a deep, heart-level change. It’s about hating what God hates because we love what He loves. Like an archer aiming at a target, we may miss the mark, guided more by our own thoughts than the Holy Spirit. This makes us all sinners, in need of God’s grace. 

God’s plan is simple: repentance and forgiveness. But simplicity doesn’t mean it’s easy, especially for those who haven’t yet realized that we all miss the mark. Yet, once we repent, God’s forgiveness sets us free to walk in His plans for our lives. 

Do we sometimes create our own set of rules and truths to make ourselves feel better? Jesus came to shine light into our dark places, offering a choice: cling to our ways or see our shortcomings through His teaching. Those who chose to repent and be baptized found new life, purified and renewed. Baptism, then and now, symbolizes the washing away of the old and the embracing of the new. 

Jesus, who is our righteousness, wraps His robe around us, His beloved Bride. None of us is righteous on our own, but through His sacrifice, we are made righteous. We are invited to come freely to the Throne of Grace, confess our sins, and walk in the light of His love, joy, and peace. 

We’ve received a precious inheritance in Christ. Repentance keeps us close to Him, restoring us when we stray. Sin separates us from God, but repentance bridges that gap, opening the way for a deeper relationship with our Heavenly Father. 

The wages of sin is death, but repentance justifies us before God, wiping our slate clean. It’s as if we had never sinned. Through repentance, we receive abundant life now and forever. 

Let’s be quick to repent. Heartfelt repentance opens the spiritual airwaves, connecting us more deeply with our Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus, and Holy Spirit. Our spiritual senses become more attuned, and our relationship with God grows ever closer. 

Isn’t it amazing that we serve a God who longs to walk and talk with us all the time?