Repentance isn't what I thought it was (Part 2)

Have you ever wondered...

"If I really repented... why do I still struggle with sin?"

I know I have.

When I first began to understand what repentance actually meant, that question hit me pretty hard. If I've turned away from sin... why do I still keep falling into it? For a while, I wondered if something was wrong with me.

Maybe you've wondered the same thing.

Here's the good news. The struggle itself doesn't mean your repentance wasn't real. In fact, the struggle may be evidence that God is doing something He wasn't doing before.

Before I trusted Christ, I sinned because that's simply how I lived. Sure, I felt guilty sometimes, but I wasn't really fighting it.

Now I still fail. I still make mistakes. I still have days when I have to ask God to forgive me.

The difference is... Now I hate my sin. I don't want it. I don't make excuses for it. I want to become more like Christ.

That battle wasn't there before.

The Bible says,

"For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another..."

— Galatians 5:17 (NKJV)

What does that mean?

The "flesh" isn't talking about your skin and bones. It's talking about that old sinful nature that still wants to do things your own way instead of God's way.

The Holy Spirit, who lives in every believer, is leading us in the opposite direction. Those two desires are constantly pulling against each other.

That's why following Jesus can feel like a battle at times. It doesn't mean you've failed. It means there's now a fight taking place that wasn't there before.

The enemy knows this too.

The Bible tells us that Satan is looking for every opportunity to discourage God's people.

"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith..."

— 1 Peter 5:8-9 (NKJV)

One of his favorite lies is this: "If you were really saved, you wouldn't still struggle." But that's exactly what it is—a lie.

There's a huge difference between struggling with sin and embracing it.

A believer says, "Lord, I hate that I keep falling. Please help me."

A heart that's comfortable in sin says, "I know it's wrong, and I don't care."

Neither person is perfect. But only one is fighting.

The apostle John reminds believers of this:

"If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

— 1 John 1:8-9 (NKJV)

Notice John doesn't say, "If we sin, God is done with us." He says to confess it. God isn't surprised when His children stumble. He calls us to bring our sin to Him, receive His forgiveness, and keep walking with Him.

Repentance doesn't mean you'll never sin again.

It means sin is no longer where you want to live. Are you struggling against your sin... or have you become comfortable with it?

Next post, I'd like to talk about something that looks a lot like repentance but isn't.

Is feeling sorry for your sin the same thing as true repentance?

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