When saying "I'm Sorry" is just not enough

[Ramez5]

There is no repentance whatever unless there is a change of life as the result. The change of life is the proof of the change of heart.- People’s Commentary


The Lord was convicting me this morning about a spending decision I made yesterday. It weighed very heavy on my heart. I realized that if I really want financial peace, I will have to truly repent over my laxness in this area. I wept many tears this morning explaining to my dear hubby about my shopping trip at the thrift store yesterday.

We have a big trip coming up.. and this was poor timing. He was as understanding as always.. but I want to change.

Freedom comes from true repentence. I’m learning that in any area of my life, if there’s a small problem there’s probably a root of a bigger problem underlying it.

Repentance gets all the way down to the root and pulls it up.

I loved the original meanings for the words fruit, fit, and repentance.

By definition, fruit (2590 /karpós) results from two life-streams – the Lord living His life through ours – to yield what is eternal (cf. 1 Jn 4:17).

fit (worthy) 14 /áksios (“weighed-in”) “properly means, ‘drawing down the scale’ hence ‘weighing as much as,’ ‘of like value, worth,’ befitting, congruous, corresponding” (J. Thayer).

repentance: Original Word: μετάνοια, ας, ἡ Definition: repentance, a change of mind, change in the inner man.

The key here is the word FITTING. We are to produce fruit (live differently) that is of the same weight or value as the sin we were committing before.

That fruit should be ‘fit’ for or in keeping with true repentance. The meaning was ‘on the same scale’ or to the same degree.

After thinking on this one a bit I suddenly realized that John gave great examples of this. If you are a soldier, stop doing this, and now, as a Christian, do this. If you are a tax collector.. If you are a slave.. If you are a king.. In every sphere of life, we can do things the wrong way or the right way.

In other words, whatever you were doing wrong before, now you have to not only stop but produce fruit and do things that are the opposite.
So for the over spending wife,true repentance would be not just to stop wasting money or spending inappropriately, but to begin saving, being thrifty. I should be consulting my husband before making shopping decisions and listening and obeying when the Holy Spirit says ‘no’. I love this verse!
The cure is found in Amos 5:4 Seek me (God) and live!
Apart from Christ we can’t bear fruit at all.

In our own strength we will either minimize our sin or never stop. I think this is because either we don't see it as sin or we don't see the impact or we can't say no to our flesh. But if we seek the Lord and study his word and pray for the Holy Spirit's grace and power, we can do this!

Dear Lord,

Give us the grace to truly repent where we are sinning. Help us see it, repent, and then start doing the things that demonstrate our changed heart. As we seek you, you will produce that fruit in us. Help us seek your face and let your word and your light shine in our darkened hearts. Help us to experience the healing that repentance brings. Amen