repentance

October 10 2005
i think we've really misunderstood repentance. we talk about it being a 180-degree turn or a change in thinking that results in a change of action. i myself prefer to think of repentance in terms of story -- i recognize that all the stories of this world are false, and that God's story is the only true story. i then turn my back on every story i've been living, and i participate exclusively in the story of God.

really, any of these definitions is pretty fair, but we're leaving out a crucial ingredient -- the crucial ingredient. where do we place the power of God and the work of the Holy Spirit in our definitions of repentance? we hold on tight to our own stories of repentance, because this allows us to salvage a portion of our pride. "if i can't contribute at all to my salvation, then surely i can at least be the one who puts myself in the position in which i'm 'saveable.'" we like to look back on our lives and talk about how we had the intelligence to figure out the path we were heading down was a poor one; and so we finally came to our senses and turned our lives around.

in luke 15, the lost son "came to his senses." that's even how the niv renders it. and once in his senses he devised a plan to make himself right. he would go to his father and ask to be a hired worker. i understand that he recognized the poor life he was living -- but he was not truly responsible for the change in his life. when HE came to HIS senses, HE devised HIS OWN plan to make HIMSELF right. he attempted to do all this on his own. the lost son was not truly found, i believe, until his father embraced him. it was then that the change in his life truly came about; his father received him as a son.

God's power must be present in repentance. i cannot bring about the change in my life that occurs in salvation. i can no more change my life by decision and discipline than i can provide my own sacrifice for sins. i pray that the Holy Spirit continues to transform me, changing me, making me into the man he desires for me to be. and my prayer is the same for you. may he bless us both with truly changed lives.

Jonathan Moore

October 11 2005
Hey brett, i really really liked this post..... I totally agree with what you are saying. I agree with you saying we can not bring about the change in our life by decisions and dicipline. That is so so so true. You know the love and grace and forgivness of God is so hard to grasp but I think ounce we begin to grasp it we realize more and more we are not the ones doing anything. God is the one at work and nothing we do is really doing anything. It is the holy spirit changing us from the inside out. Here is a question though---- Do you think that the holy spirit takes off our blinders to reveal to us just little by little what God is trying to show us life is all about? Do you think maybe we can't see that without the holy spirit interveining and therefore we take that information and make the concious decision to act on it or just ignore it? haha Im not really sure where that thought came from..... But my next question is--- are you saying we can't put ourselfe in the place to to be savable or are you??? Anyways beside the point. Um about the sermon - I wanted to make the point that we can't buy ourselves back into God's grace no matter what we try to do prevalant in my concusion but maybe I didnt focus enough on God's changing power.....? Im not sure. I hoping to really work on it tday. I just wrote that out yesterday. I really felt like God was leading me to write what I wrote though so I am excited to see where he leads me next. Ummmmmm also I am suppose to be doing my speech on thur so is the advice you are gonna give me change a whole lot of my talk lol cuz knowing you it might haha. um if it is could you write a little bit of what you are thinking to me. Anyways thanks so so much for reading it lol I didnt think anyone would cuz it was so long. OK well man I hope you have a great day. Thanks for everything. Ill be at starbucks once again this wed so i might see ya there. In Him, Jonathan 1Thes 5:16-18

Jonathan Moore

October 11 2005
J/K Im doing my talk on tue of next week so if i see you at starbucks you can tell me what you think then. anyways have a great day.