Focal Passage: Deuteronomy 30:1-4, 6-8, 15-20
God revealed to Moses that the people of Israel would turn away from God’s law and, in so doing, face God’s severe punishment (exile). God would not, however, turn His back on His people and completely abandon them. God would call His people to return to Him through faith and repentance, returning to an exclusive love of their covenant-keeping God which would result in obedience to Him.
God’s call to His people today is the same: love Him only and obey Him fully. When we do not and our hearts turn away from Him to worship or cherish other things, He calls on us once again to walk with Him by faith and repentance. It is by faith and repentance that we enter a relationship with God through Christ. It is by faith and repentance that we return to right fellowship with God when we sin against Him (Colossians 2:6).
There are several ways that believers respond to sin in their lives today. One way is to excuse it. One might say something like, “That is just the way I am.”
Or, “I have always been that way.” The problem with this approach is it fails to see the sin as an ongoing rebellious offense against a Holy God and it fails to acknowledge the power of the gospel to transform our sinful hearts. Another problematic way of dealing with sin is to admit it is there, while letting it continue to be part of one’s life.
Though some may call this “confession” (by which they mean acknowledging the sin’s presence), it stops short of true biblical confession which will lead to godly sorrow and repentance.
The only biblical way to deal with our sin is through true biblical confession and repentance that results in forgiveness and restored fellowship with God (1 John 1:9).
This kind of confession views sin the way God views sin and results in godly sorrow, repentance and obedience. Repentance is a decisive change of heart and mind that results in a change in action. We must live a lifestyle of repentance, walking by faith in the Lord Jesus.