TRUE REPENTANCE

Joel 2:12-13 That is why the LORD says, “Turn to me now, while there is time! Give me your hearts. Come with fasting, weeping, and mourning. Don’t tear your clothing in your grief; instead, tear your hearts.  Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and merciful. He is not easily angered. He is filled with kindness and is eager not to punish you.”   NLT

      True repentance comes from the inside out and not the outside in. We can do nothing to change our heart and make it right before God. No religious exercise or deed will ever make you right with God. No strict adherence to any laws or regulations will make you right with God. God wants your heart. He wants your will, your love, your commitment to obedience and service. God wants you to sincerely want Him to change the way you think and feel about sin, yourself, and Him. He wants you to give Him the motives why you do, think, and say what you do. God wants you to let Him control what goes in and out of your heart.

     When we approach God in this way, we then find true repentance. He is merciful and gracious and will not turn anyone away who sincerely seeks Him. The issue we must deal with today is, “Have I sincerely given the Lord my heart, my life? Do I know that He has changed me from the inside out, or am I still trying to change from the outside in?”