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Sunday, July 07, 2013

Rather than

“I conclude that repentance involves believing God,” proclaimed the preacher, “rather than Satan’s claim that more joy can be found in sin than in obedience.” Repentance, the preacher continued,
is a “being persuaded” about the danger of impenitence and the way of escape through repentance for the forgiveness of sins. It involves grief over past sins and present sinful tendencies. This is the significance of the sackcloth and ashes [inLuke 10:13 and Jonah 3:5]. And it involves turning from evil ways.
So faith and repentance are not properly two separate things. The turning of repentance is a turning from trusting in other things to a trusting in God. And with a new trust in God as counselor and protector and provider, there is also a turning to a new life of joyful obedience.
-John Piper, 1988.