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Nothing else limits our walk in Christ and spiritual growth more than sin in our lives.   It deprives us of God’s best.  It takes a prolonged sinful act or thought to grind our spiritual growth to a complete halt.  Bad attitudes, private sins, pride and resentment drain us from the spiritual vigour and joy in the Lord.  Gal 5:16 urges us to “live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature”.  It is only God’s Presence and the Bible that makes us restless about sin in our lives.  The conflict between the Holy Spirit and the sinful old self brings us to our knees before a holy God.

Gal. 5:17 teaches us that repentance is as much for the moment as it is a way of life.  Trusting God certainly does not mean that we need not have to deal with our dark side any more.  On the contrary, as we get close to God we see our sinfulness with clarity.  We grow to be more sensitive to sin as we draw close to Him.  Led by the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:18), we come to repentance from sin that is specific and practical.  The joy of a renewed life in Christ lies in keeping short accounts of sins.  The Bible speaks to us of “godly sorrow” or “brokenness over sin”.  Do we ever feel this godly sorrow of sin or has sin simply numb our consciences?  We must always acknowledge sin in our lives specifically before God.

Repentance from sin means to confess our sin to God.  Often we think that repentance is the embarrassment when we get caught.  Or that we are ashamed at the consequences of our own stupid actions.  In Gal. 5:19-21 we are called to confess and repent from sin – both towards man and towards God.  We confess to individuals what we commit in word and deed that has offended them.  To God alone we confess our thoughts and attitudes of the heart.  We need to change direction.  We uncover our sins not just to be forgiven but that we forsake them.  It is easy to brush them aside and say that it does not matter – sin does matter.  The cross at Calvary demonstrates the worst in me that required the price that was paid by Jesus.  The fruit of the flesh yields to death.  Repentance from sin leads to a life that is Spirit-filled and resulting in a heart overflowing with thankfulness.

“He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves
but for Him who died for them and was raised again” (1 Cor. 15:5)