How do I repent?

[sh284]

I'm finding that one of my biggest stumbling blocks is repentance. I feel that I'm incapable of feeling remorse over some of my sins. No matter how hard I try, I can't feel bad over most of my drunken escapades over the years. It's easy to repent over the sins where I directly harmed someone, but the others are much harder.

 

[Incariol]

St. Ambrose wrote a work, Concerning Repentance.

http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/3406.htm

 

[solarwave]

I'm finding that one of my biggest stumbling blocks is repentance. I feel that I'm incapable of feeling remorse over some of my sins. No matter how hard I try, I can't feel bad over most of my drunken escapades over the years. It's easy to repent over the sins where I directly harmed someone, but the others are much harder.

Well you can repent of the things you feel you can repent of and then draw closer to God. As you draw closer to God you may feel conviction for other sins in your past and present and then repent of them.

 

[EphesiaNZ]

St. Ambrose wrote a work, Concerning Repentance.

CHURCH FATHERS: Concerning Repentance (Ambrose)

Hmm, looks interesting - might have to read that myself

 

[LWB]

I was just discussing this today with a fellow believer.

The flesh delights in carnal ways, so you might never feel inclined to repent in an emotional outpouring of grief and remorse.

Simply resolve to love and obey God to the best of your ability.

 

[drich0150]

I'm finding that one of my biggest stumbling blocks is repentance. I feel that I'm incapable of feeling remorse over some of my sins. No matter how hard I try, I can't feel bad over most of my drunken escapades over the years. It's easy to repent over the sins where I directly harmed someone, but the others are much harder.

Repentance is far more than just "feeling" bad. True repentance is a confession (to God) and a turning or a change in the attitude of the Heart towards sin. For instance two people can come together and sin. They can love each other and love what they are doing, but in order to have repented they must look at what they are doing together as sin. This means they are not to justify it or play it down. Once they recognize it as sin they must try put it out of their lives, by confessing what they have done and asking for help if they need it. They can still love each other and look forward to the time when they can enjoy their shared affections in a sanctified relationship. At no point is it mandatory that one must carry guilt or shame for their sin.

 

[Hannah64]

Just simply ask Jesus to forgive you of your sins and ask him to take the guilt from you,it might take time,but Jesus is the healer.

 

[aiki]

I'm finding that one of my biggest stumbling blocks is repentance. I feel that I'm incapable of feeling remorse over some of my sins. No matter how hard I try, I can't feel bad over most of my drunken escapades over the years. It's easy to repent over the sins where I directly harmed someone, but the others are much harder.

THere is definitely a place for feeling remorse and sorrow over your sin:

James 4:8-10
8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
9 Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.
10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.

2 Corinthians 7:9-10
9 Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing.
10 For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.


Can we work up this feeling of sorrow from within ourselves? I don't think so. Consider the following verse:


2 Timothy 2:25-26
25...if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth,
26 and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.


Acts 5:30-31
30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree.
31 Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.


Godly sorrow is just that: godly. That is, it comes from God and reflects His attitude toward our sin. Ask God to give you the kind of repentance from your sin the apostle James writes of in the quotation above. Ask God to show you just how deep your sin runs. I believe until you see yourself in respect to your sin as God sees you, you will never love Him as you ought to love Him. (See Luke 7:36-50)


Selah.

 

[zaksmummy]

Repentance is far more than just "feeling" bad. True repentance is a confession (to God) and a turning or a change in the attitude of the Heart towards sin.

In your case of getting drunk etc, true repentance would require you to not continue to get drunk. This does not mean not drinking though - just not getting into the state where you are intoxicated and out of control.

 

[ElijahW]

I think repenting about past mistakes is also difficult. I do find it easy to feel the need to repent about not living up to who I wish I was currently. I think repentance comes into play when you have goals for yourself that you aren’t reaching. If you are happy with who you are as a person and see no need to change then repentance has no real use to you, since it is a mechanism to change an individual.

 

[Emmy]

Dear sh284. How about this? Jesus tells us in Matthew, " the first Commandment is: Love thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. The second is like it: Love thy neighbour as thyself." Then Jesus states: " On these two Commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets." Love is what God wants from us, selfless and no conditions tagged on. Jesus will give us His Love and His Joy, and the Holy Spirit will empower us with His Love. " Ask and ye will receive," that is a promise to us. You will have enough love to share with all you know and all you meet. God will see how seriously you follow His Commandments to love, and God will approve and bless you. Jesus did die for our sins/aggressions, and we are free to return to God, but Jesus is the Way, and we have to let Him know that we love and trust Him, and gratefully follow Him. To repent: you have to accept Jesu`s Love and try and become loving God with all your being, and love your neighbour as yourself. I say this with love, sh284 Greetings from Emmy, your sister in Christ.

 

[ALoveDivine]

Well I can only explain repentance as I experienced it. God led me to recognize that I had been in rebellion against him, that I had hated him and tried to avoid his truth, all the days of my life up to that moment. This revelation left me broken and I decided right then and there to turn to God through Jesus Christ and his finished work on the cross.

Repentance means to recognize your position in relation with God. Recognize that you are a sinner, that you are in rebellion against God. Having recognized this, you must make a decision; you must decide to turn from your sinful rebellion and to him, recognizing that Jesus Christ made this possible in the first place, having suffered the death and wrath that was rightfully yours.

Confess to God that you are a sinner and that you would like to be reconciled to him, to be his child and to live a godly life to his glory. Also understand that this reconciliation is only possible because of what Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all things, did on the cross. Do this and you WILL be saved, as the bible promises.

 

[FutureAndAHope]

Have to admit you have me stummped. I am not sure how to respond to this kind of question. All I can say is you need to look at what drinking can do in some peoples lives. E.g. drink driving accidents, hit an runs, family violence. I had a friend who was drunk and was hit bay a car, lucky for him he only broke a few ribs. But see the results of these things in many people lives is destructive. God wants children bough up in a safe way, he want us to be a good example not to tell people how great our drinking exploits are, becase each time we do that we encourage some one to crash a car, some one to run onto a road an be hit by a car, or a husband to hit his wife. God does not approve (with a wink) of our bad behaviours, he want us to be loving examples to the next generation.

 

[Johnnz]

Repentance does not necessarily entail deep remorse. The word basically means to think or see something differently. I can have a new insight into something and see a new and exciting perspective to live from, so I change my thinking on a matter. Sometimes the consequences of some sin can cause is great grief, but we must not limit the meaning of the word just to that sense.

John
NZ

 

[salida]

I'm finding that one of my biggest stumbling blocks is repentance. I feel that I'm incapable of feeling remorse over some of my sins. No matter how hard I try, I can't feel bad over most of my drunken escapades over the years. It's easy to repent over the sins where I directly harmed someone, but the others are much harder.

Repentence is about feeling remorse concerning rebellion against God in ones lifestyle. After you do this then get baptized and ask the holy spirit in your life.

Getting smashed in the past can't be helped-but you can do something about the future.

Are you a Real Christian or a Sunday Christian
http://www.rapture-soon.net/realchristian.html

We need more real christians-not sunday ones.

 

[purnhart]

Repentance is not about feelings. It is obedience to God. God says to repent of your sins. He doesn't say to feel bad about them. You don't have to "feel" remorse to repent. You obey God. You say, God, I am a sinner. I have sinned. Please forgive me. If there is sin in my life that I don't know about (or don't understand it to be sin) please forgive me and please help me to see things your way.

 

[sh284]

Have to admit you have me stummped. I am not sure how to respond to this kind of question. All I can say is you need to look at what drinking can do in some peoples lives. E.g. drink driving accidents, hit an runs, family violence. I had a friend who was drunk and was hit bay a car, lucky for him he only broke a few ribs. But see the results of these things in many people lives is destructive. God wants children bough up in a safe way, he want us to be a good example not to tell people how great our drinking exploits are, becase each time we do that we encourage some one to crash a car, some one to run onto a road an be hit by a car, or a husband to hit his wife. God does not approve (with a wink) of our bad behaviours, he want us to be loving examples to the next generation.

I'm not sure that applies to me. As much drinking as I've done, I've never driven drunk nor have I ever gotten violent as a result of my drunkenness. The only harm is my college GPA would've been half a point higher.

 

[purnhart]

I'm not sure that applies to me. As much drinking as I've done, I've never driven drunk nor have I ever gotten violent as a result of my drunkenness. The only harm is my college GPA would've been half a point higher.

My long distance boyfriend drank beer every day, smoked and, I heard after, was doing illegal drugs and he had a brain aneurysm. He died almost 5 years later, never having woken up. It is accumulative. It builds up in your system.

 

[Hospes]

I'm finding that one of my biggest stumbling blocks is repentance. I feel that I'm incapable of feeling remorse over some of my sins. No matter how hard I try, I can't feel bad over most of my drunken escapades over the years. It's easy to repent over the sins where I directly harmed someone, but the others are much harder.

Why do you want to repent?

 

[sh284]

Why do you want to repent?

I feel it's something I need to do.