by Ayanda Makhubu
The counterfeit Repentance
And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world : he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. Rev 12:9
The greatest deception the devil has formed is self-deception.
Steps to Christ SC 23
There are many who fail to understand the true nature of repentance.
Beloved the fact that we are falling continually over the same sins day by day, year after year is a sign that is trying to tell us that we have fallen into a trap. We need to start afresh the whole thing again. The track of truth lies close beside the track of error, and both tracks may seem to be one to minds which are not worked by the Holy Spirit, and which, therefore, are not quick to discern the difference between truth and error.
The most confusing part in salvation especially in the aspect of conversion is that how will one know that he or she is converted because it is hard to discern the difference between man’s works and God’s works. There is a thin line between the two, man can deceive himself that he has repented while he has done the whole thing by his own efforts. He can even reform bad habits to good ones while self is still on the throne of his heart completely unchanged.
Tomas Watson once said this:
“A sin may be left not as such from strength of grace as from reason of prudence. A man sees that although such a sin is for his pleasure, it is not for his interest; it will eclipse his credit, prejudice his health, and impair his estate. Therefore, for prudential reasons, he dismisses it.”
We can leave some sins because they are no longer profitable to us but think we are converted.
A person may resolve and make vows, and yet not be penitent . We see by experience what protestation a person will make when he is on his sickbed, if only God would allow him to recover; yet he is as bad as ever, He shows his old heart in a new temptation. This resolution may arise from present extremity; not because sin is sinful, but because it is painful. This resolution will vanish. Do not trust to a passionate resolution; it arises in a storm and it will die in a calm. True leaving of sin is when the acts of sin cease because of the infusion of a principle of grace, just as it ceases to be dark when there is an infusion of light.
The first thing we need to do is to stop pretending that we are saved and converted, let us just come clean just as we are to God Sinful/Helpless/Dependent. He will give us the eyes to see the sinfulness of sin and we will see how necked we are and hopefully we will make the right cry to God, and I know he won’t delay to give us the repentance that will lead us to the foot of the cross.
