To God’s Beloved At Cloverdale Baptist Church:
Repent!
You have probably heard that from preachers in your life, and certainly it is something we say a lot at Cloverdale Baptist Church…but what does it actually mean?
Is it a negative word for you, or an amazing opportunity of humbly and constantly aligning with God and His Word?
Do you really have to repent? If you have repented, do you have to repent again?
Repentance is a turning from sin, and to God. Literally the word means a change of mind, but it has rightly come to mean a change of behavior as well. It includes how we feel, but is focused on how we think about things, and because of those thoughts, how we behave. A great definition I got from TGC is, “It is the complete and utter turning of the person away from sin”, and I would add towards God’s Word and person.
So, do we need to repent?
YES…in fact the Bible teaches that we should live a life of repentance as followers of Jesus. The word appears twenty times in the NT, and the verb, repent, appears twenty seven times. It is a major concept of teaching, even when the word is not used.
If repentance is a realigning of our thinking, feeling and living with who God is and what He has revealed in His Word, then as the reformers said, we should live our lives in a constant spirit of repentance…of humble realignment with the character and revelation of the living God. Of turning from sin, to God.
Romans 12:1-2 carries with it this idea, as do so many other passages that call for us to take captive every thought and make it obedient to Christ!
More specifically, what does this mean?
Repent and believe, for conversion…
This is the start of our journey towards God, and we learn the Gospel, and repent of a false system of beliefs that led us towards sin, not the Savior.
Acts 26:18 uses the word for repentance here as a turning from the power of Satan, to God, and it is a reminder for us that true conversion is a turning from sin and a turning to Jesus and what He has done for us on the cross. We must repent and believe or we cannot be forgiven for our sins, and aligned IN CHRIST!
Repent and believe, for closeness…
This is the constant realignment of our minds to God’s Word. This is the intimacy of a pursuit of holiness, and a willingness to surrender all that we believe to what God’s Word reveals.
It is a realigning that needs the constant washing of God’s Word so that we know what God wants and who God is. Psalm 1 shows us that this is what the man who is blessed does, and it is a continual and constant pursuit of the mind of Christ, and intimacy with Him through this pursuit.
Repenting is needed any time our thoughts don't align with His, or our lives are not in perfect obedience to Him.
We know we are not perfect in what we believe, and we long to align our beliefs with His, so we are constantly conforming our minds to make sure we align with the WORD, not the world…and can know intimately the God that is revealed in His Word, and is not a friend of the world.
Repent and believe, for change…
I love how Bradley Green puts this, “Just as we believe in order to be saved but then continue believing throughout the Christian life, so also our initial repentance marks the beginning of a life of repentance as we seek to live unto God.”
We know we will not be perfect until heaven, so we constantly seek to grow in our purity and passion to be driven and defined by our walk with God, and this will always include a turning from sin, to God, a turning from the world, flesh and devil, to align with God's Word, the Bible!
So…
REPENT!
Realizing that in life, we are not who we were, nor are who we should be, but in the power of the Spirit we are growing into Him who loves us and gave Himself for us.
Repentance is a beautiful word that marks the pathway to perfection that we all must be on, and when we arrive, we shall be as He sees us, IN CHRIST, HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS, in our humanity, pursuing this with all our might, and in death…LIKE HIM IN IMPUTED AND PRACTICAL RIGHTEOUSNESS!
Living a life of repentance with you,
Pastor Rob
Sunday Is Coming:
Series: Heroes of the Faith: David…A Man After God’s Own Heart, or A Horrific Murdering Adulterer
Text: Psalm 32; 51; 2 Samuel 11-12
Our goal is to grow so that more and more if a detective were to evaluate our lives, they would say…APART FROM FAITH IN CHRIST THERE IS NO EXPLANATION FOR SUCH A LIFE…
How does David’s failures teach us to live life loyal to God?
Why do you think the Bible includes stories like this one?
How does David’s small sins lead to large ones?
- Do you see this pattern in your own life?
How does David’s response to his sin help us to learn how to respond to our own?
Why do you think that God did not remove temporary consequences for David’s sins, even as He forgave Him completely?
This is a hard story, as you reflect on it, let it warn you to hate sin, love God, and seek with all your might to live in obedience to Him…and when you fall short, and you will, to live a life of joyful repentance!
Bulletin
Habits of Grace Conference
Oct. 25 & 26, 2024 / Cloverdale Baptist We are excited to announce the Habits of Grace Conference in partnership with Desiring God! Guest speaker David Mathis, executive editor for desiringGod.org, will be joining Pastor Rob to delve into how spiritual disciplines can deepen our joy in Christ. Breakout sessions specifically designed for men, women, youth, and couples will focus on spiritual growth. Lunch provided. Register today!
Summer Prayer Meetings
Wednesdays at 7pm / Fellow. Hall At Cloverdale Baptist we always emphasize the importance of personal and corporate prayer. Throughout the summer, we’ll be meeting every Wednesday at 7pm as our elders lead us through a time of prayer and share a brief message. We hope you’ll make this a priority starting July 3rd.
Women's Ministry Events
» Women's Retreat: register on our website today.
» Fall Bible Study Registration: An inductive study of the book of Colossians on Monday evenings or Tuesday mornings starting this fall. Child discipleship offered during morning study (we're hiring for this position, contact us for details). Registration is now open >
» Women's Ministries Fall Kickoff: Thursday, Sept. 5th from 7-8:30pm—Come learn about opportunities to get involved in Women's Ministries. You'll be able to register in person for our retreat, Bible study and book club as well as learn about the different volunteer positions we're looking for!
