This is a series that I believe the Holy Spirit wants me to put in my blog. I pray that the readers will finish reading all parts of the series and get something from it. These are things that we need to do in order to seek the real living God. I am not qualified to write this series because I am also at the learning stage. But, it is God’s Spirit that will speak to you through these articles.
“Missing Key: True Repentance”
May tanong ako. May time ba na may nagawa kang kasalanan na alam mong may punishment o consequence, tapos nung inamin mo yung kasalanan mo hindi ka naparusahan?
O kung naparusahan ka man, pero nung inamin mo na talagang nagkamali ka, yung pakiramdam mo para kang nakawala sa preso, para kang nakahinga ulit?
Masarap ang pakiramdam kapag may inamin kang kasalanan o inamin na pagkakamali sa ibang tao. At kung minsan nga, you do not get the punishment you deserve at madalas napupuri ka pa for your honesty. That is grace.
Yung pag-amin mo sa sarili mo na nagkamali ka is true repentance. Kasi pwede mong sabihin na nagkamali ka sa iba pero sa loob mo, iniisip mo wala ka paring kasalanan.
When in yourself, you admit that you made a mistake, that it was your fault, you will have no shame in telling others about your mistake. It is because you are FREE FROM GUILT AND CONDEMNATION inside you.
Many Christians pray a simple prayer to be saved but does not really understand the concept of repentance. True and genuine repentance is one of the most important key in attaining true salvation.
Sadly, many Christians think that by just praying the sinner’s prayer, they are instantly saved. But without true and genuine repentance, it will have no effect.
Yes, once in my life, I thought I was saved until I realized, I wasn’t yet. A lot of times, I see people before they say the sinner’s prayer, they cried. I did not. I prayed the prayer a lot of times but I did not cry. I know two friends who cried before they got saved. But why didn’t I cry? Why, oh why?
Is there really a need to cry?
I am really not sure. Pero gusto ko malaman kung bakit sila umiyak.
My friend na itatago ko sa pangalang Ay-Nadapa-Ako told me that she just can’t help but cry. She, herself, did not know the reason for continuous weeping. I also have a friend na itatago ko sa pangalang PoP na umiyak rin. I forgot what he told me why he cried pero it was my first time seeing a guy weep after the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
I asked the Lord. “Why didn’t I cry?”
I researched about it and I found that crying because of repentance is biblical. In the bible, it does not specify the word ‘crying.’ However, you always have to read between the lines.
10 Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.
2 Corinthians 7:10
Godly sorrow is the Holy Spirit convicting you of your sinful state. Godly sorrow means naliwanagan kang bigla na makasalanan ka pala and you need a savior from yourself. So ibig sabihin, it is the Holy Spirit that will lead you to repentance. That is why PoP started crying upon the baptism of the Holy Spirit. There was a sudden realization and some sort of a reunion of him and His God after finding out that God is not really mad at him.
The Holy Spirit started moving in his heart making him aware that he was in a sinful state. It is a state that longs for a God. That’s why he cried. That’s also why Ay-Nadapa-Ako cried when she got saved. The Godly sorrow was upon them.
I’m gonna post here the whole story of the prodigal son. This is the best parable I can think of regarding repentance.
Luke 15: 11-32
11 Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.
13 “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. ß(realization that he is in need…di niya kaya mag-isa.)
17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father. ß(pag-amin sa sarili na nagka-sala talaga siya….na mali siya)
“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ ß(confession of an admitted mistake)
22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate. ß(mercy and grace shown to the prodigal son)
25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27 ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’
28 “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’
31 “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’” ß(a new, converted life of the prodigal son after admitting his mistake)
If you read between the lines, when the father embraced his prodigal son, this son of him wept saying that he has sinned against his father. If you will try to understand the deepness of this scene, you will realize that both were weeping.
The prodigal son said that he sinned against him and does not deserve to be called his son anymore. But the father threw a banquet instead to celebrate the coming back of his son.
Do you hear the Holy Spirit in you now?
Your Father in heaven awaits for your return. Let the Holy Spirit convict you right now. Hear the Spirit as he illuminate to you the sinful life you have been living.
True repentance is when you realize that you have sinned against your Father in heaven and tell Him that you do not want to live a life like that any longer.
Let me help you with this.
Many of us are now under the orphan spirit. We do not have perfect fathers. Some of our fathers died early. Some of our fathers are far away. They were not with us when we grew. Some of our fathers did something wrong. He left your family for good. He left his wife. He cheated on your mom. Some of us did not receive the care that we longed from our dads. Some of us hate our dads.
But, we have a perfect Daddy who is waiting for us to acknowledge Him as our Daddy. We have been living our lives on our own. We have been working hard to attain a title or to be rich. We have been so tired of the things that are happening in our lives. We have no one to depend to but ourselves. And yet, we cannot do it alone. Some of us are rich but because of pride, they lost a child-like happiness. Some of us are just faking happiness. Deep inside, there is sorrow. Deep inside are wounds from the past. Deep inside are voices saying how bad you are as a person, that you don’t deserve it.
We have been living a sinful life. Lying. Stealing. Saying bad words. Saturating our minds with pornography. Having sex outside of marriage. Homosexuality. Addiction in anything else.
I wrote this not to condemn. Give it up. God is willing to forgive you. Give up your sins. Give up your sinful life. There is so much more, so much better life waiting for you. God is weeping and is longing for your repentance. He is out there waiting for you to return. His spirit is pursuing you.
Give up your sins. Give up a life that is too far from your God, from your Daddy. His love awaits you. He will not condemn you of your sins. Kahit gaano ka sa tingin mo makasalanan ngayon, God is waiting for you to come back to Him.
If you still feel na hindi ka makasalanan, pray more that He make you realize your sinful life. Let Him touch you at this very moment. Do not resist. Wag mo nang pigilan. Just let go. If you are alone in your room while reading this, just let go. Open yourself to Him.
Just like the prodigal son, he became tired of eating pig food. He let go of his pride and in him admitted that he has committed a big mistake. Go back to your Father, admit to Him that you have committed a big mistake and He will feed you real food, real grace, real joy, real love, real understanding, real hope!
He will not punish you. Someone was already punished in your behalf – Jesus Christ. Go on, talk to your Father now. He loves you, whoever you are. In His eyes, you are very precious. You are a precious jewel in His sight. He is not mad. He is so much longing for you. Go to Him. Just release yourself to Him.
Say this prayer and say it from your heart. You can say your own personal prayer which is way better. These words will guide you in what to say.
Father God, Daddy, Tay,
I have sinned against you. I have hurt you. I have lived my life sinfully. Forgive me. I repent of my sinful life. God….Daddy, I do not want this life anymore. I let go of all my sins. Lord, ayoko na. Dad, I do not want to hurt you anymore. Please forgive me. I want to come back to you. I want to get even closer to you. Sorry…I am really sorry.
Thank you that in my behalf, your son Jesus died. Thank you for Jesus, my Savior, my Lord. His blood washes me clean now. All my sins forgiven. Thank you Daddy.
In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Just like in the parable, a famine was in my life. Only when that famine came, I realized I needed my God so badly.
I wept, a few weeks after my lola died, in front of the TV after watching Passion of Christ. I repented with tears for blaming my God for her death. Jesus suffered greatly for me. And I do not want to hurt Him anymore.
Little did I know that that was the time I really got saved. Now I have peace in my heart that when I die, I will be with the Lord. No more guilt. No more condemnation.
Truly, for those who love God, ALL things work together for their good, for their true and genuine salvation.
I finally know what PoP and Ay-nadapa-Ako felt that time. I love you Lord. Thank you.
Real repentance is the second key in finding the genuine God.
Lagi niyo naririnig ito “ Repent! Repent for the kingdom is nigh!” or ‘the kingdom is at hand.’ We often define this as ‘kailangan na nating magsisi dahil malapit nang dumating si Lord.’ But we do not see the other meaning of this verse na I believe is the actual meaning that God wants us to live by.
Sin separates us from Him and His will. It is a road block. Once we repent, the road block will be gone. Now, there will be an open-line communication from Him to you, from you to Him.
Kapag sinabing ‘the kingdom is at hand’ ibig sabihin abot-kamay na natin ang kaharian ng Diyos kung saan may healing, prosperity, deliverance, joy, peace and so much more! If you need healing, it is yours when you need it. If you need money or supplies, it is yours when you ask of it. Dahil nga wala nang nag-bablock between us and God, His promises freely goes from Him to us(siempre partnered with faith or believing).
This article talks of general repentance (being sorry for living a sinful life). Every day, God will remind us of the specific sins we have done in the past. And when we remember them, let us repent of them. Repent means to realize that what we did was wrong and in our heart, we do not want to do them anymore.
Once we truly repent, there is always a change in lifestyle. Every day, we should ask God to remind us of the sins we did in the past. Repentance is an everyday thing since we are not perfect. We will still sin knowingly or unknowingly.
How will God warn us that we are sinning? You will be surprised that the one we call ‘conscience’ has become very strong and loud. You will feel that what you did or what you are doing is not right anymore.
To sin is not our nature anymore. We will feel uneasy when we sin. Let us read the bible so that we would know what God considers sin and evil in His sight.
Repentance is made effective by the Blood of Jesus Christ. May nagbayad so that we can gain the forgiveness of our Father. We owe it all to Jesus.
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