Do you ever question the legitimacy of another person’s repentance? Sometimes it just does not seem like the person is genuinely sorry for what they have done, but rather, it appears they are only sorry they got caught.
In recent years we have seen disgusting displays of insincere apologies from athletes who were caught cheating and politicians who were caught lying. Why do I say that their apologies were disgusting and insincere? It is because, along with the apologies, there was no accompanying, “fruit in keeping with repentance” (Matthew 3:8).
The Bible teaches that when a person is truly sorrowful, truly repentant, that fruit is produced by that repentance. I think that is one of the easier theological concepts for us to grasp. We begin evaluating whether or not a person is truly sorry from our youth. For example, if a child punches another child, typically, the offender is made to apologize. But is the offender sorry? Sometimes yes, but sometimes no. How do we tell the difference? We wait to see what happens next.
If I say I am sorry but nothing about my life changes and there is no evidence of “fruit” of repentance, my words are meaningless. True repentance always produces positive change. It’s good for us to have a means to determine if we are truly repentant and therefore, truly followers of Jesus.
When you sin, are you sorry? If so, that’s great news. Feeling sorry for your sin is the beginning of repentance. If feeling sorry is the beginning of repentance, then what is the end? Following Jesus. True repentance is a trading of my ways for His ways; A turning from sin to righteous living.
Much love and happy repenting!
Wes LeFlore – (918) 607-8489 or huskerwes1@gmail.com
