Repentance Is More Than Just Being Sorry
Amazing Grace is an amazing song about an amazing topic. Grace is a central theme throughout the Bible, representing God’s benevolence and mercy toward His creation. It is a foundational concept in Christian theology, emphasizing that salvation and blessings are gifts from God, not earned by human effort.
The song was written by John Newton, and his experience is a good example of that grace.
Pastor Lisa told how this song is versatile and how the words can be sung to different tunes. She sang it to a few different tunes and then shared that Andy Andrew’s had sung it to a couple of unexpected tunes. (You should check out this link)
David experienced God’s grace.
In 1 Chronicles 17, David feels guilty that he is living in a nice house while the Ark of the Covenant is in a tent. After telling this to the prophet Nathan, “God came to Nathan, saying, ‘Go and tell My servant David that this is what the Lord says: You are not the one to build Me a house in which to dwell. For I have not dwelt in a house from the day I brought Israel up out of Egypt until this day, but I have moved from tent to tent and dwelling to dwelling. (Verses 1-6)
“Now then, you are to tell My servant David that this is what the Lord of Hosts says: I took you from the pasture, from following the flock, to be the ruler over My people Israel. I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have cut off all your enemies from before you. Now I will make for you a name like that of the greatest in the land. (Verses 7-8)
“Moreover, I declare to you that the Lord will build a house for you. And when your days are fulfilled and you go to be with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingdom. He will build a house for Me, and I will establish his throne forever.’” (Verses 10-12)
David thanked God for His grace. He went in and “sat before the Lord, and said, ‘Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that You have brought me this far? And as if this was a small thing in Your eyes, O God, You have spoken about the future of the house of Your servant and have regarded me as a man of great distinction, O Lord God.’” (Verses 16-17)
Just because God gives us way more than we deserve doesn’t mean that we get off scot-free.
We can get comfortable in the grace of God. We can begin to become complacent and forget who we are and Whose we are. David shows us a good example of this in 2 Samuel.
Things had been going really well for David. He is now the king. He has been winning war after war. He has a beautiful home. He is on top of the world. And then it happens.
David does stupid.
Kings would lead their armies into battle, and David had been doing that. Until 2 Samuel 11:1, when David sent them out and he stayed home.
“One evening David got up from his bed and strolled around on the roof of the palace. And from the roof he saw a woman bathing— a very beautiful woman. So David sent and inquired about the woman, and he was told, ‘This is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.’” (Verses 2-3)
Many of us are familiar with the story of Bathsheba. We know that David was tempted and did stupid. He slept with Bathsheba. She became pregnant. He had her husband killed. But he was the king. Who was going to call him out on this?
Back to the prophet Nathan.
Another common story from the Bible is when Nathan confronts David about this. Nathan does it in a very subtle way. He tells David a story about a poor man who has a single sheep. A rich man who has a lot of sheep comes and takes the poor man’s lamb and prepares it for a meal for a guest.
“David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan: ‘As surely as the Lord lives, the man who did this deserves to die! Because he has done this thing and has shown no pity, he must pay for the lamb four times over.’” (2 Samuel 12:5-6)
Then Nathan said to David, “You are that man!
God made David king over Israel. He delivered him from Saul. He would have given him more.
“Then David said to Nathan, ‘I have sinned against the Lord.’” (Verse 13)
The child that Bathsheba had born became sick. David prayed and pleaded with God, but the child died.
Repentance is more than just saying, “I’m sorry”. It requires action. If we are truly sorry, we will stop doing the wrong thing, turn around, and go in the right direction.
Repentance requires:
- Openness
- Decisiveness
- Humility
- Restoration
It’s not a one-and-done thing.
Repenting doesn’t mean we won’t make more mistakes and do stupid.
This is why we need to accept God’s grace. He will forgive us if we accept it. Jesus paid our debt.
We just need to do less stupid.