Repent! The Forgotten Doctrine of Salvation...Continued from page 4

A. I admit I did wrong.B. I feel sorrow over my sin.C. I confess my sin to God and to others.D. I resolve to make restitution where possible.E. I walk in the path of new obedience.
Our greatest need is for a holy dissatisfaction. Not a morbid introspection. Not a self-conscious recital of every sin we have committed. But a holy hunger for God to reveal himself in a new way. Where do we go from here? We need to have a time of prayer and personal commitment. I think many of us are somewhere on a downward slide spiritually. Many of us are conscious of being so busy that we hardly have time for the Lord anymore. That’s the first step in a bad direction. Now is the time to turn away from our sin and find forgiveness and cleansing.

One final word. The Gospel invitation begins with repentance. The first step in becoming a Christian is changing your mind about Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “Unless you repent, you too will perish.” It would be terrible to go to hell because you never repented of your sins. Terrible because God has already done everything necessary for you to go to heaven. He sent his own son to die on the cross, bearing your sins, taking your place, paying your penalty. A hymm written in 1759 by Joseph Hart contains a verse that says it well:
Let not conscience make you lingerNor of fitness fondly dream.All the fitness he requirethIs to feel your need of Him.
If you go to hell, don’t blame anyone but yourself. The way to heaven has been open for 2,000 years. Jesus died that you might enter God’s presence forever. No one else could have done what he did. No one else would have done it. The same hymn contains this message of gospel hope:
Come, ye weary, heavy laden,Lost and ruined by the fall;If you tarry till you’re better,You will never come at all.
The refrain promises that Christ will welcome us when we come to him:
I will arise and go to Jesus,He will embrace me in His arms;In the arms of my dear Savior,O there are ten thousand charms.
Do you feel your need of him? If you do, I urge you to come to Christ and put your trust in him. Do it today and enter into the salvation God has prepared for you. Amen.