Repentance: The Believer's Tool -- Romans 10:9-11

As believers mature spiritually and gain wisdom from God's Word, they should recognize that faith, confession, and repentance are all necessary tools for maintaining an intimate relationship with the Lord. We need to believe that Jesus forgives our sin, which leads us to confess wrongs before Him and turn away from them so that we will not continue to grieve our Father. If one tool is ignored, the remaining two cannot complete the job of building a successful Christian life.

Faith means believing that God forgives our sins and meets our needs, but it doesn't imply that we should be passive. The life of faith takes work--we pray, obey, serve, and keep our heart clear of sin through confession and repentance. If our view of God is clouded by sin, we'll find it hard to trust Him.

When we trust God's power to forgive, we gain confidence to confess sin--this means agreeing with Him that our transgression is wrong and violates His will. We can't seek His forgiveness until we are willing to identify our sin and recognize how it negatively impacts our relationship with Him. Yet confession is incomplete unless we also repent. And sadly, true repentance--turning away from sin through the power of the Holy Spirit--is increasingly neglected as our society encourages tolerance and doing whatever feels right.

Realize that sin must be abandoned because it grieves God; otherwise, you will damage your fellowship with Him. To keep your heart pure before the Lord, use all the tools He has given: faith, confession, and repentance.