I am and do so quite often. However, thinking about something doesn't make it happen. Pondering the pro and cons of the decision doesn't make it happen. Lots of people confess their sin and ask for forgiveness. God is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins. But wait! There's more to this deal than just forgiving us. The Word goes on to say, "as we forgive those who have sinned against us." Bummer for most Christians. Non-Christians don't particularly care about forgiveness for themselves much less for those who have sinned against them. Christians fall into quite a different category because to whom much is given, much is demanded. Ultimately I can think of no greater gift than that of new life in Christ. He chose to die so that he could take on my sins...if I chose to surrender... Weighing out the price of the gift shouldn't even be part of the consideration. Weighing out the mountain of sin we have is of consideration. Why? Because we keep Jesus from living wherever we have sin remaining in our lives. Seems simple to correct. Then why don't we do that? Why do we keep the sin in our lives? Simply put, we keep sin in our lives because we love that sin more than we do Jesus. That's not good! But we settle on asking for forgiveness (which is granted) while we should be repenting.
Repentance is quite simple really. Repentance is casting anything in our surrendered lives we haven't surrendered. Then we don't go back. Wow! Rocket science you might say. My dogs are a good example. Whenever the neighbor dogs aren't around there is quiet and peace. When their dogs are outside, they and my dogs have bark fests. They don't last all day but keep me from enjoying the quiet. They don't know better and are doing what dogs do. All the time their tails are wagging and they are really having a good time. Then they go back to the peace and quiet only to repeat the process whenever they come together again. Christians go to church, talk the talk, and walk the walk when it's convenient for them. They have the outward showings of surrender but inside they have barking dogs that return to their sin. Jesus tells us in the Word that he has been tempted in all the ways we are. Yet, he was able to live a perfect life...probably because he is God! Duh! We, like dogs return to our vomit (sin) and devour that vomit. When we ask for forgiveness without repentance, we are not really wanting to change our sin status. We treasure our sin more than we do that work of Christ on the cross.
Repenting shouldn't be something to think about for the Christian. I have much experience in this area and still struggle with repenting in areas of my life. If you don't struggle, you aren't alive and worse, you aren't alive in Christ. In sin we were born and in sin we will die. We will not be perfect in this world but will be perfect in Heaven. Some people choose to use this as an excuse to not do what God wants them to do...repent. If God forgives us our sins, why do we need to repent? The Word puts "forgiveness of sins" and "repentance" together for a reason. Forgiveness without repentance is not Biblical. What!? Forgiveness without repentance is like putting air into the leaking car tire without having the leak fixed. Eventually the tire will be ruined. The tire needs to be fixed. The fix isn't to put more air into it (asking for forgiveness) but fixing what's causing the leak (repentance). Many of us have "to do" lists that really don't have any value. What would happen if you and I had repentance as the goal and not just the forgiveness of sins? Would we see people and ourselves differently? We certainly would! Would we see the power of God to save differently? Absolutely! Would we see problems in our lives disappear? Yep! Would our lives on earth be perfect? Nope! However, people would see Jesus in us instead of our display on Wednesday nights and Sundays. Remember, it's always your decision.
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