Repent, Rend, Return

"No one sins out of duty. We sin because we want to. Sin promises happiness, and we buy the lie. So how can the root of sin be severed in our lives? The penalty of sin must be paid by the righteous blood of Christ. And the power of sin must be broken by banking on the promises of Christ." - John Piper, Future Grace: The Purifying Power of the Promises of God.

We are sinners, and even though we are saved by the blood of Christ, we have not attain perfection on this side of eternity. Everyone has some specific sins that they struggle with. Sometime we struggle so long that we give up. Sometime we even doubt whether our confession and repentance is genuine or not. Sometime we feel so shameful to come before God to confess for sins that we committed again and again.

After the exiles came back from Babylon to their homeland, the people of God supposed to rebuilt the temple, the place they worship God, but they have neglected it for many years. Yet God sent the prophet Zechariah to tell the people: "This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'Return to me,' declares the LORD Almighty, 'and I will return to you,' says the LORD Almighty." (Zechariah 1:3)

God asks us to return to him, no matter how many times we fail, because He will return to us. But He wants a repentant heart instead of a superficial act of remorse.

"Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and He relents from sending calamity." (Joel 2:13) 

Rend our heart, return to God with a contrite heart, because David sang "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise." (Psalm 51:17)

“拒绝基督的福音越久，心就越刚硬。“ - 林顺恩
"The longer you resist the gospel of Christ, the further your heart will harden." - Ling Soon Ing

"The time has come," Jesus said. "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!" (Mark 1:15)

The time has come, let us stop resisting, let us repent, rend our heart, with a contrite heart, return to the LORD our God, for He is full of grace and mercy, and will return to us.