A CHANGE OF HEART
By Charles N. Spence, Jr.
If anyone is ever going to lay hold of eternal life with
God, he will have to change his attitude about sin. The Bible teaches that sin
separates man from God (Isa. 59:1-2). The Lord hates wickedness (Pro. 6:16-19).
Sin causes God grief (Gen. 4:5-6; Eph. 4:30). Sin is indeed terrible. Yet, so
many go about their sin filled lives as if all is well and there in nothing
wrong. Many religious folk who claim to have a happy relationship with the Lord
continue to walk in sin daily. People want to have the “religious experience”
without having to do anything about their sins. They do this despite the fact
that God hates sin because it cause Him grief over what it has done to mankind.
What people have failed to learn or consider is the need to repent.
Repentance demands a change of heart. When I speak about
the heart, I am talking about the mind. Matthew 9:4 says, “And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Why are you thinking evil in
your hearts?” Evidently the heart does not think. I am referring to man’s
cognitive abilities; his reasoning power; his intellect. So, repentance
necessitates an change of one’s thinking toward sin. People who profess to know
God, yet continue in sinful behavior, not only deny God, but also demonstrate
their ignorance toward sin (Tit. 1:16). A Christian is supposed to possess the
mind of Christ (Phi. 2:5). Jesus’ demonstrated in its fullness the
loathsomeness of sin. The Hebrew writer tell us that Jesus went to the cross “despising the shame.” Jesus loved and
promoted holiness and purity. He did not take upon himself the shame and
humiliation of the cross so that people could be comfortable in their sins.
Some people believe and acts as though Jesus died to make us feel good about
our sins. To the contrary, people must hate sin and its effects. The Psalmist
says in psalm 97:10, “Hate evil, you who
love the Lord, who preserves the souls of His godly ones . . .” In Romans
12:9, Paul says, “. . . Abhor what is
evil; cling to what is good” (see also Psalm 36:1-4). These passages
reflect the mind of Christ. However, the carnal mind of man is captured in
Paul’s words, “And although they know the
ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they
not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them”
(Rom. 1:32). Any preacher who fails to preach on the devastating effects of sin
and the need to repent is one with those of whom Paul speaks. Any preacher who
is silent while fornication, adultery, drunkenness, covetousness, etc. are
common practices in the church with which he is associated, is a promoter of
wickedness. Any person who truly wants to do the Lord’s will, is not going to
associate themselves with wickedness (Eph. 5:11). Those who stay have not had a
change of heart about sin.
What Does It Mean to Have a Change of Heart about Sin?
Before
one can truly repent, he must begin with a new attitude toward sin. His hatred
for sin must be so great that he hates even the clothes of the one who is
defiled by the sins of the flesh (Jude 23). That which once brought him
pleasure and satisfaction, he has come to learn is destructive to his soul. He
has come to learn that sin is an enemy of God and breaks God’s heart. Having
grown to love God he does not want to cause God grief. There are some things
that I do that brings my wife grief. I love my wife and I don’t want to see her
grieve. However, as my wife reminds me often, “actions speak louder than
words!” What I have learned is I must have a change of heart (attitude) toward
those things that cause my wife grief before I can actually change my actions.
I must love my wife more that those things I do that she does not like. So it
is with God. A persons love for God must be so great that it overshadows his
love for the temporary pleasures of sin. So he learns to hate sin. Out of his
love for God, the potential penitent is sorrowful because he went against God’s
will. 2 Corinthians 7:10 talks about sorrow that is according to the will of
God as opposed to sorrow that is according to the world. The world grieves
because “the party is over” while the penitent grieves because he partied in
the first place. For example, the doctor says a man must stop drinking or else
he will die. He stops drinking because he doesn’t want to die and is sorry that
he cannot drink anymore. Though he has stopped drinking, such is not repentance
because he has not changed his attitude about drinking. A woman contacts HIV
because she had been sexually promiscuous. She is full of sorrow because she is
going to die. She regrets sleeping with Johnny. However, such is not repentance
because she had not changed her attitude about fornication. She is sorry that
she slept with one guy too many. James says that those who would draw near to God
are those who “lament and mourn and
weep.” They are those who truly humble themselves before God. The Psalmist
says, “The Lord is near to the
brokenhearted, and saves those who are crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18).
Those who truly repent must realize that their sinful deeds are wrong and are
truly sorry for committing them, regardless of the consequences.
A Change of Direction
Not
only is sorrow for sin necessary, but also the cessation of sin. The penitent
must stop that for which he has become sorry. Why continue to do that which
makes you miserable and brings grief to those you love? Those who would ignore
their conscience in regard to sin will eventually become hardened. Paul says
that their consciences become seared as with a hot iron (1 Tim. 4:2). An
explanation of what he means can be found in Ephesians 4:19. As a person
continues in sin, over time he will stop feeling sorrowful. The penitent must
turn from his sins unto God. He simply must stop sinning! The Lord told Paul
that the Gentiles, in order to receive forgiveness of sins, had to turn from
darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God (Acts 26:18). Such
action, Paul says, was to be demonstrated and observed (Acts 26:20). How many
people are there in this community who claim to love the Lord, while they
continue in their sinful ways? There
must be a change of attitude about sin for such is the driving force to
righteousness.
Conclusion
Do you or will you have a change of heart? Such is
necessary for you to truly repent. Jesus says, “Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3). You
cannot continue to enjoy the pleasures of sin and have a happy relationship
with the Lord. You must prove your love to the Lord by doing His will (John
14:15). You must hate sin and its effects if you ever hope to love the Lord and
all His spiritual blessings. Unless you do as Peter says in Acts 3:19, “Repent ye therefore and be converted,”
you cannot have you sins blotted out. Thus, all your religion will be vain.
Have a change of heart!