What A Man Says
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Posted: February 25, 2023
Author: Christopher Brock Ezra 9:5-6, NKJV “At the evening sacrifice I arose from my fasting; and having torn my garment and my robe, I fell on my knees and spread out my hands to the Lord my God. And I said: “O my God, I am too ashamed and humiliated to lift up my face to You, my God; for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has grown up to the heavens.” |
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Over the years as I have met many Christians and heard many speakers I have noticed that the topic of repentance is one that is often left out. Many messages we hear today talk about love, acceptance, and forgiveness and those are all appropriate and Biblical, but repentance plays a significant role in the life of a disciple of Christ. Not only must repentance be a part of our life, it is also not something that we only do one time. Repentance is not like baptism for instance which we only go through one time. Repentance isn’t even something that we just do once a year, or once per month, or when we think it has been long enough. Repentance should be part of the lifestyle that we live each and every day.
The reality is that, while we are still on this earth and in our flesh we still have a sin nature which is to do battle in our hearts and minds. Every moment we are being tempted to do things that are contrary to the nature and laws of the Lord. While we may sometimes feel confident about how we are doing in this life, we must remember the standard by which we are to live. When we compare ourselves against the Lord and the standards of holiness which He has established, we can see that even when we are having our best days we still fall short of His righteousness.
Ezra was a man who feared the Lord and sought to live the way that the Lord had commanded. He wanted to see the temple of the Lord rebuilt and he worked diligently to do it. He also sought to live His life worthy of that calling and to be an example of the Lord to the people around him. Yet, Erza repented. When we read the scripture for today this was not something that he took lightly either. He didn’t just close his eyes and mumble a short prayer and then go on about his day. He was heartbroken because he knew how sin had affected his relationship with his Father. He knew the sadness of the Lord's heart when He looked upon His children. Ezra passionately repented over and over for the thoughts and the actions of not only himself, but of his nation. He lived a lifestyle of repentance.
How about us today? Do we make repentance a part of our lives? Do we make an active effort to confess our sins to the Lord, seek His forgiveness, and then move forward with a desire to change? The Bible tells us that it is better to obey than to sacrifice and if we do not seek to repent and obey then we are not living according to God’s word.
The reality is that, while we are still on this earth and in our flesh we still have a sin nature which is to do battle in our hearts and minds. Every moment we are being tempted to do things that are contrary to the nature and laws of the Lord. While we may sometimes feel confident about how we are doing in this life, we must remember the standard by which we are to live. When we compare ourselves against the Lord and the standards of holiness which He has established, we can see that even when we are having our best days we still fall short of His righteousness.
Ezra was a man who feared the Lord and sought to live the way that the Lord had commanded. He wanted to see the temple of the Lord rebuilt and he worked diligently to do it. He also sought to live His life worthy of that calling and to be an example of the Lord to the people around him. Yet, Erza repented. When we read the scripture for today this was not something that he took lightly either. He didn’t just close his eyes and mumble a short prayer and then go on about his day. He was heartbroken because he knew how sin had affected his relationship with his Father. He knew the sadness of the Lord's heart when He looked upon His children. Ezra passionately repented over and over for the thoughts and the actions of not only himself, but of his nation. He lived a lifestyle of repentance.
How about us today? Do we make repentance a part of our lives? Do we make an active effort to confess our sins to the Lord, seek His forgiveness, and then move forward with a desire to change? The Bible tells us that it is better to obey than to sacrifice and if we do not seek to repent and obey then we are not living according to God’s word.
