Are You Sure You’re Born Again?
Doctrine & Disciplines
IN THIS 22 MINUTE VIDEO, I TEACH FROM 1 CORINTHIANS 11 ON THE DOCTRINE OF UNCUT HAIR FOR LADIES.
Why I Haven’t Cut My Hair In Over a Quarter of a Century
As a junior in high school, I had never been introduced to teaching on the New Birth, Holiness, nor the doctrine of Uncut Hair for women. At that time, my hair wasn’t uncut, but it was considered long, hanging all one length, a third of the way down my back, with the exception of “fly back” bangs.
Even though I had worn my hair like this for years, immediately after visiting a Oneness Pentecostal Church for the first time, I had the notion to get my hair cut. Suddenly, I wanted a new look.
I remember sitting in the salon chair after I told the stylist how I wanted it cut with her looking at me in hesitation. She told me how pretty my hair was and tried to talk me out of cutting it off. I continued to encourage her to do her job. She stood with the scissors open against my hair and literally begged me, “Please don’t make me cut your hair.”
I remember the metallic shearing of the scissors as they came together, the dull tug of severing, followed by the slight spring back of blunted ends. Even though I would have never let the stylist know it, something happened in the spiritual realm at that moment. I would not have been able to understand it or explain it at the time even if I had tried, but I can tell you with certainty that something was taken from me in that chair. I felt it leave me just as surely as if it had been spilled out onto the ground.
When I stood up I saw a sight that is permanently etched into my memory. Layers of long, golden hair discarded in a full circle around the now empty chair. I paid for the cut, ran my hands through my now short layers of hair, and plastered on a confident smile as I walked out the door with a heaviness in my heart.
Another incident happened several years later, after I had experienced the New Birth. After being born again, I was eager to embark on a journey of discipleship. I enthusiastically embraced a life of Holiness and spiritual disciplines. When I read and understood the topic of women’s uncut hair in 1 Corinthians 11, I stopped cutting my hair.
It was during this time that a friend from my childhood was passing through and came to stay with us for a week or so. She wore her hair in a very short wedge cut, with the crown of her head a bit longer, gradually getting shorter to the nape of her neck, which she kept shaved.
One day in passing conversation, she commented that she hadn’t been able to get to the hair salon for a while, and the hair on the back of her neck had grown out longer than she liked. Would I mind shaving it for her? Now, mind you, I was completely sold out to the doctrine of women’s uncut hair, and had not cut my own hair in any way for several years at this point. Without even thinking, however, but just trying to be a help, I replied, “Sure.”
It was at that very moment that a searing pain shot through my chest, as if a hot firebrand had been plunged into my heart. I have never felt that kind of pain before nor after, and thankfully, it only lasted a split second. That was all it took to bring me to myself. It was only then that I realized what I had agreed to do, and that it had displeased the Lord.
I turned to her and said, “I am so sorry. I know that I told you I would, but I don’t cut my hair and I can’t cut yours.” Her response was understandable from someone who had never been taught 1 Corinthians 11, “Oh, I’m not wanting you to cut it! I just want you to shave the stubble at the bottom.” But I knew that stubble, if let grow, would be long hair. Beside that, I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that it would be displeasing to the Lord. Again, I told her that I couldn’t do to her hair what the Word of God and my strong conviction restricted me from doing to my own.
I shared with her as much of 1 Corinthians 11 as she was able to receive at that time, but knew that the experience was more for me than her. In His mercy, God had a hair stylist try to talk me out of cutting my hair years before. He, also mercifully sent me a piercing reminder when He knew I had agreed to something in thoughtless haste.
So, just as the title of this articles claims, I haven’t cut my hair in over a quarter of a century, and have no plans to ever cut it. To the world, this may seem like a strange notion, and terribly lacking in any fashion sense. To me, and according to 1 Corinthians 11, my uncut hair is my GLORY, the SYMBOL OF SUBMISSION to spiritual authority, and my SOURCE OF POWER with the angelic host.
*Please see the ACCOMPANYING VIDEO on 1 Corinthians 11:1-16, the biblical teaching of the Doctrine of Uncut Hair as a symbol of submission to spiritual authority.
Your feedback is welcome.
Warm Regards, -Pat Vick
Let’s Move Some Mountains!
Have you been dealing with the same spiritual strongholds for years?
Do you need more faith to get the victory?
If you have been asking God again and again for more faith, with little or no results, it’s a good time to figure out where faith comes from. We can go to a familiar scripture to find the answer.
“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:17)
Is this all there is to acquiring faith, and more of it? If so, it seems simple enough. Go to church. Listen to the preaching. Apply it to our lives. Enter, FAITH…
Yet, there are people who sit in church services three times a week plus prayer meetings, read the Bible daily, and pray faithfully, who, apparently, do not have the faith to get victory over the situations in their lives. Maybe you are one of them.
There must be more. What are we missing?
In Matthew 17, a man brings his devil-possessed son to Jesus, only after he had taken him to the disciples, and they could not cure him. Jesus responded with frustration at what He called a “FAITHLESS and perverse generation.” He then rebuked the devil, which immediately left the young man. What did Jesus know that the disciples did not? What had He been doing that they had not?
Afterward in private, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Why could not we cast him out?”
“And Jesus said unto them, BECAUSE OF YOUR UNBELIEF: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and NOTHING SHALL BE IMPOSSIBLE to you. Howbeit this kind goeth not out BUT BY PRAYER AND FASTING.” (Matthew 17:20-21)
From Jesus’ words, we understand that there are deeply entrenched spirits that cannot be overcome without prayer and fasting.
We have thrown a lot of PRAYER at our situations, which is needful, but FASTING is the missing element. Share on XOur Oneness, Apostolic, Pentecostal, Holiness Churches are filled with faithful saints, loving pastors, great orators, anointed teachers, generous givers, and even powerful prayer warriors. Those same churches, however, have very few people who FAST with any degree of depth or consistency.
It is understandable, then, that our church families continue to be weighed down and oppressed by deeply entrenched generational spirits such as:
-Depression
-Anxiety
-Confusion
-Bitterness
-Rage
-Unforgiveness
-Abuse
-Addictions
-Poverty
-Disease
-Promiscuity
-Pornography
-Occult
-Suicide
On and on the list could go. What spirits continue to oppress your family even after years of consistent Word and prayer?
If we want New Testament RESULTS, we must practice Early Church DISCIPLINES. Share on XA discipline must be practiced consistently to be effective.
Of all the spiritual disciplines, fasting is by far the most challenging. Yet, as we have already learned, it must be implemented if we are to be overcomers, as God’s Word assures us that we can be.
Flesh must be crucified. It’s the only way.
How much longer will we allow the same strongholds to keep us oppressed that oppressed our parents’ and grandparents’ generations?
MAKE A FASTING PLAN.
If you have never fasted, start small. One meal this week is a start. Two meals next week is progress. Three meals the next week is one whole day.
Here is a simple, long-term fasting goal to work toward:
1 day a week
3 days a quarter
7 days bi-yearly
21 days a year
Let’s move some mountains!
FASTING IS THE ANSWER.
*Please consult with your doctor before you begin any fasting regimen.
*Let him/her know of your plans to fast.
*Do not stop taking prescription medications without counseling with your doctor.
*Remember to drink plenty of water while fasting.
INVITATION TO LEAVE FEEDBACK
Do you have a testimony from a fasting experience?
I’d love for you to share it in the comments.
Do you have questions on fasting?
Leave them in the comments, and we’ll discuss them.
THE REMNANT: What Does An Old Scrap Of Cloth Have In Common With The True Church?
We have lived on our farm for the last ten years. We purchased it from a family who had lived on the land for decades. Through the years, as my husband and and sons have worked the ground, they have unearthed many treasures. Not of monetary value, but bits of history. A tool here. A toy there. A piece of metal from a trailer or a tractor. Evidence of past generations that have lived here. Worked here. Died here.
There is one thing that has surfaced time and again. On the acreage in front of where our house now sits, was once a thriving sawmill. Now it is a small lake that hosts a family of Canadian geese and one mallard duck. When the lake was being dug, again and again, we would find scraps of fabric. Not just any fabric. Not multiple kinds of fabric. But remnants of one specific garment.
Even now, every Summer, when one of the men till the ground between the house and the lake or run the bush hog over it, there it will be. Another Remnant.
It always stands out against its surroundings, with its odd pattern and color scheme. Patches of black, orange and pink, interspersed with a trickle of yellow circles. We’ve asked the previous owners if they remember what it might have been. A worker’s shirt? A ladies’ skirt or apron? A table cloth or bed sheet? No, they have no specific memory of it. It could have been anything, really.
But I can’t let it go. It wears on my mind. Why does it matter what it was all these years later? The only reason that I can give is because it keeps turning up. It matters because it was, and still is. The fact that it remains is proof that it is real and vital and true.
That old scrap of fabric reminds me of the Church. Real people who chose to follow Jesus. Real people who repented of their sins and were baptized in Jesus’ name. Real people that He poured His Holy Spirit into. Real people who spoke in tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. Real people who separated themselves from sin and worldliness, choosing to live a holy and consecrated life to the Lord. Real people who gave all they had -time, money, talents, and even their lives. Real people who were persecuted and hunted and put on trial and killed. All the day long. Year after year. Generation after generation. Dark age to dark age.
The ungodly world would have you believe those people never existed. That what you predominately see today called “church” is what always was. No, my friend. Don’t you believe it. The bedazzled, self-centered, over indulged, superficial, drunk on entertainment, any way you like it thing that is heralded by so many in the name of our Savior isn’t the Church that Jesus built.
How do I know? How could I possibly know? Because every time the ground is stirred up, the evidence is brought to the surface. Another remnant. You can’t hide the Truth when another remnant rises to the top. Oh, it may not be pretty. A bit odd, really, with its awkward patches of patterns and colors. It may not look like the world, or act like the world, or talk like the world. That’s because it’s IN the world, but not OF the world.
You can keep going to that thing called church if you want to. You can blend in with everyone else, do like everyone else, and talk like everyone else. But in your heart, you know the Truth. There was a Church that was different, pure, holy. And the reason you know it, the way you can be sure, is that every so often, the ground is stirred, and another remnant turns up.
CHURCH: Ekklesia (Called Out Ones, Set Apart) Share on XThat co-worker that always wears skirts. That family member that never went to college, but prays in a language that you know she never learned. That teenager that refuses to be a part of the “fun” the rest of the crowd has going. The one that refuses to bend…and refuses to be ignored. For millennia there have been those like her, declaring their story. His Story.
They may have been torn asunder in the sawmill of persecution, yet they live. Just as righteous Abel’s blood cried out from the ground to his God, so does theirs witness of a True Church. Trust me when I tell you, the Remnant is alive and well.
“Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.” (Romans 11:5)
Warm Regards, -Pat
If you are dissatisfied with the church you attend because it doesn’t reflect the attributes of the Church that Jesus built, or if you are looking for a home Church, I invite you to check out the UNITED PENTECOSTAL CHURCH, INTERNATIONAL. It is one of several Church organizations that promotes true Apostolic Doctrine. (Including the Oneness of God, the New Birth Experience of Repentance, Baptism in Jesus’ Name & the Baptism of the Holy Ghost, as well as living a lifestyle of Holiness.
As always, feel free to leave a comment, share to social media, SUBSCRIBE TO MY NEWSLETTER, and email me PAT@PATVICK.COM.
REMIND ME AGAIN…What’s Keeping You From Being Baptized In Jesus’ Name?
It’s a sincere question that begs a sincere answer.
You say you love Jesus. You say you’re a Christian. I can tell by your conversation and by your works that you are true-hearted about your love and service to Him. You wear Jesus t-shirts. You have a Jesus charm on your bracelet. Your car sports a “What Would Jesus Do?” bumper sticker. And it’s a good thing you’re serious about Him, because you know how hard those things are to get off. You end your prayers with a heartfelt, “in Jesus’ name.”
So, remind me again…What’s keeping you from being baptized in Jesus’ name?
I’ve heard you talk about where He brought you from; that old life of sin that He delivered you out of. I’ve seen the shame seep into your eyes and down your cheeks when you remember the old you. I’ve also witnessed the thankful joy that chases it away when you share how He changed you. I believe you when you say you’ll never be able to repay His sacrifice that purchased your freedom, but you’ll never stop trying.
So, remind me again…What’s keeping you from being baptized in Jesus’ name?
I know you say that you have already been baptized. It was according to Matthew 28:19, right? Let’s take a look at that.
“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:” (Matthew 28:19)
I was baptized once using this formula, as well. Then I realized that Jesus was saying to do what He said, not just repeat what He said. I realized that the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost is Jesus. That explains why I didn’t feel clean when I came up out of the water, only wet.
Once I understood this, I was re-baptized. This time, the preacher said, “In the name of Jesus Christ” when he put me under the water. I can tell you it felt altogether different from the first time. I felt truly clean-not just wet.
So, remind me again…What’s keeping you from being baptized in Jesus’ name?
Would it make a difference to know that every account in scriptures where people were baptized, the name of Jesus was spoken over them?
“Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they are baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)” (Acts 8:14-16)
“Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.” (Acts 10:47-48)
“And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John’s baptism. then said Paul, John verily baptized with he baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.”
So, remind me again…What’s keeping you from being baptized in Jesus’ name?
Would it make a difference to know that it is baptism in Jesus’ name that remits (removes) our sins?
“Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” (Acts 2:38)
Remind me again...What’s keeping you from being baptized in Jesus’ name? Share on XI think you meant it when you said you would do anything to please Jesus. You would go anywhere He asked you to. You would give up anything He ask of you. In your heart and mind, no sacrifice was too much to give because of your great love for Him, and His for you.
Could that great sacrifice possibly be something so simple as allowing a Man of God to immerse you under water in baptism while pronouncing the name of your Savior, Redeemer, Lover of Your Soul, Great God, Jesus Christ, over you? I’m confused as to why you wouldn’t do such a small thing.
“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)
“And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on them name of the Lord.” (Acts 22:16)
“And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus…” (Colossians 3:17)
SO, REMIND ME AGAIN…
What’s keeping you from being baptized in Jesus’ name?
Warm Regards -Pat
INVITATION TO SHARE
-Do you have a memory of being baptized in Jesus’ name that you would like to share?
-Were you baptized another way before you were baptized in Jesus’ name? Could you feel a difference?
-Does your Church baptize in Jesus’ name only?
-Do you want to find a Church near you where you can be baptized in Jesus’ name? VISIT UPCI.ORG.
As always, feel free to leave a comment, share to social media, SUBSCRIBE TO MY NEWSLETTER, and email me: Pat@PATVICK.COM.
Early Morning Angel Visit
Several years ago the Lord began waking me up at 4:30 a.m. to spend time with Him. He desires to spend quality time with His people. His bride.
Once the day gets started, there is rarely a stopping place to break away and spend time basking in His Presence. The Word tells us to pray without ceasing. We should have a prayer in our hearts and on our lips at any given time throughout the day. Yet, to sit at His feet requires pulling away from other things. Hence the reason God likes to wake us up to spend that quality time before our days begin.
Since those 4:30 a.m. training sessions, the Lord and I have reached a mutually agreeable time that we like to meet. That is at 6:00 a.m. I have become very serious about this spiritual discipline…most of the time. Winter seems to be more difficult, especially when it is cold and wet outside, or when I am extra fatigued from a busy schedule or sickness. This morning was all of the above.
I woke up, rolled over and looked at the clock. 5:30 a.m. I mentally calculated how much time I still had to sleep. Thirty more minutes. On the heels of that thought came the nudge of the Holy Ghost that assured me if I went back to sleep, I would likely sleep past my 6:00 wake up time. These were my thoughts as I sunk back down into the hazy mist of slumber.
That’s when the angel came. In that fuzzy place between awake and asleep. The visit was neither imagination, nor a dream. My eyes were closed, yet I saw it come rapidly face to face with me. I’m not sure if it flew, as I saw no wings, but only knew that it rushed up to my face. I also say “it” because the face seemed neither male nor female. This could be due to its close proximity to my face.
The angel said clearly, “You know you should get up. Come on!,” and motioned urgently with its hand to follow. Just as fast, it was gone. It was as real as a breath expelled from my body.
In the two seconds that I took to consider these instructions, I slipped back into slumber. When I woke up again, it was almost 7:00 a.m., and time to get up to get ready for Church.
I knew I had missed a great opportunity to be with the Lord. He had desired so much to spend time with me, that He sent His angel messenger to wake me. Two seconds of hesitation robbed me of something precious.
Don’t let anything rob you of time alone with God. Share on XIn the few moments I had, I knelt and repented that I hadn’t come earlier. When I got to prayer meeting at church, I spent more time repenting. I know absolutely that I’m forgiven, but whatever the Lord wanted to share with me is either forfeited, or at least delayed.
The Spirit of the Lord was so precious during worship service, for which I’m thankful. I just wonder what might have happened if I had met with the Lord when He first shook me awake that morning. What blessing might He still be waiting to pour out when intercession has built a wall of petitions high enough to reach His Throne? What healing? What deliverance? What victory?
In my prayer of repentance, I asked the Lord to help me have the withal to recognize and respond immediately at the unction of the Holy Ghost. The Word says to be instant in season and out of season. This morning was definitely a cold, wet winter season that I needed to be instant in. I’m sure there will be upcoming opportunities to see if I learned the lesson.
May you be blessed by Sis. Mickey Mangun (The Pentecostals Of Alexandria) singing, “I Miss My Time With You.”
INVITATION TO SHARE YOUR STORY:
– Do you and God have a mutually agreed upon meeting time and place?
– Have you ever missed a special time or blessing with God because you hesitated to act?
-What spiritual discipline do you have the most trouble mastering?
As always, please feel free to leave a comment, share to social media, SUBSCRIBE TO MY NEWSLETTER, and email me: Pat@PATVICK.COM.
Murphy Built A House
As I sit here on this snow-blanketed, January day, my mind drifts to warmer times. I long for hot sand, crashing surf, the call of seagulls, and the sight of my grandson’s chubby legs chasing them. I feel especially close to God at the beach. It reminds me that He is big, I am small, and that’s just fine with me.
It was at the beach a few summers past that I got acquainted with Murphy. I never actually met Murphy in person, but I know him all the same. I know that Murphy is an early riser. I know that Murphy is a builder, who has an eye for detail. I know that Murphy built a house.
As it’s my habit to wake early in the morning, this morning at the beach was no exception. I relish the silence and the clean swept sand of early mornings. It’s easy to see what the surf has taken away, and what gifts it has given, before the sand is full of footprints.
I sat down on the deck with my Bible and coffee, and took in the beauty of the morning. That’s when I spied it. A sand castle. I immediately headed down to the water’s edge to take a look. It was quite elaborate, with towers and windows, strong arched doors, and intricate details of shells and rocks. I knew it was Murphy’s house, because it said so right across the front.
As the day wore on, the beach began to fill with feet. More and more people passed by and would stop to admire Murphy’s house. All was perfect for a few hours, until the wind picked up, and began pushing the waves closer and closer to the castle.
“Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.”
I know what you’re thinking. Murphy shouldn’t have built his house on the sand. Nevertheless, he did. And now, there’s a house on the sand in imminent danger of being washed away. I watched all day to see what would become of Murphy’s house, knowing that I couldn’t change the flow of the tide.
That’s when a beautiful thing began to happen. Although I never saw anyone who I assumed to be Murphy tending to his house, I did see others. People passed by all day, and when they saw a portion of the castle that was in distress, they would step in and patch it up. Over and over this happened, none of them knowing that others had labored on Murphy’s house before or after. Selfless labors of love.
Why did it matter to complete strangers that Murphy’s house was in danger? Perhaps, if Murphy hadn’t written his name on his house, they would have been able to ignore its plight. But he did, and that made him real. Murphy built a house, and his house was in trouble.
HOW MANY MURPHYS DO YOU KNOW?
How many family members, friends, co-workers, neighbors and acquaintances do we know who truly love God to the best of their knowledge of Him? They have the best of intentions to live their lives for Him. They have gifts and talents that they want to use for His service. They are passionate about their walk with Him. Yet, they have built their house on unstable sand because they don’t have a firm foundation of DOCTRINE and DISCIPLINE.
ARE YOU HELPING MURPHY REPAIR HIS HOUSE?
It’s so easy to shake our heads sadly and say, “They shouldn’t have built their house on the sand.” But for whatever reason, they did. Perhaps they didn’t realize they had choices of building sites. Perhaps they simply built with what they had, and where they had it. Perhaps no one ever taught them DOCTRINE. Don’t assume that they have rejected it.
Perhaps no one ever taught them doctrine. Don’t assume that they have rejected it. Share on XBy doing nothing, we add to the demise of their house. If their house falls, they could become so distraught and hopeless that they won’t ever build again.
Wouldn’t it be better to follow the example of these random beachgoers and do what we can to shore up their structures. Show them where they went wrong. Help them to bring their houses up to code.
This is what Aquila and Priscilla did in the New Testament for a Jewish man named Apollos. He loved the Lord God of the Old Testament, and was serious about his walk with Him and his work for Him. He was doing all that he knew to do in teaching others the Law of Moses in the synagogue. When these two laborers heard Apollos speak in the synagogue, they took him aside and, “expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly.” (Acts 18:26)
WHAT WAS THIS MORE PERFECT WAY?
Apollos had only been baptized under John the Baptist’s baptism, which was only unto repentance. He had not yet heard about baptism in Jesus’ name. Nor did he have the revelation of Jesus being the Mighty God of the Old Testament manifest in the flesh.
After his new friends took him aside and taught him the doctrines of Jesus’ name baptism and the Mighty God in Christ, Apollos went on his way teaching the Jews publicly that Jesus was the Christ. (God manifest in flesh) He also became a faithful minister of the gospel, and very beneficial to the New Testament Church, whose ministry was endorsed and valued by the Apostle Paul, himself.
The end of Apollos’ story would have been very different if Aquila and Priscilla had listened to him teach in the synagogue and sadly shaken their heads, saying, “He shouldn’t have built his house on the sand.” Instead, they raced the tide, and patched up the breached walls of his house until he had enough knowledge and will to rebuild on The Rock of doctrinal Truth.
*******APPLY WHAT YOU’VE LEARNED*******
-Did someone labor to keep your spiritual house from washing away before you understood foundational doctrine?
-Who in your life can you reach out to and expound the way of God to more perfectly?
-Are you familiar with these DOCTRINES? The Oneness of God, Repentance, Baptism in Jesus’ name, The Infilling of the Holy Ghost With the Evidence of Speaking With Other Tongues, (Acts 2:38) Holiness, The Rapture of the Church, Jesus’ Millennial Reign, The White Throne Judgment -If not, I’d love for you to ask me.
-If you’d like to LOCATE A CHURCH near you that teaches these biblical doctrines, visit UPCI.ORG.
Warm Regards, -Pat
As always, please feel free to leave a comment, share to social media, SUBSCRIBE to my newsletter, and drop me an email: Pat@PATVICK.COM
True Repentance
When he was a little boy, we were trying to teach our youngest son, Caleb, to say, “I’m sorry” when he did something wrong. This became a very eventful series of lessons because as he was trying to conquer this new level of manners, he would spontaneously go up to his older brother, Logan, punch him on whatever body part was most accessible, and then yell, “SORRY!”
Over and over this would happen because in Caleb’s mind, he was learning the correct usage of a new word. His parents, however, (and his big brother) wanted him to feel the word. We wanted him to feel the conviction, the remorse, the contrition and the humbleness that true repentance brings. We wanted him to actually be sorry, not to just say sorry. We also wanted him to stop doing the thing that he was continually having to be sorry for, and especially not to pre-meditate the act. Lots to learn here.
True Repentance Is The Death of Self.
In repentance, we associate ourselves with Jesus’ death. Jesus was God in flesh. We often focus on Him being God, but not so much on him being flesh. He was a man who felt desires, temptations, emotions and distractions, having to make the daily decision of whether to follow the leading of the Spirit of God that dwelled in him, or to cater to the flesh in which he was clothed.
It is no different for us today. Regardless of the trial, temptation, addiction or emotion, we must follow Jesus’ example in the Garden of Gethsemane. Matthew 26:39 says he, “fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt.”
True Repentance Is Brokenness.
Pride cannot repent. Arrogance cannot be humble. If we desire God’s forgiveness, then we must allow His Spirit access to our hearts. We must allow ourselves to be broken in His Presence. Repentance is not a simple, “I’m sorry”. It is an honesty before God. It is an opening up and a purging out. It is an awareness of His Holiness and our smallness. It is seeing ourselves in the light of His Word. It is crying out like King David, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalm 139:23)
Pride cannot repent. Arrogance cannot be humble. Share on X
True Repentance Is A Turning Away.
To continue to do a thing that you know is wrong, and ask God to forgive you, knowing that you will do that thing again if given the opportunity, is not true repentance. To pre-meditate on doing a thing, planning ahead of time to ask God to forgive you, is not true repentance. True repentance is a conscious decision to turn away from sin and live a life that is pleasing before God. After a person takes that initial step, a lifetime of commitment should follow. You might be wondering how it is possible to live from this point on without sinning. Jesus did, while living in a body just like yours. Hebrews 4:14 says He, “was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”
What if I slip up? What if I make a mistake? I have great news for you! Jesus, our wonderful Savior, is full of mercy and compassion. His greatest desire is to bring us into, and keep us in, a saving relationship with Him. The Apostle John says in 1 John 2:1, “My little children, these things I write unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” We all make mistakes. Just remember that making a mistake is not the same as willful sin. God knows the very thoughts and intents of our hearts. Repentance should be a regular occurrence in our lives, not a one time thing. The Apostle Paul explained it best when he proclaimed in 1 Corinthians 15:31, “I die daily.”
True Repentance Is The Christian Way.
No matter who you are or what you have done, good or bad, a repentant heart is essential to your salvation. “And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent.” (Acts 17:30)
Let’s be honest with ourselves and God. “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” (1 John 1:8) We have His assurance that, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)
No matter where you’ve been, where you are now, or where you want to go on your journey with Christ, repentance is the starting place to moving forward in that relationship.
How To Get Back Up After Failing God…Again
“Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me.” (Micah 7:8)
I have loved this verse of scripture from the first time that I heard it preached. It gives such a sense of power and determination to get up and keep fighting the good fight.
THE CRUCIAL TEN SECONDS
The execution of getting up isn’t always as easy as it seems, however. When a fighter has been knocked down, there is a time limit involved. He only has a short ten seconds to get back up on his feet and show the referee that he is fit to continue fighting. If he fails to get up, he is “down for the count,” and the fight is over. His opponent wins.
GET UP QUICK!
The key to winning, both naturally and spirituality, is in learning to get up quick. The devil knows every second that he can keep you down makes you more likely to stay down. Moments turn into days, days into weeks, and weeks into years.
It sounds easy enough. Just get back up. But if you have ever failed God, you know it’s not as easy as it sounds. There is a mental process that begins the moment you realize you have failed God. It is the same thing that happened in Adam & Eve’s minds that caused them to hide themselves from His Presence.
“What’s the use? I might as well stay down.”
Do these thoughts sound familiar? Guilt, shame and embarrassment are overwhelming. Even though these feelings are necessary for true repentance, there must be a PROCESS to get from guilt to victory.
“I will bear the indignation of the Lord, because I have sinned against him, until he plead my cause, and execute judgment for me: he will bring me forth to the light, and I shall behold his righteousness.” (Micah 7:9)
CONDEMNATION VERSES CONVICTION
Satan will do anything within his power to keep you under condemnation. Jesus will always bring you under conviction. They both feel terrible, so what’s the difference?
-Condemnation is a destination that offers hopelessness.
-Conviction is a starting point that promises restoration.
If Satan has his way, he will keep you in the place of wretched condemnation forever. How does that feel? Like you are hopeless, without options, and there’s no use trying to move forward.
Jesus will continue to reach out to you through conviction. How does that feel? Like a breath of air to a dying soul. Like your heart will explode in your chest if you don’t try to move forward.
“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” (Romans 8:1)
1st Step: TRUE REPENTANCE
The purpose of conviction is to bring people to repentance. True repentance is accompanied by godly sorrow, which is followed by a change of course, whether in thought, word or action. People often say they have repented of their sins without changing any of their actions. Repentance without godly sorrow and a course correction is no repentance at all.
2nd Step: ACCEPT FORGIVENESS
If you have truly repented of your sins, then you must accept Jesus’ forgiveness. This shouldn’t be difficult, but it often is. This is the point that so many get stuck and never come back to God. The anguish of knowing that we failed Him and our sense of unworthiness keeps us from reaching out and taking the forgiveness that He so willingly offers. Walking by faith involves accepting forgiveness.
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1John 1:9)
3rd Step: WALK SOFTLY
Everyone is susceptible to failure, so it behooves us to walk softly before God. We should never get to a place in our spiritual walk that we feel like we can’t fall. We should spend more time looking inward at ourselves, rather than outward at others.
“Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.” (1 Corinthians 10:12)
4th Step: SET BOUNDARIES
It is astounding how many people fall into the same sinful habits again and again. Don’t be one of those people. Redeem your failures. Make them count for something. Take mental notes of what triggered the failure, and set boundaries to protect yourself from future temptation.
IN CONCLUSION: Every fighter gets knocked down at some point. Every Christian falls short in his walk with God at some point. This is in no way a license to sin. God forbid. It is simply an acknowledgment that we live in flesh, and are in a continuing fight. If you have found yourself in a place of failure, begin this process now to get from guilt to victory:
-Repent with godly sorrow and a course correction.
-Accept forgiveness.
-Walk softly before God and your fellow man.
-Set boundaries.
-Get up quick!
Warm Regards,
-Pat Vick
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