Conviction of sin is one of the most uncommon things that ever happens to a person. It is the beginning of an understanding of God. Jesus Christ said that when the Holy Spirit came He would convict people of sin (see John 16:8). And when the Holy Spirit stirs a person’s conscience and brings him into the presence of God, it is not that person’s relationship with others that bothers him but his relationship with God— “Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in your sight…” (Psalm 51:4). The wonders of conviction of sin, forgiveness, and holiness are so interwoven that it is only the forgiven person who is truly holy. He proves he is forgiven by being the opposite of what he was previously, by the grace of God. Repentance always brings a person to the point of saying, “I have sinned.” The surest sign that God is at work in his life is when he says that and means it. Anything less is simply sorrow for having made foolish mistakes— a reflex action caused by self-disgust.

The entrance into the kingdom of God is through the sharp, sudden pains of repentance colliding with man’s respectable “goodness.” Then the Holy Spirit, who produces these struggles, begins the formation of the Son of God in the person’s life (see Galatians 4:19). This new life will reveal itself in conscious repentance followed by unconscious holiness, never the other way around. The foundation of Christianity is repentance. Strictly speaking, a person cannot repent when he chooses— repentance is a gift of God. The old Puritans used to pray for “the gift of tears.” If you ever cease to understand the value of repentance, you allow yourself to remain in sin. Examine yourself to see if you have forgotten how to be truly repentant.

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December 7 1025

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

Lord, how does repentance fit inside of the teaching You have been giving us about surrender? Is it the same thing? Do we feel the need to repent, and the need to surrender when led by the Holy Spirit? Are they separate human responses? Do we feel one thing and then another? How do we view this, given Your teaching of the last months and years?

And God says…”It is true that of yourselves you would feel no need for repentance and or surrender. The Holy Spirit brought you to the place of repentance when you first became a believer. And the Holy Spirit will also speak to you about confession (some call it repentance) after you became a believer. That is to say the Holy Spirit will point out to you where and when you fall short of the mark in your relationship with Me. However, there is no condemnation for those that are in Christ Jesus. And when you acknowledge Me in all your ways, I will make your paths straight. Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and I will provide everything else you require, even the awareness of your right standing before Me, regardless of your actions, behaviors or doubts. Do not get confused about repentance, confession and surrender. Simply give yourself and your right to yourself to Me every day and at every opportunity during the day, and see how your life unfolds. Simply live out of that. Love God with all your heart, mind, and soul, and love your neighbor as yourself. Then look back after a time, and see how much like Jesus you have become.”