A Call to Repentance / Charles Stanley

A Call to Repentance

When we truly agree with God about our failures, He sets us free to enjoy an abundant life.

Hebrews 4:13-16

Have you ever gotten caught in a “guilt cycle”? You confess sin, tell God you’re sorry, and promise not to do it anymore—only to find yourself sinning again. You’ve come before the Lord to confess dozens of times but still find yourself repeating the same sins. It’s easy to get discouraged, but God promises, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

Friends, God is holding up His end of that promise. When we truly confess, He forgives us. Psalm 103:12 gives this assuring description of His forgiveness: “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our wrongdoings from us.”

So, how do we genuinely confess? True confession means agreeing with the Lord about sin, and it is inseparably linked with repentance; they’re two sides of the same coin. In the Greek, repent literally means “a change of mind,” so to repent is to turn our back upon wrong and change our actions.

In practical terms, to confess and repent requires the intentional decision to say, “By the Holy Spirit’s power, I’m turning away.” Satan will still tempt you, and failure remains a possibility. But God can break the chains of your sin, and He wants to set you free—free to live the abundant life (John 10:10).