Ezekiel 18:31-32 “Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, O house of Israel? For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent and live!”
Do you wonder why true repentance was so important to God? The word repent means “to turn from”, it’s more than just being sorry. It can’t be much plainer that the verse states “to rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit”. Maybe if we’re not enjoying the new heart and the new spirit, we haven’t rid ourselves of all the offenses that we’ve committed in the past. Perhaps we’ve kept one or two hidden away because they’re comfortable and we’re putting our trust in them and not the Lord. God has said how it must be – Repent and live. Not proceed with life as it was, for it will only end in death.
Terri Pettyjohn is a regular contributor to ExperiencingWorship.com Her devotionals and Women in Worship articles are a favorite of many of our users as she seeks to touch the hearts of others through her writing. Terri currently lives in Farmington, NM where she is pursuing a career in free-lance writing. She is an attender of Pinon Hills Community Church and volunteers on a regular basis in the Worship Arts Ministry. When she is not busy there she is investing in the lives of her grandchildren and others.