Chapter 24: True and False Repentance. If someone is able to escape the excesses of riches and is able to overcome the difficulties that riches cause in the road to life, he can enjoy eternally good things. But suppose that even though he is sealed and redeemed, for some reason—because he doesn't know any better or because of circumstances he cannot control—he falls into sin and is quite carried away. What happens? If he is not truly repentant, this person is entirely rejected by God.
Everyone who has turned to God with his whole heart will find that the doors are open. The Father gladly receives his truly repentant son, and true repentance means to no longer be bound in the same sins for which his Savior has denounced death against himself. Rather, true repentance means to eradicate those sins completely from your soul. When those sins are pulled up by their roots, then God makes his home in you again.
It is written that the Father and the angels have great joy and celebration when one sinner turns and repents. Luke 15:10. God tells us, "I prefer mercy and not sacrifice." Hosea 6:6, Matthew 9:13. "And I desire not the death, but the repentance of the sinner." Ezekiel 18:23. Again, he says, "Though your sins are like scarlet wool, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are blacker than the darkness, I will wash them and make them like white wool." Isaiah 1:18.
Only God has the power to forgive our sins and pardon our transgressions, but he also commands us to daily forgive our brothers when they repent. Matthew 6:14. "And if we, being evil, know how to give good gifts, then how much more is it the nature of the long-suffering Father of mercy and consolation to wait for those who have converted?" Luke 11:13. But to convert means that we, in fact, cease from our sins and no longer look behind.
So God is the one who forgives our past sins, but in a sense, we ourselves obtain forgiveness of our future sins. We do this by repenting, by condemning the past deeds, and begging the Father to totally forget them. The Father is the only one who is able to undo what has been done and to blot out our former sins by the dew of the Spirit.
He says, in effect, "I will judge you by the state in which I find you." So there may be a person who has done incredibly good deeds during his lifetime, but if he rushes headlong into wickedness at the end of his life, then all his previous good deeds will fail to profit him. At the conclusion of the drama, he has given up his role. On the other hand, it's possible for the man who once led a wicked and immoral life to eventually repent.
During the remainder of his life, after his repentance, he may overcome the evil conduct of a long time, but to do so requires great care, because he is like one who has suffered from a prolonged disease and needs to follow a certain regimen. He needs special attention. Thief, do you want to be forgiven? Steal no more. Adulterer, burn no more with lust. Fornicator, live purely in the future. You who have robbed, give back, and give back more than you took. False witness, practice truth. Perjurer, swear no more.
All of you, get rid of the rest of your fleshly passions: wrath, lust, grief, and fear. In doing so, at the end of your life, you may be found to have already been reconciled to your adversary during your stay in this world. Luke 12:58. It is probably impossible to eradicate all your inbred passions at once, but by God's power, by human intercession, by the help of the brothers, by sincere repentance, and by constant care, they will be corrected. Find yourself a mentor.
Therefore, it is necessary for you, who are pompous, powerful, and rich, to find a man of God to set over yourself as a trainer and mentor. Have godly respect for someone, even if it's only to one man. Answer to someone, learn to listen to someone else, though there may be only one other man who speaks candidly to you. His words may be harsh, but they will bring healing. For your eyes should not continue unrestrained. It is good for them to sometimes weep and hurt.
This will bring you greater spiritual health in the long run. Likewise, nothing is more detrimental to the soul than uninterrupted pleasure. Learn to fear this godly mentor when he is not pleased with you. Be pained at his groaning. Respect him as you learn to put a stop to what causes his displeasure. Anticipate him when he's pleading against your punishment. Let him spend many sleepless nights out of concern for you, interceding with God for you, influencing the Father with the magic of his intimate prayers.
For the Father doesn't hold out against his children when they beg for his pity, and your mentor will pray for you in a pure manner, held in high honor as an angel of God. He'll be grieved not at you, but for you. This is sincere repentance. God is not mocked. Galatians 6:7. Nor does he give heed to vain words. Only he can search the depths of our hearts. He hears those who are in the fire. He listens to those who pray from inside the whale's belly.
He is near to everyone who believes, but he's far from the ungodly if they don't repent.