For today’s blog entry, I wanted to turn to an ancient pagan holiday that took place around the time of Christmas, the Winter Solstice. Many, including myself, believe Christmas is celebrated on the 25th of December largely due to this pagan holiday. In the time of Constantine, the Christians and the Pagans within his kingdom fought bitterly. So Constantine called for a council to be held at Nicea to determine the future of the religion for his kingdom.
At this council many compromises were made between Christianity and pagan forms of worship. Christianity would become the state religion. The belief I and many others have is that one compromise was to celebrate the birth of the Savior Jesus Christ at the time of the Winter Solstice in order to make Christianity a little easier to swallow for pagan worshippers.
Yet if you look at the Winter Solstice, you’ll find some wonderful signs pointing to Jesus Christ. After all, everything in this world points to Christ. As you explore the signs of Christ in the Winter Solstice, you’ll also find some excellent lessons on faith.
For example, we can turn to the timing of the celebration. Interestingly, the Winter Solstice was celebrated each year on the day that remained darkest the longest. This celebration was to commemorate the coming of brighter days ahead as the sun slowly moved back to the Northern Hemisphere. People knew the coming of the sun would bring more warmth, more food, and more sunshine.
This teaches us what we can expect from the coming of the Son. In today’s world, this seems to be a particularly poignant lesson. We live in a dark time. Wars rage the earth. Faith in God is under heavy assault. Immorality of many flavors taints the hearts of the children of men. You could argue these are the darkest days this earth has seen.
So we can take our lesson from the darkest days of the ancient world. We can celebrate the coming of the Son, and with Him brighter days ahead. When He comes He will bring the warmth of His love. Those who search for Him will feel His warm embrace and know they are cleansed of the darkness of this current world. When He comes He will bring with Him the bread of life. Those who partake of it will hunger no more. When He comes He will bring the glory of God. Those who follow Him will bask in this glory as He gives it to them and makes them one with Him and with Heavenly Father.
So the lesson is to look forward to the coming of the Son with faith. Do the works He has asked of you. Then you can know that when He arrives, you will find His warmth, His food, and His sunshine.
There are more lessons to be learned from the Winter Solstice, but I’m not an expert and can hardly do it justice. So, if you’d like, take the time to learn them yourself. In the meantime, consider the lessons you can learn from the Winter Solstice. Remember that Jesus Christ is the Son, and He will be coming again. We may be in the darkest days of this world, but His coming as drawing closer every day. And as such, His disciples have a great deal to celebrate and look forward to.
I want to shift gears by again turning my thoughts to Christmas. After all, it is Christmas. I want to again remind you that this holiday is about Jesus Christ. It celebrates His birth, but remember that His birth was only the beginning of the many, many gifts He would give throughout His life. And the gifts He has given to us extend beyond His life, both into the eternities before His coming and into the eternities after His death and resurrection.
Everybody in the world should be celebrating His birth and remembering Him upon this day, for all have been blessed by His gifts. So, now that you’ve opened your Christmas gifts and found delight in them, turn your heart again to the One who has given you the gifts that never diminishes. Remember His gifts to you. Make a covenant with Him that you will do all you can to make these gifts yours.
I close now with a portion of my testimony of Jesus Christ. I love Him. I cherish Him. I cannot express to you through these words, or through any other means I know of, how much I am grateful for Him. I know that all I have I have because of Him. I know that my dearly beloved wife can be with me as my eternal companion because Christ has provided the way. I know that my daughter, and all my children to come, can be eternally bound to me as my children because Jesus Christ provided the way. I know that this bond carries to all my family, inasmuch as they choose it, because Jesus Christ has provided the way for this to be.
I hope you, too, know the blessings you have because of Jesus Christ. And I hope you have the burning in your heart at this time to thank Him for His blessings. And I hope you vow to make your gifts to Him gifts worthy of the Eternal King who was born in a stable.
Merry Christmas! May it be a joyous one!
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Sunday, December 18, 2011
The Real Christmas Story
One of the books members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints accept as a book of scriptures is The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ. This wonderful book supports The Holy Bible in testifying of the divinity of Jesus Christ. Within its pages are many wonderful stories of inhabitants of the American continents in the ancient times of our world.
One of these wonderful stories takes place a little over 2000 years ago. A man named Samuel the Lamanite came to the city of Zarahemla to preach repentance unto the inhabitants of the city. While he was there, he made many prophecies and promises. One of these prophecies was that, in five years time from his prophesying, the Lord would send a sign unto the inhabitants of the Americas. This sign would be a day, a night, and then a day of continuous light. The inhabitants would know the passing of the day and night, but darkness would not claim the earth during the late hours.
Five years later, many of the inhabitants still believed in the prophecy of Samuel the Lamanite. Others, however, did not. Those that didn’t stated the time for the fulfillment of the prophecy was passed, concluding those that still believed must be put to death. So they set a date for the slaughter of those filled with faith.
Nephi, the Lord’s prophet among the American people, was concerned about the decision of those who chose not to believe. So, practicing faith, he went to the Lord in prayer, praying all day long for his people. In answer to his great faith and prayers, the Lord promised Nephi that, on the date set aside for slaughtering the believers, the Lord would send the sign among the people. So it was that on the given date, the people beheld a day, a night, and a day of complete light.
This sign was truly a pivotal moment in the lives of the people of the Americas, even to the point they chose to redefine their calendar to count the days and years from this sign. In fact, the calendar still records the number of years from this point in the history of the world. So what was the significance of the sign? It marked the birth of the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ. Many, many miles away in a stable in the little town of Bethlehem, the little baby Jesus was born and placed in a manger.
Now you may wonder what caused the most important person in the history of the world to be placed in a manger. For this the story must back up a little bit to capture the story of the precious Lord’s parents.
Mary, a young virgin girl in a little town called Nazareth, was visited by the angel Gabriel. She was told she was highly favored by the Lord and would be blessed among women, for she would carry the Son of God in her womb. So it was that she became pregnant, having had no physical relationship with any man. She was espoused (engaged) to a man from Bethlehem named Joseph. To prevent Joseph from deciding not to wed Mary, the angel Gabriel visited him and explained why Mary was pregnant. Joseph, being a righteous man, married Mary.
Jesus was to be born at the time Caesar Augustus collected taxes from the citizens of Judaea. Each family was to return to the birth place of the head of the house to pay their taxes. So Mary and Joseph proceeded to Bethlehem. When they arrived, they found lodging was crowded. There was no room for them inside. Mercifully, they were offered the solitude of a stable to give birth. So it was that Jesus was born in a stable in Bethlehem and placed in a manger to rest.
The Savior’s birth wouldn’t go unnoticed, however. The angel Gabriel, along with a heavenly host, appeared unto shepherds, bringing them the joyous news of the birth of Jesus Christ. These shepherds hastened to the manger to visit the newborn King.
Three wise men beheld the sign of the birth of the Son of God as well. These men travelled a long distance to visit the Royal Child, bringing with them gold, frankincense, and myrrh. They recognized that He truly was their King, sent to provide them the way back to God.
This is the true Christmas story. Our world has reason to rejoice: the Son of God, our great Redeemer, has walked on our world. He taught the children of men the true path of happiness and the way home to Heavenly Father. He suffered, He bled, and He died to atone for our sins and bridge the gap between mortality and immortality. And it all began a little over 2000 years ago with the birth of a child.
When you celebrate Christmas, remember you celebrate the birth of the One who redeems you. Remember that you have already been given the best gift you can ever receive. You don’t need the gifts of the world. It doesn’t matter what your mom, dad, grandparents, or spouse give you. All you may get this year is trivial. You have already been given the most wonderful gift by Him whose birthday we celebrate. Jesus Christ has given you a chance. Now go and practice faith in His gift and earn it.
The New Testament, The Holy Bible
Matthew 1-2
Luke 1-2
One of these wonderful stories takes place a little over 2000 years ago. A man named Samuel the Lamanite came to the city of Zarahemla to preach repentance unto the inhabitants of the city. While he was there, he made many prophecies and promises. One of these prophecies was that, in five years time from his prophesying, the Lord would send a sign unto the inhabitants of the Americas. This sign would be a day, a night, and then a day of continuous light. The inhabitants would know the passing of the day and night, but darkness would not claim the earth during the late hours.
Five years later, many of the inhabitants still believed in the prophecy of Samuel the Lamanite. Others, however, did not. Those that didn’t stated the time for the fulfillment of the prophecy was passed, concluding those that still believed must be put to death. So they set a date for the slaughter of those filled with faith.
Nephi, the Lord’s prophet among the American people, was concerned about the decision of those who chose not to believe. So, practicing faith, he went to the Lord in prayer, praying all day long for his people. In answer to his great faith and prayers, the Lord promised Nephi that, on the date set aside for slaughtering the believers, the Lord would send the sign among the people. So it was that on the given date, the people beheld a day, a night, and a day of complete light.
This sign was truly a pivotal moment in the lives of the people of the Americas, even to the point they chose to redefine their calendar to count the days and years from this sign. In fact, the calendar still records the number of years from this point in the history of the world. So what was the significance of the sign? It marked the birth of the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ. Many, many miles away in a stable in the little town of Bethlehem, the little baby Jesus was born and placed in a manger.
Now you may wonder what caused the most important person in the history of the world to be placed in a manger. For this the story must back up a little bit to capture the story of the precious Lord’s parents.
Mary, a young virgin girl in a little town called Nazareth, was visited by the angel Gabriel. She was told she was highly favored by the Lord and would be blessed among women, for she would carry the Son of God in her womb. So it was that she became pregnant, having had no physical relationship with any man. She was espoused (engaged) to a man from Bethlehem named Joseph. To prevent Joseph from deciding not to wed Mary, the angel Gabriel visited him and explained why Mary was pregnant. Joseph, being a righteous man, married Mary.
Jesus was to be born at the time Caesar Augustus collected taxes from the citizens of Judaea. Each family was to return to the birth place of the head of the house to pay their taxes. So Mary and Joseph proceeded to Bethlehem. When they arrived, they found lodging was crowded. There was no room for them inside. Mercifully, they were offered the solitude of a stable to give birth. So it was that Jesus was born in a stable in Bethlehem and placed in a manger to rest.
The Savior’s birth wouldn’t go unnoticed, however. The angel Gabriel, along with a heavenly host, appeared unto shepherds, bringing them the joyous news of the birth of Jesus Christ. These shepherds hastened to the manger to visit the newborn King.
Three wise men beheld the sign of the birth of the Son of God as well. These men travelled a long distance to visit the Royal Child, bringing with them gold, frankincense, and myrrh. They recognized that He truly was their King, sent to provide them the way back to God.
This is the true Christmas story. Our world has reason to rejoice: the Son of God, our great Redeemer, has walked on our world. He taught the children of men the true path of happiness and the way home to Heavenly Father. He suffered, He bled, and He died to atone for our sins and bridge the gap between mortality and immortality. And it all began a little over 2000 years ago with the birth of a child.
When you celebrate Christmas, remember you celebrate the birth of the One who redeems you. Remember that you have already been given the best gift you can ever receive. You don’t need the gifts of the world. It doesn’t matter what your mom, dad, grandparents, or spouse give you. All you may get this year is trivial. You have already been given the most wonderful gift by Him whose birthday we celebrate. Jesus Christ has given you a chance. Now go and practice faith in His gift and earn it.
Scriptures used for this blog entry:
3 Nephi 1, The Book of MormonThe New Testament, The Holy Bible
Matthew 1-2
Luke 1-2
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Christmas Faith
One of the many things the human race tends to be good at is celebrating. In my short life, I’ve found people are capable of finding any purpose possible for celebrating. There are celebrations for birthdays, graduations, coming of age rituals, retirements, and weddings. People celebrate the birth of children, naming children, blessing children, and the many accomplishments of children. There are celebrations that take place before someone leaves the home for an extended period of time, followed by celebrations for the return of that person. And, let us not forget, there are many, many holidays throughout the world that human beings celebrate.
I would love to name the holidays of the world for you. Unfortunately, I’m not an expert on the holidays of the world. I know a few of the holidays outside of the United States of America, but not many. However, being a native to the United States of America, I am more familiar with these holidays. And Americans, as we are commonly called, have a holiday for almost everything. In fact there is at least one major holiday in almost every month of the year.
At this time of year, one of the most popular holidays celebrated by Americans, and even a large number of other countries, is Christmas. This holiday is probably the favorite holiday of most Americans. People love the beautiful lights adorning the houses, businesses, and greenery throughout the many communities. The wonder and excitement in children’s eyes fill people with excitement. The seemingly magical generosity of the masses brings hope and joy to the weary hearted. It’s truly a special time of year when people have so much to look forward to and hope for.
Christmas is one of my two favorite holidays. I admit that I love the wonder and excitement children feel at Christmas. I love the bright and happy lights riddled throughout the communities. And I love the special generosity the human race feels towards one another at Christmas.
But none of these would be listed as my favorite part about Christmas. My favorite part of Christmas is actually something many in the world, especially commercialized America, have forgotten. It’s the true meaning behind Christmas, Jesus Christ. And it is the faith Christmas rejuvenates in Jesus Christ for those who search for this true meaning.
Unfortunately, the true meaning of Christmas is being lost in today’s world. It’s truly sad when you consider what is becoming of this wonderful holiday. People easily get caught up in the hustle and bustle of buying presents and forget about Jesus Christ. Many search under the tree for the largest present in hopes it is what they’ve been dreaming of receiving, forgetting that Christmas is about the greatest gift our Heavenly Father sent to us. In fact the United States of America has even faced rigid opposition to the name of “Christmas”. Many have called for a name change to “X-mas” with phrases such as “Happy Holidays” replacing “Merry Christmas”. All this has happened because some have proclaimed the name Christmas carries too much of a religious meaning.
But why shouldn’t Christmas carry such a religious meaning. Christmas is about the generosity of the heart, is it not? I proclaim to you that it is. Heavenly Father made the most generous gift to us that He could. He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to earth to redeem us, as discussed in the posts throughout August and September about Jesus Christ. And the coming of this Son to the earth is what Christmas is meant to celebrate.
Let me ask you, have you forgotten the wonderful birth of the baby Jesus? Have you forgotten the tale of His coming? Have you forgotten His condescension to be with Man? Have you forgotten all He did for you? Are you too busy plotting on how to spend your money for Christmas gifts and guessing just what you will get to spend time pondering on the true meaning of Christmas?
If so, I have my own little gift for you, a gift I hope will be fit for my present to my Redeemer. My gift to you is going to be a focus for the next little while on the true meaning of Christmas. I’m going to tell you the one true Christmas story in my own words over the next blog or two and share some of my personal feelings with you about Christmas. And I hope it will help you focus more on why Christmas is so wonderful.
For now, let me close by sharing with you my faith in Christmas. I have faith that Christmas draws the world closer to Christ as the people within the world open up their hearts to the spirit of sharing. I know this is brought about because the love of Christ is spreading forth in the hearts of men. I have faith that those who open their hearts to Christ get the most out of Christmas, and I know these people find Christmas the most joyous out of all the people of the earth.
I know the joy of getting gifts is nothing compared to the joy of giving those gifts, and I have faith that any who focus more on giving than getting will find themselves happier people than those who don’t.
I know Christmas is about Jesus Christ. And I have faith that many people will remember this and have their strength in Him strengthened throughout this Christmas season. With all my heart I wish to you a very Merry Christmas.
I would love to name the holidays of the world for you. Unfortunately, I’m not an expert on the holidays of the world. I know a few of the holidays outside of the United States of America, but not many. However, being a native to the United States of America, I am more familiar with these holidays. And Americans, as we are commonly called, have a holiday for almost everything. In fact there is at least one major holiday in almost every month of the year.
At this time of year, one of the most popular holidays celebrated by Americans, and even a large number of other countries, is Christmas. This holiday is probably the favorite holiday of most Americans. People love the beautiful lights adorning the houses, businesses, and greenery throughout the many communities. The wonder and excitement in children’s eyes fill people with excitement. The seemingly magical generosity of the masses brings hope and joy to the weary hearted. It’s truly a special time of year when people have so much to look forward to and hope for.
Christmas is one of my two favorite holidays. I admit that I love the wonder and excitement children feel at Christmas. I love the bright and happy lights riddled throughout the communities. And I love the special generosity the human race feels towards one another at Christmas.
But none of these would be listed as my favorite part about Christmas. My favorite part of Christmas is actually something many in the world, especially commercialized America, have forgotten. It’s the true meaning behind Christmas, Jesus Christ. And it is the faith Christmas rejuvenates in Jesus Christ for those who search for this true meaning.
Unfortunately, the true meaning of Christmas is being lost in today’s world. It’s truly sad when you consider what is becoming of this wonderful holiday. People easily get caught up in the hustle and bustle of buying presents and forget about Jesus Christ. Many search under the tree for the largest present in hopes it is what they’ve been dreaming of receiving, forgetting that Christmas is about the greatest gift our Heavenly Father sent to us. In fact the United States of America has even faced rigid opposition to the name of “Christmas”. Many have called for a name change to “X-mas” with phrases such as “Happy Holidays” replacing “Merry Christmas”. All this has happened because some have proclaimed the name Christmas carries too much of a religious meaning.
But why shouldn’t Christmas carry such a religious meaning. Christmas is about the generosity of the heart, is it not? I proclaim to you that it is. Heavenly Father made the most generous gift to us that He could. He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to earth to redeem us, as discussed in the posts throughout August and September about Jesus Christ. And the coming of this Son to the earth is what Christmas is meant to celebrate.
Let me ask you, have you forgotten the wonderful birth of the baby Jesus? Have you forgotten the tale of His coming? Have you forgotten His condescension to be with Man? Have you forgotten all He did for you? Are you too busy plotting on how to spend your money for Christmas gifts and guessing just what you will get to spend time pondering on the true meaning of Christmas?
If so, I have my own little gift for you, a gift I hope will be fit for my present to my Redeemer. My gift to you is going to be a focus for the next little while on the true meaning of Christmas. I’m going to tell you the one true Christmas story in my own words over the next blog or two and share some of my personal feelings with you about Christmas. And I hope it will help you focus more on why Christmas is so wonderful.
For now, let me close by sharing with you my faith in Christmas. I have faith that Christmas draws the world closer to Christ as the people within the world open up their hearts to the spirit of sharing. I know this is brought about because the love of Christ is spreading forth in the hearts of men. I have faith that those who open their hearts to Christ get the most out of Christmas, and I know these people find Christmas the most joyous out of all the people of the earth.
I know the joy of getting gifts is nothing compared to the joy of giving those gifts, and I have faith that any who focus more on giving than getting will find themselves happier people than those who don’t.
I know Christmas is about Jesus Christ. And I have faith that many people will remember this and have their strength in Him strengthened throughout this Christmas season. With all my heart I wish to you a very Merry Christmas.
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Faith and Repentance
There is a certain subject that has been weighing heavily on my mind for some time now. I feel this blog needs to leave its focus on the divine faith of women in order to turn its focus to this important topic. This precious subject is repentance.
I thought I would begin by defining repentance. When we turn to The Bible Dictionary, we learn repentance is a translation from a Greek word that denotes a change of mind. The Bible Dictionary clarifies what this means by stating, “Repentance comes to mean a turning of the heart and will to God, and a renunciation of sin to which we are naturally inclined.”
This is important to understand. When we are born into mortality, we receive a body of flesh and bone. This body carries certain needs, desires, and passions. For example we need food, water, and air to live. We need love and respect in order to have a sense of self worth. We need intimacy in order to procreate. In addition it draws us closer to our eternal companions when properly used.
Our natural bodies take these needs and turn them into natural desires. We have a desire to eat delicious food, which can lead to overeating, unhealthy eating, and disobedience to the Word of Wisdom. (The Word of Wisdom is found in the 89th Section of The Doctrine and Covenants of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Members of this church recognize this as revelation given by God through President Joseph Smith. It provides direction for taking care of our physical bodies and makes promises for those who uphold it.) Our desire for respect can lead us to seek for worldly power and prestige, driving us to break the commandment of holding no other “gods” before the One True God. And our desires for physical intimacy can drive us to break the laws of marriage and chastity, which state we will have no physical intimacy except between a man and a woman legally married.
There are many other desires held by our physical bodies. Each of these can be satisfied in accordance with the laws of God. However, our physical bodies push us to satisfy these desires without respect to the laws of God. When we choose to satisfy any desire in a manner breaking the laws of God, we are sinning. Then we need repentance.
When we have faith in Jesus Christ, it will always lead us to the point of repentance. This is because we will desire the promises He has made. These include eternal life with God and all that our Heavenly Father has. Think of all the things our Heavenly Father, who is God, has. That is truly a magnificent promise.
But this promise rests upon our repentance. So it is that our faith will always lead us to repentance. At first we will probably do it for the promise. But over time we will find ourselves repenting simply because we love Jesus and we know Him. When we know Him, we learn God is always doing what is best for us, even when we don’t understand it. This means we can always trust that His will is best for us. Thus our mind begins to change to seek after His will in all things, knowing His will brings about our best interests in the long run far better than ours could.
So we have a change of mind. Our minds change to trust God’s will over ours. Repentance means changing our minds to follow God’s will and not the desire of our flesh. So, doesn’t it make sense that having faith, true faith, in Jesus Christ leads us to repentance?
It does. And as we practice repentance, we draw closer to Jesus Christ. As we draw closer to Him, we repent of ever smaller deviations from the will of God. We learn to recognize repentance as a gift from God that allows us hope. We learn to cherish this gift and look for ways to practice it every day of our lives.
This wonderful gift of repentance is difficult to do. It takes a long time and a lot of effort. This is because it is only truly completed when we no longer desire to perform the acts that don’t conform to the laws of God. It isn’t enough to simply say, “I’m sorry I did that.” It isn’t enough to refrain from doing it again. True repentance requires that we repay any damages—whether in time, money, or effort—created by our sins. It requires that we no longer commit those acts. And it requires that we no longer desire to commit those acts.
This means it requires faith. Think about your biggest weakness. Most of us aren’t honest enough with ourselves to really confess even to ourselves what that biggest weakness is. But try to just for one moment. When you have, consider how much work it would take to forsake that weakness. If you are being honest with yourself, you know you can’t do it. So what is the point?
The point is to practice faith and believe Jesus Christ overcame these temptations and can help you overcome yours as well. Then you must practice faith and try to repent. You’ll fail. So you’ll have to practice faith and try again. Again you’ll fail. So, you will need to practice faith and try again. And you must keep at this until the time comes that Jesus Christ steps forward and gives you the help you need. But faith in Jesus Christ will lead you to do it to the point you learn it is worth every ounce of pain and effort it requires.
I can testify that I know how precious the gift of repentance is. I know how much it is worth the effort it requires. I am a sinner. There are many things I have done in my life that are not in accordance with the will of God. So I have needed to repent many times. Some of these have been more serious than others. Therefore some have been more difficult and have taken more time to repent of than others. And I still have many to go. In fact, I think I have far more to go than those I’ve worked on. But I have practiced repentance and I have learned how precious it is.
Let me close this entry by exhorting you to repentance. You know you aren’t perfect. You know what your flaws are. And you know they don’t conform to the laws of God. So repent. You will find the process difficult and painful. You will find the process rewarding and very much worth it.
I thought I would begin by defining repentance. When we turn to The Bible Dictionary, we learn repentance is a translation from a Greek word that denotes a change of mind. The Bible Dictionary clarifies what this means by stating, “Repentance comes to mean a turning of the heart and will to God, and a renunciation of sin to which we are naturally inclined.”
This is important to understand. When we are born into mortality, we receive a body of flesh and bone. This body carries certain needs, desires, and passions. For example we need food, water, and air to live. We need love and respect in order to have a sense of self worth. We need intimacy in order to procreate. In addition it draws us closer to our eternal companions when properly used.
Our natural bodies take these needs and turn them into natural desires. We have a desire to eat delicious food, which can lead to overeating, unhealthy eating, and disobedience to the Word of Wisdom. (The Word of Wisdom is found in the 89th Section of The Doctrine and Covenants of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Members of this church recognize this as revelation given by God through President Joseph Smith. It provides direction for taking care of our physical bodies and makes promises for those who uphold it.) Our desire for respect can lead us to seek for worldly power and prestige, driving us to break the commandment of holding no other “gods” before the One True God. And our desires for physical intimacy can drive us to break the laws of marriage and chastity, which state we will have no physical intimacy except between a man and a woman legally married.
There are many other desires held by our physical bodies. Each of these can be satisfied in accordance with the laws of God. However, our physical bodies push us to satisfy these desires without respect to the laws of God. When we choose to satisfy any desire in a manner breaking the laws of God, we are sinning. Then we need repentance.
When we have faith in Jesus Christ, it will always lead us to the point of repentance. This is because we will desire the promises He has made. These include eternal life with God and all that our Heavenly Father has. Think of all the things our Heavenly Father, who is God, has. That is truly a magnificent promise.
But this promise rests upon our repentance. So it is that our faith will always lead us to repentance. At first we will probably do it for the promise. But over time we will find ourselves repenting simply because we love Jesus and we know Him. When we know Him, we learn God is always doing what is best for us, even when we don’t understand it. This means we can always trust that His will is best for us. Thus our mind begins to change to seek after His will in all things, knowing His will brings about our best interests in the long run far better than ours could.
So we have a change of mind. Our minds change to trust God’s will over ours. Repentance means changing our minds to follow God’s will and not the desire of our flesh. So, doesn’t it make sense that having faith, true faith, in Jesus Christ leads us to repentance?
It does. And as we practice repentance, we draw closer to Jesus Christ. As we draw closer to Him, we repent of ever smaller deviations from the will of God. We learn to recognize repentance as a gift from God that allows us hope. We learn to cherish this gift and look for ways to practice it every day of our lives.
This wonderful gift of repentance is difficult to do. It takes a long time and a lot of effort. This is because it is only truly completed when we no longer desire to perform the acts that don’t conform to the laws of God. It isn’t enough to simply say, “I’m sorry I did that.” It isn’t enough to refrain from doing it again. True repentance requires that we repay any damages—whether in time, money, or effort—created by our sins. It requires that we no longer commit those acts. And it requires that we no longer desire to commit those acts.
This means it requires faith. Think about your biggest weakness. Most of us aren’t honest enough with ourselves to really confess even to ourselves what that biggest weakness is. But try to just for one moment. When you have, consider how much work it would take to forsake that weakness. If you are being honest with yourself, you know you can’t do it. So what is the point?
The point is to practice faith and believe Jesus Christ overcame these temptations and can help you overcome yours as well. Then you must practice faith and try to repent. You’ll fail. So you’ll have to practice faith and try again. Again you’ll fail. So, you will need to practice faith and try again. And you must keep at this until the time comes that Jesus Christ steps forward and gives you the help you need. But faith in Jesus Christ will lead you to do it to the point you learn it is worth every ounce of pain and effort it requires.
I can testify that I know how precious the gift of repentance is. I know how much it is worth the effort it requires. I am a sinner. There are many things I have done in my life that are not in accordance with the will of God. So I have needed to repent many times. Some of these have been more serious than others. Therefore some have been more difficult and have taken more time to repent of than others. And I still have many to go. In fact, I think I have far more to go than those I’ve worked on. But I have practiced repentance and I have learned how precious it is.
Let me close this entry by exhorting you to repentance. You know you aren’t perfect. You know what your flaws are. And you know they don’t conform to the laws of God. So repent. You will find the process difficult and painful. You will find the process rewarding and very much worth it.
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