Have You Repented Yet Today?

At the heart of sin is the disillusion we can slip by, evading its consequences.  Why it’s the other guy, the less savvy guy, who will get caught. 

But let me just say it:  you will get caught; consequences will materialize, it’s just a matter of time.    In fact, as Moses declares in Numbers 32:33  “…you may be sure, your sin will find you out…” (Numbers 32:33).

But here’s the catch:  not right away.  Frankly one of the Devil’s most ingenious tricks is delaying the consequences of sin.  And so we assume because negative things do not immediately happen, we assume they will never happen.  And so we keep looking at pornography – we keep padding our expense account – we keep ‘talking behind each other backs’ -- because negative things don’t happen right away.    But all the while, the negative is building, as we become more and more comfortable with sinful ways.  

Solomon says it best in Ecclesiastes 8: “Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed quickly, therefore the hearts of the sons of men…are given fully to do evil.”  (Ecclesiastes 8:11, NASV).

But there's an alternative. We can avoid giving ourselves to evil.  We can catch ourselves early in the pattern of sin and fess up!  Hudson Taylor was one of the great Christian leaders of all time, pioneering mission work in China n the late 1800's.  But Taylor was also a little odd!  I mean, rather than greeting friends by asking, 'how's it going,' Hudson Taylor would ask:  'Have you repented yet today?'

Yes, a little odd -- but I like it!

And so here's a modest proposal:  lets add that greeting to our repertoire of greetings, and use it occasionally.  No, not every time, but as the spirit leads, let's inquire of one another:  'have you repented yet today? -- accenting the power of fessing up, to change human life -- beginning with you and me.