Our Relationship with God

Now that you understand the price of separation (sin), you need to be reminded of how we gain the solution God has for us. But remember, these steps are guided by the Holy Spirit because we cannot do it ourselves.

Step 1: Repent

After Jesus died, rose again, and went back to Heaven, Peter preached to thousands of people in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost. After his message, they asked him the question: “What do we need to DO to be saved?” Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38).

The first step to activate life is repentance. What does it mean to repent?

1. Repentance means to recognise that you’ve been wrong. There comes a moment in your life when your eyes are opened and you realise that your thoughts, actions, and attitudes are not right. You recognise there is a need for change. In Psalm 51:4, David recognised his sin and wrongdoing, saying, “Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight. You will be proved right in what you say, and your judgment against me is just.”
2. Repentance means to regret who you’ve been and what you’ve done. If we are honest, we’ve all caused a lot of hurt and pain to others and to God. God is actually giving you this sense of remorse to change your life. 2 Corinthians 7:10 describes this sorrow: “For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow.” Thankfully, we don’t have to sit in this place, because we receive the forgiveness of God, and shame is washed away!
3. Repentance means to reverse direction. It’s not enough to just know that you are wrong and be remorseful about it; you must decisively change your course! You must go in the opposite direction. We call it a “spiritual U-turn,” or a “spiritual 180”. Lamentations 3:40 says, “Instead, let us test and examine our ways. Let us turn back to the Lord.”