Obey and Repent
Scripture Reading — Revelation 3:1-6
“Hold it fast, and repent… You will not know at what time I will come to you.”
Revelation 3:3
Each of us knows we should renew our commitment and love to Jesus Christ. How do we do that? Revelation 3:3 puts it plainly: we are to hold on to the teachings the Lord has given, and repent. This is crucial because Christ can come for us at any time.
This is a call to obedience, to follow God’s directions for living, to honor God above all things. The word for honor in the Bible means “give weight to.” So this means we consider God’s commands the most weighty words in our lives. We give the Lord true honor when we do what he asks.
To obey is more difficult than it sounds. Though we may honor God with our high-sounding words, our behavior can dishonor his name.
Repentance is something we think we know about—but do we? In Scripture, repentance is more than being sorry. To repent means “to turn around.” As one dictionary puts it, repentance means “feeling regret about a sin or past actions and changing your ways and habits.” I often find it easier to rationalize wrong behavior than to be genuinely sorry for it. What about you?
It’s a huge challenge to repent and obey. We need help to do this. Tomorrow as we worship with God’s people, we’ll find that God meets us to work in us the sincerity he desires.
Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, how I need your help to obey you and sincerely repent of my sins. Thank you, Jesus, for pardoning all my sin. Amen.
About the author — Jack Gray
Jack Gray recently retired after forty years as a pastor in the Christian Reformed Church. During that time he served seven churches from coast to coast in the United States. He and his wife, Wanda, have four sons and three grandchildren. They also have ministered to 44 foster children. This month’s devotions are inspired by his reflections on time at this transition in his life.
Start your day with quick daily devotions.
See God's love, power, presence, and purpose in your life every day!