MAX ON LIFE

30. Does repentance occur when a person comes to Christ or as a person grows in Christ?

The answer is yes.

When we come to Christ, we turn away from the old life. If we were living in adultery, we get out. If we were cheating on our taxes, we stop. If we were boasting about self, we begin boasting about Christ. Everything we know to do, we try to do.

The problem, however, is that we don't know everything to do. The longer we hang out with Jesus, the more we see what needs to change. Repentance becomes more than an event. It becomes a lifestyle.

My college roommate, Steve Greene, was neat. Not just neat in the sense of a lot of fun but neat in the sense of not sloppy. I, on the other hand, tend to be sloppy. Why make up a bed you're going to sleep in that night?

Before going to college, I promised my mom that I would be neater. And I kept my promise. I repented of my sloppy ways. But when I saw the way Steve lived, I realized that my repentance had a long way to go. One look at our room and you saw the contrast. On his side of the room, you could eat off the floor. On my side of the room, you couldn't see the floor.

Now, Steve was very gracious. He didn't demand that I change, but little by little he helped me change. Every few days I learned something new. I learned the purpose of hangers. The reason for toothpaste lids. I learned that underwear should be worn only once between washings. Our four years of rooming together were four years of regular repentance. Then he turned me over to Denalyn, and she is still working on me

The same thing happens to the Christian. When he comes to Christ, he repents. But as Christ moves in and takes up residence in his life, he sees how sloppy he is. And, over time, his language changes. His habits change. His money management changes. He lives a lifestyle of repentance.

We are always cleaning up our act.

By: Max Lucado