Matthew 26:75 “Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: ‘Before the rooster crows, you will disown Me three times.’ And he went outside and wept bitterly.” (NIV)
The depth of Peter’s anguish over his rejection of Jesus caused me to reflect on the depth and anguish of repentance that I feel over sins in my life. An oxymoron exists in sin’s relationship to a child of God. You would think a follower of Christ would be experiencing a diminishing level of sin in his life, but in reality the closer you draw to Christ the greater the sin you will see in your life. Ephesians 5:13-14a states, “But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for it is light that makes everything visible.” Greater intimacy with Christ results in a greater recognition of sin in you. This recognition of sin is not bad, but an opportunity to grow in even greater intimacy with Christ. As God reveals areas of your life that separate you from Him, you have the opportunity to confess that sin, repent (turn away), submit to the Lordship of Christ, and allow Him to not only deal with that sin condition, but also pour more of His life into you. The process of repentance and restoration takes you to a new level of intimacy with Christ that – OOPs – reveals more sin! No matter how much change takes place in your human body, God’s holiness will always engulf your life. This is not bad because each time repentance takes you to new levels with God that allow you to experience greater measures of His presence, character, and power. When you feel like your life looks and smells good, it is time to take an inventory on your intimacy with God.Jeremiah 17:9 declares, “The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; Who can understand it?” Is God number one in your life? Does God supersede everything else? Are you passionately seeking to know Him better every day through the spiritual disciplines God has put on your heart (Quiet time, Bible study, concentrated prayer, Scripture Memory, church, etc)? Are you constantly talking to God throughout the day and making Him a part of every movement of your life? When you come into the holiness of His light, His light will shine on you – OOPS – I have another opportunity to not only know God better, but also to experience more of Him!
Psalm 11:7 “For the Lord is righteous; He loves righteousness; the upright will behold His face.” (NASB)