Don’t Pretend to Repent!
If there's one person in the Bible you don't want to be like it’s King Ahab - sulking and full of self-pity, spreading lies and taking possession of what wasn't his, following idols.
Ahab Repents
Towards the end of 1 Kings 21, God had revealed to Elijah that because of Ahab’s sin he would wipe out his descendants, and him and Jezebel would die a horrible deaths and dogs and birds would eat the flesh. Hearing this, Ahab was quite freaked out, as you can imagine. And so in a sign of repentance that was normal for the day, he tore his clothes and he went around wearing sackcloth and fasting. God even said to Elijah, “Look how Ahab is humbled himself. Let me not bring this disaster on him.” That's 1 Kings 21:29.
False Repentance
But in the chapters that follow, it seems clear that Ahab's repentance didn't last, but he went on in his godless ways. And so this judgment on him then came true. And this was a stark reminder to me not to be false in my repentance, not to just pretend!
You see, Ahab repented because he didn't want to get punished. He wasn't really sorry for dishonoring God. He just didn't want bad stuff to happen to him. Instead of repenting so that he could connect with God, turning away from sin in order to connect with God and live in a real relationship with God, he just repented so that he wouldn't get punished. And that is not actually repentance at all.
Repentance is Turning From Sin
No heart change comes from that sort of repentance, but it's turning from sin and saying, “Lord, I'm yours, I'm yours, and I need your Holy Spirit to fill me and I want to live a holy and good life.” That is the repentance that God honors. Otherwise, like Ahab, we just carry on with our sin despite outwardly showing signs of repentance.
Jesus longs for our repentance, friends. He longs for us to turn away from our old lives and live the lives He's called us to. Let's not pretend, let's not be like King Ahab, who seemed to have done it, but inside his heart he was still following idols. That's not going to help anybody and God is not fooled. But when we truly repent and truly turn from our sinful ways and truly follow God and connect with Him and live for him, we will truly find grace instead of punishment, and joy and peace in our hearts.
Which one is it going to be for you? False repentance like Ahab? Or true repentance that connects you back to God? Choose wisely, friends.
I so appreciate you listening to my messages and sending them on to others. Reminder that these devotions will always be free, but for those who are able to donate towards the work I do, thank you, it goes a long way. Go well, friends, and may you be a person of Christ and not a follower of Ahab this weekend.
