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False Repentance

Words of Faith Final

False Repentance

Words of Faith 6-24-2020

Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2020

Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com

Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL

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Numbers 14

    [36] So the men Moses had sent to explore the land, who returned and made the whole community grumble against him by spreading a bad report about it-- [37] these men responsible for spreading the bad report about the land were struck down and died of a plague before the Lord. [38] Of the men who went to explore the land, only Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh survived.

    [39] When Moses reported this to all the Israelites, they mourned bitterly. [40] Early the next morning they went up toward the high hill country. "We have sinned," they said. "We will go up to the place the Lord promised."

    [41] But Moses said, "Why are you disobeying the Lord's command? This will not succeed! [42] Do not go up, because the Lord is not with you. You will be defeated by your enemies, [43] for the Amalekites and Canaanites will face you there. Because you have turned away from the Lord, he will not be with you and you will fall by the sword."

    [44] Nevertheless, in their presumption they went up toward the high hill country, though neither Moses nor the ark of the Lord's covenant moved from the camp. [45] Then the Amalekites and Canaanites who lived in that hill country came down and attacked them and beat them down all the way to Hormah.

 

      As a result of the great rebellion against Moses and the insult to the Lord, the people heard that they would not enter into the Promised Land if they were 20 years of age or older.  There was a more specific judgment for the ten spies who had stirred up all this trouble.  The ten spies were struck with a plague and died for undermining the people's morale and leading them astray.

       The result of this was a form of repentance.  The people mourned and confessed that they had sinned.  But even this mourning was self-centered.  Rather than seek the guidance of the Lord, they resolved to forget their fears and undertake the Canaanite conquest at once. But it was too little, too late.  They could no longer claim the presence and protection of the Lord.  Moses warned them that this would fail.

        With characteristic obstinance, the people pressed on and rejected Moses’ counsel.  They set out without Moses and the ark and pressed the attack in the hill country.  Not surprisingly, the Amalekites and Canaanites launched a counterattack and severely defeated Israel.  The enemy drove them far to the south.

        Repentance is more than being grieved and more than trying to make up for our mistakes and rebellion.  Repentance is more than sadness for the consequence of our sin.   Repentance is more than just turning away from our sin or changing the direction of our path. 

        Genuine repentance is marked by a turn toward the Lord.  Genuine repentance is marked by surrender to the Lord.  We can be just as rebellious doing the right thing at the wrong time or doing the right thing for the wrong reason! 

        Repentance is more than just grief because we are caught in the wrong.  Repentance is a change of heart away from our flesh toward the Lord and a change of purpose.  Repentance is the realization that our efforts to do things our way, even good and holy things, is rebellious. 

        We need to beware of false repentance in our own lives.  Anything short of complete surrender to the Lord will surely lack His power and presence no matter how "right" and holy it may appear.

 

       Father God, I surrender to You.  Forgive me for trying to make my way in my strength.  I confess that my way cannot ever glorify You.  Show me the next step.  Show me what You want me to do in Jesus' Name.

 

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2004, 2020

Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)       

2820 Business Center Blvd.

Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200

Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com

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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2010 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.