Our sessions have been excellent so far. But in our session on repentance, Dr. Kooistra was a little too personal! I mean, it is ok to talk about our sinfulness, God’s love, our need for humility. But when you start talking about our need for repentance, well, that’s just “meddlin’”! We Christians love to talk about our sin IN GENERAL and our need IN GENERAL for God’s love, but to talk about our need for SPECIFIC REPENTANCE, whoa, now, step back, don’t get so personal, don’t talk so straight!
Dr. Kooistra compared and contrasted the “repentance” of King Saul and King David. It was a fascinating study of 1 Samuel 13 and 2 Samuel 12 (get out your Bible and read these - they are great). We see from these two passages the attitudes of Saul and David when confronted with sin. On one hand Saul minimizes the sin, shifts blame to others, and saw no need for God’s help. On the other, David saw the problem (the magnitude), that it was HIS Sin, and his great need for the cleansing power of God.
Dr. Kooistra then showed what true repentance was not. He pointed out that repentance initially does not focus on the personal damage done, or the damage done to others, or the mess the sin produces, or the consequences of that sin, but what that sin does to God. True repentance focuses on how sin breaks the heart of God.
I was struck by the fact that repentance does not depend on self-discipline, but calls out to God and asks to be changed. I was also impressed on our need to really examine deeply what is in our heart – to confess our very specific sins. To not worry about the damage it will cause me or the ones I love. In reality, I learned that repentance can not occur until I am truly honest with myself and with God. As Dr. Kooistra said,
“A repentant heart takes personal responsibility, it does not make excuses.”
Finally, we learned that repentance really must be our posture in the Christian life. We must make, as Luther says,
“Repentance a way of life.”We must continually ask the Lord to “seek our hearts and see if there be any unclean way” in it. We must continually be mindful that we can not ask God for revival unless we are willing to be changed ourselves. A life of repentance is not a defeated way to live, but a victorious way to live. As Dr. Kooistra stated,
“Repentance is the door to change.”
Nonetheless, this session struck home. It was amazing how I truly desired to confess and repent of my specific sins. It was amazing how it took my appetite away until I could go and do this. As Psalm 51:17 says:
“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.”
praise the lord!
Posted by: Duncan | June 09, 2004 at 08:04 PM
I like what you're saying..
Posted by: jeanne | June 09, 2004 at 08:09 PM
LiG is excellent. The repentance sessions were also very important to me. And it also provided much food for thought, in regards to teaching my children. There's been a shift over the years from focusing on teaching them to "obey" to focusing more on God's grace and our repentance, and "helping" them to obey. Hard to put this into a quick comment, but LiG was instrumental in that.
Posted by: TulipGirl | June 10, 2004 at 12:33 PM
Yep, we need to get away from externals and focus on the internals in parenting. And that ain't me talking - that's God. He tells Samuel (when he was looking for the guy to annoint king) "you guys look at the outside, but I look at the inside."
I may have mentioned it before, but a great resource for this is a book by Ted Tripp, Shepherding a Child's Heart. Excellent reading. Excellent insight.
Blessings.
Posted by: Tim | June 11, 2004 at 11:34 PM
"we need to get away from externals and focus on the internals in parenting."
I agree. And that's where I see applying the doctrines of grace that are emphasized in Reformed and Covenantal theology, within the family.
It's been awhile since I read Tedd Tripp. I really like the image he uses for the title, "Shepherding a Child's Heart." Sadly, I after he talks about reaching the heart, I think he emphasizes the same old external behaviour modification patterns.
Personally, I'm trying to help my kids figure out how to repent, how to rely on God's grace, Model repentance, help them obey rather than "make" them obey. Lots of prayer and hugs, I've found, are really key. *grin*
Posted by: TulipGirl | June 12, 2004 at 02:31 PM