"It started out as a feeling- From The Call
Which then grew into a hope
Which then turned into a quiet thought
Which then turned into a quiet word
And then that word grew louder and louder
Until it was a battle cry."
Before attending the CLP, being a Christian was a vague notion. I thought believing in Christ was enough. I thought sharing your "faith" with fellow believers was enough. I never expected that there was more to it.
After yesterdays CLP Talk 4: Repentance and Faith, I felt, I don't know, closer to that point where I should feel enlightened. Our speaker for yesterday's talk was Bro. Rhaden Porras from Duenas.
SFC's usually starts the sessions with prayers that incorporate Christian song's. Yesterdays opening song bothered me a bit and the prayer sort of "hurt" me. I guess prayers from the heart are painful to hear and are too heart wrenching to listen to.
One line from the song entitled I Give My All, which I have not yet downloaded, touched me at that moment. It said "Till the end of my days" and I remember praying, telling and vowing to God that yes, I am Yours, till the end of my days. I really did not know what I was promising and I really had not counted on the outcome of that day.
Yes, that day, something essential in my life has changed.
According to our speaker, Repentance and faith always go together. To just reform your life is inadequate. We need to believe. To simply believe without doing is also inadequate for faith without works is dead.
Repentance came from the Greek word metanoia meaning "a change of mind". It is not just a confession of wrongdoing but a change in direction, a significant change in the way we live our life. It affects the way we think and act. It is also the turning away from sin, evil and wrong doing and from running our own lives. It also means turning away from double mindedness (probably refers to the double standards we based our morals and lives on), from lukewarmness(Being callous and uncaring when it comes to what is happening around one).
Repentance is NOT
○ Dependent on feelings (it is an objective decision to accept God's righteousness)
○ Being sorry because of the fear for the consequences of our actions (it is hating sin itself)
What To do To Repent?
○ Be honest and admit that we have sinned.
○ Exercise humility.
Be willing to change and receive help to change. Do not expect to do it by yourself. Pray to God for change to happen.
○ Renounce sin.
Actively turn from sin or turn away from temptations.A temptation will remain a temptation if not acted upon.
○ Ask God's forgiveness.
○ Avail the sacrament of reconciliation (for Catholics).
Our speaker encourage us to go to a priest and confess our sins to avail of the said sacrament. When I asked our Discussion Group Leaders regarding the concept of other denominations/sects which denounces confession because priests are mere mortals themselves, I was given a reasonable response. Sis. Roxan said that for direct confession to work, it must be perfect. I guess it is the equivalent of trying to talk to the Division Superintendent before settling it with your School Principal.
We also tackled several specific sins to renounce:
1. Involvement by a Christian with someone from a non-Christian religion. I think I am not supposed to mention those "religions" he mentioned. If you want to know, join the CLP, hopefully, next year.
2. Participating in spiritualism and the occult . Doing witchcraft, getting involved in fortune-telling, and all that brouhaha…
3. Sexual Wrongdoings. He mentioned sexual intercourse outside marriage, adultery, inactive homosexuality, even reading playboy magazines.
4. Serious Crimes like murder, rape, kidnapping, robbery, and corruption
5. Drunkenness or getting stoned on drugs.
All these sins are just around the corner of our life's main highways and byways. That's why, our speaker said, we need to come under the management of Jesus Christ. And this, requires faith.
Faith, according to our speaker, is belief in the gospel, the good news of salvation. It is belief in both the messenger and the message. It is a personal act and decision with the following aspects:
1. It is a definite act. You must open yourself to God.
2. It is an individual act. You are the one who decides for yourself, no one else.
3. It is an urgent act. Since the future is uncertain and time is passing, the time to have faith, to believe, is NOW.
4. It is an indispensable act. This is a step which is necessary to receive all that God has promised.
Faith, however, is not just a feeling but an acceptance of God's word as truth no matter what we feel. It is not wishful thinking and not based on illusions or personal desires.
Repentance and faith brings one the promise of salvation from sin. It brings about the death of Satan.
We were advised that whatever we do must be dedicated to God.
After the usual activities after sessions, it was announced that we have, at last, finished with Module One. Now, they said, we were ready for Module Two. However, before that, we were required to have one-on-one sessions with our DGL's.
Right after our sessions, I talked with one of our DGL's so that I can have that session right away. I had to leave for Cebu for a week and when I return, there is not time left for that one-on-one.
As they say, when it rains, it pours. That was a cleansing experience for me. Sis. Roxan helped me deal with age-old issues that I was not able to deal with. She helped me come to terms with some serious matters I have been contending with through the years.
I realized that for 20 years, I have been limping my way to God. Sometimes, I was given crutches. At times, I have had the use of wheelchairs. But all these methods never really gave me the freedom to fully use the limbs I was given to navigate life's highway.
That one-on-one session miraculously and a little callously took away the limp. I am on a healing process now but I am walking, with no crutches and no wheel chairs.
I am really looking forward to the next session…and the changes it will bring in my life.
