repentance

Repentance is absolutely necessary for a relationship with God.  A man posted on face book and I thought about what he said. He admitted to several sins in his post. He said he was sorry and that he needs God. Then he said something else that made me think: He talked about Gay pride and how the gay community goes out there in their parades and say look at me, accept me. It is like he said, they are not repenting of their sins, its almost like they shake their fist at God. Perhaps it is not all of them. I hear of a group of gays that have left that lifestyle. I hear of a church in Tacoma, that the Pastor has been working with a group and 3 of the group have left the gay life style all together. This tells me that it is something other than God made me this way. This tells me it is a normal sin like the ones I committed that need to be repented of. I had never looked at it that way, I had never thought about the arrogance of many gays. I am sure it is not all of them. When I think of it,  is it so different than an adulterer, that goes to church Sunday after Sunday and does not change? Do they repent every Sunday, and then go and commit the same sin the next week? When I was sinning, I knew it, and I would say God I know this is wrong. Sin needs to be repented of. Perhaps daily. I remember a time and I know I blogged about it before. On a Sunday morning in Renton I went to a little store front church. The minister that morning preached on Psalms 1, and I knew God was talking to me. I was in sin at the time. I read that Psalm everyday, asking God for help, to cleanse me from my sin. Sin takes a hold on you and it must be repented of.  It is a spiritual battle that can be won only with God's help. 1 John 1:9  "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."      Ephesians 6:12 : "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."  I don't think we need an arrogant attitude in addition to our sin. We need an attitude of repentance and a desire to turn from our wicked ways (2 Chronicles 7:14). An attitude of repentance and even a forgiving spirit towards others is what we need. I have said this many times: God is the only one that can fix a heart. When we have sin in our life, know that it is a spiritual battle, that can be won only with God's help. Once again as I though about this, I think I started to zero in on a particular sin and realized how arrogant many of us can be when it comes to our own sin. We can so easily see the sin someone else commits and it is big, but ours is little. Is that not arrogant itself? When sin is involved, there is a spiritual battle going on. Only God can fix a heart, we need his help, we need his intervention in our lives. For all have sinned. God bless, LVZ.