Have you ever done something that you knew was wrong, and been sorry while you were doing it, knowing you would do it again? Me too. That isn’t repentance. True repentance (the kind God will forgive your sins over) is not just being sorry, but turning away from sin. True repentance stops the offending action.

WHY ISN’T BEING SORRY GOOD ENOUGH?

We must empty ourselves of our SELF, and give ourselves over to God’s SELF.

“We must empty ourselves of SELF, and give ourselves over to God’s SELF. This is true repentance.” Click To Tweet

If I’m still living for I and ME, even if I’m sorry for it, then I haven’t repented. I must die to self. That means that no matter how much I enjoy or want something, I have to give that over to the will of God.

As Christians, we throw around the phrase, “Be Born Again” quite often. The Apostle Peter, who Jesus gave the Keys to the Kingdom, explained this process:

”Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” (Acts 2:38)

We can only be Born Again if we have died. Not physically, but spiritually. We must die to our own will and desires, putting God’s Will above our own.

WHAT DOES DEATH TO SELF LOOK LIKE?

When it comes time for a caterpillar to transition to its next phase of life, it will weave a cocoon. There’s nothing appealing or attractive about this cozy little spot. It’s purely functional. While wrapped tightly inside it’s self-spun coffin, an amazing metamorphosis takes place at its cellular level. The caterpillar doesn’t just put on a butterfly costume, it BECOMES a butterfly. It is changed.

“The caterpillar doesn’t just put on a butterfly costume. It becomes a butterfly. It is CHANGED. This is true repentance.” Click To Tweet

Before its change, the caterpillar was probably quite happy and content doing caterpillar things. Crawling, chomping green leaves and basking on branches in the warm sunshine. What would make it want to end all that and die to self? Because God has put something deep inside of that little creature that longs for more. It doesn’t even know what that more looks like, but it instinctively seeks it out, and does whatever is necessary to achieve it.

NEW BIRTH IS NEW LIFE

When the butterfly comes out of its place of death, it is reborn with silken wings of splendor. She cautiously stretches them out to their fullest expanse. What are these lovely appendages for? It begins to press them ever so gently up, down, in, out…There…Did you feel that? Lift! That never happened while she was in her caterpillar body. Something…or Someone…is calling her out to the edge of the limb and even further. Should she? Dare she? She must see what’s beyond where she’s been before. She takes a breath and steps out past the solid branch, trusting her new wings to carry her…and they do.

She looks down from her new vantage point as she soars high above all the other caterpillars that haven’t spun their cocoons yet. They think they are living, but she knows differently. She can FLY, and it was only made possible by dying to SELF.

AN INVITATION

You may be thinking that your life is awesome, and you don’t want anything to change. Trust me…You do. Because what God has in store for you is so much more amazing than what you have ever experienced. Like the caterpillar living its best life can’t fathom what it means to have wings, you can’t fathom what a life given completely over to God will look and feel like.

HOW DO I GET FROM HERE TO THERE?

That’s the tricky part because no one can do it for you. Just as the caterpillar must weave its own place of dying, you must take whatever action is necessary to die to self. You alone know what is in your heart. You alone know what you need to turn away from. You alone know what you need to ask forgiveness for.

Start with one strand. Think of everything you can that you have done against Gods’ Word and Will. Ask Him to forgive you for it. Think of everything that you plan to do that is against His Word and Will. Ask Him to forgive you for it. Commit to Him and yourself that no matter what, you will live for Him. That means His Will takes precedence in your life.

When you have woven enough strands of repentance tightly around your bare soul, the process of transition will begin. God will take your sincere repentance and change you from a caterpillar to a butterfly. You will be able to begin your new life from a fresh vantage point because it comes with WINGS.

“I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” (Luke 5:32)