Please Pass The Salt...

Salt....I love it,  chefs are obsessed with it,  Dr's advise us against it and God's Word tells us to be the "salt" of the world (Matthew 5:13 "You are the salt of the world.")   Having said all that...there is a wonderful new revelation that has come my way over the last couple of days concerning how I look at repentance and more importantly...how God looks at repentance!  



Mark Cahill ("One Thing You Can't Do in Heaven" pgs. 132-133) describes repentance this way in his book:


"I recently heard a gentleman on a Christian television show speaking about ancient Hebrew.   He said that in Hebrew "repent" literally means " burning down the house and salting the field" .  When you salt the field,  you can not grow anything.  So if you burn down your house and salt the field,  what do you have to go back to?   Nothing.  What a great picture of repentance." 


So what is there to go back too???   Our sin has been forgiven us as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12).     Oh my goodness... did you get that???   I read that for the first time and my mind and heart exploded with understanding concerning my repentance.    So many times I have sought repentance for a particular sin,  only to return to that particular sin again and again...always seeking repentance and wondering why this is still an issue in my life.   Have you been there and done that too?


Once again,  referring to this journey that I am on with my eating,   I am learning  about  what repentance is and what it isn't.    One of the first things I have learned is that repentance brings with it a godly sorrow and this godly sorrow is crucial to having victory over my sin.  There should be mourning that I go through when I have grieved the Holy Spirit with sin.   This has become my prayer concerning my sin...."Father God,  Break my heart over my sin as my sin breaks your heart!"    I want to sorrow over my sin to such an extent that my heart begins to HATE  THE SIN!

Ok....so here is my take on this illustration.   I believe that when I come to God in true repentance the godly sorrow and mourning that is taking place over my sin  represents the burning house.   When my heart comes to that place of actually hating that particular sin...well,  to me that represents salting the field.   When this is done....it makes going back unprofitable and definitely not worth my time or effort!!   I love this illustration because I'm a very visual person and this helps me to truly have a better understanding of what my repentance looks like.

My seeking repentance over my sin can not stop at just the "seeking".   I must, in doing a complete about- face,  then pursue God with all my heart, mind and soul.   The void that the sin leaves within me must be filled with God and His Word.   If not....then in our flesh we will try to fill it with things that satisfy our flesh instead of things that satisfy the Spirit.   


Another thing I learned is that repentance is NOT regret!   The problem with regret is that it puts me on the right track...but....I never make it to the finish line.   I end up thinking that I have done my  job...I feel bad, regretful  and then I'm done.   Regret makes me "me-centered"  not "God-centered",
but repentance makes me God-centered.   Repentance has everything to do with God and his brokenness over my sin.   Repentance is all about getting back into the right relationship with the Holy God that I have offended.
Let's look at Psalm 51:4..."Against you, and you alone, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight..."  


Conviction is a step in the right direction but it is still not repentance.  I have been convinced that my actions have been sinful...but that doesn't always lead me to repentance.   I believe that through the power of the Holy Spirit,  conviction comes upon us and it is still our choice as to what we are going to do about it.    I thank God for the power and urgings of the Holy Spirit...I rely on those daily....and  because of God's great love and mercy....I will see my sin, respond in sorrow and repent.


So in the spirit of repentance..."Pass the salt shaker, please!!"


Much of my material for this post came from Lynda Braun, Setting Captives Free