Today’s Inspiration: Repentance is the Return to God, for it comes with Refreshing of our souls and Renewal of our minds. With Renewal comes Restoration. We are all chosen for Restoration. What is God restoring? He is restoring us to His original divine design, which is Christ, the full image of God, Imago Dei.
Sin in life breaks the image of God in our lives and we loses our identity. When we sin with anger, pride, lust, covetousness, hatred and rebellion, they impoverish our conscience, morality, and integrity. In Romans 3:23, we all fall short the glory of God. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23.
Restoration comes from having faith in Christ, the atonement of our sins, and redemption for our souls to God. He is the way, the truth and life. John 14:6. No one can go to God but only through Christ alone, the narrow gate, the lamb of God, the redeemer who has been resurrected by the Holy Spirit. There is no repentance without the Cross and no restoration without the Blood of Christ. Forgiveness has the power not just to remove us from sin but eradicate sin in us. God delivered the Israelites from Eqypt, a place of sin and idolatry but Egypt was still in the hearts of the Israelites. They consecrate their flesh but not their hearts. Full restoration can only come with a heart of consecration, before a family restoration and reconciliation.
Prayer: O Lord My God, I consecrate my heart as a living sacrifice unto you. I repent not just for the sins that I know but also the sins I am unaware. Forgive me Lord, just as I too will forgive those who sinned against me. Let me live in your path of divine restoration and guide me to love my neighbour as myself, in Jesus’ Name, Amen.