True Repentance, Real Forgiveness

Fellow Servant-Warriors:

We had a full house at last week’s meeting of our local fellowship here in Denver. My message centered on the oft-misunderstood but essential biblical concepts of true repentance and real forgiveness. Here’s the RECAP for all those who could not attend or reside outside the Denver-metro area:

STUDY RECAP: True Repentance, Real Forgiveness

True biblical REPENTANCE is not just being “sorry” for having offended God. The Hebrew word for “repent” is shub, and literally means to “turn back” or “turn around;” a complete change in direction akin to a receding flood. The Greek word for “repentance” is metanoia and denotes a “change of mind” along with remorse for sin accompanied by turning away from our that sin and towards God for salvation. True repentance thefore includes not only sorrow but also a complete turnaround: to change one’s mind about sin, receive God’s provision of salvation, and giving oneself completely to Him. Ezekiel 14:2 says, Thus says the Lord GOD: “Repent, turn away from your idols, and turn your faces away from all your abominations.” In Judges 10:10-16, the people of Israel acknowledge (admit) their sin in an attitude of true repentance and God lovingly responded. Teaching on this passage, my pastor, Sam Park, noted that true repentance ALWAYS results in God’s grace and mercy – that our loving Father looks at the heart – a heart totally surrendered to Him. True repentance also means admitting that nothing we do on our own -- including what we do as officers, can "earn" us forgiveness and salvation. That said, the Bible – God’s inerrant, breathed word, reveals that genuine repentance will necessarily result in a change of actions (Luke 3:8-14, Acts 3:19). Acts 26:20 declares, I preached that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance. In short, the full biblical definition of true repentance is a change of mind that results in a change of action (evidence). See also Matthew 3:8, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Galatians 5:19-23, and James 2:14-26.

Understand that repentance goes hand-in-hand with FORGIVENESS and ultimately our salvation. Again, God will ALWAYS forgive those who come to Him in an attitude of true repentance. 1 John 1:9 tells us, if we confess our sins, He (God) is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. See also Psalm 51 (esp. v. 17), Psalm 103:12, and especially a passage that beautifully illustrates the whole concept of repentance and forgiveness – the Parable of the Prodigal Son as revealed by Jesus in Luke 15:11-32. Do any of you see yourselves there?

Ultimately, our study was all about what it means to get “right” with God. Having a right relationship with our Lord begins with acknowledging (admitting) our sin, a humble confession (repentance) of that sin, and a determination to truly turn (forsake) sin and make Christ first in our lives (only by God’s grace and the power of the Holy Spirit is this truly possible). Being right with God is ultimately YOUR response to what God has done on your behalf. He sent the Savior, He provided the sacrifice to pay for your sin (John 1:29), and He offers you the ultimate promise: Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved (Acts 2:21).

Finally, as it relates to us in law enforcement, we must again accept that there is NOTHING we can do on our own to "earn" God's grace, love and salvation. God's word is clear that we can NEVER be "good enough" or "do" enough to "deserve" salvation (Ephesians 2:8-9). Rather, we must admit that, just like those we serve, we can only come to Christ on His terms and His terms alone.

Are YOU right with God today? Have you repented and received God’s forgiveness? If not, I encourage you to do so now. Go to the left side of this page, scroll down, and click on the two links under the heading, Are you a TRUE Christian (How to be RIGHT with God). Take the “good person” test (Are you?) and then go to the “How to know Christ as Savior” link. If you already know Christ as Savior but have not been living for Him, then I also encourage you to repent and turn back to Him today.

The latest updated local meeting schedule and prayer requests have been posted on our website below this one. Take note that there will be NO MEETING on October 14th! As such, I’m encouraging our “locals” to consider attending Calvary South Denver’s unique and uplifting Tuesday night service where I also serve. Entitled “Tuesday Night Dialogue” (the “dialogue” being with God) or “TND” for short, we feature outstanding worship music, great fellowship and inspired teaching of God’s word by Pastor Sam Park. Those who have heard my own profession-relevant teaching on Samson from the Book of Judges (chapters 13-16) are in for a treat as Sam is about to start a very in-depth look at this oft-misunderstood and extremely important passage of Scripture. Several of the officers who attend our local Centurion fellowship (essentially a FCPO chapter) also attend TND so it is a very “cop friendly” group and the atmosphere is anything but what some might think of as a “standard” church service. Note that new attendees can also enjoy the after-service buffet for FREE! Invite your spouse and join us.

October 7th Meeting Reminder:

This week (10/17, 7 PM, Calvary South Denver, Littleton, CO) our own Mark Roggeman, a Denver PD veteran with nearly forty years "on the job" who is also considered something of an expert on cults and false teaching, will give a special presentation on the Mormon faith. Invite a friend/colleague and join us as we learn how to best come alongside and share true Christianity with those – including many of our fellow officers -- who have been led astray by the many false doctrines associated with the Latter Day Saints (LDS) -- commonly referred to a the Mormons. Spouses are both welcome and encouraged to attend.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

(1) As a reminder, this outreach is aligned and associated with the national Fellowship of Christian Peace Officers (FCPO). Please check the FCPO website (http://www.fcpo.org/) for more on what we are doing nationwide.

(2) Baptism Event! If you’re an officer who has accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior but have never been baptized, I’m working with Calvary South Denver to make that happen. Stay tuned as I’ll share more details as I have them. We are currently looking at the November time frame.

(3) Arkansas (pronounced “Are Kansas” or “Ark City” for short – not like the state of Arkansas) City Police Chief and fellow FCPO Board Member Sean Wallace shared the following about the good work his team is doing to be proactive and better prepared to effectively deal with Amber Alert scenarios. The Cowley County Child Abduction Response Team, or CART, is one of only ten in the nation and the first of its kind in Kansas. Their recent joint training operation was very successful andwell-received. See http://www.kake.com/home/headlines/104176104.html for more. I’ve posted Sean’s contact info below – this is something we should be doing in everywhere!

Chief Sean Wallace
Arkansas City Police Department
117 W. Central Ave.
Arkansas City, KS. 67005
620-441-4447 (Office)
620-441-3767 (Cell)
620-442-1410 (FAX)
FBI NA Session 222

(4) Chicago PD Officer Densey Cole in the news! Please continue to pray for Densey (spiritual and physical). Densey was recently here in Denver for several weeks before returning home for the benefit described in the article. http://www.policeone.com/police-heroes/articles/2749621-Wheelchair-bound-cop-gets-help-from-his-friends/.


That’s it for this week. Don't forget to check the website frequently for new announcements and prayer requests. Let’s stay the course and finish strong out there!