" It is all-important that you be guided aright. _What must
you do?_
The Bible should be our guide in matters involving our spiritual
interests, and we need not fear to follow its directions. The Bible
declares that in order to be saved the sinner must "_repent_." This is
the first step.
But what is it to repent? Let me tell you. Suppose, then, that a person
spreads a false and injurious report about another, by which his
character is wounded, his influence lessened, and his business
destroyed. This is wrong. Of this wrong, the injurer at length becoming
sensible, and deeply regretting it, repairs to the one whom he has
injured, confesses the wrong, seeks forgiveness, does all in his power
to make amends, and offends no more. This is repentance.
Now, when such sorrow is exercised toward God for wrong done to Him,
when that wrong is deeply deplored, is honestly confessed, and is
followed by a permanent reformation, that is repentance toward God. Such
repentance God requires; nor can one become a Christian who does not
exercise it. This is one unalterable condition of salvation. I do not
mean that the penitent sinner will never afterwards, in no instance, sin
again. He may sometimes, again, do wrong, for so long as he is in the
world imperfection will pertain to him; but the ruling power of sin will
be broken in his heart. He may sometimes sin; but whenever he does he
will lament it.
Pages:
322
323
324
325
326
327
328
329
330
331
332
333
334
335
336
337
338
339
340
341
342
343
344
345
346