Diane Singer had a great summation of the state of the Western church's self-indulgence. Opposite to the idea of the warm fuzzy churchgoers or the “forgive yourself” yoga devotees, John Thomas, marriage counselor and Boundless contributor, contrasts true repentance with the popular idea of feeling sad or bad about said action with a nod to our good buddy God in heaven. 

Thomas writes, “True repentance bears fruit, and looks like this: it offers nothing to God but spiritual poverty and a desperate heart desiring to change.” Thomas asserts that we should really be lamenting, “Oh, God, my choices must have broken Your heart! Please forgive me.” 

With true forgiveness from God, we can look ahead with excitement to the transformation which will take place in our hearts and minds—either in leaps and bounds or by trickles—which will influence our everyday actions.

Comments

[Michael Snow]

Excellent picture of approaching God in repentance. Only one problem, it leaves out what Jesus' taught about repentance: Going to the one against whom we have sinned.

That is why so much of today's church teaches a 'heresy' about forgiveness.
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[Kim Moreland]

Of course, Jesus' teaching about forgiveness is vitally important, but the reason it wasn’t mentioned in John Thomas’s or my commentary is because without getting ones heart right with God the Father through Jesus Christ, it is almost impossible to really forgive someone or make amends for one’s sins.