2023_12_08 Insight Post- Kim Feld

I was thinking about Rusty’s post from Wednesday as I was reading Joel 2 this morning. Rusty wrote about the need for us to understand that our sins weren’t forgiven because God is a loving Father, although it is true that He is. We are forgiven because of the incredible price that Jesus paid to cover our sins.

In Joel 2, we are told to come to God with fasting, weeping, and mourning (see Joel 2:12). In verse 13, Joel continues that instead of tearing our clothing in our grief, which was an ancient custom of mourning, we are rather to rend our hearts. In reading this, I was convicted of how cavalierly I can take my sin, even as I confess it and ask for forgiveness.

Let’s take a look at 1 John 1:8-10 for a moment: 

⁸ If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. ⁹ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. ¹⁰ If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.

The Greek word for confess here is homologeō, meaning to admit or agree. When we confess our sins, we are to agree with God about their impact and severity. I listened to a podcast featuring Dr. Dan Allender the other day, and he said that naming something is 50% of healing (my paraphrase). In the podcast’s context, he was referring to emotions or admitting actions, but I think it applies here as well. Confessing is putting a name on something, admitting it, acknowledging it – I lied, gossiped, etc. The next step is to repent.

In the New Testament, the word often used for repenting is metanoeō. Look at this definition from the NIV Exhaustive Concordance Dictionary (Kohlenberger, 2015): “to change any or all of the elements composing one’s life: attitude, thoughts, and behaviors concerning the demands of God for right living.” When the Bible tells us to return to God, this kind of repentance is implied. It’s much more than saying, “I’m sorry.” It’s aligning our attitudes, thoughts, and behaviors to God’s standards. That’s a big deal.

With these thoughts in mind, let’s take another look at Joel 2:12-13, NLT:

¹² That is why the Lord says,
    “Turn to me now, while there is time.
Give me your hearts.
    Come with fasting, weeping, and mourning.
¹³ Don’t tear your clothing in your grief,
    but tear your hearts instead.”
Return to the Lord your God,
    for he is merciful and compassionate,
slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.
    He is eager to relent and not punish.

Our God is merciful and compassionate. But He wants us to take the things that separate us from Him, our sins, seriously and return to Him.

Kim Feld
Executive Director of Education and Outreach

Reference: Kohlenberger, J. R., III. (Ed). (2015). NIV Exhaustive Bible Concordance (John R. Kohlenberger, Ed.). Zondervan Academic.