Change Your Heart, Not Your Clothes

Joel 2: 12-13
That is why the LORD says, “Turn to me now, while there is time. Give me your hearts. Come with fasting, weeping, and mourning. 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.

God wants us to come back to Him. But he doesn’t want our outward expressions of grief and repentance, our mere words. He wants our hearts torn with grief—grief for our sin.

2 Corinthians 7:10
For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death.

It doesn’t do us ANY good to just say we’re sorry for the things we’ve done wrong. It doesn't do ANY good to just wallow around in our guilt and shame. We have to truly see our sin as God does and let it break our hearts, like David did.

Psalm 51: 1-4a
Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night. Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight.

David realized the gravity of his sin, acknowledging that he had sinned against God, and God alone. Our sins are against the Father. Period. The sooner you and I realize this, the sooner we move towards Biblical repentance. That means living a lifestyle of continually asking God to show us our shortcomings and a striving for all things that will make us more like Him.


Isaiah 55:7
Let the wicked change their ways and banish the very thought of doing wrong. Let them turn to the LORD that he may have mercy on them. Yes, turn to our God, for he will forgive generously.


--Matt