But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.
—Acts 26:20

One of the things I discovered after I put my faith in Jesus was that I still sinned—I still missed the mark of living in conformity to God's commandments. Sound familiar? Though I was born again, sin still tried to captivate my life. I quickly discovered that sinners and saints alike must repent. Disobedience separates us from God and will bring harm not only to us, but also to those whom we love dearly. God does not want us to continue in sin and be separated from Him, but desires intimacy in His relationship with us.

Repentance is a good thing even when it is tough. What I mean is that we may find ourselves broken, crying out to God for forgiveness of sin or for strength in our struggle. To repent means to "change one's mind." As you progress each day, you fill find something in your life that needs to be changed. To be sorry about it is not enough. God leads us to change our minds and our actions. Repentance brings "refreshing" and a sense of divine relief (Acts 3:19). Do you want it? God will burst forth with His refreshing presence!

On the positive side, God calls us to obedience. He tells us that He desires our obedience more than any sacrifice we might bring to Him (1 Samuel 15:22). In other words, God wants us to say yes to His commandments and instructions so that we won't sin, rather than find ourselves in a situation where we have to request forgiveness and restoration for having committed the sin.

The shed blood of Christ bought you off the slave market of sin so that the devil no longer has you under His bondage. You have been given the power to say no to sin and to the devil and yes to God. You have been given the power to live in the "yes zone"—always saying yes to God whenever and whatever and wherever He commands you! It is the redemptive power of the shed blood of Jesus that gives you the power and ability to live in a way that "you may not sin" (1 John 2:1).

Get a new vision for what the shed blood of Jesus means to you! It is because He died for you that you can live—not only an abundant life now, but an eternal life ... not only a righteous life now, but a glorious life forever ... not only a purified past, but a rewarding and blessed and fulfilling life throughout the endless ages to come.

Related Texts: Deuteronomy 11:26–28; Isaiah 48:17–18; 55:7; Matthew 9:13; Luke 6:46; Romans 2:4; 2 Corinthians 7:9–10