"Repentance=action"
So Ezra stood up and demanded that the leaders of the priests and the Levites and all the people of Israel swear that they would do as Shecaniah had said. And they all swore a solemn oath. (Ezra 10:5 NLT)
Ezra leads the people in repentance. They had married wives that worshiped other gods, something they were prohibited to do. It was sin like this that led to the mess they were in. God had been gracious to leave them a remnant, the last thing they needed to do was add to the sin that got them expelled from the land in the first place.
Their repentance is marked by a very important element: action. This is at the heart of repentance. Repentance without action is not repentance. It may be feeling guilty or sorry but it's not repentance. It may be being upset & saying you were wrong but it's not repentance without change. If we repent & don't change we have a repentance we need to repent of.
What areas of our lives need repentance? Where have we only used words with sin & refused action? Where do we need to change?
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