Designer Living
The word for repentance in Hebrew is the beautiful word teshuva - it literally means, ‘homecoming’. When we come to our senses about sin, like the prodigal son in the famous parable, we’re not just realigning with a moral code, but we’re coming home to God, and to ourselves as we were meant to be.
As we come home, and walk with God by faith, the Holy Spirit is our helper. Notice the relationship between our being decisive - working hard - and then immediately the reminder that it is God’s power at work in us as we cooperate with Him .
‘Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him (Phil 2:12-13).
The late Dallas Willard said, ‘Grace is opposed to earning, not effort’.
Consider the beautiful words of the Methodist Covenant, which many Methodists use each year to commit themselves to ongoing walk with Jesus.
I am no longer my own but yours.
Put me to what you will,
Rank me with whom you will;
Put me to doing, put me to suffering;
Let me be employed for you or laid aside for you,
exalted for you or brought low for you;
Let me be full, let me be empty,
let me have all things, let me have nothing;
I freely and wholeheartedly yield all things to your pleasure and disposal.
And now, glorious and blessed God,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
you are mine and I am yours.
So be it.
And the covenant made on earth,
let it be ratified in heaven. Amen.