Why Do I Need to Repent?

by MaryAnn Diorio

WINNING WITH THE WORD

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Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, May 24, 2021, and this is Episode #16 of Series 2021. This episode is titled “Why Do I Need to Repent?”

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According to the Blue Letter Bible (blueletterbible.org), the word “repent” appears 46 times in 43 verses in the King James version of the Bible. 

What does it mean to repent, and why does the Bible command us to do so?

First, let’s take a look at the meaning of the word repent. In common parlance, to repent means to feel or express sincere regret or remorse about one’s wrongdoing or sin; to view or think of (an action or omission) with deep regret or remorse.”

While these are good definitions for the word repent, the Biblical concept of the word repent goes even deeper. According to the Bible, to repent means to change one’s mind. To do a 180-degree turn in the opposite direction.

We find this meaning of the word repent in Acts 3: 19 where the Greek word metanoeō (met-an-o-eh’-o) is used for the word repent. Metanoeō is defined in Strong’s Concordance as “to change one’s mind; to change one’s mind for the better, heartily to amend with abhorrence of one’s past sins.” In his commentary on the verse, theologian F. F. Bruce writes: “Repentance (metanoia, ‘change of mind’) involves a turning with contrition from sin to God; the repentant sinner is in the proper condition to accept the divine forgiveness.” 

So, now that we’ve explored the definition of the word repent, why do we need to repent? Indeed, why does the Bible command us to repent?

Here are three basic reasons we all need to repent:

1. We are all sinners, and sin is an affront to God Who is perfectly holy. The Bible tells us in Romans 3: 23 that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Sin cannot stand in the Presence of a Holy God. When man fell in the Garden of Eden, his sin separated him from God. There was no way that man could atone for sin to a perfectly holy God because man was now hopelessly sinful and imperfect. Were it not for the mercy of God in sending Jesus to atone for our sin, mankind would have been doomed to spend eternity separated from God and in unspeakable torment. 

2. If we don’t repent of our sin, we will spend eternity separated from God in an indescribably horrific place called Hell. While Jesus paid the price for our sin by His death and resurrection, we must individually receive His gift of eternal life in order to go to Heaven. In John 3: 3, Jesus says, “Unless a man is born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God.” A gift is not a gift until one receives it. So, it is critically important that if a person wants to be saved, he accept Jesus Christ as his Savior.

3. Repentance reconnects us with God through Jesus Christ and allows us to go to Heaven when we die. Whereas sin separates us from God, repentance reconnects us with Him. When we repent, we are saying, in essence, that we choose God over sin and that we desire a relationship with Him above a relationship with sin.

If you have not yet repented and accepted Jesus as your Savior and Lord, I urge you to do so now, before it is too late. He is returning soon to remove His followers from this earth before the coming Great Tribulation that will bring untold horror on the earth. To receive Jesus Christ, pray this simple prayer with me now:

Lord Jesus, I need You. I don’t want to live in sin any longer. I invite You into my life now. I receive You as my personal Savior and the Lord of my life. Thank You for forgiving me and bringing me into Your family. Thank You for saving me. In Your Name, I pray. Amen.

If you sincerely prayed this prayer, please write to me at drmaryann@maryanndiorio.com. I would like to send you a free e-booklet that will help you get started in your walk with Christ. I also encourage you to get yourself a Bible and read it every single day. The Bible is God’s love letter to you, His manual for your life. In the Bible, God reveals Who He is, and He teaches you how to live.

Finally, ask the Lord to lead you to the church of His choice for you where you can learn about Him and have fellowship and encouragement with other Christ-Followers. It is critically important in these last days to fellowship with other believers who are mature in Christ and can guide you as you grow in Him.

If you are not yet a subscriber to the Winning with the Word blog and podcast, I urge you to click on the link below to subscribe now so you will not miss a single weekly episode:

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Please tell your family and friends about “Winning with the Word,” and please pass this post and podcast on to them. Thank you!

PLEASE TWEET: “Why Do I Need to Repent?” (CLICK TO TWEET)

Now it’s your turn: Do you need to repent? What, if anything, is holding you back?  Please leave your comment in the Comment Box below. Thank you.

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For those of you who may not know, I write fiction about many of the issues I deal with in this blog and podcast. My latest novel, Miracle in Milan, has just been released in both print and ebook formats and deals with the issue of unforgiveness. It is the story of a young, female auditor who discovers evidence that the man she loves is an embezzler. You will find Miracle in Milan to be a page-turner that will keep you on the edge of your seat. To order your copy, go to Amazon or to my website bookstore at maryanndiorio.com/book-table. You will also find Miracle in Milan on Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo. 

This podcast is funded by listeners like you. If you have been blessed by Winning with the Word, I invite you to become one of my special patrons on Patreon.com. For only $1.00, $3.00, or $5.00 a month, you can help me proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the world.

Winning with the Word now reaches 51 countries on six continents because of your faithful support. So please help me to keep Winning with the Word on the air by becoming one of my valued patrons. Your patronage helps to cover the costs of producing, hosting, and distributing Winning with the Word to the four corners of the earth. Patrons receive special benefits, including free books, short stories, podcasts, and videos. So, join my wonderful team of Patrons and be part of something great!

To become a patron, go to https://www.patreon.com/winningwiththeword 

I would like to thank all of my patrons who are making this podcast possible. I could not do this without you!

Finally, be sure to check out my latest non-fiction book, The Iron Saint. This book, modeled after The Iron Man triathlon, talks about the coming persecution of the Church in America and how you can prepare for it. The Iron Saint is available on Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, and other major book purchasing venues. You may also find it on my website at maryanndiorio.com/book-table. Get a copy for your pastor as well. 

Until next time, remember that God loves you just as you are and just where you are and that He will help you to keep on Winning with the Word

To subscribe to Winning with the Word, click here.

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Now Available for Purchase: Dr. MaryAnn’s latest novel, Miracle in Milan.

When a young, female auditor discovers evidence that the man she loves is an embezzler, she must choose between ruining him or ruining herself.

Amy Torelli, Chief Auditor for New York City-based Enson Pharmaceuticals, is assigned to audit the books of Enson’s Italian branch in the enchanting city of Milan, Italy. Having made an inner vow never to trust a man again because of her father’s betrayal, Amy finds herself falling in love with Enson Italia’s American-born Vice-President, Ted Masters. Will Ted be the one to cause her to break her inner vow?

Ted Masters is on the run. A run from rejection. From himself. From God. Having been wounded by a father who made him feel worthless, and having been dumped by the woman he wanted to marry, Ted is determined to keep all women at bay. But will Amy Torelli be the reason he changes his mind?
Miracle in Milan
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THE IRON SAINT by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD

The Church in America is on the verge of a tremendous spiritual awakening, an awakening that will first be fueled by persecution unlike anything we have ever seen before in this land. Indeed, a prophetic word given in my home church during the month of November gave this warning to the Church: “Prepare for the fire of persecution!”

But the Church is not ready for this persecution. For the most part, the Church in America has been weak and lukewarm. Flabby and lazy. Consumed with the world and not with the things of God. As a result, the Church has been deceived and has subverted the divine order of things.

In THE IRON SAINT, Dr. MaryAnn Diorio seeks to help equip the saints for the work of true, integritous, and effective ministry. As a teacher in the Body of Christ, it is her burning desire to help correct this devastating error.

In THE IRON SAINT, Dr. Diorio has outlined a plan of action for strengthening the Church through uncompromising obedience to the Word of God. This plan of action is based on her own 50 years of walking with the Lord and being led by His Holy Spirit.

If you are a born-again believer and member of the Body of Christ, make this book a top reading priority.

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Check out these popular Winning with the Word podcasts below. You may also search for a particular topic in the search box at the top of the sidebar on this page. 

__How to Be Healed

__How Close Are We to the End?

__Have You Lost Your Hope?

__When Your Prayers Don’t Seem to Be Answered

__Are You Being Deceived?

__The Privilege of Persecution

__7 Signs That the Tribulation Is at Hand

 Are you new to this blog? If so, what is the “Winning with the Word” blog and why will it bless you to read it?

“Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that helps you to deal with the daily problems of life by using the Bible as your guide to solving them. The Word of God will make you a success in life!

AN INVITATION TO YOU: To subscribe to Winning with the Wordclick here.

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Copyright 2000-2021 by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. All Rights Reserved. This article may not be published or printed in any form whatsoever without the written permission of Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. You may contact her at info@maryanndiorio.com to request permission.

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Are You Walking the Narrow Road?

by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio


WINNING WITH THE WORD

“Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life.

AN INVITATION TO YOU: To follow this blog, click here. 

If this blog has blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you!

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Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post:

 

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Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, Novelist and Life Coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, September 14, 2020. Today’s Podcast is Episode #36 in Series 2020 and is titled “Are You Walking the Narrow Road?”

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In the seventh chapter of the Gospel of Matthew, verse 13, the Word of God gives a sobering command and warning: “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.”

What is the narrow gate? One Biblical commentator calls the narrow gate “the gate of true conversion” (Benson).  Many pray the sinner’s prayer and

believe that is all they need to do to be saved. But to pray the sinner’s prayer without turning away from sin, without crucifying the flesh, without obey the Lord’s commands is pointless–and even dangerous.

True conversion means turning away from sin and living a life of holiness. This takes great effort, and few people are willing to put in the effort. It is not easy to say no to the flesh–to greed, to lust, to selfish ambition. Yet, that is precisely what we must do if we want to follow Jesus Christ.

There is a huge difference between accepting Christ as our Savior and accepting Him as our Lord. He Himself said that if we love Him, we will keep His commandments. Accepting Christ as Savior alone has a selfish aspect to it because it is an act of concern only for one’s personal salvation. While this is certainly a good thing, the act cannot stop there. It must go beyond the concern for deliverance from Hell to the love that inspires perfect obedience to the Lord Who saved us.

When Jesus called His twelve apostles, He commanded them to FOLLOW Him.  One definition of the word follow means to take orders from. When we choose to follow Jesus, we choose to take our orders from Him and to put aside our own will and desires in order to accomplish His.

Christians are often accused of being narrow-minded. Well, we are narrow-minded because our minds are continually focused on staying on the narrow road. It is far too easy to fall off the edge of the narrow road into the ditch of sin precisely because the road is narrow.  So our minds must continually focus on this truth—that the road is narrow and we must walk it carefully and not move off of it.

Jesus said, “If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 19: 23). The sign of true conversion is self-denial. The cross we are to carry daily is precisely this self-denial. It is saying no daily to all those desires that are contrary to God’s Word and choosing, instead, to obey the Lord’s commands as found in His Word.

If you have made Jesus your Savior but not your Lord, I urge you to repent and to complete a full conversion. Turn from your sins and begin to obey the Lord’s commands.

If you have not yet made Jesus your Savior and Lord, please do so now by praying this prayer with me:

Lord Jesus, I want to make you both Savior and Lord of my life. I accept You now as my Savior and as my Lord. Forgive me of my sin. Cleanse me from all unrighteousness. Give me Your grace to follow you, to deny myself, and to obey you all the days of my life. I ask and receive in Your precious Name. Amen.

If you prayed this simple prayer, please write to me at drmaryann@maryanndiorio.com. I would like to send you a little booklet that will help you get started in your walk with Christ. I also encourage you to get yourself a Bible and read it every single day. The Bible is God’s love letter to you, His manual for your life. In the Bible, God reveals Who He is, and He instructs you how to live.

Finally, ask the Lord to lead you to the church of His choice for you where you can learn about Him and have fellowship and encouragement with other Christ-Followers.

For those of you who may not know, I write fiction about many of the issues I deal with in this blog and podcast. I encourage you to visit my website bookstore at maryanndiorio.com/book-table

If you have been blessed by this blog and podcast, I encourage you to share them with others. I also invite you to become a Winning with the Word patron on Patreon. As a patron you will enjoy special benefits only for my patrons. Just go to Patreon.com and search for Winning with the Word to join. I would like to thank all of my patrons who are making this podcast possible. We now reach 26 countries all over the world. I could not do this without your help.

Thank you so much for listening. This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, reminding you that God loves you just as you are and just where you are, and that He will help you to keep on Winning with the Word.

PLEASE TWEET: “Are You Walking the Narrow Road?” by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio (CLICK TO TWEET)

To subscribe to “Winning with the Word”, click here.

To receive my monthly newsletter, click here.

Now it’s your turn: Have you embraced your race? If not, what is holdiong you back? Please leave your comment in the Comment Box below. Thank you

Please tell your family and friends about “Winning with the Word,” and please pass this post on to them. Thank you!

Listen to this week’s podcast here:

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Check out these three popular Winning with the Word podcasts below. You may also search for a particular topic in the search box at the top of the sidebar on this page. 

__Are You Living on the Level?

__7 Signs That the Tribulation Is at Hand

__The Dangers of Generation Separation

__Are You Thinking Straight?

__How to Deal with the “New Normal”

__What to Do When Your Child Goes Astray

___Are You a Perfectionist?

__Is the World Coming to an End?

__The Coming Global Cataclysm

 Are you new to this blog? If so, what is the “Winning with the Word” blog and why will it bless you to read it?

“Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that helps you to deal with the daily problems of life by using the Bible as your guide to solving them. The Word of God will make you a success in life!

AN INVITATION TO YOU: To subscribe to Winning with the Word, click here.

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Copyright 2000-2020 by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. All Rights Reserved. This article may not be published or printed in any form whatsoever without the written permission of Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. You may contact her at info@maryanndiorio.com to request permission.

Amazon.com Required Disclosure: MaryAnn Diorio is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.Disclaimer: This site uses cookies. Your continued use of this site constitutes your consent to our use of cookies. 

IS IT REPENTANCE OR FEAR OF GETTING CAUGHT?

by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, Your Virtual Life Coach

Guard your heart above all else,
for it determines the course of your life.” ~ Proverbs 4: 23
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“I‘m sorry, Mommy!” Little Jake had been caught red-handed taking cookies from the cookie jar after his mother had told him not to.

Mommy looked him in the eye. “Jake, are you sorry because you hurt Jesus by disobeying me, or are you sorry because you got caught?”

Not one to lie, Jake responded, “I’m sorry because I got caught.”

What about us? When we sin, are we sorry because we have hurt the heart of God, or are we sorry because our sin got us into some kind of trouble? In other words, do we repent out of fear of the personal consequences of our sin, or do we repent out of love for our Heavenly Father Whom we have hurt by our sin? 

There is only one kind of sorrow that pleases God, and that is the sorrow that stems from love for Him, not from fear of personal consequences. David the Psalmist understood this when he penned these words in Psalm 51: 17: ” . . . a broken and contrite heart You, God, will not despise.”

Is our heart broken and contrite because of our sin? Or are we merely crying crocodile tears because we are suffering the negative consequences of our sin?

Human sorrow leads only to more sinning. Godly sorry comes from a broken heart that is aware it has hurt the heart of the Father. Only Godly sorrow is transformational because it stems from love for the Father and not from fear for ourselves. Only Godly sorrow is true repentance.

If you do not have Godly sorrow for your sin, do what I did. I asked God to show me what my sin looks like to Him and how it makes Him feel. When He showed me, I was appalled and understood what He meant when He said in Isaiah 64: 6 that “all our righteous acts are like filthy rags.” 

When we move from fear-based sorrow to love-based sorrow, we will understand what the Apostle Paul meant when he wrote that “we are no longer slaves to sin” (Romans 6: 6). Instead, we will have become slaves to our Lord and Lover Whose precious heart we would never want to break.

Now it’s YOUR turn! How would you describe Godly sorrow? Describe a time when you experienced human sorrow or Godly sorrow. Please comment in the box below. Thanks! 

TWEETABLE: “Is It Repentance or Fear of Getting Caught?” by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio (CLICK TO TWEET)

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Please check out my heart-mending novel, THE MADONNA OF PISANO, for an example of true, Godly repentance.

 

THE MADONNA OF PISANO
Book 1 in The Italian Chronicles Trilogy

“A young woman, a priest, and a secret that keeps them bitterly bound to each other….”

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The Daystar Devotional by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD, MFA

Are you looking for daily encouragement in your walk with Christ? The Daystar Devotional will provide just what you’re looking for. Daily readings will give you fresh insight into Scripture verses that will inspire you, encourage you, and strengthen you as you face the challenges of life. A powerful tool for growing in your relationship with Christ.

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God Speaks to Me by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD, MFA
Do you ever wonder if God speaks to you? Well, He does. In this inspiring
book, Dr. MaryAnn Diorio records her two-way conversations with God. You will be blessed as you hear God’s voice speaking directly to you as well.Available in both print and e-book formats.

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You Were Made for Greatness! by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD

A dynamic book that will help you overcome negative feelings about yourself and put you on the road to success in every area of your life. Using sound Biblical principles, nationally known author, life coach, and businesswoman, Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, deals with such life-changing topics as overcoming worry and fear, taking charge of your life, learning to accept yourself, and finding your purpose in life. YOU WERE MADE FOR GREATNESS! Offers practical advice which, if applied, guarantees success and will help you become all that God created you to be.

Available in e-book format.

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Please check our archives in the right sidebar for older posts on a variety of topics. You may also search for a particular topic in the search box at the top right.

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Horoscopes? Ouija Boards? Séances? Are They Really Harmless?

Are You Afraid of Confrontation?

Sex and Soul Ties

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Matters of the Heart is a weekly blog that deals with the deepest issues of the human heart, the issues we all face but sometimes don’t want to talk about. The heart is the programming center of our lives. What is programmed into our heart will affect every area of our lives. Learn how to discover what is in your heart and how to program your heart for success.

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Copyright 2017 by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD, MFA.  All Rights Reserved.