Regrets, Guilt, Repentance (The Differences #5)

M'baldo light! Hello house of peace! May your house be blessed and your health restored. May your loved ones be educated and fulfilled. "May the LORD of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way! May the LORD be with you all!" (2 Thessalonians 3:16) There are thoughts you must fight (reject). There are some you must keep (protect and cultivate). There are some that you must pass on (in testimonies, books, cartoons, films, schools, inventions, businesses, associations, ministries, etc.). In this way, you will receive the restoration of times and graces. Along the way, be careful not to confuse the position of king with that of prophet. One establishes laws, while the other anoints and blesses the nation.

❖ (2 Corinthians 7:9-10, NKJV): " Yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. Godly sorrow brings repentance [metanoia, Strong 3341, greek] that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.

❖ (Matthew 27:3-5, NKJV): Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was remorseful (repented in several translations) [metamellomai, Strong 3338, greek] and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” And they said, “What is that to us? You see to it!” Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself.

❖ (Luc 22:31-32, NKJV) : And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me [epistrepho, Strong n°1994, greek], strengthen your brethren.”

To regret is to be distressed, saddened, or upset about not having, no longer having, having done, or not having done something. Regret is a feeling of sadness that a person experiences following the loss or absence of someone or something. Regret is not desiring what belongs to others or what has never been yours. It is wishing you had not lost, had not done, or had done. Those who have regrets have not necessarily committed a sin, done wrong, or caused harm to someone. It is possible, but it is not always the case.

Regret can arise after:

• The death of a loved one, 

• An unforeseen situation or an unexpected outcome,

• Realizing the consequences of an action or inaction,

• The realization of what one could have done, what one should have done, what one should not have done, or what one thinks one did not do enough of.  

In law, guilt is the state of someone who has committed a fault, an offense, or a crime. If guilt is proven or real, it is said to be established or that the person is guilty. If it is not or not yet proven, it is said to be presumed (based on opinions or appearances). 

In psychology, guilt is a negative judgment about oneself, a feeling of fault felt by a person for a real or imagined fault. Those who feel guilty condemn themselves and feel unworthy of one or more blessings, things, or people. Their gaze is fixed on the past. They judge themselves. Unconsciously, they think of themselves as GOD. Guilt arises from emotions, thoughts, and possibly feelings about oneself.

Side note: Emotions are the reactions we have to thoughts or situations. Feelings are combinations of emotions, thoughts, and interpretations of memories (reasoning). Thoughts are the interpretations of our brain, the silent words that GOD speaks to us, or the silent words that the devil or demons speak to our soul.

There are those who have done nothing wrong but feel responsible for the actions of others or feel that they have not done enough. Either they think they should be able to control everything, or they accept false accusations. Sometimes those affected have savior syndrome (a psychological disorder expressing a constant need to receive gratitude and recognition). Sometimes they are victims of emotional blackmail by those who do not acknowledge their wrongdoing or take responsibility for their actions.  For example, a violent husband who tells his wife, "I am violent because we don't have children."

There are those who are angry with themselves. Very often, they repeat to themselves, "I will never let this happen again. I will never do that again, say that again, talk about that again, or go there again.  I will never listen to that person or that type of person again. I will never trust that kind of person, the Bible, a pastor, GOD, etc. again." Sometimes it's good to have "never again" moments. We all have them. We learn from our experiences and those of others. Some "never agains" are good, healthy, and necessary. The problem arises when we lack compassion for ourselves, when we don't differentiate between our responsibility, GOD's responsibility, and the responsibility of others.

There are those who say to themselves, "There's no point in changing my behavior. The damage is already done. The past cannot be changed. The person who mattered is no longer there or is already dead, etc." They have no hope for the future. They live expecting to be punished. Some go so far as to inflict physical punishment on themselves or deny themselves opportunities.  The people concerned destroy themselves and/or are oppressed by demons.

There are those who are proud, selfish, and refuse to admit that they have done wrong. They minimize their mistakes or the consequences of their faults. The image they want to project is that of an idol. They try to exceed their limits, to be perfect, to be the first (best) in all areas, to be close to people who are well-known, respected, and honored. They want to buy forgiveness and favors from GOD and men through their works. It is a way for them to say that what they have done is not so bad, that it is nothing compared to the good they do, have done, or the person they have become. They have no compassion for the victims (direct and collateral), nor love for those whom the devil wants or will want to trap like them. They allowed themselves to be seduced by the devil or demons. They may even go so far as to sell their souls to the devil.

Repentance is turning away from evil and turning toward good. It is expressing sincere regret for a sin, a thought, a word, an act, or a fault, which translates into acknowledging one's wrongdoing, a change in behavior, and, as much as possible, the intention to correct, repair, protect, and prevent. Repentance is a decision followed by actions or a change in behavior. Those who repent look to the future.

9 signs of sincere and genuine repentance:

1. Acknowledgment of the facts (before GOD and men)

2. The manifest fruit of repentance: walking in newness of life.

3. Willingness to recount the facts and confront one's words with the testimonies of others.

4. Acceptance of personal responsibility without minimizing the offense, the hurt of the offended person, and without trying to blame others.

5. Acceptance of personal responsibility without trying to justify it by the attitude of others or previous offenses.

6. Willingness to answer for the facts before legally established authorities or courts.

7. Respect for the decisions of legally established authorities and courts.

8. Payment of damages and interest.

9. Restitution of stolen or illegally held objects.

Those who repent feel regret, but feeling regret does not necessarily mean repenting. Firstly, because those who repent have not necessarily sinned. Take, for example, a person who buys a plane ticket from a company recommended by their colleagues. Unfortunately, their trip goes badly: delays, poor service, unpleasant meals, and forgotten luggage. This person regrets choosing this company. But we cannot say that they have committed a sin (in the sense of doing something wrong). Secondly, someone who has regrets may regret not having done wrong. Let's read a few verses.

❖ (Exodus 14:5-6, NIV): "When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, the mood of Pharaoh and his officials changed toward the people. They said to one another, 'What have we done, letting Israel go? We will no longer have their service! ' Pharaoh harnessed his chariot and took his people with him."

Pharaoh regretted letting the people of Israel go for the wrong reasons. He had no regard for GOD or for the people of Israel. He was filled with pride and thought only of his own interests. The rest of the story is well known (Exodus 14:7-29). Pharaoh died with his entire army in the sea. I would like to take this opportunity to say to someone that obeying GOD is a strategy of war. There are battles that GOD helps us win. There are battles that He wins for us when we obey, when we move forward in faith.  

❖ (Exodus 13:17-18, NIV): "When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not take them by way of the land of the Philistines, even though that was the shorter route. For GOD said, 'The people might change their minds (they might come to regret it ) when they see war and return to Egypt.' So GOD led the people around by the way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea. The Israelites left Egypt in battle formation.

GOD led the people of Israel through the desert. It was not the shortest route. He knew that if the people passed through the land of the Philistines, they would regret leaving Egypt. Some would have tried to return to Egypt. Others would have taken another direction. Others would have surrendered to the Philistines without a fight. Others would have fought without faith in GOD, without GOD's vision, without a conquering mentality, without being wholly devoted to GOD. Regret would have caused them to turn away from GOD and abandon the Promised Land. In other words, to forget GOD's promises. I would like to take this opportunity to say to someone that there are battles that cannot be won without preparation. The desert is a training camp for those who remain attached to GOD and a graveyard for those who turn away from him.

❖ (Matthew 27:3-5, NKJV): Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was remorseful (repented in several translations) [metamellomai, Strong 3338, greek] and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,  saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” And they said, “What is that to us? You see to it!”  Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself.

In several translations of the Bible, it is written that Judas repented. The Greek word metamelomai, translated as "to be remorseful" or "to repent," appears five times in the Bible: 1 Peter 5:7, Matthew 21:32, Matthew 27:3, 2 Corinthians 7:8, and Hebrews 7:21. It is composed of two words:

• Meta [Strong 3326, Greek], which means with, after, behind. It appears 443 times in the Bible (New Testament).

• Melo [Strong 3199, Greek], which means to trouble, worry, or care for. It appears nine times in the Bible: Matthew 22:16, Mark 4:38, Mark 12:14, Luke 10:40, John 10:13, John 12:6, 1 Corinthians 7:21, 1 Corinthians 9:9, 1 Peter 5:7.

Every time the word metamelomai appears in the Bible, it refers to a decision. Very often after a strong emotion, a constant or in comparison to a previous statement. Metamelomai therefore means to reconsider a decision. For example, it is written that GOD will not repent of his word (Hebrews 7:21). This means that GOD will not go back on his word or change it. We know that there is no iniquity, no lie, no error, and no forgetfulness in GOD. He is Omniscient, Omnipotent, all-powerful, and eternal. He does not sin. Therefore, He does not need to repent, in the sense of turning away from evil to turn toward good.

Judas returned the 30 pieces of silver and acknowledged that he had sinned. But he did not acknowledge his sin before GOD. He did not ask for forgiveness from GOD the FATHER, nor from JESUS, nor from the apostles. He did not go to the crowd to tell them that JESUS had done nothing wrong. He decided to hang himself. He did not face the consequences of his actions and did nothing to make amends. Guilt led him to his death.

❖ (2 Corinthians 7:9-10, NKJV): " Yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. Godly sorrow brings repentance [metanoia, Strong 3341, greek] that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.

Those who repent have regrets, but their regrets lead them to change, to become better people, to do better than yesterday. They stand on the righteousness of Christ and rely on God. They know that in Christ nothing is insurmountable and that all things work together for good for those who cling to Him. They do not deny the facts or minimize the consequences.  They distinguish between what was/is their fault and what is not. They do not try to replace GOD's words with their own reasoning. They meditate on what GOD says and do what GOD says. They move forward step by step with CHRIST. They become better people. Because they understand that their destiny is more important than their mistakes and faults.

Guilt leads to death. Repentance leads to GOD. GOD being the source of life, repentance leads to life. "For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light." (Psalms 32:10) Guilt leads to self-destruction. GOD wants repentance, not guilt. He does not need anyone to judge in His place. He does not ask us to be perfect but to walk from progress to progress, with humility. He wants us to make repentance a way of life. Repentance is sorrow according to GOD because it leads to doing good. Repentance is not a passive attitude. 

GOD is not surprised by your mistakes. Some of your faults make you the right person to avoid committing more serious ones. Some of your mistakes make you the right person to help someone get back on their feet and prevent others from repeating them. You know how it feels. You've been there. You have been a victim of the devil, the world system, religion, traditions, false reasoning, prejudice, ignorance, low self-esteem, alcohol, excessive debt, sectarianism, persecution, etc.

I want to tell someone that you don't have the right to be selfish and let the devil win. Not after what you've been through. Not after what you've endured. Not after JESUS rose from the dead. Not after salvation, grace, and mercy became available. Not after you heard the Gospel. Not after you know that history is repeating itself or will repeat itself elsewhere. Don't let the devil win! GOD gave us a conscience to differentiate between good and evil, not to be our GOD. 

Frankly, what interest would GOD have in making you feel guilty? None! Who is the one who wants us dead? The one who comes only to steal, kill, and destroy? GOD, who knows all things before the beginning, gave his only son for our salvation. Who are we to say that we are unworthy? Who are we to contradict GOD?

❖ (Luc 22:31-32, NKJV) : And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me [epistrepho, Strong n°1994, greek], strengthen your brethren.”

We cannot strengthen others if we are not strengthened ourselves. We cannot build others up if we are not built up ourselves. We cannot lift others up if we are not standing ourselves and facing others. JESUS said to the apostle Peter (I paraphrase): "I have prayed that you may rise again. So that you may know that repentance is possible. So that you will not hang yourself like Judas. So that you may know that I still love you and that your destiny is great. So that you may know that I will answer your prayer. When you are converted. When your repentance has borne fruit, strengthen others. Strengthen those who have fallen, those who might fall, and those who will fall.

Because not repenting of a sin is worse than the sin itself.   JESUS prayed for you too. GOD will not abandon you. Don't abandon Him either. Reject guilt. Do not feel guilty for a mistake or a fault you did not commit. Repent for the one you did commit and fulfill your destiny (you are in covenant with your fault as long as you do not repent). You will receive restoration of time and grace. Your end is better than your beginning.

** M'baldo = good morning in Serer/Sereer (Senegal)

** Buenos dias = good morning in Spanish