280. GOD’S ASSESSMENT OF YOU: COMMENDATION OR CRITICISM?
(The Information & Edification Series – Batch 8)
Throughout scripture, there are examples of people that God assessed based on their conduct and gave either commendation (a passing grade) or criticism (a failing grade).
It is quite humbling to me, as it reminds me that God has not changed. We that are alive today are being observed by God and he, knowing each of us inside out, has assessed us and has in his possession, our Report.
In light of this fact, the question then comes to mind, what does God think of us and our behaviour? If we have professed Christianity and know Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, we know that we are accepted in the beloved because of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross for our sins. Yet, not because we are saved, does it give us a free pass to live life how we please. God expects us to conduct ourselves in a certain manner and based on how we live our lives, he is currently assessing us either with commendation or with displeasure.
Knowing that we cannot fool God and that he is writing our Report, this ought to make us humble and cause us to carefully consider our actions. It ought to make us think of the decisions we make on a daily basis and to seek the Lord in repentance when we know we have done wrong. We ought not to be paranoid but we must always live our lives aiming to please him and not ourselves, in our words, our thoughts, our actions and our motives.
When God looks down from heaven and observes your life, what does he think of your character? If he were to describe you in a nutshell to someone else or provide a summary of who you are, what would be the words that he would use? Will he talk of you proudly, as a father would a child that he is pleased with or disappointingly, even angrily because you make him feel ashamed by the things that you do on a daily basis and how you choose to live your life?
Of Abraham, God said:
“For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment; that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.” (Genesis 18:19)
Of David:
Acts 13:22 states of God and what he had said of him, having assessed his character, commitment to him and faithfulness, “…he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will.”
In 1 Samuel 13:14, Samuel the Priest, conveyed what God thought of David, stating, “…the Lord hath sought him a man after his own heart…”
Of Job, God said:
“Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?” (Job 1:8).
God saw it fit for his assessment of Job to be recorded in the Bible, Job 1 also stating of him, “There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.”
In Job 2:3, after God had given permission to satan to bring adversity into Job’s life and to send a wave of attacks, God said of Job, who still chose to maintain his integrity before God, despite his pain and confusion as to why all that had happened to him, had occurred:
“Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause.”
This reminds us that, as God’s children, when he assesses us, he wants to be able to make a boast of us, in terms of the lives that we live. He wants to be able to showcase us for HIS glory and to set us forth as an example to others. He wants to be able to proudly speak of us because he is pleased with our actions and because we are holy, even as he is holy.
When this is not the case, we deprive the Lord, who is our owner, of his right to derive pleasure and glory from our lives. We give the adversary an occasion to blaspheme, as God told David that he had done in 2 Samuel 12:14, when he sinned against him and committed adultery and murder.
Of Moses, God said to Miriam and Aaron:
“Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the Lord will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream. My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house. With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the Lord shall he behold.” (Numbers 12:6-8).
In Numbers 12:3, God saw it fit to record his assessment of Moses’ character. The verse states, “(Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.)“
It is important to note that these men (Abraham, David, Job and Moses) were not sinless, as Jesus the Son of God and God the Son was.
There were times when Abraham messed up, lied because he panicked and thought he needed to protect himself and acted in fear and desperation, instead of waiting on God’s plan in faith.
Moses had an anger problem it seemed, when provoked, which eventually cost him dearly, as he was not allowed to enter the Promised Land.
David was guilty of covetousness, lust, adultery, the murder of Uriah the Hittite and deception.
Also, at one point, Job felt that he had the right to question God, that God owed him an explanation for why he was going through what he was going through and that he was entitled to a response, instead of just silence. When God spoke to him out of the whirlwind though and reminded him of how great he was and of the many things that he Job could not begin to understand as a mere man because he was not God, Job humbled himself in repentance, for his wrong. He said of himself, “Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth” (Job:40:4). In Chapter 42:6, he further stated, “Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.”
These examples of godly men with failures, demonstrate that, while as Christians, we must always endeavour toward perfection, obtaining a positive assessment from God and commendation, does not mean that we must be first perfect, one hundred percent of the time.
God, knowing how frail we are, knows that there are times when we will mess up, even as these men, who were stalwarts of the faith, messed up on occasion, some in even major ways. However, God looked at their heart, their character, as demonstrated by the consistency of their actions and although they were prone to sin at times, to mess up and to demonstrate human weakness, he gave them high commendation. For, for they were all men who worshipped him in spirit and in truth. They all loved him and endeavoured to live their whole lives in a manner that would please him. They all had reverential fear for him and understood that they were being sustained by him. They all therefore literally depended on him for their everything in life and knew that without him, they would be nothing.
Of Gideon, who didn’t think much of himself because he came from a poor family and was considered the least or the lowest in importance in his household, an angel of the Lord, conveying what God thought of him, said:
“…The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valour.” (Judges 6:12)
Gideon disagreed with God’s assessment of him because of his poor family and how lowly he was esteemed among them. He was also mindful of the dreadful circumstances surrounding him and all the problems that were happening around him, which made him feel as if God had forsaken his people. Yet, God who knows every human being better than he or she knows him or herself, was right in his pronouncement of Gideon.
God’s pronouncement, whether commendation or criticism, is always right of us, even if we think of ourselves differently and therefore disagree or find it hard to believe. We saw this with Peter in the New Testament, where he told the Lord that he would never act in a certain way. Yet, Jesus shocked him, by pronouncing what he would do in the future. Lo and behold, when the right circumstances presented themselves, that is exactly what Peter, to his own shock and dismay, did!
Despite Gideon’s doubting of God’s assessment of him, God reinforced what he had conveyed before, his assessment having absolutely no room for error because as God, he is not prone to error but is infallible, all the time. In verses 14-15, after Gideon advanced all the reasons why he thought that God had assessed him wrong, it states, “And the Lord looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?”
God’s assessment of us is also not influenced by how other people think of us, how lowly they esteem us or even our low opinion of ourselves. As Gideon learned, our family background also has no bearing on the grade he assigns us. He looks simply at our hearts. In 1 Samuel 16:7, God told Samuel the Priest, “…the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.”
Of the church in Smyrna:
Jesus, having assessed them and six other churches, commended this particular church highly, without any rebuke. He was pleased with their conduct and used the opportunity to encourage them to continue pressing on. He told them:
“…I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan. Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.” (Revelation 2: 8-10).
This reminds us that when God assesses us and is pleased with our conduct, he often sends encouragement, so that we will persevere, even if dealing with trying circumstances and feeling weak. He does not want us to give up.
On perseverance, in Galatians 6:9, Paul told the churches at Galatia, “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” On encouragement, in Psalm 68:9, the Psalmist stated, “Thou, O God, didst send a plentiful rain, whereby thou didst confirm thine inheritance, when it was weary.”
Of Noah, who, at a time when God had given the whole earth a failing grade because of the extent of man’s sin, God’s Word states in contrast:
“But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.” (Genesis 6:8).
As a result, although he purposed to destroy mankind from off the face of the earth, he also purposed to preserve Noah and his family. In Genesis 7:1, he gave Noah high commendation, telling him, “Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.”
Of Enoch, who walked with God and then was taken by him without seeing death, the Bible tells us of how God assessed him:
“By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.” (Hebrews 11:5)
This reminds us that God’s assessment of us is based on whether we please him with our actions or not. We are commended when we please him but rebuked, criticized and chastened when we don’t. While our salvation is not works-based, after coming to Christ, he expects us to continue on in faith, in godly living and to do those things which he loves, while refraining from the conduct that he hates.
In Isaiah 58: 1-14, where God’s people were seeking the Lord through fasting and other measures, in an attempt to win his favour but were missing the mark and therefore failing miserably in their actions because their heart was not right with God, God sought to help them by giving them guidance as to the kind of behaviour that pleased him and won over his commendation.
They were busy doing a whole lot of stuff but God still frowned upon it because they had neglected or abandoned what was truly important. He reminded them of the basic virtues he was looking for, which, in all their efforts, they had forgotten or cast aside as unimportant, like love of holiness, love and heartfelt compassion for others, selfless giving, sacrifice, esteeming him above themselves and therefore, submitting their entire lives to his Lordship and leading. He told them through his Prophet:
“Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins. Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God: they ask of me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching to God. Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours. Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high. Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the Lord?
Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh? Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the Lord shall be thy reward. Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity; And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noon day: And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not. And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.
If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: Then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.”
Having assessed Belshazzar and having a finger write it on the plaister of a wall where he could see it, Daniel, in interpreting the writing so as to convey what God had written, told Belshazzar:
“…Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.” (Daniel 5:27)
Of Eli the Priest:
God gave a failing grade because he put his sons, who he loved, before him. God had observed him and assessed him and was displeased that he did not put God’s honour first over his love for his sons. This was evident in the fact that he did not remove them from their role in the temple although they were clearly children of Belial, ungodly, had no regard or respect for God and were therefore blaspheming his offering. In response, having observed Eli’s inaction over the matter, God told him through another of his servants, “Wherefore kick ye at my sacrifice and at mine offering, which I have commanded in my habitation; and honourest thy sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel my people?” (1 Samuel 2:29)
Even after God had communicated his criticism of Eli, Eli still did not remove his sons from the office they held, most likely out of love and devotion to them. God therefore conveyed his displeasure to Samuel, stating of Eli, “I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not.”
By contrast, of Samuel, God described how he would be, knowing his heart and character.
He described him as “…a faithful priest, that shall do according to that which is in mine heart and in my mind…” (1 Samuel 2:35)
Now, it is important to note at this juncture, that God’s assessment of us can change, based on our behaviour. He reserves the right to reassess us, based on our behaviour.
David for example, was assessed commendably when he was attending to the sheep before he was king and he was generally faithful to God throughout his life, so much so that God saw it fit to be recorded in 1 Kings 15:5 about him, “…David did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord, and turned not aside from any thing that he commanded him all the days of his life, save only in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.”
However, in 2 Samuel 12:7-12, although God had assessed him as a man after his own heart and therefore conveyed that he was pleased with his actions, when David sinned against God, Uriah and Bathsheba, God reassessed him and gave him a failing grade. The Bible states that Nathan, who God sent to David to let him know how he had assessed him, told him:
“Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul; And I gave thee thy master’s house, and thy master’s wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things. Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon. Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife. Thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun. For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.”
That God reassesses us based on our actions is also evident in the lives of Solomon, Uzziah and Hezekiah.
In 1 Kings 3:3, God’s Word says of Solomon, “And Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of David his father…” Furthermore, when God appeared to him in a dream at night and asked him what he should give him, in humbleness of heart and complete dependence on God, the source, for the ability to rule his people aright, Solomon selflessly and with faithfulness of heart, asked for understanding, to judge God’s people righteously.
After making his request, the Word of God says, “And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing. And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment; Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee. And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches, and honour: so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days. And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen thy days.”
God was basically telling Solomon at that moment, that he had assessed him and was pleased with him but that this assessment could change, based on his conduct. And sadly, it did. In 1 Kings 11:1-11, it states of Solomon, who allowed his love of women to lead him astray from his steadfast walk with God:
“But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites: Of the nations concerning which the Lord said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love. And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart. For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father. For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.
And Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord, and went not fully after the Lord, as did David his father. Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon. And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods.
And the Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice, And had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but he kept not that which the Lord commanded. Wherefore the Lord said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant.”
In 2 Chronicles 26:4-7, the Word of God says of Uzziah, who, having been assessed by God was found to have conducted himself in a commendable manner:
“And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father Amaziah did. And he sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God: and as long as he sought the Lord, God made him to prosper. And he went forth and warred against the Philistines, and brake down the wall of Gath, and the wall of Jabneh, and the wall of Ashdod, and built cities about Ashdod, and among the Philistines. And God helped him against the Philistines, and against the Arabians that dwelt in Gurbaal, and the Mehunims.”
Yet, God’s assessment of him changed from commendation, to criticism, when he got puffed up and prideful because of how much the Lord had blessed him. In 2 Kings 18:3-7, based on God’s assessment of Hezekiah, who was king of Judah, it was recorded in the scriptures:
“And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that David his father did. He removed the high places, and brake the images, and cut down the groves, and brake in pieces the brasen serpent that Moses had made: for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it: and he called it Nehushtan. He trusted in the Lord God of Israel; so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor any that were before him. For he clave to the Lord, and departed not from following him, but kept his commandments, which the Lord commanded Moses. And the Lord was with him; and he prospered whithersoever he went forth: and he rebelled against the king of Assyria, and served him not.”
In 2 Chronicles 33: 24-26, God’s Word tells us though, that, after Hezekiah had been sick unto death but had prayed to God and recovered, instead of continuing on thankfully and humbly, he grew in pride. God assessed him as having become proud in heart and was prepared to deal with him accordingly. Thankfully though, he considered his ways and amended his behaviour, so as to once again please God. The scriptures state:
“In those days Hezekiah was sick to the death, and prayed unto the Lord: and he spake unto him, and he gave him a sign. But Hezekiah rendered not again according to the benefit done unto him; for his heart was lifted up: therefore there was wrath upon him, and upon Judah and Jerusalem. Notwithstanding Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the Lord came not upon them in the days of Hezekiah.”
In 2 Chronicles 26:15-19, it states of Uzziah:
“…And his name spread far abroad; for he was marvellously helped, till he was strong. But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction: for he transgressed against the Lord his God, and went into the temple of the Lord to burn incense upon the altar of incense. And Azariah the priest went in after him, and with him fourscore priests of the Lord, that were valiant men: And they withstood Uzziah the king, and said unto him, It appertaineth not unto thee, Uzziah, to burn incense unto the Lord, but to the priests the sons of Aaron, that are consecrated to burn incense: go out of the sanctuary; for thou hast trespassed; neither shall it be for thine honour from the Lord God. Then Uzziah was wroth, and had a censer in his hand to burn incense: and while he was wroth with the priests, the leprosy even rose up in his forehead before the priests in the house of the Lord, from beside the incense altar.”
This also shows that we cannot influence God’s assessment. It matters not who we are. God will assess us according to his integrity.
Also, we cannot place any reliance on how he has assessed us in the past, as giving us any credit or points, in his assessment of us in the present. We can’t say for example, well I did so well in the past and God was so pleased with me in the past, that that should be enough to compensate for any shortfall in the present. We get no bonus points for what we did in the past. God will assess us as is, in the present.
That God assesses us in the present, gives no merit or demerit points for past behaviour but continually readjusts his assessment to reflect our current conduct was clear in Ezekiel 18: 21-22, 24-28 and 30 to 32, where God gave some valuable insight into how he assesses. He made it clear that a person who had done wickedly and therefore earned a fail grade in assessment, could have this changed if he were to repent of his evil way and turn from this path. Conversely, a person who had a good assessment because of good conduct, could place no reliance on this, if he were to subsequently take the wrong path and engage in sinful living. He said of his people:
- “But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die. All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him: in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live…But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die.
- Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. Hear now, O house of Israel; Is not my way equal? are not your ways unequal? When a righteous man turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and dieth in them; for his iniquity that he hath done shall he die. Again, when the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive. Because he considereth, and turneth away from all his transgressions that he hath committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die…
- Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord God. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin. Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.”
There is hope therefore, for a believer who has messed up in the past, whether as a one-off or a series of sinful conduct. He or she, already being accepted in the beloved because of Jesus Christ’s sacrifice, can take the right path again, even as the Prodigal son did and please God with his or her decisions and conduct. Conversely, there is also the warning to the person whose conduct God is at present pleased with to not take it for granted or become complacent or puffed up but to remain humble, focused and dependent on God, so that he or she would not veer unto the wrong path and begin to do that which displeases him, as Solomon and Uzziah once did.
If you are not saved in that you don’t yet know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour, it is important to note that no matter how much good you do, you cannot please God. This is because you are outside of the righteous covering of his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
The first step you need to take if you want to please God and received a good assessment is to accept his Son. Romans 10:9-10 states that once you BELIEVE in your heart that Jesus, the Son of God rose from the dead and CONFESS with your mouth the truth, that he (Jesus) is Lord, you become saved or a child of God. Because you have taken that faith walk, in believing on Jesus and God’s testimony of him, although you haven’t seen him physically, God is well-pleased with this. Without faith it is impossible to please him.
Once you become saved (a Christian/Believer), you never lose your salvation or your identity as a child of God but it is up to you now with God’s help, to continue on in the path and with the conduct that will please God. Sad to say, there are Christians who are genuinely saved, whose current conduct is displeasing to God and who therefore, God has given a bad assessment.
By the grace of God, if you are a Christian, let that not be your portion. Having pleased God in believing on his Son, it is now your reasonable service to continue on by faith, doing those things that please him. You cannot bank on your salvation to receive a good assessment. Even if you are saved, God will not give you a good assessment if he is not pleased with the life that you are living. Repentance, which requires a sorrow for sin and turning away from it is therefore key, even for the Christian, not to receive salvation (he or she already has this) but so as to remain in fellowship with God.
(Written on 19th June, 2023)
