Verifiable Test #5: A Christian will experience real repentance.
If you love God, love His Word, love His church and are led by His Spirit, it should be obvious that you will hate sin. A real Christian loves what God loves and hates what God hates. I didn’t say you would never sin, but that you will hate it even while you are committing it.
As long as we are bound up in this flesh, we will be subject to sin. We will be tempted by what we see. We will sometimes drift away from the Lord. We will sometimes think, say and do things that displease and disgrace the Lord.
Even the Apostle Paul knew this struggle. This is illustrated in today’s verse. The real Christian is grieved by his own sin.
However, when a real Christian does fall into sin, the moment he realizes it, he asks forgiveness and repents. To repent means to turn 180 degrees and go in the other direction. He may fall into sin but he will not linger in sin. Like Joseph, he will run away from sin.
Do you run from sin? Are you truly repentant? Or are you like a little kid who is only sorry when you get caught? You can’t love God and tolerate sin.
