Do you remember?

If you are 20 or older, chances are you know exactly where you were and exactly what you were doing when you heard the news that America was attacked on September 11, 2001. For most adults, this was a pivotal moment in your life because this was a pivotal moment for America. America changed after this event.

Perhaps you remember watching the news for hours that day. Maybe you heard the questions and concerns about America’s future. Maybe you watched as senators and congressmen from all political parties gathered together on the steps of the US capital and sang God Bless America. This event united us like nothing in our generation. It was a turning point. In this political season, it feels like ancient history when Democrats and Republicans were standing shoulder to shoulder to show the world that we were “one nation under God.”

Do you remember what it felt like to go to sleep on the night of September 11, 2001?    Did you have trouble falling asleep? Were you lying in bed wondering when America’s airlines would be able to fly again? Did you lay there terrified that your city would come under attack tomorrow? Did you wonder if a friend or family member in the US military would be attacked?   Did you feel the frustration of wondering why these terrorists hated us so much they would be willing to kill themselves to hurt America?

For many people in our country the events of September 11 were unsettling. They made us re-examine who we are as a nation and what our future holds. Usually the ground becomes unsteady when a major life change is happening. If you’ve been through significant events in your life, you probably had the ground shift underneath your feet.

I’m almost certain you no longer feel as terrified about the security of our country today as you did 15 years ago. You probably don’t go to sleep with the same fears today that you did after the attacks in 2001.

Every time you get ready to board an airplane you’re reminded of the events of September 11, 2001, but you probably don’t feel the fear today like you did 15 years ago.  We can’t forget about the events of September 11, they’re still around us to this day. But it’s easy to forget what it felt like

In Luke 13:5 Jesus expects all people to repent. The word repent has two aspects to it.

1. Turning away from your sin.
2. Turning toward something greater and more satisfying than sin is also an essential aspect of repentance.

Both of these things must be present in order for it to be genuine repentance. Of course Jesus is expecting people who don’t follow God to repent of their sins in Luke 13:5, but did you also know Jesus is talking to Christians when he makes this statement?

Genuine followers of Jesus are expected to continually repent. Every time the Holy Spirit shows us we’ve committed a sin, it is an invitation to repent. Not only are we expected to continue to repent, but we are expected to show the fruit of repentance in Luke 13:6-9.   The imagery of fruit here is the idea we should be willing to run to Jesus when we have done wrong. We should be the first to admit our sin. Although it might be embarrassing, we should also be ready to tell others that we’ve done wrong.  This is an example of what the fruit of repentance looks like.

Just like we should never forget the attacks on 9/11, we must be quick to remember what it felt like to be estranged from God. Remembering what it felt like when we came to Jesus should drive us to continually admit our sin and run to God for forgiveness when we’ve done wrong.   If you don’t know Jesus personally, I challenge you to repent now while you still have time. Reach out to us and let us know if you’ve just repented for the first time at cbc@calvaryministries.com.  If you know Christ as your Savior, let the words of Jesus drive you to be quick to repent. Repent early and repent often to ensure your relationship with Jesus is pure and unbroken by sin.