Advocate for Christ

The best life is a God First life

Tag: Repentance

The Crux of God’s Forgiveness is our Repentance

January 28, 2026 / / 0 Comments

In my writing, I’ve been known to share the good, the bad, and the ugly of my life at times. I do this in hopes of encouraging others to seek their answers where I found mine, in the knowledge of Scripture.  This knowledge helps us realize that if we follow Jesus according to His will, not ours, we will come to experience peace far beyond our own understanding. Our lives have many Satan-crafted pitfalls designed to inch us away from our Creator and towards a valley of eternal death.

As a young man, I was baptized into Christ for the forgiveness of my sins and lived faithfully for many years. Faithfulness does not mean being without sin; rather, it means making every effort to pursue righteousness by following Jesus’ teachings and keeping His commandments. Sometimes we fail; however, if we know Scripture, it helps us recognize our failures, return to our creator, repent of our sins, and ask for forgiveness. Since we know from scripture that baptized believers are in Christ, God will forgive us when we repent.

The crux of God’s forgiveness is our repentance.

To truly repent of sin is to turn away from those sins as we experience Godly Sorrow, dedicating ourselves from that point to the correction of our lives using the Word of God as our foundation. Scripture defines Godly Sorrow this way: “For Godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.” (2 Corinthians 7:10).

With Godly grief, we repent of sinful ways; this means we change direction and stop indulging in those temptations that go against God’s Holy Word. Scripture lets us know that baptized believers who choose to indulge and continue doing what we know to be wrong are crucifying Christ once again.

 “For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first.  For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from the holy commandment handed on to them.” 2 Peter 2:20-21

also see: Hebrews 6:4-6, James 5:19-20, Hebrews 10:26-27

Although a baptized believer, I ended up spending 20 years with my soul in a lost condition as I had succumbed to a series of temptations and pitfalls designed by Satan.

I thought my faith was strong, but my decisions after a failed marriage proved my knowledge was weak, and my commitment shaken.  I allowed myself, inch by inch, to pursue worldly desires over following Jesus. These infractions stacked and built to the point that during those 20 years, I feared correction could jeopardize my adopted lifestyle and possibly put my relationship at risk.

I was, however, acutely aware that my choices had me living in sin. This bothered me. Satan had successfully painted me into a corner, forcing me to choose between following Jesus according to His will or losing my soul.

Indeed, as scripture states, I was crucifying Christ to myself. Years I can’t get back, a bad example to family and friends that can’t be unset, where soul-risking damage was done. Today, I draw on those years as fuel for my efforts to never give up on encouraging others to grow in Christ, and I often pray that, if they won’t listen to me, God will put people in their lives they might.  I cannot imagine ever allowing Satan to turn me away from God again.

I pray that if you’re reading this and reflecting on your own life, you find yourself right with God; but if not, I pray you will experience godly grief that produces repentance that leads to salvation without regret, rather than worldly grief that produces death.

God First, forever and ever, Amen!

If you’re not yet in Christ as a baptized believer:

  • God’s Grace: Ephesians 2:8, Romans 3:24, Titus 2:11, Acts 15:11
  • Hearing the Gospel:– Romans 10:17, John 8:32
  • Belief/Faith: – Hebrews 11:1, John 8:24, Romans 10:17, Acts 3:19
  • Repentance of sin: – 2 Cor. 7:9-10, Luke 13:3-5, Acts 17:30
  • Confess Christ: – Romans 10:9-10, Matthew 10:32-33, Luke 12:8-9
  • Baptism by immersion for forgiveness of sin: – Matthew 16:15-16, 1 Peter 3:21, Acts 2:38, Mark 16:16, John 3:5, Matthew 28:18-20, Ephesians 4:5, Romans 6:3-4, Colossians 2:12, Acts 8:36-39, Mark 1:9-10, John 3:23
Godly Sorrow, Repentance, Forgiveness, Baptism, Salvation, Accountability, Responsibility

A story Change

January 5, 2026 / / 0 Comments

I caught him stealing; he had broken into our home. I was upset and nervous as I held the gun. Then, he began begging me not to call the police, let him go, insisting he would not come back. We started talking, and he told me the harsh circumstances of his life that led him to this moment of crime. I began telling him about Christ and the forgiveness of sin available to him through Christ, how, if he would repent of his sins, change the direction of his life, and put on Christ in baptism, he could have forgiveness and eternal life in heaven, as well as a better life here on earth.

We sat at the table, opened a Bible, and studied for several hours. He came to understand God’s gift of grace, the Sacrifice of Jesus that offers us eternal life if we will pick up the cross and follow Jesus according to His will, not ours. We also discussed how following Christ does not relieve anyone of accountability for their actions.

During our study, this criminal came to believe in Christ, experienced godly sorrow, and wanted to begin making things right, so he reached into his pocket and handed me the jewelry he had taken. By doing so, he began taking responsibility for his actions and attempted to make things right. He informed me he wanted to be baptized. After hearing the word of God, he repented, confessed Jesus as the Son of God, and we took him to the pool and baptized him for the forgiveness of his sins, immersing him in water in accordance with Scripture.

After baptism, he understood that his decision did not absolve him of the consequences of his actions. His heart had changed; he now wanted to take responsibility and accept accountability, and I applauded his decision. We then called law enforcement.

Because of his sorrow and request that I forgive him; I did so and chose not to press charges. His decision to make things right was admirable, but it would be costly for him, since he had also broken into other homes and entered our country illegally. He knew, in his heart, that he needed also to correct these wrongdoings.

At least now, when he is deported to his country, he takes with him a greater purpose: to spread what he has learned about the message of Christ with others. Maybe he will return to America legally someday. I gave him my study Bible and contact information. I look forward to hearing from him about his efforts to share Christ.

While this story is fictitious, it’s also possible.

Following Christ does not negate accepting responsibility and accountability for one’s actions; it enhances it. If we genuinely love Jesus and righteousness, we will want to do what’s right, even if it means exchanging our loss of earthly freedom for eternal life in heaven. (Matthew 16:24-26, John 14:15, Romans 6:1-14, Mark 16:15, Philemon 1)

Scripture’s definition of Godly Sorrow: (2 Corinthians 7:9-13)

God’s Grace: Ephesians 2:8, Romans 3:24, Titus 2:11, Acts 15:11

Hearing the Gospel:– Romans 10:17, John 8:32

Belief/Faith: – Hebrews 11:1, John 8:24, Romans 10:17, Acts 3:19

Repentance of sin: – 2 Cor. 7:9-10, Luke 13:3-5, Acts 17:30

Confess Christ: – Romans 10:9-10, Matthew 10:32-33, Luke 12:8-9

Baptism by immersion for forgiveness of sin: – Matthew 16:15-16, 1 Peter 3:21, Acts 2:38, Mark 16:16, John 3:5, Matthew 28:18-20, Ephesians 4:5, Romans 6:3-4, Colossians 2:12, Acts 8:36-39, Mark 1:9-10, John 3:23

God First!

The prayer that changed my life

November 18, 2021 / / 1 Comment

Life can be tough sometimes, and when we live by our own standards, we are ill-equipped to deal with all the hardships. I lived by my own standards for many years. Yes, as a baptized believer, my standards had been influenced by the teachings of God, but instead of submitting to God’s standards, I strayed and created my own, which DID NOT include putting God first.

Instead, I was wise in my own eyes, putting worldly desires, goals, satisfactions, family fun, sports, TV, etc., before God and His will. Eventually, I found myself in several situations where my standards were inadequate. I had no real answers; my solutions were Band-Aids, not fixes. I found the foundation of “my standards” was rooted in sand, leaving me feeling like a leaf floating in the wind. Fortunately, I knew where to turn as I was introduced to God and his standards when I was younger.

Not only could I pray for God’s help, but I could choose to “CHANGE THE DIRECTION OF MY LIFE” (repent) and follow the standards of life God set before us through Jesus and in His perfect and complete Holy Word. (The Bible) 1 Cor. 13:8-10

I found myself humbled through turmoil beyond my control. Turmoil, I wanted to control, I had to realize that God was the only answer; That ONLY GOD can help in all situations, so I asked myself, if I were gone, who would want to help more than me, and there was only one answer.

So that night, I prayed, I started my change with probably the deepest, heartfelt, and tearful prayer of my life, and as tears flowed, I turned my troubles over to the Lord. I wanted to be a true disciple of Christ. I wanted to pursue righteousness beyond” My Standards.”

I had read in the book of James that: “The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” And I wanted my prayers to have great power. I wanted God’s help like never before.

That night, I did not give up on any of my concerns; instead, I sought the most powerful help available to mankind by turning to our Creator.

The changes I have made in my life since that night have helped me grow healthy, strong roots in the nutritious soil of God’s Word. As my understanding of God’s intent for all of us has increased, God’s standards have become my standards, and I have found that the best life is a God First life!

Hardships are indeed like rain that falls on the just and the unjust; having God in the forefront of our lives gives us reason and strength to face it all and count it all joy!

There really is a peace beyond understanding that is attainable when we decide to deny ourselves and follow Christ.

I now use “God First” to end many of my writings and wear them on clothing as “Spirit-wear” because I realize that living a God First life is the most crucial decision one can make, and I want to encourage others to do the same.

There’s a reason why loving God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength is The Greatest Commandment.

  • James 5:16
  • Isaiah 41:10
  • Psalm 34:17
  • 2 Corinthians 12:9
  • Proverbs 3:5-6
  • Psalm 55:22
  • 1 Peter 5-7
  • Philippian’s 4:6-7
  • Hebrews 11:6
  • Romans 12:2

God First!

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

ADVOCATE FOR CHRIST

Sign up now

We hope you will find our post uplifting and possibly challenging in your pursuit to live a God First life!

We don’t spam!

Contact us:

Contact us: wa***@***************st.com

© 2026 Advocate for Christ

Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑