Zephaniah Chapter 2. Does your life look like a Christian?
As God speaks of his coming wrath, he calls for the Nations to come together and repent of sins. He says:
1. Seek the Lord in humility,
2. Obey his commands, and
3. Seek righteousness.
God calls for repentance from all of us because repentance is an important step toward escaping God's wrath.
Repentance is evidence of a changed heart. If you viciously bullied a particular girl in high school and then 10 years later see this person, she will still look at you as a bully. You may sense that and go up to her and say, hey, I've changed. I'm a different person now. I'm no longer a bully. I've repented.
Your words won't mean a lot to this girl. What will really put her at ease is her seeing the change in your behavior. Repenting of sin and wrongdoing is evidence of wanting a new and changed life. John the Baptist, Jesus, Paul, and Peter all said repent and be saved. Your repentance, turning from sin and turning to the Lord, is necessary in order to receive Christ by faith in your heart.
Anyone can say, “I'm a Christian” but if there's no change in one's lifestyle then the words are just words. There needs to be a change in one's heart and attitude and behavior. The good news is, when we turn from sin and turn to Jesus for the Forgiveness of sin, he will empower us through the Holy Spirit to live a new and changed life. That doesn't mean you'll never sin again, but it does mean when we mess up, we'll turn back to God in repentance and seek his forgiveness so we can move forward again.
Remember the three ingredients of a change heart mentioned in this chapter.
1. Seeking God in humility which means you can recognize your sins and realize your need for a Savior.
2. Obeying the Lord which is impossible on our own. We need the Holy Spirit to empower us which occurs when we receive Jesus into our lives.
3. Seeking righteousness. Let that be the passion of our souls: Seeking the righteousness of Christ rather than letting your passion be for the pleasures of this world.
I won't ask if you are a Christian because your verbal response means nothing. Rather, I'll watch your life and let that be the evidence of your true faith in Jesus. If someone was watching your life today, would they conclude you are a follower of Christ or not? If the answer is no, then it's time for some good old fashioned humility before God seeking his forgiveness and empowerment of the Holy Spirit to change your heart and life.
May God help us all in our daily walk with Him.