Repentance
and the
Progress of Grace

Repentance is an ongoing affair just as faith is. Every believer knows that, “in him, that is, in his flesh, there is no good thing.” But, some believers know it better than others, for time and experience seals to our hearts the truths that we first learned at regeneration. It is wrong to assume that repentance is merely a one-time battle that results in faith. Repentance does not precede faith. Rather, repentance is faith’s continual confrontation with the flesh.

The progress of grace in the heart is similar to our nation’s present conflict in Iraq : The former government of Iraq was overthrown in short order; and the dominion of the flesh is quickly overthrown by the power of Divine grace. But the fall of Baghdad ’s government was only the beginning of the war in Iraq . The street-filling celebrations soon gave way to the harsh reality that there was still a lot of fighting to do – there were yet enemies. There have been more battles and more casualties since the fall of Baghdad than before. As our troops advanced into more territory, fierce fighting ensued, and as more territory was conquered, the depravity of the former regime was shown to be worse than at first thought. In the same way, regeneration is only the beginning of the work of salvation in our hearts. What great celebration arises in the heart of one in whom the government of Sin and Flesh has been overthrown! But, such celebrations soon give way to the reality that the flesh is still there and fierce pockets of sinful resistance remain. And the more that faith advances into the mind and heart, the fiercer the battle becomes and we discover that our flesh was even more depraved than at first thought.