Mr. Bill Long: True Repentance
Author: Caleb Loy| Student, Living Education – Charlotte, 2024-25
With Passover and the spring Holy Day season just behind us, Mr. Bill Long recently presented four important takeaways from Psalm 51 on true repentance. As we get back into the swing of things after the Holy Day break, we appreciate Mr. Long’s message reflecting on the season’s meaning.
Mr. Long started by reminding us that repentance is not simply being sorry, but truly changing our lives. He described it as having two different parts: First, the person has to change in mind and heart, and second, they must demonstrate it through actions that bear good fruit. When going before God to ask for forgiveness of sins, they can come out feeling guilty. Mr. Long said God grants us joy after we come before Him in true repentance. If we follow David’s steps in Psalm 51, we can better express ourselves before Him and receive His forgiveness.
The first key from Psalm 51 is to start the prayer by appealing to the love and mercy of God. David was referred to as a man after God’s own heart, yet we read that he broke nearly all the commandments throughout his life. Mr. Long clarified that 3 of the four keys for true repentance are relatively simple and painless to incorporate, but the second is one that people often have difficulty admitting. Be brutally honest in the confession of sin. King David writes that it is before God that he sins. We must remember that with each of our sins, Christ is put to death on our account. He brought out how David used three different words in Hebrew while discussing sin. Transgression means rebellion against God’s authority and the law, iniquity means distortion of what is true, and sin is missing the mark. 2 Corinthians shows us that God expects us to have sorrow that leads to repentance. The third factor is to plead for the effects of God’s mercy. After experiencing the great remorse for our sins, we can fall into a pit of despair, but it is through God’s mercy that we can experience joy. True joy can only come from God, and He promises it to His people, and we simply need to claim His promise, as Mr. Ames often reminded us. The final fourth key is asking for a humble, happy resolve. In Psalms 51, King David was already praising God’s name before he ended his prayer; we should follow that example.
As Mr. Long drew to a close, he urged us to remember that repentance is an ongoing process. Until we are spirit beings in the Kingdom of God, we must face the pulls and struggles of the human spirit and carnality. We were very grateful for the reminder after the Holy Days to continue this way of life. We understand that we will sometimes fall, yet we need to continue rising back up and growing closer and more like Christ and God the Father. We know it will not be easy, but we are all grateful for the lessons to help us fight the good fight.
