Activate High School Ministry's Blog

The Word: “For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned and done what is evil in Your sight” (vv.3-4).

The Breakdown: When you realize you are a sinner and you remorse over your sin, you will then come to the point of recognizing your sin, which is to confess your sin to God and ask for forgiveness. To recognize and confess your sin is to do what David did: admit that you sinned against God and agree with Him that you are guilty. Then you are to trust and believe in Christ’s work on the cross, which will cause you to be whiter than snow (v.7)

Activate: David said these words after his encounter with Bathsheba (see 2 Sam. 11), which was when he was already a believer. This implies that repentance and recognition of sin is not just a one time act; rather, it is to occur throughout the entire life a believer.

A Thought: “Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy” (Pro. 28:13). Don’t hide your sin, but confess it to the Lord, for if you do, He is faithful and just to forgive and completely cleanse you (1 Jn. 1:9).

The Word: “As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us. For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.”

The Breakdown: Once a realization of sin occurs, how should you respond? As Paul says, godly grief should occur, for it produces repentance that leads to salvation. To have godly grief is to have remorse for sin, which is to show deep sorrow and regret over sinning against God. When this occurs, you will be “grieved into repenting,” and because it is a godly grief—a grief that doesn’t just acknowledge wrongdoing, but also admits crime and offense against God—it produces repentance that leads to salvation, for it leads to a confession of sin and an acceptance of the gospel. Remorse for sin is vital for repentance.

Activate: What exactly does remorse for sin look like? Biblical expressions include fasting and crying, smiting on the thigh (Jer. 31:19), beating on the breast (Luke18:13), putting on of sackcloth (Isa.22:12), and ripping of clothes and plucking of hair (Ezra 9:3). These are all outward signs of inward sorrow that express a “broken and contrite heart” that God will not despise (Ps. 51:17). But most importantly, it is the rending of the heart (Joel2:13).

A Thought: Don’t experience worldly grief that will draw you away from God; rather, remorse over sin and experience godly grief that will produce repentance unto salvation!

The Word: “Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.”

The Breakdown: After having seen everything that is in life, Solomon writes about the biblical truth that no matter how righteous people may appear, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23)—no one is able to do good and not sin. David and Paul clearly articulate this truth by saying, “there is none who does good, not even one” (Ps.14:1; Rom. 3:11). Having such knowledge is the first step in repentance, for you cannot repent of sin until you realize that you are in fact a sinner in need of forgiveness.

Activate: The majority of people identify themselves as “good” people, and they usually think they are good enough to go to heaven. But it is a great error to determine how good you are by cultural or societal standards; you must analyze yourself on the basis of God’s Word, which states that no one is “good” enough to be saved without turning from sin and trusting in Jesus. So the first vital element of repentance is a realization of your own sin.

A Thought: If repentance is the mental, emotional, and physical turning away from sin, then a realization of sin is a great necessity. You must realize that you are not righteous yourself and “never sin.” In order to turn from sin, you must first see your need to do so.

In Luke 13:3 Jesus said that “unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” That is why God “commands all people everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:30). Therefore, it is essential to know what true biblical repentance is and what it looks like. Essentially, to repent is to turn away from sin and to turn to God and trust in the gospel, and it involves the altering of both the inward emotions of the mind and heart and the outward actions of the body. There are many vital elements in repentance, so join us as we consider each of them.

The Word: “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to Myself, that where I am you may be also.”

The Breakdown: In this passage Jesus provides the remedy for a troubled heart. The disciples were confused and troubled because Christ previously told them that He was leaving and that they couldn’t come. But then He tells them that their troubled hearts can be cured by having faith in God and by thinking upon the fact that they will be with Him one day in His Father’s house in a place that has specifically been prepared for them. Jesus wants them to wholeheartedly believe this message because He wouldn’t be saying it if it were not true. Jesus calls His disciples to trust in His promise that He will take them to be with Him one day in heaven.

Activate: Do you have a troubled heart? Then believe in God and trust in Christ’s promise that He will take you to Himself where you will dwell in a place that has been specifically prepared for you. Jesus says that He wouldn’t say this if it wasn’t true. Believe in what He says and does!

A Thought: When you think about how Christ is preparing a place for you, your troubled heart will turn into a longing heart that desires to be with the Lord; you’ll be focused on heaven!

The Word: “How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?” (v.9).

The Breakdown: Day after day Joseph was tempted by the seduction of Potiphar’s wife. She continually commanded him to have sex with her, but Joseph recognized that if he committed such an act then he would disrespect and betray his master (v.8) and sin against God. His greatest reason for not committing sexual sin wasn’t that it would probably get him in trouble by getting caught, but it was that he would be sinning against God. Although he would have wronged others, such as his master, he knew that the ultimate crime is to sin against God, which David also confessed (Psalm 51:4). Joseph resisted temptation by considering the worth of God.

Activate: Joseph considered God to be more valuable and pleasing than a promiscuous affair with Potiphar’s wife, who was extremely seductive and probably very attractive. He knew that it would cause more pain to sin against God than to experience the passing pleasure of sin.

A Thought: Memorize Joseph’s response, for it will give you a proper perspective of the wickedness of sin and provide you with encouragement to flee and run from sin (v.12) during times of temptation. When temptation arises, let your response be the same as Joseph’s!

The Word: “Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to God our Savior, who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen.”

The Breakdown: At the close of his epistle, Jude includes some incredible spiritual truths and promises in his doxology, which is an ascription of praise to God (literally, “the glory of God”). Jude writes that God is able to keep you from stumbling, meaning that He is able keep you from destructive false teachings and keep you in the truth, which is the theme of Jude’s epistle. Also, he writes that God will present you faultless before the presence of His glory, which refers to the imputed righteousness that you receive through faith in Christ, making you sinless. God does this with “exceeding joy,” which shows how joyous He is to love you and forgive your sins!

Activate: Since God will present you before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, you should receive this incredible blessing with exceeding joy—you should be excited and joyous about the fact that your sins are forgiven and that you will be blameless before Him!

A Thought: Because God will keep you in the truth and present you without fault, respond to God like Jude does, and ascribe glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever!

The Word: “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven” (v.1).

The Breakdown: In contrast to the religious hypocrites who would announce to everyone that they were doing something spiritual and charitable, Jesus instructs His disciples to beware of doing spiritual acts in front of others in order to look super spiritual and righteous. Naturally, humanity desires to be applauded and recognized for good works, and therefore many do them in order to be honored and esteemed, but Christ says that they will not have a heavenly reward.

Activate: Are you cautious when doing charitable deeds to make sure that you are not doing them simply to be recognized by others? Because of your flesh, it’s easy to do this, so beware!

A Thought: The key to whether or not you commit this sin is based upon who you desire to be rewarded by—either by man or God. If you desire God’s rewards then you’ll do works for Him.

The Word: “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.”

The Breakdown: These verses warn believers to be watchful and on the alert for their adversary (opponent) who is the devil. To “be sober-minded” means to exhibit self-control, meaning you are not to live carelessly by carrying out the desires of the flesh. As a Christian, you are to always have your guard up and stand firm in the faith against the attacks of the enemy, who is “seeking someone to devour.” But you are not alone, for all Christians experience such suffering. You must watch, resist, and stand firm in your faith.

Activate: Do not think that because you’re a Christian you are exempt from the trickery of the devil—he is active in this world. As a result, you are to be watchful and live in a way so that you are grounded in your faith and ready to resist the enemy’s attacks.

A Thought: The best way to resist the devil is to do what Jesus did. He resisted the temptations of Satan by quoting memorized Scripture in order to attack the “roaring lion”—He used the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God (Eph.6:17). Are you doing this?

The Word: “Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?” (v.16).

The Breakdown: There are two types of slavery presented in this verse: slavery to sin which leads to death or slavery to obedience which leads to righteousness. Whatever you present yourself to becomes your master, so if sin is your master then you are its slave. If you sell out to sin, you’ll be a slave of sin; but if you obey God, you’ll live a holy life. Therefore, it is eternally significant that you present yourself to the correct master—the one that leads to righteousness and not to death. Don’t choose to be a slave to sin when you can be set free and live a life of obedience to God. Which will you present yourself to?

Activate: Are you a slave to sin or to obedience? Which is the most impacting and influential in your life, sin or obedience? Are you dominated and defeated by sin? Or have you experienced the liberating power of the gospel and are now a slave to obedience?

A Thought: Paul makes the direct connection that those who are Christians have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness (v.17). This is done by having your old self crucified with Christ (Rom. 6:6), causing you to die to sin and live for God.