Elevated, Honorable, and Sacred
By John Nevins Andrews
“THERE is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.” Luke 15:10. The angels of God do not view repentance in the same light that it appears to sinful men. To them it is an elevated, honorable, and sacred work. To us, alas, it is a work to be shunned, if possible, or if not wholly shunned, to be disposed of in as private a manner as we can. We think of it with shame. We speak of it with pain and regret. It is so humiliating to have it known that we have had to break our hearts, to bow our stubborn wills, to humble our proud natures under the mighty hand of God! We are not so much ashamed of sin as of repentance. Nay, we are frequently far from being ashamed of sinful conduct or of wicked dispositions. But to have it known that we have made frank and humble confession of wicked acts, is too humiliating for us to endure. Yet sin is that abominable thing which God hates, and genuine repentance is that which He approves and accepts. Sin is the fruit of our own evil nature, aided by the powerful cooperation of the devil. Repentance is the work of the Spirit of God wrought in us by our consent, and with our active cooperation. How strange that we should be ashamed of repentance, rather than ashamed of sin—that we should cherish that which comes from Satan, and loathe that which proceeds directly from the Spirit of God! Sin is the only real cause for shame, and it is cause enough surely. But repentance is something noble, dignified, and honorable. It shows that though we have been wicked, now that we have come to ourselves we put away the wickedness, and allow not one particle of it to cleave longer to us. How the devil perverts things in our minds when he makes us ashamed of this most sacred work!—J. N. Andrews.