The Circle of Forgiveness - Part 2: Repentenance

 

When the men were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out from all the towns of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing, with joyful songs and with tambourines and lutes. As they danced, they sang: “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands.” Saul was very angry; this refrain galled him. “They have credited David with tens of thousands,” he thought, “but me with only thousands. What more can he get but the kingdom?” And from that time on Saul kept a jealous eye on David.

—1 Samuel 18:6-8

In the my last blog post, I introduced a new series of posts using these words:

From time to time on this blog site, I’ve written about Confession, Repentance, Restitution, and Reconciliation. These four individual elements form an interdependent, interlocking, life-sustaining process that some have called “The Circle of Forgiveness.” This process becomes a very important part of the pathway for a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ—that is to say a “Christian” or “Christ’s-one”—to develop into a fully obedient citizen of the Kingdom of God.

At the same time, each of these elements offers its own set of challenges to our normal understanding. While the basis for the fundamental morality of the United States has deep roots into the soil of Judeo-Christian values, time has tended to soften, or distort, some of the concreteness of certain of those values. As a result, people end up with a skewed, or distorted, view of what these values really mean. “Confession” is one such value.

“Repentance” is another such value.

It’s amazing how many times jealousy plants a seed that will grow into a significant sin. In the Scripture passage at the beginning of this blog post, we learn how words of deserved praise can turn the heart of a leader against the one he or she leads. The result of such jealousy is truly tragic.

Today, I want to move on to a discussion of “Repentance.” Repentance means to “turn one’s back on one’s sin.” It’s as simple as that. You just turn and walk away from a sin you’ve confessed.

To flesh this out a bit more, I want to share some wise words I received some years ago in a monthly newsletter from my spiritual mentor, Rev. Dr. David R. Mains, who is now also the person with whom I work. In this communication with his friends and the supporters of his ministry, David wrote: ¹

I have a close friend with whom I’ve made a mutual spiritual journey. We have breakfast together once a month and have been doing so for over ten years. One morning he told me he had been challenged in his church to go for 30 days without saying anything negative about another person. He was tracking his progress by keeping a coin in the side pocket of his jeans. Every time he caught himself saying something negative about someone else, he moved the coin from one side pocket to the other, and then he had to start all over—Day 1, Day 2 … His goal was to make it through 30 consecutive days without having to move the coin.

“How are you doing?” I asked.

“Well it’s been hard,” he responded. “I haven’t made it through a single day yet.”

“Tell you what,” I offered. ”I’ll do it with you. Let’s try to do it for 50 days. That’s seven weeks plus a day. We’ll kind of keep each other accountable.”

Not too smart on my part. Not too smart to think this wouldn’t be tough for me, just like it was for him, and not too smart to say 50 days instead of 30 days. It took me over seven months before I could report to my friend:

“I made it!”

There were many times I wanted so much to say something negative about this person or that one. Even when I drove with my wife, Karen, I wrestled with keeping my big mouth shut when certain names of people came up in conversation—all because I didn’t want to have to start over again after 26 good days, or 39, or 47.

What I discovered (again) is that a good habit can be as hard to break as a bad habit. Here’s something else I discovered. After 50 days of trying, with God’s help, to be circumspect in an area like this, you become very conscious about your words. Everything you say becomes highly sensitized. All in all, though a struggle, my coin-in-the-pocket exercise was a good experience—so good, in fact, that I’ve tried it with other temptations. The problem with most Christians is that when they confess a sin, they don't really mean it—at least, not in doing the hard work of overcoming that sin.

The Bible gives an excellent example of a man who repented from his sins, but didn’t really mean it because his life never changed. If I had been there and heard his confession, my response would have been, “The man was deeply sorry for his actions. He wept loudly in front of everyone.” I would have predicted we’d see a major change in his life. However, King Saul was setting up a pattern of unrepentant remorse. He said the words, but his life didn’t change.

The green-eyed monster of jealousy begins to gnaw in his soul when he hears the crowds singing, “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands.” The refrain galled him, Scripture says, Saul kept a jealous eye on David. (1 Samuel 18:9)

Later, near the Crags of the Wild Goats, while hunting to take David’s life, Saul chooses a cave for a restroom stop and unknown to him, but known to God, it is the very place where his prey is hiding! David refuses the urging of his men to slay the hunter, but as evidence of his restraint, he does cut off a piece of the King’s robe. “The Lord forbid that I should do such a thing to the Lord’s anointed or lift my hand against him…”

In a little while, after Saul leaves the cave, David calls to the king, tells him what has happened, holds up the sliced material, and Saul, struck with this commendable act calls back, “Is that your voice, David, my son?” He weeps aloud and says, “You are more righteous than I am. You have treated me well, but I have treated you badly… the Lord delivered me into your hands, but you did not kill me.” (1 Samuel 24:3, 4)

It is here that I would have thought Saul’s confession was one of penitent remorse. I would have been wrong.

The only problem is that Saul doesn’t change his actions! You see, to truly confess to God a wrong should carry with it the assumption that you intend to change your behavior. David again spares Saul’s life when he and Abashai sneak into Saul’s camp. Replay: David shows that he has refrained from killing the king. The king repents aloud. But now David is canny enough to realize he must flee. Saul says the words, but he is not willing to change his actions.

Confession is all about wanting to be forgiven for a wrong that has been done plus the intention not to do it again.

We all need to think more seriously about the prayer of confession. Saul is, unfortunately, a good illustration of so many of us who admit we are doing something wrong—we have a habit of bad-mouthing others, for instance—but we are not all that serious about changing our ways. Sound all too familiar?

I have this great idea for you. Find a coin, any coin (but preferably one you cannot spend). Put it in a pocket and vow that you will work toward a goal of not changing that coin from one pocket to another for 30 (or 50) days. When you fail, start again—Day One. You may discover, as I did, that you are not really sorry (at least sorry enough to change your behavior) about that prevailing sin you find yourself confessing… and confessing… and confessing again.

This great prayer of confession from the Book of Common Prayer incorporates elements I mentioned above. As you are working with repentance in your own life that changes your actions, this may be of help.

Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbor as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent.

For the sake of Your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in Your will, and walk in Your ways, to the glory of Your name. Amen.

God desires our obedience. And, He graciously provides ways for us to learn to become obedient. I believe and declare that, by the power of the Holy Spirit, we can learn to overcome our besetting sins, one sin at a time. We can promptly confess each sin. And then, we can turn away from that sin. In other words, we can activate the second step of the Circle of Forgiveness by employing the “Repentance” of our sin.

 

______________________

1 Mains, Rev. Dr. David R. Mainstay Monthly Newsletter. Wheaton, IL: Mainstay Ministries, 2011. Please note that, in each case, whenever a citation of any Copyrighted material is made within a post on this blog, such a citation is made strictly for Educational Fair Use illustration purposes only. All Rights Reserved by the original Copyright Holder.

 

_{Copyright © 2026 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

The Circle of Forgiveness - Part 1: Confession

 

Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit. When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord”—and you forgave the guilt of my sin.

—Psalm 32:1-5

This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.

—1 John 1:5-10

From time to time on this blog site, I’ve written about Confession, Repentance, Restitution, and Reconciliation. These four individual elements form an interdependent, interlocking, life-sustaining process that some have called “The Circle of Forgiveness.” This process becomes a very important part of the pathway for a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ—that is to say a “Christian” or “Christ’s-one”—to develop into a fully obedient citizen of the Kingdom of God.

At the same time, each of these elements offers its own set of challenges to our normal understanding. While the basis for the fundamental morality of the United States has deep roots into the soil of Judeo-Christian values, time has tended to soften, or distort, some of the concreteness of certain of those values. As a result, people end up with a skewed, or distorted, view of what these values really mean. “Confession” is one such value.

When I have written about the need for Confession, as a part of The Circle of Forgiveness, some reader feedback has characterized this word in a way that does not synchronize consistently with the way the Bible characterizes Confession. For example, one reader asked if by “Confession” I meant the kind of teary-eyed response that a televangelist might make to his or her viewers when caught in some moral failure. Many of you will remember such scenes from not all that long ago. Well, I can say emphatically that such a display does not at all represent what I mean when I use the word “confession.”

Other readers have asked if I meant the kind of emotional response that certain denominations in the Protestant Christian family of churches might make when they hear a fiery sermon calling for them to confess their sins and receive God’s grace and mercy. Again, I can confirm that such a display of emotion does not fairly represent what I mean when I write about the word “confession.”

Another reader suggested that the more staid Protestant denominations might avoid talking about confession purely on the basis that it calls to their minds distasteful images of behavior that simply does not mesh with their natural reserve. I admit that I had to laugh when I read that comment. I laughed, not at the dear person writing to me, but at the very idea that some denominations believe they have risen above the obedience that comes from confession.

Still others have written to assert that each Sunday during their Worship Service, they pause in the Order of Service to pray a “Prayer of Confession.” In fact, in the church that I attend—a semi-liturgical Evangelical Presbyterian Church—not only do we have a unison corporate “Prayer of Confession,” we follow that prayer with a time of silent prayer for personal confession of sin. Nevertheless, when I write about Confession as the first step in the four-step process of Forgiveness, I mean much more than the exercise of corporate and private confession that takes place in the church I attend each Sunday.

You see, for the most part, we have lost an understanding of church history. The denominations that, today, many people think of as staid and reserved to the point that little seems to move them emotionally were actually the leaders during the times of the greatest revivals in the history of our nation. It was John and Charles Wesley’s protege, George Whitfield, through whom God brought about the national revival known as the Great Awakening, in the time period just prior to the onset of the Revolutionary War. The Wesley’s, of course, were the founders of Methodism.

Similarly, significant periods of genuine revival in our nation—including the Second Great Awakening of the early 1800s and the Great Lay Prayer Revival of 1857 and 1858—had significant leadership from Presbyterians. In fact, the Welsh Revival of 1904 and 1905 began with the testimony of a young Presbyterian preacher-in-training, Evan Roberts.

So, you can see why I might laugh a little at some of the misunderstandings certain of my readers may have about the subject of Confession. The very denominations that we may think of today as “too cool for school,” at least when it comes to emotional response to a message from God, are the very denominations that God once used in a significant and mighty way to ignite the fire of sweeping revivals. Why in the Welsh Revival, within six months of its beginning, 150,000 souls were added to the church rolls because they acknowledged the Gift of Salvation that God had given them through His mercy, grace, and love.

No, Confession is not about emotion. Although at times, when people sense the Holy Spirit convicting them of their sins, they do weep in remorse. Confession is really about obedience. The Scripture passages at the beginning of this blog post capture the real idea of Confession.

King David became overwhelmed by the awareness of his sin. This awareness came to him as a gift from the Holy Spirit. One of the Holy Spirit’s principal tasks is to bring an awareness of sin to the mind and heart of a sinner. Before someone acknowledges the gift of salvation God has given that one through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, that awareness opens up an understanding, deep within the human heart: that God loves us with an everlasting love and has made provision for our salvation through the birth, life, suffering, death, resurrection, and ascension of His precious Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Once an individual acknowledges this work of God’s grace, the Holy Spirit becomes the One who comes alongside us on our spiritual journey and directs our pathway. Part of that pathway guidance is to convict us of sins that we commit, as we walk our daily road of life.

So you see, confession is not necessarily an emotional outburst expressing great sorrow at what one has done. Rather, it is an acknowledgement that one has committed a sin. A good example of this comes to us from Jesus’ Parable of the Lost Son in the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 15:

When he [the son] came to his senses, he said, “How many of my father’s hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.” So he got up and went to his father.

But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. The son said to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.”

But the father said to his servants, “Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.” So they began to celebrate.

Did you notice what happened to the Lost Son? He came to his senses. That’s right. He came to his senses. And, when he came to his senses, he made a simple—and seemingly unemotional—acknowledgement: “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.”

So, when I write in my blog posts about “Confession,” that’s what I’m talking about. Not a tearful, moaning, wailing, emotional outcry concerning one’s sin. No—just a simple, straightforward acknowledgement that one has committed sin. That’s all there really is to genuine Confession.

When faced with the need to enter the Circle of Forgiveness, believers take the first step when they acknowledge that they have committed sin. That is to say, they confess their sins.

 

_{Copyright © 2026 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Renew Our Hearts and Rejoice

 

“Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous …”

—from Psalm 32:11

Does anyone doubt that our current culture breeds negativity? In virtually every sphere, people are polarized: about politics, about the environment, about the economy, about religion, about cultural issues—the list goes on and on. It’s very easy to become entrapped by this negativism.

Faith in God offers us a solution. Instead of complaining and bickering, we should express gratitude for the many ways God has filled our lives with reasons to rejoice. Instead of yielding to the pressures the culture tries to thrust on us, we should determine to live our lives “inside out.” We should reorder our priorities. We should turn our grumbling into rejoicing. If we do, we will join those who have overcome the world. As the Psalmist has declared in Psalm 32:8-11:

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you.

Many are the woes of the wicked, but the Lord’s unfailing love surrounds the one who trusts in him. Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!

I sincerely invite you to join me in determining to begin this day with rejoicing. Let us purpose to thank God for His mercy, grace, and unfailing love. At every turn throughout this day, we can choose to express gratitude to the One who loves us with His everlasting and abiding love.

 

_{Copyright © 2026 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Always Close By

 

“The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the former part.”

—Job 42:12

Each one of us faces little annoyances in the course of our daily lives. But sometimes, something really big happens that knocks us flat. Perhaps its the loss of a loved one, the dissolution of a marriage, a devastating accident, the termination of employment, a major health crisis, a worldwide pandemic, or some other tragic event. Whatever this intrusion into our lives may consist, it throws us for a loop. We become flabergasted, gobsmacked, frightened, confused, or depressed.

Consider the Patriarch, Job. His devotion to God was tested in a striking way. He lost his children and all of his possessions, along with his health. But, the tragedy of Job’s life was not the end of his story. Take note of these closing words to Job’s narrative, as recorded in the Book of Job 42:12-16:

The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the former part. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand donkeys. And he also had seven sons and three daughters.

The first daughter he named Jemimah, the second Keziah and the third Keren-Happuch. Nowhere in all the land were there found women as beautiful as Job’s daughters, and their father granted them an inheritance along with their brothers.

After this, Job lived a hundred and forty years; he saw his children and their children to the fourth generation.

God has an absolutely perfect plan for each one of us, who belong to Him. In the midst of the trials and tragedies of our lives, we need to learn how to fall backwards into the safety of His loving arms.

His amazing love is always present. His unfailing caring is always there to buffer whatever may befall us. He truly wants the very best for us. And, His perfect plan—no matter how difficult it may be for us to see in the moment of our crisis—always holds the key to the success of our future.

 

_{Copyright © 2026 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Most Awesome

 

“Lord, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night …”

—from Nehemiah 1:5-6

As we take time to begin another day by worshipping the God who loves us with an everlasting love, let us remember these words from Nehemiah 9:29-33:

“You warned them in order to turn them back to your law, but they became arrogant and disobeyed your commands. They sinned against your ordinances, of which you said, ‘The person who obeys them will live by them.’

“Stubbornly they turned their backs on you, became stiff-necked and refused to listen. For many years you were patient with them. By your Spirit you warned them through your prophets. Yet they paid no attention, so you gave them into the hands of the neighboring peoples. But in your great mercy you did not put an end to them or abandon them, for you are a gracious and merciful God.

“Now therefore, our God, the great God, mighty and awesome, who keeps his covenant of love … In all that has happened to us, you have remained righteous; you have acted faithfully, while we acted wickedly.”

Our God is truly awesome. His everlasting love reaches down to us. He cradles us in His mighty Hand. He opens up a new pathway for us each day. He cleanses us from our sins, through the blood of His own dear Son, Jesus.

Let us begin this day with rejoicing. Our God reigns. He reigns in our hearts and minds. He reigns over all the earth. He reigns over all the universe. Our God is an awesome God! Nothing, absolutely nothing, that we encounter along the pathway of our lives today can separate us from God’s great love for us.

 

_{Copyright © 2026 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

The Answer: Faith

 

“When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise—in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?”

—Psalm 56:3-4

In the morning, we can face each new day with confidence that God goes before us, extending the pathway He intends for us to follow throughout this day. No evil can come against us to truly harm us, for the shield of faith from God guards us, protecting us from any evildoer’s attack. With confidence and great joy, we can say with the Psalmist these words from Psalm 57:9-10:

“I will praise you, Lord, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples. For great is your love, reaching to the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies.”

Back in 1904, Civilla D. Martin penned the words to the following poem that her husband, Walter S. Martin, set to music. While the language of this hymn retains the more formal prose of the Authorized Version of Holy Scripture—what many people refer to as the King James Version of the Bible—nevertheless the sentiment of the hymn rings true, especially today. In the midst of our current circumstances, we can cling to the truth contained within these words: ¹

Be not dismayed whate’er betide,
God will take care of you;
Beneath His wings of love abide,
God will take care of you.

Refrain: God will take care of you,
Through every day, over all the way;
He will take care of you,
God will take care of you.

Through days of toil when heart doth fail,
God will take care of you;
When dangers fierce your path assail,
God will take care of you.

Refrain: God will take care of you,
Through every day, over all the way;
He will take care of you,
God will take care of you.

All you may need He will provide,
God will take care of you;
Nothing you ask will be denied,
God will take care of you.

Refrain: God will take care of you,
Through every day, over all the way;
He will take care of you,
God will take care of you.

No matter what may be the test,
God will take care of you;
Lean, weary one, upon His breast,
God will take care of you.

Refrain: God will take care of you,
Through every day, over all the way;
He will take care of you,
God will take care of you.

 

 

We need not fear. Our God, who loves us with His everlasting love, stands ever ready to protect us and quiet our fears. We only need to trust in His unfailing mercy, grace, and love.

 

______________________

1 “God Will Take Care of You,” written in 1904 by Civilla D. Martin (lyrics) and Walter Stillman Martin (music), is in the Public Domain. Though this citation is noted to be in the Public Domain, in the case of someone claiming Copyright protection of this material, please note that, in each case, whenever the citation of any Copyrighted material is made within a post on this blog, such citation is made strictly for Educational Fair Use illustration purposes only. All Rights Reserved by the original Copyright Holder.

 

_{Copyright © 2026 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Their Little Angel Unaware

 

“Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.”

—Hebrews 13:2

Are you old enough to remember watching Roy Rogers and Dale Evans on Saturday morning television in the 1950s? How about their closing song: “Happy Trails to You”? ¹

Happy trails to you, until we meet again.
Happy trails to you, keep smilin’ until then.
Who cares about the clouds when we’re together?
Just sing a song and bring the sunny weather.
Happy trails to you, ’till we meet again.

Some trails are happy ones,
Others are blue.
It’s the way you ride the trail that counts,
Here’s a happy one for you.

Happy trails to you, until we meet again.
Happy trails to you, keep smilin’ until then.
Who cares about the clouds when we’re together?
Just sing a song and bring the sunny weather.
Happy trails to you, ’till we meet again.

 

 

Did you know that Roy and Dale were deeply committed Evangelical Christians? Dale Evans wrote one of the most moving books I have ever read. It chronicled the all-too-short life of their special needs little girl: Angel Unaware. I first read this book as a small boy. It was particularly meaningful to me, since I was an adopted child. I remember feeling so very grateful for the two loving people who adopted me and raised me surrounded by much love and caring. Most importantly, these dear ones taught me about Jesus and His great love for me that prompted Him to die, so that my sins were forgiven.

Along the trail of life, the most happiness we can obtain occurs when we place our faith and trust in God, through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. He places His agape love in our hearts. He urges us to express that great love in a myriad of ways, each unique to us, but energized by His Holy Spirit.

Roy and Dale are now in heaven. Roy and Dale have been reunited with their lovely daughter, the subject of Dale’s book. I would like to think that, as the sun goes down after a marvelous day of fellowship at the feet of Jesus, just maybe Roy and Dale lead those gathered in singing “Happy Trails to You.”

 

______________________

1 Evans, Dale. “Happy Trails to You.” LosAngeles, CA: Sony/ATV Harmony o/b/o Paramount-Roy Rogers Music Co., 1952. Please note that, in each case, whenever citation of any Copyrighted material is made within a post on this blog, such citation is made strictly for Educational Fair Use illustration purposes only. All Rights Reserved by the original Copyright Holder.

 

_{Copyright © 2026 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}