We have to wonder how much longer the Lord will put up with us.

The Scriptures teach that the Spirit of God "strives" or "contends" with men, confronting them in their wickedness and wooing them to seek the Lord (Gen. 6.3; Acts 17.26, 27).

He does this in a variety of ways. The works of God's Law, written on the hearts of all men, are a continuous witness for righteousness (Rom. 2.14, 15) - until, that is, men's consciences are seared and become encrusted with evil and wickedness (1 Tim. 4.2; Heb. 9.14).

The Spirit strives with men to see the goodness of God in all the many blessings He, in His steadfast love, provides them day by day; yet many, in the hardness of their hearts, continue to ignore His grace (Ps. 52.1-3).

He woos men to consider the glory of God by demonstrations of beauty and goodness in creation, culture, and the works of men (Ps. 19.1-4; Ps. 68.18; Mk. 14.3-9; Matt. 5.13-16).

He warns and contends with people by reminding them that death is certain, and beyond that is the unknown (Heb. 2.15).

The Spirit strives through the witness and example of faithful believers, who by their lives and works testify of hope which most people do not possess (Eph. 2.12; 1 Pet. 3.15).

God's Spirit strives with men, but He will not strive with them forever. At some point, even God begins to give up.

As people prefer wickedness, corruption, lawlessnes, and evil to the ways of God, they descend into a spiral of increasing sin and judgment, leading to destruction (Rom. 1.18-32). God reluctantly allows them to drift away from Him, until all sounds of His wooing and contending become faint and indistinct - like the outward-spiraling falcon in Yeats' "The Second Coming."

It is clear that this process is well advanced in our day.

The antidote to this crisis is repentance. What the world needs now is to see and hear the message of repentance, beginning with those who understand the urgency of it and are willing to apply it first to themselves.

Repentance is a gift of God's grace. Noah repented of his wickedness - he was certainly among those condemned in Gen. 6.1-6 - but only because he "found favor in the eyes of the Lord."

If the world is to know repentance it must see its power and promise lived out right in its midst. We must plead with God to give us repentance from whatever sins weigh us down and hold us back in our race to maturity (Heb. 12.1, 2). As believers begin to practice repentance, and call one another to repent and seek the Lord, the world will take note. And when they see the favor of the Lord prospering among us once again - as now it is not - they will ask a reason for the hope that is within us (1 Pet. 3.15).

Then we can tell them the Good News of Jesus and His Kingdom and invite them to join us in repentance and renewal unto the Lord.

Without repentance there is no breaking that downward spiral of rebellion, disobedience, self-indulgence, disappointment, and death.

It is time for repentance to begin in the house of God, and from there, to be proclaimed in all the world.

Is it time for repentance to begin in you?

Related texts: Check out the Scriptures cited in the article.

A conversation starter: "What do you think is keeping us from the repentance we so sorely need in these troubled times?"

T. M. Moore, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.