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Repentance Is Freedom"It (Repentance) points us to freedom, confidence, and peace."
The Divine Gift of Repentance; Elder D. Todd Christofferson
The opposite of freedom is bondage and slavery, which is the result of sin. The freest person is the individual who is the most obedient in keeping God’s commandments, so the more commandments the better. The scriptures talk about Satan having a chain in his hand that covers the whole earth. Sin limits our progress. Repentance is a major way to gain greater grace, which is God's enabling power or His divine strength. Who couldn't use a little more or a lot more of God's strength! Repentance increases your freedom from Satan. Sinning gives Satan power over you and repentance lessens his power on you. Repentance turns you toward God. Ponder what it would be like to bind Satan out of your life. My personal opinion is that Christ was the most free because he was sinless. He bore the greatest burdens that any man could ever endure. Jesus Christ was not slowed down by sins like we are. REPENTANCE INCREASES YOUR CONFIDENCE There will be a final judgment and Jesus Christ will be your final judge. The prophets both ancient and modern have exhorted us to keep our final judgment in our minds continually. How great it would be to not be anxious about the final judgment. The final judgment is not a minor event, it determines what glorious kingdom you will spend the rest of eternity and whether you will be able to continue to bear children and create worlds without number. REPENTANCE GRANTS YOU GREATER PEACE Elder Richard G. Scott gave a powerful talk titled Peace of Conscience And Peace of Mind. To be at peace both in mind and heart is a major blessing. This blessing allows you to be at peace when the world around you is unraveling and falling apart before your eyes. The gift of peace allows you to be happy even when the environment (your circumstances) around you is in turmoil. We are living in the final days, which is described as a time when the hearts of many will fail them, meaning many will have no internal peace. |