The Act of Repenting

In his autobiographical document sometimes called, De Profundis, Oscar Wilde writes this striking sentence: "The highest moment in a man's career may the hour when he kneels in the dust and beats upon his breast and tells all the sins of his life."

We are reminded that Christ taught that the act of repenting to God for sin is a most momentous act. He tells us that all Heaven is made glad when a sinner repents. The angels rejoice and God rejoices.

Be ashamed of it if you have wandered into the far country but do not be ashamed to say, "I will arise and go to my Father." Be ashamed of your sins, but do not be ashamed to confess them to God and repent of them.

Every man honest enough to look himself in the face must confess that he is a sinner, so let none be ashamed to pray, "God be merciful to me, a sinner."

This recognition is the only way back to self-respect; the only way back to God and the better life. Let men mock if they will; let the hostile elder brother turn away from you in his self-righteousness if he pleases.

The angels are elder brothers that will stand by you. No doubt some mocked when Lot fled from wicked Sodom but we are told the angels lay hold on his hand. When a sinner repents he has with him a vast world of divine, angelic, and saintly sympathy. Be sure of it. There are always angels waiting to lay hold on the hand of a penitent sinner when he turns his back on Sodom and faces about toward God and heaven.

We close with this declaration from Luke: "There is joy in the presence of angels of God over one sinner that repenteth."