Repentance is not something you leave behind as you progress in the Christian life. The closer you get to God the more aware you become of your sin, and the deeper the work of repentance needs to be. This means that self-examination and confession are always important. Over the centuries many Christians have used the Ten Commandments from Exodus 20 as a diagnostic tool to help deepen their repentance. What follows are some suggested questions to help us do the same. They are drawn from Tim Keller’s book ‘Prayer’
YOU SHALL HAVE NO OTHER GODS BEFORE ME
What comes first in your life? Where do you look for your sense of worth, status, acceptance, and identity? Whom or what is your hope? Your righteousness? Your saviour? Where do you go for peace in times of trouble? What do you do when you experience guilt or are criticised?
Consider the all-sufficiency and glory of God until there is a new awareness of your idols, of their inadequacy, and a new desire to know God above all.
YOU SHALL NOT MAKE AN IMAGE
Are you limiting God in some way? Are you allowing something other than the Bible to tell you what he is like? Are you refusing to accept something the Bible clearly teaches about him?
Consider what the Gospel teaches us about God until there is a fresh sense of God’s freedom, uniqueness and glory, a willingness to let God be God and a new delight in the balance and beauty of all his perfections.
YOU SHALL NOT MISUSE THE LORD’S NAME
Are you taking the things of God lightly? Do you use God’s name or God’s Word casually, to play games, make jokes, win arguments, or even as a curse? Are you using God as a means to some other end?
Are you conscious that the Lord’s name is upon you and that you are called to carry his name as oy go about your daily life, showing everyone who you meet that he more important that they think and more wonderful than imagine?
Consider the immensity, holiness and love of God until there is a new sense of awe at who God is, and a new fear of dishonouring him.
REMEMBER THE SABBATH DAY
Are you working too much? Is your life out of balance? Has your family, your career, or your hobby started to become your identity and hope, or some kind of escape from reality? Are you neglecting God? Are you neglecting preaching, worship, prayer, fellowship and Christian service?
Consider the depth of your need for God until there is a new resolve to make more space for him in your life. Consider the cross of Christ until you get a new sense that your life is not your own, that you been bought at a great price, that everything you are and have you owe to the grace of God, and that the joy you seek can only be found in knowing him.
HONOUR YOUR FATHER AND YOUR MOTHER
Are you valuing, forgiving, listening to and supporting your parents? Are you forgetting how much you owe to others? Are you neglecting family responsibilities? Are you holding on to some grudge or resentment? Is there a rift you could seek to heal? Are you simply falling in with our culture’s general contempt for authority?
Consider the love of your heavenly Father for a prodigal like you until it moves you again, freeing you to love, give and forgive. Consider that all legitimate authority can be traced back to God himself. See afresh how Christ triumphs through humility and submission.
YOU SHALL NOT MURDER
Do you hold anyone in disdain? Is there any root of prejudice in your heart? Have you spoken or thought cruelly or unkindly of anyone? Is there any unjust anger in your heart towards anyone?
Consider the grace of Jesus Christ until there is no coldness or unkindness (as you think of the sacrificial love of Jesus for you), no impatience (as you think of his patience with you), no indifference (as you think of how God cares for you), and a rekindled warmth and affection.
YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY
Are you resisting even the first motions of sexual lust? Are you viewing pornography? Are you working at your marriage, and other key relationships, giving them the time, attention and resources that they need? Are you loyal to your commitments even when it costs you something? Are you resisting the consumerism of our culture and the way it is applied even to our relationships?
Remember that no fornicator or adulterer can enter the kingdom of God, and repent. Consider how your Maker is your husband, and Christ is the lover of your soul, until you are freed from idolizing sex, romance or marriage.
Consider the wonder of the covenant love of Christ who loved you and gave himself for you. Consider too that, however deep your sin may be, you can be forgiven, washed and sanctified by the blood of Jesus. He is able to cleanse us from all sin.
YOU SHALL NOT STEAL
Are your possessions too important to your sense of self and your happiness? Are you giving generously to those in need? Do you ever compromise morally to protect or increase your financial resources? How long is it since you did something extravagant with your time or money for someone else, for Jesus’ sake?
Consider the all-sufficiency of Christ until you feel the hold your possessions have on you loosen; a renewed desire to use everything you are and everything you have for the glory of God; and a rest in Christ himself as your treasure and exceedingly great reward.
YOU SHALL NOT GIVE FALSE TESTIMONY
Is there a transparency and simplicity about your life? Do people know where they are with you? Is your witness constant across every area? Are you living a double life at any level or in any way?
Consider the utter faithfulness of God towards you and all that it has cost him to keep his promises to you. Consider too the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the way, the truth and the life, until you find a new love for the truth in your own life, and new desire to live a life of total integrity before God.
YOU SHALL NOT COVET
Are you looking at anyone with envy? Are you giving space in your mind to lust or gluttony? Are you being driven by greed, anxiety, need for approval, love of comfort and ease, need for control, hunger for acclaim and power, or the fear of other people?
Consider the grace of Jesus Christ until you have a fresh disillusionment with your idols and their promises, a new contentment with the unsearchable riches of Christ, and a desire to know him and make him known, whatever the consequences.