Ever done counterfeit repentance?
We often take the genuineness of our repentance for granted, as if feeling sorry for our sin is proof enough. But just after Paul preaches repentance, he commands his listeners to “prove their repentance by their deeds” (Acts 26:20). True repentance has corroborating evidence. Perhaps the best way to learn what genuine repentance looks like is by examining the opposite: a counterfeit. In 2 Kings we find one in King Joram. Joram rules when Samaria , the capital city of the northern kingdom of Israel , is besieged by Ben-Haded, king of Syria. The siege places the people of Samaria in desperate circumstances. When a citizen pleads for help from King Joram, he tells her hope does not rest in him: “If the LORD does not help you, where can I get help for you?” (2 Kgs 6:27). It seems to be the response of someone who depends on Yahweh . But after discovering that some in his kingdom are eating their own children to stay alive, Joram decides Yahweh can’t help him. Rather, he decides Yahweh