Living the Turned Life

The word “turnt” in some sub-cultures is slang for being high on drugs or alcohol, partying hard, and at times refers to high energy fun of all sorts. Lecrae, a well-known Christian hip-hop artist, wrote a song called “I’m Turnt” which relates to living high in the Spirit, according to the truth of the Gospel. Here are some of the lyrics:

Prolly think I'm rolling, I'm just high on the spirit bro
The only thing we popping is the truth, you don't hear me though

They prolly think I'm rolling, I ain't on nothing

But what I got you need to know about cause homie
I'm turnt

My blood stream clean, nothing running through my veins
It's 116, yeah I'm still Unashamed
I call it network if I'm out here fishing

My interpretation of his song is that Lecrae is singing about living the life of repentance in Jesus Christ. I believe he is using the word “turnt’ here with a dual meaning, one of having hyped up fun (God-honoring) and the other of turning his life over to Christ.

The Bible word “repent” means to turn, to change from one thing to another, and this is a very important element to living the life God intends for you and I to live.

Here we are as humans, born into a sin problem and we choose to sin. Praise God, He has a plan of redemption for sinners, a plan of salvation and true life, a better life for us, who by Gods’ grace through faith in Christ can be reconciled with God and live with joy, peace, and real meaning and purpose.

Repentance in the Christian life is part of the salvation conversion moment and also part of the daily journey of walking in, with, and for Christ.

When I was around 5 years of age, our family was not attending church or talking about Jesus and God’s Word that I recall. Our neighbor invited us to attend their nearby Baptist church. I began to attend. Over the next few years I was greatly influenced with the Gospel by Sunday School teachers and Children’s Church leaders. When I was 8 years old my mom got saved, she received Christ into her life as her personal Savior and she began to be a great influence in my life about such things. When I was 9, I realized that there was a true God who was holy and that I had a sin issue that leads to Hell unless I trust Christ as my Savior; that God loves me and wants to give me eternal life and an abundant life now if I receive Him into my life as my Savior. I wanted to go to heaven some day and I wanted God in my life fulltime to counter my feelings of loneliness and insecurities so I placed my trust in Christ as my Savior. I did not know all the Bible words and terminology related to salvation at the time but I now know that God’s plan of salvation includes repentance.

This is what Jesus called us sinners to do (Lk. 5:32 ESV I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance. Lk. 13:3 No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish) and what He called His followers to proclaim (Lk. 24:47) which we see in practice right away in Acts (2:38, 17:30, 20:21).

At its core, salvation repentance is basically turning from rejecting (or ignoring) Jesus Christ as my Savior and Lord to turning to Jesus; trusting Jesus Christ as my Savior and Lord. This was the most important turn in my life, the most important change in my life. I accepted and received Christ into my life when I was nine years old but God’s plan of salvation is not just about some sort of one time conversion moment. It’s not just a ticket into God’s heaven. It’s not just some sort of fire insurance to avoid hell. Salvation is about an ongoing relationship with Christ and involves our ongoing commitment of aligning our lives in, with, and for Christ.

Christ-followers are to live the turned life, the life of repentance.

Acts 26:20b ESV repent and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with their repentance

Mt. 3:8 ESV Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.

Many Christ-followers need to be reminded of a daily repentance or believers’ repentance, that today, in this very moment, I need to make decisions that are God-honoring, I need to turn away from sinful ways and turn to God-pleasing ways. This is what the Bible means when we are exhorted to live with fruit of repentance and live out a life of repentance in Christ. And keep in mind that this repentant living is not on auto-pilot just because there was this one day that you received Christ into your life. We must make consistent decisions of repentance toward God-honoring living.  

One of the best biblical examples of believers needing to repent is the church in Ephesus whom Christ sent a letter to. Rev. 2:5 ESV Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.

If you don’t know Christ as your Savior and Lord, then give your heart over to Him now. And we don’t have to fix our life and clean it all up before turning to and trusting Christ as Savior and Lord. Trust Christ now and He will begin changing your heart and helping you with your decision making to be in more alignment with Christlikeness but we have responsibility with our thoughts, attitudes, and actions.  

I believe repentance is something God helps us with (2 Tim. 2:25) and we are also personally responsible with our decision making toward repenting regularly. I believe that when God truly saves someone from their sins, that He seals them in Christ by the Holy Spirit and that person stays saved by God’s grace (Eph. 1:13, John 10:27-29). So, when you sin as a redeemed Christ-follower, I don’t believe you face losing your salvation but you do face the need to confess daily sins and repent from daily sins as part of your holy sanctification journey to be the person God calls you to be.

When it comes to recovery and real spiritual growth, we must repent of daily sins in order to really live a victorious joyous life in Christ.

Recovery Step #3 and Principle #3 in Celebrate Recovery are “We made a decision to turn our lives and our wills over to the care of God.” and “Consciously choose to commit all my life and will to Christ’s care and control.” And the accompanying verses are: Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship. Romans 12:1

Happy are the meek, Matthew 5:5a

I am to give my life over to Christ and my daily will over to Christ.

After my initial salvation conversion I experienced two key periods of wholesale repentance in my life and there have been many moments of daily repentance (in fact, I pray daily for God to help me repent of sinful ways and I need to do my part with my decision making). When I was an older adolesent I realized that I was drinking alcohol irresponsibly and hanging around partying fighting guys. I was spiritual convicted around this time to mature in Christ, mature as a man, and prepare for a career after college. So, I cleaned up my life, so to speak, by not hanging around certain people who were not a good influence in my life, by stopping the social drinking routine, by living a more God-honoring life, and becoming a leader at church in the youth ministry. I became more focused on eternally significant living and God helped me through this and I found myself more consistently in the will of God where there was more peace, joy, and fruitfulness and fulfillment as a Christ-follower.

Later in my twenties, I did backslide some morally and I reached a point when I was very spiritually convicted again and this time I clearly sensed God was calling me to leave my career to become a pastor and so I more fully surrender my life to Christ in my day to day decision making and behavior.

Growing up over the years, I have had many moments of crying out to God to help me repent on wrongful things like an addiction to smokeless tobacco and lust. I needed God’s help to turn away from junk music lyrics and media content that was contaminating my soul. I’ve need mature Christian accountability in my life to help me stay on the right path that pleases God.  

Turning my will over to Christ daily requires my ongoing commitment to Him and His ways. It’s not just the bad I need to say no to, it’s the good (in Christ) I need to say yes to. I need to cultivate a spiritual intimacy with Christ through prayer and Bible learning. I need to live according to God’s Word for his people today and that include doing some life with fellow Christ-followers.

Do you need to repent of rejecting or ignoring Christ as your Savior and Lord? If so, mikesmorals.blogspot.com/2013/09/great-news-gods-plan-for-true-life.html

If you are a redeemed Christ-follower, is there something you need to repent of in your life? Something that is a sin foothold or sin habit that you need deliverance from, freedom from, and victory over?

There is hope in Jesus Christ, for help, for holistic healing, for living the true abundant life in Christ God wants you and I to live.

Let’s live the turned life for the glory of God.

What do you think about what I’ve written here about living the turned life in Christ?

Mike