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Martin Luther began his famed Ninety-Five Theses with this statement: "... the entire life of believers [is] to be one of repentance" (Luther's Works, Vol. 31, p. 25).
Luther also makes clear why we need daily repentance, for we never escape sin on this side of the Christ's second coming: "The original sin in a man is like his beard, which though shaved off today so that a man is very smooth around his mouth, yet grows again by tomorrow morning" (Tischreden, No. 138).
We need this reminder of the need to repent daily because, as a German proverb Luther quotes makes clear, we prefer to deny our sin: "All men are pleased with what they do. A world of fools I'm telling you" (Weimar Ausgabe, Vol. 48, p. 10).
Of course, repentance is not something we must do on our own. John Calvin reminds us that the love of God comes to us, and like a fiery flame, sets us on fire to repent (Calvin's Commentaries, Vol. V/1, p. 302)!
Luther also makes clear why we need daily repentance, for we never escape sin on this side of the Christ's second coming: "The original sin in a man is like his beard, which though shaved off today so that a man is very smooth around his mouth, yet grows again by tomorrow morning" (Tischreden, No. 138).
We need this reminder of the need to repent daily because, as a German proverb Luther quotes makes clear, we prefer to deny our sin: "All men are pleased with what they do. A world of fools I'm telling you" (Weimar Ausgabe, Vol. 48, p. 10).
Of course, repentance is not something we must do on our own. John Calvin reminds us that the love of God comes to us, and like a fiery flame, sets us on fire to repent (Calvin's Commentaries, Vol. V/1, p. 302)!
