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Corporate Repentance - Robert J. Wieland

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displace personal, individual repentance. Rather, it<br />

makes it effective. The daily ministry in the first<br />

apartment of the Levitical sanctuary took care of<br />

individuals' needs, but the annual Day of<br />

Atonement was concerned for a corporate<br />

cleansing for Israel as a congregation. All<br />

repentance is personal and individual. But no<br />

individual can ever be the "bride" of Christ, for as<br />

individuals God's people are all merely "guests" at<br />

the wedding. The corporate body of the last-day<br />

overcoming church will be the bride.<br />

Something has delayed her getting "ready." It is<br />

a deeper layer of sin which, He says, "you … do<br />

not know" (Revelation 3:17). It makes sense to<br />

realize that the repentance which that deeper sin<br />

requires must itself also go deeper. However<br />

disturbing, the Lord's call must be faced honestly.<br />

<strong>Repentance</strong> is indeed both sorrow for sin and<br />

turning away from it. But repentance can be only<br />

superficial if our understanding of the sin itself is<br />

superficial. While we readily quote the text that<br />

says, "If we confess our sins, He [Christ] is faithful<br />

70

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