Many good and sincere people want to return to their First Love, but they haven’t been able to because of the repentance barrier, which requires an act of sacrifice. They are often deceived by a feeling of remorse. However, repentance involves acts of faith that have nothing to do with feelings of remorse. Remorse howls of pain, but does not abandon sin.
Sometimes the heart pretends and deceives. It causes its victim to think they’ve repented because of the sadness they for the sin committed. At that moment, he cries, swears and promises never to do it again. Pure deception. The next day, there he is again, enjoying the taste of sin.
Truth is, if you depend on a feeling to repent, there will never be repentance and forgiveness and salvation.
When the Lord says:
Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place – unless you repent. Revelation 2.5
He teaches that repentance must be accompanied by the first works. This requires the sacrifice of abandoning sin.