Repent and turn to God by doing works that befit repentance.—Acts 26:20.
A disfellowshipped person is not automatically accepted back into the congregation after a certain amount of time has passed. Before he can be reinstated, his heart condition must undergo a great change. He must come to realize the gravity of his sin and the reproach he brought upon Jehovah and the congregation. The sinner must repent, pray earnestly for forgiveness, and conform to God’s righteous requirements. He should be able to give evidence that he has repented and is producing “works that befit repentance.” Why even confess wrongdoing? Some who have sinned might reason: ‘If I tell anyone about my sin, I may have to answer embarrassing questions and may be disfellowshipped. But if I keep quiet, nobody in the congregation will ever know.’ Such thinking fails to take into account the fact that Jehovah is aware of it, and he does not merely ignore wrongdoing.—Prov. 15:3. w06 11/15 2:9-11
