Repentance Series

What is Repentance for you? let them answer.

Before we can understand true repentance, we need to understand, what repentance IS NOT.

REPENTANCE IS NOT:

1. Just feeling guilty - Guilt comes before repentance, but guilt is not repentance itself. No one repents unless they first feel guilty about their sin, but not all who feel guilty actually repent. (Acts 24:24-25)

2. Just being sorry for your sins - some people are very sorry for the consequences of their sins but not sorry for THE SIN, but for the penalty they receive for being caught. (2 Corinthians 7:10)

3. Trying to be a good person - many people try in their own strength to become a better person and change their way of life. Any self-effort has a root of self-righteousness in it, which does not acknowledge the need for repentance from sin. (Isaiah 64:6)

4. Becoming religious - the Pharisees were extremely religious. They fasted and prayed and had many religious ceremonies, yet never repented. (Matthew 3:7-10, 5:20)

5. Just knowing the truth - having an intellectual head knowledge of truth does not guarantee that the truth has become a living reality in one’s life. (James 2:19; Matt 3:8)

WHAT REPENTANCE IS:

Repentance is a change of mind, feeling, purpose, and conduct.

1. Repentance is a change of MIND. – an intellectual experience.
   
   The Greek word “metonia” means “after-thought”. True repentance involves a mental shift that the sinner adopts an altogether new attitude toward God, the Lord Jesus Christ, sin, and himself.– Matthew 21:28-29
   
   

2. Repentance is a change of FEELING. – an emotional experience.
   
   After his conversion, Saul of Tarsus was overwhelmed with a sense of remorse when he thought of the way he had treated the Lord Jesus – compare Psalm 38:18.
   
   

   • The Publican expressed deep emotion when in penitence and confession he “beat his breast” (Luke 18:13)

   • The Prodigal when he returned and said: “Father, I am no longer worthy…” (Luke 15:21).

3. Repentance is a change of PURPOSE. – a voluntary (choice-based, freewill) experience.
   
   The will is involved. The Prodigal said, “I will set out…” (Luke 15:18) – “…so he got up” (Luke 15:20). See what Jesus said to the man in John 5:6, and compare Psalm 119:59; Isaiah 55:7 and Ezekiel 18:30.
   
   

4. Repentance is a change of CONDUCT. – a moral experience.
   
   This is illustrated in the conversion of Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10); Saul of Tarsus (Acts 9:1-6), and the jailer (Acts 16:30-34).
   
   
   Repentance is NOT ONE of these, but ALL of them together.
   
   Repentance is to leave the sins I loved before And show that I in earnest grieve by doing so no more.
   
   
   

WHEN IS THE TIME TO REPENT?

NOW is the TIME – Acts 17:30-31, 2 Peter 3:9 –

Remember: God can only forgive you for the things you have asked for. He does not want anyone to perish, so he gives more time for everyone to repent.

1. Which sins do you still need God to forgive you for?

The Bible is full of this subject, and the word is used over 58 times in the New Testament alone.

WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT FOR US?

• It is the FIRST STEP we take in receiving the salvation that comes through Jesus Christ. (Luke 13:3, 2 Peter 3:9)

• It is the GATEWAY to all the blessings God has prepared for us. (Acts 3:19)

• It CAUSES GREAT JOY in heaven (Luke 15:7)

Did Jesus stress the importance of repentance? Yes

“I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance” (Luke 5:32).

Jesus taught that our most important priority should be to enter the Kingdom of God (Matthew 6:33). From the beginning of His public ministry He stressed that repentance is an integral part of reaching that goal.

1. Our Lord’s first word was “Repent…” - Matthew 4:17, Luke 13:3.

2. John the Baptist began his ministry with a call to repentance (Matthew 3:2);

3. Prophet Jeremiah preach about repentance - Jeremiah 25:4-

4. The Apostles were commanded to preach repentance (Mark 6:12 and Luke 24:47)

   • Peter preached repentance (Acts 2:37-38);

   • Paul preached repentance (Acts 17:30-31);

5. There is joy in Heaven over one sinner who repents (Luke 15:10);

Must everyone repent?

“I tell you … unless you repent, you will all … perish” (Luke 13:3; compare Acts 17:30; 2 Peter 3:9).

Eternal life in the Kingdom of God is available only to those who repent of their sins! There are no exceptions, because “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

"Good people don’t go to heaven, forgiven people do.”

Conclusion:

• Do you have hidden sins in need of repentance?

RESULTS OF REPENTANCE

Biblical repentance will show itself in the believer’s life through its RESULTS.

A. Repentance Results in a Real Hatred for Sin - Ezekiel 14:6, Ezekiel 20:43

B. Repentance Results in a Godly Sorrow for Sin - 2 Corinthians 7:9-10, Mat 26:75, Psa 51:3-4, Gal 5:24

C. Repentance Results in Confession of Sin - Proverbs 28:13, Psalm 32:3-4, 1 John 1:9

D. Repentance Results in an Actual Turning from Sin - Pro 28:13, Isaiah 55:7, 1Co 6:18, 1Co 10:14, 2Ti 6:10-11, 2Ti 2:22

E. Repentance Results in a Desire for Righteousness and Holiness - Eph 4:24, Tit 3:8, Hebrews 12:14, Matthew 1:21, Ephesians 1:4, 1 Thessalonians 4:7, 1 Thessalonians 4:3, Titus 2:11-12, (Psa 25:4-5, Psa 73:25

New Desires for the True Repentant:

• a deep desire to be finished with sin, because it is the plague and sorrow of our hearts.

• a deep desire to abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul.

• a desire to fight the good fight of faith.

• a deep desire never to go back to a way of self-will and self-pleasing, but to show forth the praises of Him Who has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light.

• a deep desire to follow the Lord in a path of holiness all the days of our lives.

• a deep desire to please Him in all our ways.

• a deep desire to judge ourselves before Him every day and to live at His feet with broken hearts and contrite spirits.

 Paul gives us the difference between someone who is truly repentant of sin and someone who is just sorry they were caught.

Here are seven signs or fruits of true repentance found in 2 Corinthians 7:11.

• 1. Earnestness. They are aggressively pursuing righteousness. They are sincere about getting free from sin and aren’t justifying or arguing their case any longer. They are genuine and sincere about being more Christ-like.

  2. Transparency. They don’t want to hide their sin but have it removed at all costs. They are an open book about sin and willing to do whatever it takes to ensure it is gone.

  3. Indignation — anger at sin. Their attitude toward sin is one of hate. Sin is wrong because it hurts them, and their relationship with God. They know sin is a real killer, as it killed Jesus on the cross.

  4. They have alarm or fear. Their eyes are open to keep from sinning again. They have set up boundaries and precautions. They have a holy fear of God’s wrath towards sin as well. The good news is Jesus satisfied God’s wrath on the cross and our sins can be forgiven.

  5. Longing or desire to be in perfect relationship with God. They want to have a rich, full, growing relationship with Jesus. They are quick to repent and look more and more like Christ in their character.

  6. Zeal or Passion to serve and live for Him.

  7. Desire to avenge sin. They know they can’t pay for their own sins but they desire to make all wrongs right. These signs, Paul says, lead us to “being innocent in the matter” (end of verse 12). It isn’t pretending the sin never happened but resting in the blood, suffering, and cleansing work of Jesus’ death on the cross. Repentance also means living a life that hates and fights against sin to live zealously and purely for Christ.