True Repentance - Part 3

The purpose of the Church.

People have all kinds of ideas about churches and why they should exist. If we were to survey people in churches and ask them, "What is the main purpose of the church, or why does the church exist?" we will get a number of answers. People start churches for all kinds of reasons that miss the biblical point.

Many would suggest, for example, that the purpose of the church is fellowship. It's a place to make friends, to provide activity for the family, to enjoy friendships, to enjoy spiritual activities together, recreation, cultivate relationships, to work together in families, and raising children, etc. And sort of hang out together until death or the rapture.

Characteristics of true repentance.

True repentance is a gift of God. Acts 5:31.

Repentance follows Godly sorrow. 2 Corinthians 7:9-10.

Humility accompanies true repentance. Job 42:1-6.

A hatred of sin accompanies true repentance. Ezekiel 36:26-31.

Characteristics of true repentance.

Shame accompanies true repentance. Jeremiah 31:19.

True repentance necessitates a verbal confession. Hosea 14:1-2.

True repentance leads to action. Acts 26:20

A Clear Understanding of the Gospel is needed for repentance.

1.True repentance is a gift of God.

2 Timothy 2:24-26.

And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.

2. Repentance follows Godly sorrow.

2 Corinthians 7:9-10.

Yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance.

For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us.

Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.

3. Humility is the foundation of repentance.

James 4:8-10.

Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 

Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

4. A hatred of sin accompanies true repentance.

Ezekiel 36:26-32.

I will call for the grain and make it plentiful and will not bring famine upon you. I will increase the fruit of the trees and the crops of the field, so that you will no longer suffer disgrace among the nations because of famine.  

Then you will remember your evil ways and wicked deeds, and you will loathe yourselves for your sins and detestable practices.  

I want you to know that I am not doing this for your sake, declares the Sovereign Lord. Be ashamed and disgraced for your conduct, people of Israel!

5. Shame accompanies true repentance.

Jeremiah 31:19.

After I strayed, I repented; after I came to understand,  I beat my breast. I was ashamed and humiliated because I bore the disgrace of my youth.

6. True repentance necessitates a verbal confession.

Hosea 14:1-2.

Return, Israel, to the Lord your God. Your sins have been your downfall! Take words with you and return to the Lord. Say to him: Forgive all our sins and receive us graciously, that we may offer the fruit of our lips.

Proverbs 28:13.

He who covers his sins will not prosper, But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.

7. True repentance is demonstrated by action.

Jonah 3:5-10. So the people of Nineveh believed God, proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them. 

Then word came to the king of Nineveh; and he arose from his throne and laid aside his robe, covered himself with sackcloth and sat in ashes. And he caused it to be proclaimed and published throughout Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying.

7. True repentance is demonstrated by action.

Jonah 3:5-10.

Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything; do not let them eat, or drink water. But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily to God; yes, let every one turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. 

Who can tell if God will turn and relent, and turn away from His fierce anger, so that we may not perish? Then God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God relented from the disaster that He had said He would bring upon them, and He did not do it.

Repentance is not goose-bumps or an apology.

  Repentance “Metanoia” GK means “A change of mind”

But Scripture also tells us that true repentance will result in a change of actions. 

If you repent, a transformation takes place which results in

Knowing God’s will

Walking in God’s will

Works are evidence of repentance.

Acts 26:20.

First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and then to the Gentiles, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and demonstrate their repentance by their deeds.

True repentance leads to action.

  Luke 3:8-14.

Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, We have Abraham as our father. 

For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. 

The axe is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

What should we do then? the crowd asked.

True repentance leads to action.

  Luke 3:8-14.

John answered, Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.

Even tax collectors came to be baptized. Teacher, they asked, what should we do? Don’t collect any more than you are required to, he told them. Then some soldiers asked him, And what should we do? He replied, Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely, be content with your pay.

Salvation must change our thoughts and our actions.

Some changes take place over a period of time as our minds need to be transformed.

Romans 12:2.

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is, his good, pleasing and perfect will.

However there should be a drastic change at conversion as we see with Zacchaeus.

1 John 3:14.

 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death. 

Salvation changes the things you do.

Luke 19:8-9.

But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount. Jesus said to him, Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham.

Salvation changes the things you do.

Luke 19:8-9.

But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, Look, Lord!

Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount. 

Jesus said to him, Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham.

Works are evidence that we know God.

Titus 1:16.

They profess that they know God, but in works they deny him……

1 John 2:3,4.

We know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commands. Whoever says I know him but does not do what he commands is a liar and the truth is not in that person.

Salvation is not attained by works.

Titus 3:5.

He saved us not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.

He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.

Salvation is not attained by works.

Ephesians 2:8-10.

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-not by works, so that no one can boast.

For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

We don’t do good deeds to get saved, we do them because we are saved.

We must never lose sight of the fact that works or good deeds cannot save us, we must know Jesus.

Matthew 7 v21.

Not everyone who says to me Lord, Lord will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in Heaven.

Many will say to me on that day, Lord. Lord did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles? Then I will tell them plainly, I never knew you away from me, you evildoers.

Good works are evidence that we are born again.

1 John 2:3-6.

We know that we have come to know him, if we obey his commands.

The man who says I know him, but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him.....

This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.

Works to gain righteousness are “Dead Works” or Religion.

But if we are righteous it will be manifested or evidenced by “Good Works”.

Works are an indication of our relationship with God.

The letters to the seven Churches in Revelation have a common opening address in each one.

Church in Ephesus Rev 2:2. I know your works.

Church in Smyrna Rev 2:9. I know your works.

Church in Pergamum Rev 2:13. I know your works.

Church in Thyatira Rev 2:19. I know your works.

Church in Sardis Rev 3:1. I know your works.

Church in Philadelphia Rev 3:8. I know your works.

Church in Laodicea Rev 3:15. I know your works.

How can we say works are not important?

8. A Clear Understanding of the Gospel is needed.

Repentance without a clear understanding of Gospel truth is nothing more than temporary sadness over the pain that sin has caused you and perhaps others, it is remorse or regret or even self-pity.

The Gospel is not that someone died for your sins, but that God in the person of Jesus died for your sins.

The Gospel is not just about the cross where Jesus died, but about the cross where you die.

The modern day Gospel has been changed, those who respond to it are not converts to the Gospel of self denial that Jesus preached.

The Gospel of True repentance is not popular.

2 Timothy 4:3.

For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. 

Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.

A “Counterfeit Gospel”.

Galatians 3:6-10.

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ.

But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse! 

The counterfeit gospel is self centred.

In many countries today Christianity is not the popular religion of choice as it is in much of the West.

Here a much higher price is paid to be a follower of Christ, although that term can scarcely be applied to the hundreds of thousands in western countries who call themselves Christians, yet do not pray except in personal difficulty, or when wanting some new additional blessing, whose church attendance is based on the weather outside or whether someone has not offended them with some triviality, or if they feel like it etc.

They do not tithe and the money they do give is given begrudgingly with the expectation of great reward. Very far removed from those who say like Job

“Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him”

Iran

The Apostles paid a high price as did many of their followers, for following Jesus.

“Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him” (Job)

Rather than the above statement, the average modern day Christian says bless me and I will trust You, prosper me and I will trust you, don’t let me get sick, don’t let anything bad happen to me or my children, be the genie in the lamp to do my bidding and I will trust You.

Compare the Modern-day Apostles with Jesus Apostles.

1 Corinthians 4:9-13. For I think that God has displayed us, the apostles, last, as men condemned to death; for we have been made a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men. 

We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are distinguished, but we are dishonoured! 

Compare the Modern-day Apostles with Jesus Apostles.

1 Corinthians 4:9-13.

To the present hour we both hunger and thirst, and we are poorly clothed, and beaten, and homeless. And we labour, working with our own hands. Being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure; being defamed, we entreat. We have been made as the filth of the world, the offscouring of all things until now.

Compare the Modern-day Apostles with Jesus Apostles..

Acts 5:40-41. And when they had called for the apostles and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. 

So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name.

(C.T.) Studd.

Charles Thomas (C.T.) Studd 1860-1931 English missionary to China, India, and Africa.

Quotes:

Some want to live within the sound of church or chapel bell; I want to run a rescue shop within a yard of hell.

Compare the Modern-day preachers with well known missionaries who impacted the world.

(C.T.) Studd.

Quotes:

If Jesus Christ is God and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for Him.

When his critics told him to go home, that he had done enough, he replied, "God has called me to go, and I will go. I will blaze the trail though my grave may only become a stepping stone that younger men may follow."

(C.T.) Studd.

Hedonism is the problem with the West.

2 Timothy 3:3-5.

But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.

i.e. worship of pleasure. Today’s society is filled with pleasure seekers and comfort seekers but very few God seekers.

What’s wrong with the modern day gospel?

Keith Green the singer, listed some of the subtractions to the modern-day gospel in a booklet “What’s wrong with the gospel”

The blood of Jesus is not preached.

A bloodless gospel is now preached, one that has been adapted to reach the masses. The whole concept of Jesus being the Passover Lamb has been lost, it takes too much time and thought to expound these foundation Biblical truths, in fact the Old Testament is relegated to a position of an optional extra for those interested in history.

What’s wrong with the modern day gospel?

The cross that Christians are to take up is not preached. You cannot have more exact opposites than the Bible’s “Christ-centred Gospel” and the modern day me-centred gospel”

AW Towzer.

Jesus said that “if any man will come after me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me.

So the cross not only brought Christ’s life to an end, it also ends the first life, the old life of every one of his true followers, this and nothing less is true Christianity. There’s only one of two things we can do about the cross, flee it or die upon it.

The threat of hell and the guilt of sinners are not preached.

Very few preach about hell anymore, it is no longer in vogue. We shouldn’t scare poor sinners. They’re just unfortunate misguided souls, right? Wrong!

The Bible clearly shows that they are rebels who have robbed and dishonoured the living God and infinitely offended Him and have no right to look at themselves in any other light.

What right do we have to remove things from the Gospel presentation that Jesus Christ Himself gave great place to in His own preaching?

The Law of God is not preached to convict one of sin.

When the rich young ruler came to Jesus, he asked him a very direct question: Good Master, what must I do to inherit eternal life?

Can you imagine what our preachers would answer him today?

Just admit you are a sinner, say this short prayer and accept Jesus as your personal saviour and go to church and pay your tithes and try to be good and you’re in.

But Jesus answered “You know the commandments” Matthew 19:17

Why the commandments, aren’t we living in the age of grace?

Why the commandments, aren’t we living in the age of grace?

Jesus was using the commandments to convict this man of his sin of greed and did not tell him to tithe but to sell everything and give it to the poor. The commandments must be preached not as the way of Salvation, but as a searchlight put on the sinners heart so that he can see how utterly rotten he is Galatians 3:24.

Romans 7:7.

For I would have not come to know sin except through the Law.

The fear of God and Judgement seat of Christ is not preached.

Instead of the awesome majesty of Jehovah, today the Lord is portrayed as a sort of ice cream man or Santa Claus and the church is the candy store where you can get every goodie your heart desires. Jesus himself is portrayed as a sweetie pie, so good, so gentle and loving, but what happened to “It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the Living God?”

Fear of God.

Psalm 2:11.

Serve the Lord with fear and celebrate his rule with trembling.

The Fear of God (Old Testament).

Deuteronomy 32:32-43.

There is no god besides me. I put to death and I bring to life, I have wounded and I will heal, and no one can deliver out of my hand. I lift my hand to heaven and solemnly swear:

As surely as I live forever, when I sharpen my flashing sword and my hand grasps it in judgment, I will take vengeance on my adversaries and repay those who hate me. I will make my arrows drunk with blood, while my sword devours flesh: the blood of the slain and the captives, the heads of the enemy leaders. 

Rejoice, you nations, with his people, for he will avenge the blood of his servants; he will take vengeance on his enemies and make atonement for his land and people.

The Fear of God (New Testament).

Hebrews 10:24-31.

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left,  but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.

The Fear of God (New Testament).

Hebrews 10:24-31.

Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.

How much more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified them, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? 

For we know him who said, It is mine to avenge; I will repay, and again, The Lord will judge his people. It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

The Fear of God will keep us from fearing man.

Matthew 10:28.

Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

Hebrews 13:6.

So, we say with confidence, The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?

The Fear of the Lord.

Acts 10:1-2.

At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly.

Acts 10:33-35.

So, I sent for you immediately, and it was good of you to come. Now we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us.

Then Peter began to speak, I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right.

The Fear of the Lord is a choice.

Proverbs 1:28-31.

Then they will call to me, but I will not answer; they will look for me but will not find me, since they hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the Lord.

Since they would not accept my advice and spurned my rebuke, they will eat the fruit of their ways and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.

Repentance necessary for forgiveness is not preached.

The teachings of Jesus and the Apostles are full of commands to “Repent and be saved”. Repentance is not just being sorry and it is not merely a change of heart and a change of mind, it is a change of action.

Because there is so little conviction of sin brought about by the preaching of the modern gospel, we can’t truly require repentance anymore, if we did no one would come forward at all.

For repentance is easy for him who sees how ugly and horrible sin is, but it is impossible where the Law does not convince the sinner of his wicked heart, compelling him to turn from his sins into the arms of a waiting compassionate God.

God’s sorrow and broken heart over sin is not preached.

The picture of God presented today by Evangelists is that of an optimist, a positive thinking good ole boy who lives in Heaven high above all the trouble on Earth.

But the Bible paints a very different picture of God, with Jesus weeping over Jerusalem, or the pleading of God through the Prophets.

God’s sorrow and broken heart over sin is not preached.

Proverbs 15:3. The eyes of the Lord are in every place watching the evil and the good.

That means God saw every rape committed today, he saw every murder, every person who starved to death, every abused and battered child. How can we believe that he sees all of this and does not grieve. But the church does not want a God that is grieved with sin because then he would be grieved with them.

The necessity of holiness to please God is not preached.

Hebrews 12:4. says “without holiness no one shall see the Lord.”

But a stranger than truth doctrine has been invented as a blessed refuge for the back slider called “The carnal Christian”

In this crazy doctrine we are led to believe that any believer who isn’t really walking with the Lord and is indulging in the things of the world and the lusts of the flesh can still be considered a Christian, but not a 1st class Christian only a 2nd class Christian, “a Carnal Christian”

Today, possibly the greatest insult to the Gospel has been the almost total neglect of the preaching of holiness for the Christian. Jesus does not want to make believe that we are holy, he wants to impart his holiness to us by the Holy Spirit.

Repentance must be a way of Life.

Acts 8:9-24.

Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria.

He boasted that he was someone great, and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, This man is rightly called the Great Power of God. 

They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his sorcery. But when they believed Philip as he proclaimed the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. 

Repentance must be a way of Life.

Acts 8:9-24.

Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw.

When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to Samaria.

Repentance must be a way of Life.

Acts 8:9-24.

When they arrived, they prayed for the new believers there that they might receive the Holy Spirit, because the Holy Spirit had not yet come on any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

Repentance must be a way of Life.

Acts 8:9-23.

When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money and said, Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit. 

Repentance must be a way of Life.

Acts 8:9-23.

Peter answered: May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. 

Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord in the hope that he may forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. 

For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin. Then Simon answered, Pray to the Lord for me so that nothing you have said may happen to me.

Quotes from John Hagee.

Counterfeit Christians want to feel good without being good.

They want change, but they don’t want the conflict.

They want success but without struggle.

They want ritual not righteousness.

They want the crown without the cross.

They want Sunday morning to be a spiritual happy pill that will send them out the door singing about a heaven that they are never going to see.

Have you accepted God’s offer of Repentance?

David’s Resolve.

Psalm 51:7-12.

I will teach .......

Then I will teach transgressors Your ways.

I Will Sing .......

My tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness.

I Will Praise .....

My mouth shall show forth Your praise.

I Surrender ......

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart--