Repentance isn't the most popular of messages the Church likes to hear. Some who hear the message on repentance think that the preacher is getting at them and some leave the service feeling condemned. I don't believe true Biblical repentance should have this effect. Jesus said in John 3 V 17 that He didn't come to condemn the world but to save it. Jesus' ministry did not bring condemnation and yet Jesus preached repentance. We see this in John chapter 8. A woman was caught in the act of adultery. The Scribes and Pharisees brought her to Jesus to see if Jesus would subscribe to the idea of stoning her. Jesus said to the Scribes & Pharisees, that whoever among them was without sin, he should throw the first stone. They were convicted and left. Notice, Jesus did not condemn them, but He did convict them. Jesus was without sin yet He did not throw any stones at this woman. Jesus said to the woman in verse 10 that He did not condemn her but He told her to repent ("Go and sin no more"). Jesus ministry brought conviction (verse 9) and not condemnation (verse 11). Jesus' ministry brought the message of repentance (verse 11). The message that Jesus brought was liberating. He came to preach deliverance to the captives and proclaim liberty, and repentance was part of His message. Repentance is not condemnation. If what is being presented as repentance brings condemnation, then it is not Biblical Repentance.
Some have the idea that as Christians we are not under law but under grace and therefore repentance is legalistic. Paul says that we don not make void the Law, but rather we establish the Law. As believers under the New Covenant the Law isn't written on tables of stone, but it is inscribed on the believer's heart and it is interpreted as love. Love for God and love. for our neighbour. If I love God, then I won't steal, if I love God I won't covet and if I love God and my neighbour then I won't commit murder, adultery etc. Repentance is not Legalism. But as human beings we do sin from time to time and so we need to repent. Repentance is very relevant to the Christian Walk.In our study we will se what repentance is and what repentance is not. We will then conclude by looking at repentance at a practical level.
What is repentance?
In the Greek language the verb to repent means "to change one's mind".In the Hebrew language it means "to turn, to return, to turn back".
If we combine these two meanings of repentance we see that repentance is an inner change of mind that corresponds with action (the action being a turn around to face and move in a new direction). From this we can conclude that repentance is not an emotion, but an act of the will. The mind makes the decision and the body carries it out. In the story of the Prodigal Son we see the act of repentance. The younger son asked his father for his share of the inheritance. Upon receiving it he went to the big city where he squandered it in a life of sin and riotous living. But when the money ran out and his so-called friends left him, he became hungry and lonely. It was in this condition that he made a decision. He said "I will arise and go to my father". The next verse says: "And he arose and came to his father". He made a decision. There was a change of ,mind and he acted out that decision. He repented.Jesus told a story of a man who said to his two sons to go and work in his vineyard. The first son said that he would go, but he did not. The second son said he wouldn't go, but then later changed his mind and went. He repented. The Bible says "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he". What goes on inwardly manifests itself outwardly.
The Bible has a lot to say about repentance.This was the message that John the Baptist preached. Jesus said:"Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand". In Mark Ch 6 V 12 when Jesus sent out the twelve disciples, we find that they preached repentance. After His resurrection and prior to His ascension, He said to His disciples that "repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name among all nations beginning at Jerusalem" (Luke 24 v 47). Jesus began His ministry with the message of repentance and He re-iterated it again before He ascended.
The Early Church preached RepentanceOn the Day of Pentecost after Peter preached, the crowd asked him:"What shall we do". His reponse:"Repent and be baptised everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins."
The Apostle Paul, in Acts Chapter 20 said to the elders at the Church at Ephesus as he related to them the message of the gospel; "that he had kept back nothing that was profitable but proclaimed it and taught them publicly from house to house, testifying to Jews and also to Greeks, repentance towards God and faith towards the Lord Jesus Christ.God commands Repentance
Acts 17 V 20: "God commandeth all men everywhere to repent". WHY? Verse 21 "Because He hath appointed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness".John the Baptist preached repentance.
Jesus preached repentance.The Twelve Disciples on their first missionary venture preached repentance.
The Early Church preached repentance.God commands repentance.
We have looked at what repentance is. Now let us look at what repentance is not.Repentance is not confessing sin.
It is related to confessing sin.Repentance is not an emotion.
Simply saying sorry, shedding a few tears and asking God for forgiveness is not repentance. There is a place for emotion in confessing our sins. David said: "I will be sorry for my sin". Paul said that "Godly sorrow worketh repentance". There is a place for being sorry for our sin, but this in itself is not repentance. Repentance is changing your mind, changing direction and abandoning sin.Let's look at Hebrews 12 V 16-17
"Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau , who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. (V 17) For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears".Esau was committing sin, he was leading a sinful lifestyle. In Genesis we read that Esau, home from a hunting trip, feeling tired and hungry, sold his birthright to his brother Jacob. By doing this he despised all the promises and blessings of God that were associated with the birthright. He later regretted what he had done. He tried to get the birthright back, but couldn't "though he sought it carefully with tears". He found no place of repentance. The Greek says "he found no place to change his mind". Although this passage relates the incident over the birthright, it also gives us insight into the personality of Esau. He was a fornicator and he was profane. He did not want to change his ways. He didn't want to give this lifestyle up. He found no way to change his mind. He didn't want to change his lifestyle. There was no repentance. He "found no place to change his mind".
Many Christians are sorry when they commit sin, but never truly repent and so they lead frustrated and dissatisfied lives.Let's look at repentance on a practical level
In Psalm 38, David tells us his experience of having unconfessed sin. He says:"My iniquities are gone over my head, as a heavy burden they are too heavy for me". He goes on to say:"I am troubled, I am bowed down greatly, I go mourning all the day long". In Psalm 51 we get another insight into how he as feeling. This Psalm reflects how David felt after he had committed adultery with Bathsheba. He said:"Cast me not away from thy presence Lord. Take not thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of mw salvation". The New Testament tells us that there is "no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus". Yet David felt a weight upon him that was pressinh him down. He was troubled and his mind was not at peace. "Cast me not away from your presence Lord". God seemed distant to him. He couldn't sense God's presence. "Restore unto me the joy of my salvation". He lost his joy, and the joy of the Lord is our strength. He was weak spiritually.David was feeling:
IsolatedLonely
VulnerableWeak
Condemned and full of guiltWhy?
Unconfessed sin."There is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit". There are Christians who feel condemned. Why? They are in Christ Jesus and "there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus". The reason they feel condemned is that they are walking according to the dictates of the flesh and not according to the leading of the Holy Spirit. When we yield to the flesh we usually end up committing sin. Remember "in our flesh dwelleth no good thing".
We can confess our sins, shed tears, express how sorry we are and end up doing the same thing again. We find ourselves going around in circles. It's a vicious cycle. Why? Because we fail to repent. Repentance means "to change one's mind".If we begin to think about the effects that sin has upon us; the guilt, condemnation, weakness and isolation, we would think twice about committing it. If our minds were changed, it would effect our actions. As Solomon said:"As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he".
Romans 8 V 1 & 2:"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. (V 2) For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death".Usually we know when we are about to say or do something that is wrong, but at times we yield to the flesh and say it or do it.
Acts 8 V 18-22:"And when Simon saw that through the Apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money, (V19) Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost. (V 20) But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thoughtthat the gift of God may be purchased with money. (V 21)Thou hast neither part nor lot in the matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God. (V 22) Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God , if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee.Simon needed to repent. He thought the gift of God could be purchased with money. Peter said to simon:"Thou hast thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money". In otherwords Simon, change your way of thinking. Don't entertain such a thought, get that notion out of your head. Change your mind. REPENT!
Acts 17 V 29-30:"Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device. (V 30) And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent.
The men of Athens were idol worshippers. Idolatry was part of their culture. They thought that the Godhead was an idol made by human hands. Paul said to them: "We ought not to think that the is like unto gold, or silver..........." In otherwords Men of Athens, don't think such a thing, get that notion out of your heads, change your minds and thinking. Repent!We need to change our minds (Our thinking). We need to repent.
When we are tempted , let's look for the way of escape. The way of escape may be turning off the television when something indecent or inappropriate for a Christian to watch, come on. The way of escape may be breaking a particular relationship or asscociation. The way of escape may be simply keeping our mouths shut.Daniel gave this counsel to King Nebucadnezzar: "Break off thy sins by righteousness". (Daniel 4 V 27)
Proverbs 28 V 13:"He that covereth his sins shall not prosper, but whoso confesseth them and forsaketh them shall have mercy". In otherwords abandons them and leaves them behind."Faith without works is dead" "Actions speak louder than words"
It's easy to say sorry. It's harder to make a break from committing sin, but we can do it by a decision of ouw will and by the power of God. "The aw of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death".John the Baptist demanded "fruits meet for repentance". He was looking for evidence of a changed life.
What do you need to repent of?What is God saying to you? I know he points out areas in my own life that need to be changed. What's He saying to you? We all need to repent. I believe also we as Christians need to have a repentant heart. A heart that is quick to respond to the conviction of the Holy Spirit. We need to keep short accounts with God. Repentance needs to be part of our Christian walk. God will help us because it is His will.
