Author: Art Davison

SIX SINS AGAINST THE HOLY SPIRIT–MATTHEW 12:31-37–PART 3

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SIX SINS AGAINST THE HOLY SPIRIT
MATTHEW 12:31-37

Key verse: v. 31, “Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.”

PART 3

Introduction:

This is the third message on the subject of sins against the Holy Spirit. To date we have considered 1. Blaspheming the Holy Spirit, 2. Lying to or Tempting the Holy Spirit, 3. Despising the Holy Spirit, 4. Resisting [opposing] or Striving [to fight against] with the Holy Spirit.

In this message we will consider Vexing or Grieving the Holy Spirit and Quenching the Holy Spirit.

V. GRIEVING [to distress mentally] or VEXING [to provoke] THE HOLY SPIRIT

Ephesians 4:30, “And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.”

A. Grieve = to feel grief or great sorrow:

1. The SORROW of the Apostles when the Lord reveal his coming death, Matthew 17:23, “And they shall kill him, and the third day he shall be raised again. And they were exceeding sorry.”

2. The SORROW felt by the rich young ruler upon hearing the conditions of salvation, Matthew 19:22, “But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.”

3. When the Lord Jesus ANNOUNCED that ONE of the disciples WOULD BETRAY Him, Matthew 26:22, “And they were exceeding sorrowful, and began every one of them to say unto him, Lord, is it I?”

4. The Lord in the garden of Gethsemane, Matthew 26:37, “And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy.”

B. Vex = to irritate; annoy; provoke:

1. The grieving of God the Father over the sinfulness of man, Genesis 6:3, 6, “And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years. 6 And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.”

2. The Lord was provoked by the Hebrews in the wilderness yet He did not destroy them, Psalm 95:10, “Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways:”

C. The Holy Spirit is the element IN which the believer is SEALED, His gracious INFLUENCES being the SEAL ITSELF, Ephesians 1:13, “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,”

1. The Believer is protected by the Spirit’s influence even when he grieves the Spirit, John 5:24, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”

2. His influence is a STRONG POSITIVE influence, Ephesians 4:25-26, 29, “Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. 26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: 29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.”

VI. QUENCHING THE HOLY SPIRIT

1 Thessalonians 5:19, “Quench not the Spirit.”

QUENCH = to put out or extinguish (as a fire); the sense is, we are NOT TO EXTINGUISH the INFLUENCES of the Holy Spirit in our hearts.

A. Remember, preacher, to stir up the gift of God, 2 Timothy 1:6, “Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands.”

1. In order to a good minister of Jesus Christ, 1 Timothy 4:6, “If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained.”

2. That he be not negligent in preaching the truth, 2 Peter 1:12, “Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth.”

B. The Believer is to FAITHFULLY “OCCUPY” until the Lord returns, Luke 19:13, “And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.”

1. The word means more than to “possess” but to EMPLOY IN BUSINESS, Romans 12:6-8, “Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; 7 Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; 8 Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.”

2. “Until I come,” in the Greek is: “WHILE I AM COMING,” 2 John 1:8, “LOOK to yourselves, that WE LOSE NOT those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a FULL REWARD.”

a. Holding forth the word of life, Philippians 2:16, “Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.”

b. We are the LIGHT OF THE WORLD, Matthew 5:14, “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”

SIX SINS AGAINST THE HOLY SPIRIT–MATTHEW 12:31-37–PART 2

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SIX SINS AGAINST THE HOLY SPIRIT
MATTHEW 12:31-37
PART 2

Key verse: v. 31, “Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.”

Introduction:

This is the second message on the subject of sins against the Holy Spirit. To date we have considered 1. Blaspheming the Holy Spirit, 2. Lying to or Tempting the Holy Spirit.

Now we will consider “Despising the Holy Spirit,” the THIRD sin, and “Resisting [opposing] or Striving [to fight against] with the Holy Spirit,” the FOURTH sin against the Holy Spirit.

What does it mean to “despise” or regard with contempt the Holy Spirit of God? IT SOUNDS LIKE A TERRIBLE SIN.

What about “Resisting” or “Striving” against the Holy Spirit? HOW BAD IS THAT SIN?

III. DESPISING THE HOLY SPIRIT

Despise = to regard with contempt, distaste, disgust, or disdain; scorn; loathe.

Hebrews 10:29, “Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath ITodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?”

Despite = contemptuous treatment; insult, malice, hatred, or spite.

A. Those who have trodden under foot the Son of God, Deuteronomy 13:6-7, “If thy brother, the son of thy mother, or thy son, or thy daughter, or the wife of thy bosom, or thy friend, which is as thine own soul, entice thee secretly, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which thou hast not known, thou, nor thy fathers; 7 Namely, of the gods of the people which are round about you, nigh unto thee, or far off from thee, from the one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth;”

1. God has revealed His Son to the world, Hebrews 5:5, “So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee.”

2. These have fallen away from the truth, Hebrews 6:6, “If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.”

B. Who have done DESPITE unto the Spirit of grace, Hebrews 6:4, “For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,”

1. A powerful word for INSULTING the Holy Spirit after receiving His blessings, 2 Timothy 3:2, “For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,”

2. They CONSIDERED the blood of Christ as unclean and abominable, AS THE BLOOD OF A VERY WICKED MAN, Isaiah 63:10, “But they rebelled, and vexed his holy Spirit: therefore he was turned to be their enemy, and he fought against them.”

IV. RESISTING [oppose] OR STRIVING {fight against] WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT

Acts 7:51, “Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.”

A. To REIST the Holy Spirit is to WITHSTAND the action or effect of His dealing with the sinner, 2 Timothy 3:8, “Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.”

1. Pharaoh resisted the Spirit of God and hardened his heart toward God, Exodus 8:15, “But when Pharaoh saw that there was respite, he hardened his heart, and hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said.”

2. The Jews were a haughty and obstinate people, Isaiah 48:3-4, “I have declared the former things from the beginning; and they went forth out of my mouth, and I shewed them; I did them suddenly, and they came to pass. 4 Because I knew that thou art obstinate, and thy neck is an iron sinew, and thy brow brass;”

a. They were hard-hearted, “obstinate,” Ezekiel 3:7, “But the house of Israel will not hearken unto thee; for they will not hearken unto me: for all the house of Israel are impudent and hardhearted.”

b. They were inflexible, “thy neck is an iron sinew,” Acts 7:51, “Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.”

c. They were shameless as a harlot, “thy brow brass,” Jeremiah 3:3, “Therefore the showers have been withholden, and there hath been no latter rain; and thou hadst a whore’s forehead, thou refusedst to be ashamed.”

3. Their fathers had made EXTERNAL worship a SUBSTITUTE for SPIRITUAL OBEDIENCE, Mark 7:7, “Howbeit in VAIN do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.”

B. To STRIVE AGAINST the Holy Spirit is to STRUGGLE VIGOROUSLY in OPPOSITION to His will, Isaiah 45:9, “Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands?”

1. He is contrary to the Lord, Isaiah 64:8, “But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.”

2. Man presumes to reply against the Lord, Romans 9:20-21, “Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? 21 Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?”

SIX SINS AGAINST THE HOLY SPIRIT-MATTHEW 12:31-37–LESSON 1

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SIX SINS AGAINST THE HOLY SPIRIT-LESSON 1
MATTHEW 12:31-37

Key verse: v. 31, “Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.”

Introduction:

All SIN IS SERIOUS, and to some degree CHALLENGES and ATTACKS the CHARACTER and AUTHORITY of God. But SIX SINS are specifically IDENTIFIED as sins AGAINST the Holy Spirit. Since the Holy Spirit is a PERSON, He may be sinned against. Since He is ALSO God, it is an EXTREMELY SERIOUS MATTER TO BE GUILTY OF SINNING AGAINST HIM!!!!

“Our Lord now solemnly declares that a blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is THE ONLY UNPARDONABLE SIN; and it is distinctly implied that their accusation, that he cast out demons by the help of BEELZEBUB [SATAN] was a blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, and so was past forgiveness.” —John A. Broadus.

I. BLASPHEMING THE HOLY SPIRIT

A. Blaspheme = in reference to God signifies speaking DISRESPECTFULLY of His NATURE, ATTRIBUTES, and WORKS, Revelation 13:6, “And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.”

1. God’s view of sin, v. 31; Hebrews 2:2, “For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward;”
a. The Lord will reason with the sinner, Isaiah 1:18, “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”

b. If the sinner will forsake his sin and trust the Lord, Isaiah 55:7, “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.”

c. God has no pleasure in the death of the sinner, Ezekiel 33:11, “Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?”

2. The Lord is merciful to the sinner, Psalms 41:4, “I said, LORD, be merciful unto me: heal my soul; for I have sinned against thee.”

B. Blaspheming the Spirit is extremely serious:

1. There is NO FORGIVENESS for this sin, Luke 12:10, “And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven.”

a. Speaking against the Son of God would n be forgiven, Luke 23:34, “Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.”

b. Paul had tried the Lord’s patience, but was forgiven, 1 Timothy 1:13, “Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.”

2. The sin of REVILING [to assail with contemptuous or outrageously disgraceful or shameful language] the Spirit of God, and imputing his work to BEELZEBUB [SATAN], is a very great one, Matthew 12:24, 32, “But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils. 32 And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.”

Note: The name given to Satan, and found only in the New Testament, Matthew 10:25 12:24, 27; Mark 3:22. It is probably the same as BAALZEBUB, the god of Ekron, meaning “THE LORD OF FLIES,” or, as others think, “THE LORD OF DUNG,” or “THE DUNG-GOD.

II. LYING TO OR TEMPTING THE HOLY SPIRIT

A. Christians lying to the Lord,

1. Ananias and his wife, MEMBERS of the CHURCH at Jerusalem, LIED TO the Lord about the price of the land they sold, Acts 5:3, “But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?”

2. Peter confronted Ananias’ wife, Sapphira, and asked WHY they had TEMPTED the Holy Spirit, Acts 5:9, “Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out.”

B. Some folks tempt the Spirit of God by their wicked words and actions, Isaiah 5:18, “Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope: 19 That say, Let him make speed, and hasten his work, that we may see it: and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw nigh and come, that we may know it!”

1. David REMEMBERED the HISTORY of Israel, Psalms 95:9, “When your fathers TEMPTED ME, proved me, and saw my work.”

2. Many think they will ESCAPE PUNISHMENT for their trying of God’s patience, but they are MISTAKEN as were the Hebrews, Numbers 14:22-23, “Because all those men which have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice; 23 Surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked me see it:”

LESSON 2 TO FOLLOW:

ENTER INTO LIFE–MATTHEW 7:13-14

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ENTER INTO LIFE
MATTHEW 7:13-14

“Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”

Introduction:

This is the conclusion of the Lord’s Sermon on the Mount. The Lord admonished man to seek the Lord for salvation and of regulating his conduct.

Our Lord declares “that the way pointed out by him is indeed one hard to find and follow, and that there is great danger of being deceived by false guides, and of self-deception; yet he does not present these facts as an excuse for shrinking back, nor even say that in spite of these things we must make the effort, but urges the very difficulties as a reason for going forward.” —John A. Broadus.

I. AT THE STRAIT GATE

A. The way is narrow:

1. Your righteousness MUST EXCEED the righteousness of the Pharisees in order to enter the narrow gate, Matthew 5:20, “For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.”

2. You must be CONVERTED in order to enter in at the Strait Gate, Matthew 18:3 “And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.”

3. The RICH man finds it ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE to ENTER at the Strait Gate, Matthew 19:23, “Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a RICH man shall HARDLY [with difficulty] ENTER into the kingdom of heaven.”

a. The ENTRY is NOT stressed, but rather the CHOICE, Matthew 19:16, “And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?”

b. One chooses BETWEEN the WORLD and LIFE eternal, Matthew 19:21-22, “Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. 22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.”

c. You CAN’T choose both, Matthew 6:24, “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”

B. The way is DIFFICULT TO FIND.

1. There are FEW who find the way to heaven, Romans 9:27, 29, “Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved: 29 And as Esaias said before, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been as Sodoma, and been made like unto Gomorrha.”

2. FEWER yet who ABIDE any time in it, Matthew 13:22, “He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.”

3. FEWER STILL who WALK in it, Ephesians 2:10, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”

4. And FEWEST OF ALL who PERSEVERE unto the end, Acts 14:22, “Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.”

5. NOTHING renders this way EITHER NARROW or DIFFICULT to any person, BUT SIN, Romans 6:10-11, “For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. 11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

II. IF YOU ENTER AT THE WIDE GATE

This sentiment has been beautifully versified by Watts:—-

“Broad is the road that leads to death,

And thousands walk together there;

But wisdom shows a narrower path,

With here and there a traveller.”

A. STRIVE to enter at the Strait Gate, Luke 13:24, “Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.”

B. There is the BROAD WAY that leads to DESTRUCTION, Genesis 6:5, 12, “And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.”

1. The way that SEEMS RIGHT, Proverbs 16:25, “There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.”

2. The END be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;”

C. MANY GO IN at the BROAD gate, Isaiah 5:14, “Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it.”

CONCLUSION

The Lord concluded with the difficulty in finding the Strait Gate. He did not say it was impossible, but he did say that few there be that find it. Our sin is what keeps us from the narrow way to life.

REPENTANCE–MATTHEW 3:1-2; 4:17; II PETER 3:9.

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REPENTANCE
MATTHEW 3:1-2; 4:17; II PETER 3:9
Introduction:


Repentance is the first aspect of the believer’s experience of salvation, called conversion. It is an essential part of regeneration. Repentance is for the most part, negative and has to do with sin, especially the sin of unbelief.

I. THE IMPORTANCE OF REPENTANCE.


A. In the early ministries of the New Testament.


1. John the Baptist preached it, Matthew 3:1-2, “In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, 2And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”


2. Jesus preached it, Matthew 4:17, “From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”


3. The twelve Apostles preached it, Mark 6:12, “And they went out, and preached that men should repent.”


B. In the later New Testament Ministries.


1. Christ commissioned His Church to preach repentance, Luke 24:47, “And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.”


2. We see this doctrine being preached in the book of Acts.


a. Peter preached it, Acts 2:38, “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”


b. Paul preached it, Acts 26:20, “But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.”


C. Repentance plays a part in man’s salvation.


1. It is God’s will that a man repent, 2 Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”


2. It is necessary to salvation, Luke 13:3, “I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.”

I. THE MEANING OF REPENTANCE.


A. How it effects the intellect.


1. It is an after-thought, which is the primary meaning of the Greek word, Matthew 21:28-29, “But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard. 29He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went.”

a. The verb metamelomai is used of a change of mind, such as to produce regret or even remorse on account of sin, but not necessarily a change of heart. This word is used with reference to the repentance of Judas, Matthew 27:3, “Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders.”

b. Metanoeo, meaning to change one’s mind and purpose, as the result of after knowledge.



c. The noun metanoia, is used of true repentance, a change of mind and purpose and life, to which remission of sin is promised.


2. Repentance is also a change of mind, which is the secondary meaning of the word.


B. How repentance affects the emotions.


1. Hatred of sin is one of the essential elements in repentance, Psalm 97:10, “Ye that love the LORD, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked.”


a. “Sin,” refers to his depraved nature.


b. “Sins” has reference to the actual transgressions prompted by a sinful nature.


2. Sorrow for sin, 2 Corinthians 7:9, “Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing.”


a. “This accompanies hatred of sin. He, who repents, hates the sins he is sorry for, and is sorry for the sins he hates.”


b. “Remorse is sorrow for the consequences of sin, but Repentance condemns the sin which brought the consequences.” –E. H. Bancroft


C. How repentance affects the will of man, Luke 15:18-20, “I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, 19And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. 20And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.” “Repentance is not only a heart broken for sin, but from sin.”

II. THE MANIFESTATION OF REPENTANCE.


A. In the confession of sin, Psalm 32:3-5, “When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long. 4For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. Selah. 5I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin.”


B. In forsaking sin, Proverbs 28:13, “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.”

III. THE RESULTS OF REPENTANCE.


A. Joy in heaven, Luke 15:7, 10, “I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance. 10Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.”


B. Pardon and forgiveness, Isaiah 55:7, “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.”


C. The reception of the Holy Spirit, Acts 2:38, “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”

CONCLUSION:


Repentance is what is missing in many so-called conversions. There does not seem to be remorse for sin in the life of many professing Christians today.


The truly repentant sinner makes heaven glad, receives forgiveness and the seal of the Holy Spirit. His life manifest a radical change based on 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”