REPENTANCE
LUKE 13:1-5
Introduction:
Gospel Repentance consists of…
(1) A true sense of one’s own guilt and sinfulness;
(2) An understanding of God’s mercy in Christ;
(3) An actual hatred of sin and turning from sin to God; and
(4) A persistent endeavor after a holy life in a walking with God in the way of his commandments.
The true penitent is Conscious of GUILT, Conscious of POLLUTION, and Conscious of HELPLESSNESS.
Thus he understands himself to be just what God has always seen him to be and declares him to be – LOST.
I. REPENTANCE CONSISTS OF A TRUE SENSE OF ONE’S OWN GUILT AND SINFULNESS
A. Conscious of GUILT, Psalm 51:4, 9, “Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest. 9 Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.
B. Conscious of POLLUTION, Psalm 51:5, 7, 10, Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. 7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.”
C. Conscious of HELPLESSNESS, Psalm 51:11, “Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.” Psalm 109:21, 22, “But do thou for me, O GOD the Lord, for thy name’s sake: because thy mercy is good, deliver thou me. 22 For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me.”
II. REPENTANCE BRINGS AN UNDERSTANDING OF GOD’S MERCY IN CHRIST
A. The Penitent sinner learns to hope in God’s Mercy, Psalm 33:18, “Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy;”
B. He learns that salvation is by the Mercy of God, Titus 3:5, “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;”
1. The sinner’s works play no part in his salvation, Job 9:20, “If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me: if I say, I am perfect, it shall also prove me perverse.”
2. Through His Mercy we become one of His own, 1 Peter 2:10, “Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.”
3. He cleanses us by the washing of the Word of God, 1 Corinthians 6:11, “And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.”
III. REPENTANCE BRINGS AN ACTUAL HATRED OF SIN AND TURNING FROM IT TO GOD
A. The repentant sinner hates that which is NOT true, Psalm 119:128, “Therefore I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right; and I hate every false way.”
1. Now he hates lying, Psalm 119:163, “I hate and abhor lying: but thy law do I love.”
2. He hates ungodly thoughts, Psalm 119:113, “I hate vain thoughts: but thy law do I love.”
3. His thoughts of God have become precious, Psalm 139:17, “How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!.”
B. The sinner sees himself as God does, Job 42:5-6, “I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. 6Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.”
C. The sinner’s repentance moves him to trust the Lord, 2 Corinthians 7:10, “For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.”
IV. THE REPENTANT SINNER IS MOVED TO A PERSISTENT EFFORT TO LIVE A LIFE OF FAITH
A. In walking with God in a worthy manner, Colossians 1:10, “That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;”
B. According to the teachings of God Word, Psalm 119:105, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”
C. That we might please the Lord, 1 John 3:22, “And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.”
CONCLUSION
Repentance is the first step toward receiving Jesus Christ as one’s Saviour. This is a changing of the mind about our morals as taught in the Word of God. It is a changing of the mind about ourselves as we look into the mirror of the Word of God.
We trust God’s Word as being the truth. John 8:32 says, “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” This is real freedom!