Repentance

we're going to look to the word of the lord today i've been doing a series we started last week entitled you must be born again and last week we looked at the sinful nature of man and showed that the solution the answer to man's sinful nature is only found in the cross of jesus christ it is only through the cross the blood that jesus shed for us and that we can have salvation and so today's lesson is simply going to be titled just repentance we're going to look at repentance today i'm just going to read one verse right now and then we'll look at some scripture later acts 3 and 19 the bible says this repent ye therefore and be converted that your sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the lord when we restarted bible class at the beginning of this year i made a few promises to you told you what i would do and what we would expect to see in this class and one of them was this i said i will endeavor to always keep things fresh i don't know if i'm succeeding or not but i'm trying now i have taught this class for around 20 years um it's good to see brother bowie here he taught it before i did and when he decided he had to leave us then i got called in to help and to start teaching this so it'd be easy for me to just pull out some lessons because i've taught repentance before in fact i found at least six times where we went over repentance in the last 20 years or so probably more than that but so i could have easily just pulled one out and taught it and not had to do any study and put any time or any thought really into it but as i approached this lesson i asked god i was praying i said lord how do you want me to go and he strongly impressed me start with the old testament so rather than start where we might have normally a day of pentecost or acts 2 or something like that i want to begin several thousand years earlier and we're going to look at how god explained and required repentance through the old testament we're going to look briefly how it was preached in the new testament and then i want to address the idea and i really felt this strongly too of repentance and how it relates to works and we'll talk about that later and then if there's any time left we'll look at what true repentance means for us today now that's quite an agenda so let's just dive right in

right before we look at examples of repentance in the scripture let's define what repentance is and as i said we're going to start in the old testament so the hebrew word and i don't normally do this but the word that best describes repentance is pronounced shub shu but is the 12th most frequently used verb in the entire old testament so it's used over and over over a thousand times you see that word and better than any other verb it combines in that word two requisites of repentance they are first off to turn from evil and then to turn to good so this idea of repentance carries both of those ideas or both of those thoughts in there now there's other words that are translated repentance in fact usually when it's talking about god repenting it's not that word because god doesn't have to turn from evil right it doesn't have to do that so it's a different word that is used there but when it's talking about man it is this word shubh so to be sure there is no systematic spelling out of doctrine of repentance in the old testament as we see like paul would do with something in the new testament where he just describes it and really it is illustrated more than anything else yet the fact that people are called to turn either to turn to something or a waste from something implies and here's what i like that sin is not eradicable it can be dealt with right i'm thankful god has a plan but by turning to god through the grace of god and him helping us we can redirect our lives we don't have to continue down a path of sin god can turn us around and so there are two sides in understanding conversion one is the act of god's mercy and god's grace reaching out to us but then the other is man not just being sorrowful for his sin but making a conscious decision to say i am going to serve god and that's all involved in this idea of repentance in fact when you look to the new testament the emphasis is is really changed in in the greek word there that literally means to change one's mind or to change the way you think so biblical repentance is first of all a changing of your mind a reconsidering of your lifestyle and your direction and whether i'm lining up to what god would desire and then it is a turning away from a sinful life and finally turning towards god so that is really the essence of repentance

so let's look into the old testament i'm going to go to ii chronicles chapter 6 and verse chapter sixes and verse chapter seven and chapter six contains the prayer of solomon at the dedication of the temple in jerusalem and in that prayer if you will it's it's almost a prophetic prayer although he is asking of god to be with them but in that chapter he explores different ways it's kind of interesting as you read through it and he looks at different ways that israel might wander from god things that they might do that would lead them astray and and then in each example he prays for god's forgiveness if israel will repent and so in the three examples we're going to see this concepts that we just talked about of turning to god of turning from sin and of changing one's mind first one in second chronicles 6 begins at verse 24 and solomon prays this and if thy people israel be put to the worse before the enemy that reminds you of ai when they went out to fight and there was sin in the camp and they lost the battle because of the sin he said so if that happens because they have sinned against thee and shall return and confess thy name and pray and make supplication before thee in this house then hear thou from the heavens forgive the sin of thy people israel and bring them again unto the land which thou gavest unto them and their fathers and so here we see the first word use or the first example of this idea of repentance now notice there's no word repent in there is there because the word the shube if you will that is often translated repented is here and most often is in this way it said and shall return that word is the hebrew word where we get repent from he said if they will return if they will turn if they will change their mind the word translated return with that emphasis on return or returning returning to what or turning to what returning to god notice what he said if they will return and confess your name if they will return and pray if they will return and make supplication so you could say if they will repent and confess you if they will repent and pray if they repent and ask you about it god true repentance will always involve a turning to god if you don't turn to god you haven't really repented now you may have reformed you may have done some other things but you have not repented it is never enough just to turn from sin it's never enough to just say well i'm going to amend my ways i'm going to try to live better that's a noble thing to do but that in itself is not repentance many times we try to clean up our lives sometimes we do that at the beginning of the year i'm going to make this i'm going to do better this year and here's what i'm going to do that's okay but that's not repentance because we have to remember the bible says we are all as an unclean thing and all of our righteousnesses are as a filthy rags and we do fade as a leaf our iniquities like the wind they have taken us away so as much as we try to reform if we don't turn to god that's not repentance the second passage is goes on in verse 26 and when the heaven is shut up and there is no rain now you have to remember if you read back through the old testament and you read in deuteronomy where moses is talking about the law he kind of outlines all these scenarios if locusts come on the land if you turn and you're not serving god if god holds withholds the rain he talks about all these things if they're not serving god and so solomon brings these ideas up so the heaven is shut up there's no rain and here's why because we sinned against thee yet if they pray toward this place and confess thy name and turn and there it is again that's repent from their sin when you afflict them then you will hear from heaven and forgive the sin of thy servants and to thy people israel one that has taught them the good way wherein they should walk and you will send rain upon the land which thou has given unto thy people for an inheritance in this passage the is the flip side if you will of that turning it is the turning from their sin so he makes it very specific instead of just saying turn to god in prayer and supplication here he said if they will turn from sin so this is the flip side if you will of repentance yes we must turn to god but here is the important thing you cannot do so unless you are also turning away from sin in other words you can't do it both ways right jesus said you cannot serve god and the god of this world it just does not work so you must turn away from that sin and turn towards god paul would say it this way what shall we say then shall we continue in sin that grace may abound and then he answers the question god forbid you cannot continue in that sinful lifestyle because true in repentance will always always involve turning away from sin and towards god

and then in the verse same chapter verse 36 he said if they sin against thee and i like this in parentheses for there is no man which sinneth not so in other words it's going to happen and you will be angry with them and god you'll deliver them over before their enemies and and they get carried away captive into a land that's far off or near yet if they bethink themselves in the land where they are carried captive and turn and pray unto thee in the land of the captivity and say we have sinned we've done a miss we've messed up we've dealt wickedly if they return that repent to thee with all their heart with all their soul in the land of their captivity where they have carried them and pray toward this land which thou gave us to their fathers and toward the city which you've chosen toward this temple that we've built he said then hear from heaven even from your dwelling place god hear their prayer their supplication maintain their cause and forgive thy people which has sinned against thee now we read turn and return a couple different times but there's a third word that i want to focus in on in that passage it's an interesting old english word we don't usually say it very often he said but yet if they be think that word also contains this hebrew word that means repent or to turn but it also uses another word it is really they they took two of the hebrew words and they combined them into this word be think and the second word means this it is the word that refers to the inner man or the mind or the heart or the understanding the intellect in other words if they will turn in their minds if they'll sit down and think about it repentance requires all three a change of your mind a turning from sin and a turning to god and so this be think this is the changing of your mind that goes with repentance now mentally solomon didn't necessarily place him in the order we're discussing them but suffice it to say that all three of these ideas behind repentance are expressed in these passages so to put it in an order repentance is first a changing of your mind now what changes their mind many times it's a preaching of the gospel the bible says that when we hear the gospel that helps us to be saved it is through the foolishness of preaching that we are saved it is hearing of the word of god and so when we hear that word of god and we hear what we need to be doing and we hear what the word of god has to say that causes us to look at the error of our ways and say you know what i want to serve god the second is that act of turning from our sinful life and then finally turning to god and i'm going to discuss that further because we're going to talk about repentance and works in a little bit but and i want to discuss that here in a little bit but remember those three items of repentance and then i want to read one more passage in chapter 6 as we said this is a prayer of solomon talking about the temple and then in chapter 7 god actually answers him and he said well if they do these things and this is a verse that we're all very familiar with it's been sung it's been preached it's been studied over and over but in second chronicles 7 14 god says well if my people which are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn let's repent same word from their wicked ways then will i hear from heaven i will forgive their sin and i will heal their land why repent well here's why the promise of repentance is when you seek god and you change your mind and you turn from sin and turn to him he will hear aren't you thankful for that you don't have to wonder and say well i've done too many things i've been too bad i've gone too far i've done this he said no if they will turn god will heal here he said and i will forgive their sin and i will heal their land i'm thankful that there is a promise that comes with repentance when you truly repent when you get down and seek god and say lord i don't want to be what i am i want to go your direction god will hear god will forgive and god will heal god will heal the situations in your life he'll move in your life let's just take that one step further there are many other similar verses throughout the old testament talks about turning from transgressions and there's over and over the prophets talked about these things and we don't have time in one lesson to go through every one of those but

i do want to point out one other and that is in isaiah chapter 55. you ever notice when we don't understand the whys in our life the one answer that we seem to get well we get two answers one that is all things are working together for good so you don't understand but don't worry about it it's all working for good okay the other is this one and and kind of doesn't always set right well god's ways aren't your ways and his thoughts are higher than yours and tough luck you just don't understand at all we'll leave that where it is but i want to look at that passage because that's really not the context of that scripture isaiah 55 says this in verse 6 seek ye the lord while he may be found call upon him while he is near and then he said let the wicked forsake his ways and let the unrighteous man forsake his thoughts and let him repent return unto the lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our god and here's the promise for he will abundantly pardon that's the promise if you turn he's going to abundantly pardon and then he says for my thoughts aren't your thoughts and my ways aren't your ways saith the lord for the heavens are higher than the earth so our my ways are higher than yours and my thoughts higher than your thoughts here's the thing true repentance works for this reason because it's god's way and he has chosen for it to work you see we're not that way are we when people do wrong we want to see them pay for it i hear it on the news all the time particularly when there's a trial going on and it's a trial about something that people are all aggravated to something and it may be a person that did some terrible things and if they get off too easy or maybe even before they're even all i want to see is justice and you know he did this and i want to see him hung i want to see him killed i want to see him in jail for the rest i want to see this and god says if he repents i'll forgive that doesn't sit right with it does it we don't want to see well if they turn and god really if they really turn to god we'll just i'll leave the judicial end of it alone but what god is saying is see that's your way you want to see revenge you want to see someone pay you want to see this you want to see that well they did this they deserve that and i'm saying if they'll repent i'll forgive aren't you thankful that when you sinned against god however it was in your life the things you did that you know were wrong god doesn't say you know what you're going to pay buddy he said you know if you'll just repent i'll take care of it now repent we understand that's not just oh sorry god and go on and do it again no it's changing your mind turning from that thing and turning toward god he said if you will do that sincerely change your mind change your direction turn away from things and turn toward me i will forgive and then he says that's my way that's not your way aren't you thankful that we live for god's ways we live for him because of his ways

so if repentance is woven throughout the old testament it's even more in the forefront and really talked about more openly if you will in the new from some of the opening verses in the final in the new testament all the way to the final book we're instructed with this idea and we see this idea of repentance first matthew opens his gospel with the story of jesus birth and then he bypasses the some of the things that luke talked about like jesus going to the temple and being dedicated and going there at 12 and he bypasses all of that and he goes in chapter three he starts this in those days came john the baptist preaching in the wilderness and here was the message repent ye change your mind for the kingdom of heaven is at hand and the ministry of john the baptist was characterized by admonitions to repent his baptism the bible says was a baptism unto repentance showing that you had changed your mind that you're turning your direction his ministry was to prepare the hearts of the people to to receive the soon coming messiah jesus and his fearless denunciation of sin unfortunately earned him the hatred of the pharisees the religious leaders and the sadducees alike and at the same time his but his preaching allows us to see the true meaning of biblical repentance and how it relates to the new testament church won't go over everything he taught but you know john john didn't was soft pedal anything he looked at those that came out and particularly some of the pharisees and some of the sadducees the scribes and some people decided you know what maybe we better just have all our bases covered you know everybody's running out to see john and getting baptized and even though we're not really sure maybe just to save face or maybe whatever we'll go out and ask dude he looked at them and he said you're a generation of pipers you bunch of snakes who warned you to flee from the wrath to come where'd you get that man can you imagine coming to church and preacher getting up saying well you snake i know where you were friday night i know what you were involved in you need to repent you'd probably get up and walk away maybe you'd walk to an altar i'm not gonna try that unless god just really has to tell me to right now he's not saying that but then here's what he says bring forth there for fruits worthy of repentance he didn't mince words he told them you know what you repent first and the fruit of that change will show in your life god doesn't want just tears and emotional drama he doesn't want to say you know what i know they expect me to do this i'm just gonna he wants a change in our hearts and in our lives he wants a new way of thinking and a new way of living john's words let us know that true repentance will always include a change of lifestyle and as we saw in the old testament there must always be a turning from sin and john didn't make repentance optional he said this in luke 3 9 the axe is laid to the root of the tree in other words getting ready to cut it down every tree that brings forth not good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire he was a hellfire and brimstone preacher in other words he was saying you either repent or you're going to perish when asked what they should do but john didn't say well you know why don't you go home pray about it think about it talk to god about a little while no he told them what they needed to do you need to straighten this up in your life you need to straighten that up you look to them some of the rich people say you got two coats why don't you go out and give it to somebody that doesn't have one he looked at task collectors quit cheating people he looked at the soldiers quit doing violence quit doing accusing people falsely be content with the money you're making he preached his message and he even preached to herod the king he didn't care what are you doing with your sister-in-law you have no business doing that that's adultery and he preached it in fact he ended up in jail losing his head because of it but he preached it he wasn't afraid here's what it is god needs individuals who without imitation say you know what intimidation say you need to repent and he responds to those not only the message needs to go forth but to those who will answer with repenting i'm so thankful for the verses we just read he said i will heal i will answer and i will declare

jesus preached repentance the gospel records that after his wilderness temptations he began his ministry with the same message in matthew 4 17 said from that time jesus began to preach and to say repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand turn turn from your sin turn toward god in fact on one occasion certain individuals approached jesus and they began talking about some things that had happened they said you know what about those people that they were building a tower and the tower fell on them and it killed a bunch of them and he said what about them you know they must have really been bad people and god must have just been judging him there were some others that were offering sacrifices to god and herod killed him and said mix their blood with the sacrifice he killed him right there well that's probably because they weren't living right aren't we so quick to judge must be a reason for that and jesus looked at them and he said do you suppose that these galileans were sinners above everybody else because they suffered such things he said i tell you no but except you repent you're all gonna die you're all gonna perish now maybe it won't be getting killed or you're offering a sacrifice or a tower falling on you but he's saying the wages of sin is death so preaching repentance it's not an easy assignment all the time but it is the core of this gospel message without repentance we cannot be christian god sent out his 12 disciples to minister in israel and just as he had taught them what did they do it said they went out and they preached what that men should repent it was preached by the apostles the pentecost the convicted crowd at peter's message stood there and they said men and brethren what shall we do and peter didn't say well you know let's let's talk about it you know tell me you're sorry do this do that no he said the first thing is you need to repent turn change your mind turn from sin turn toward god turn toward god we cannot overlook the persistent preaching of repentance it happened over and over again that foundational command never faded from their focus and for anything else and today there are many people preaching a lot of different messages you can turn on a radio and you can listen well if you serve god there's health and there's miracles and there's wealth and there's healing and there's all kinds of things but first we need to say wait a minute have you changed your mind are you living for god that message that we read at the beginning repent ye therefore and be converted that your sins may be blotted out then you will have those times of refreshing and then you will have those blessings from the presence of the lord but it starts with repentance even the final book of our bible the book of revelation there are messages to the churches churches that were in asia but typical of churches all throughout the ages and to four of those seven the word is there repent repent i'm thinking repentance isn't just a one-time thing it's a continual course correction amen we've got to hear the word of god because sometimes things happen or we get a little bit astray and we get doing things and and sometimes the word of god will come and convict and you know what that means i gotta repent better change my mind better get this straightened out better turn from what i'm doing and turn toward god so we see the necessity of repentance and i said as i was talking to god

i really felt this theme come back over and over again and that is the idea that there are those who preach that or that tell us that those that preach turning from sin you're preaching a message of works well you're telling people you just need to try to get better and do this and then you're working your way to salvation and they quote this verse ephesians 2 verses 8 and 9 for by grace you are saved through faith and that not of yourselves it is the gift of god not of works that any should boast and let me say amen you're not gonna earn your salvation it's already been paid for you can't be good enough you can't be holy enough or anything else to win salvation by his grace you are saved by trusting in him it's not of yourselves it is a free gift that is available to all and it is not of our works because you're not going to brag about how good you are and make it to heaven amen if amen are saved it is only by the grace of god however and here's the however and this is not works there is much more at play in this passage than just the thought of earning salvation first what does paul mean by works well paul helps us with that he'll help us understand that because many look at anything that we do and say well you're just doing works that's trying wait a minute let me give you some references romans chapter 9 verses 31 and 32 but israel which followed after the law of righteousness hath not obtained to the law of righteousness why because they sought it not by faith but as it were by works of the law galatians 2 16 knowing that a man is not justified by works of the law but by the faith of jesus christ even we have believed in jesus christ that we might be justified by the faith of christ and not by the works of the law for by the works of the law shall know faith flesh be justified galatians 3 2 this only would i learn of you did you receive the spirit by works of the law or by the hearing of the word of faith galatians 3 10 and 2 2 12 for as many as are of the works of the law are under a curse for it is written cursed is everyone that continues not and all the things that are written in the book of the law so no man is justified by the law in the sight of god that's evident for the just shall live by faith and the law is not of faith notice there that paul over and over talked about earning salvation through works he was talking about works of the law let's put that in the context of what paul was talking about he continually throughout his missionary journey i think this is important for us to know dealt with jews who followed him around and every time paul would go in and people would get saved these jews would come up soon as paul left town and say okay now i know you all accepted jesus and all that said but do you know that let's see you've got to start offering sacrifices you've got to start being you've got to be circumcised if you're a male you have to and they would you got to go to the temple you've got to do this and they would just give him a long list of things they had to do otherwise you're not part of this covenant you're not part that is works of the law i think there's always this argument well james talks about works and paul talks about grace paul was being specific he was facing some stuff and he's saying you can't go back and live like a jew he wasn't saying you shouldn't live for jesus here's the key we cannot live good enough to abstain salvation you can't do it on your own but here is the thing if you live sinful for sure you will not attain it

having denied that we can be saved by the works of the law paul then turns and he said there are some works that men do galatians 5 he said this the works of the flesh are manifest which are these adultery fornication and cleanliness lasciviousness idolatry witchcraft hatred variants emulations wrath strifes additions harasses envyings murders drunkenness revelings and such like i've told you before and i'll tell you again that they which do those things shall not inherit the kingdom of god why is it necessary to turn from sin when you repent because if you continue in sin you will not inherit the kingdom of god turning from sin is not works in fact if anything it is forsaking works of the flesh it's interesting because paul follows that up immediately but the fruit of the spirit is love joy peace long suffering gentleness goodness faith meekness temperance and against such there is no law notice paul doesn't say these are works of righteousness because you can't earn your way into love and you can't work your way to love and joy and peace and long-suffering gentleness you can't do that he said there are some works that you need to forsake but he said this things that you will walk into is the fruit or the outworking of the spirit in our lives so turning from sin is not works it is repentance repentance not works unless we think that turning from sin is just an old testament concept returning from that let's look again at those words in john the baptist bring their forth fruit meet for repentance notice he didn't say bring forth works meet for repentance he didn't say go out there and try to be good what he was saying is quit doing the works of the flesh and let the holy ghost work in your life let the spirit work through you you see those fruits are the outworking of a changed mind a mind that has been renewed by the word of god and the spirit of god i looked at several different translations of that verse amplified bible says this bring forth fruit that is consistent with repentance in other words let your lives prove your change of heart the good news bible says do those things that will show that you have turned from your sin that's not earning salvation it's just showing you know what i'm not living in sin anymore another version said produce then the proper fruit of reformation the phillips translation says go and do something to show that your hearts are really changed and i like this when the bible in basis english says let your change of heart be seen in your works now some will say okay i understand that john the baptist technically he's old testament he was the last of the prophets acts chapter 26 firmly in the new testament verse 19 paul's talking to king agrippa he's telling about having the heavenly vision how god sent him to the gentiles and he said okay king agrippa i was not disobedient to the heavenly vision i did what god asked me to do he said i showed them first to damascus and then i went to jerusalem i went through all the coasts of judea then i went out and preached to the gentiles and here's what he said here's what i preached that they should repent and turn to god and do works meat for repentance whoa paul i said you i thought you said you're not supposed to have any works let's keep it all in its right lane there right no you're not going back and offering sacrifices but you do need to have a change of life in other words repentance is not saying god i'm sorry for my sin but i'm not getting rid of this subscription that has things i know i shouldn't be looking at god i'm turning from sin but i'm going to continue to live in a lifestyle that i know is not in courting with the word of god god i'm going to turn from sin i'm turning to you in repentance but i'll continue partaking of this thing that i know the word of god that's not works that's turning from sin and if you don't turn from sin you have not repented and then one more thing to bring up in while we're talking about that james 4 17 therefore to him that knows to do good and doesn't do it it is sin well isn't that works no you know to do good and you don't do it you're missing the mark repentance is not works to earn salvation it's a changing of your mind it's a turning from sin and it's turning to god when we repent we will do good that's the fruit that's the outworking of what happens as we begin our journey working for god and trying to please him i think we need to understand that it's not about works it's about pleasing god doesn't that change everything we were helped by that a few years ago one of our leadership retreats here was the question we were told sometimes we ask the wrong question we ask and i'm sure none of you have ever done this well will that send me to hell well if i do that will i go to hell he said the question we ought to be asking is will this please god you know when you get married you don't say you know what before we get married fill this list out and put down everything that would make you so mad that you'll turn around and leave me i just want to know what i can get by with and what i can't will it upset you if i do this how about if i go here how about if i hang out with this person how about if i do that give me a list and then i can say not on the list i'm okay well you're pleasing your wife pleasing your husband well it don't matter it's not on the list that's how we approach god when we say well this is going to send me to hell show me scripture and verse why don't you ask god is this going to please you i know i'm going to have a lot of fun but are you going to be happy with it change your mind turn from sin and turn to god

i said in the beginning that we would end with what repentance means for us today you know what it means the same thing it always did god's word does not change here's the problem the wise man said there's a way that seems right unto a man but the end thereof are the ways of death it seems right it seems good we just all have the blessings god bible still calls for repentance and that will never change jesus said it this way there is a straight gate and there's a wide gate there's a broadway and it will lead you to destruction there's a lot of people that are going that way he said but there is a straight gate in a narrow way which leads to life and few there be that find you know what that narrow way is change my mind turn from sin and follow jesus christ we're talking about what it takes to be saved that is the first step that before anything else change your mind turn away from your sin and follow jesus and as we said here's the good news and he will forgive them he will pardon he will bless your life aren't you thankful for that promise amen why don't you stand why don't you just lift a hand and thank him for it so thank the lord for your word that is so clear when we look and we put it together hallelujah that there is a way that seems right but there's a better way that your word tells us god and help us that we will change our minds that we will decide i'm going to follow jesus i'm going to do what i can to please him i'm going to turn away from those things that distract from that relationship and i'm going to turn toward you in jesus name in jesus name amen