(Christ--the Way God Makes Man Righteous) 7. Conviction Leads to Repentance — Denny Kenaston

Hello, this is Brother Denny. Welcome to Charity Ministries. Our desire is that your life would be blessed and changed by this message. This message is not copyrighted and is not to be bought or sold.

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These messages are offered to all without charge by the free will offerings of God's people. A special thank you to all who support this ministry. Good morning, brethren. Have a good morning. Yeah, I did too.

Very much so. How many of you appreciate being stretched a bit these days? I mean, don't us men like that? I mean, it doesn't always feel good, but don't we like that? I mean, it's shake off boyhood and put on manhood this month.

I mean, that alarm goes off, you have to get out of bed, you have to get up, you have to wash your face, you have to get something from God because somebody is going to ask you about it. That is good.

You know, they say that if you do something 30 times in a row, it becomes a new habit. So, some of you fellas have the opportunity to establish some new habits through this month. All right, a little bit of an assignment for you for tomorrow.

The Meaning and Necessity of Repentance

The word that you want to memorize, the definition of the word you want to memorize is the word repentance. Repentance. We'll be looking at that today. I want you to memorize that. And also for tomorrow, I want you to read Romans 4 and 5 two times.

Mark that down. Romans 4 and Romans 5, two times for tomorrow. All right, let's get into our message this morning. Stand for a word of prayer. O Father, this morning, how privileged we are to gaze into the things of the eternal.

That God, you would open our blinded eyes and let us see things in the eternal. Lord, we pray this morning for that gift of grace that reveals, that gift of grace that illuminates our own hearts. That gift of grace which takes that which we hear in our head and moves it down into the realm of our hearts.

We ask you for that this morning, Father. Fill us with the Holy Ghost, O God, today. That we may speak and we may hear according to your will. In Jesus' name we ask it. Amen. You may be seated. The title this morning of our message, and it flows very well from yesterday's, is sorrowing unto repentance.

Sorrowing unto repentance. We were looking at conviction yesterday, and we will continue to do a bit of that this morning, finishing up from yesterday. Conviction, that is how God brings a soul to the place where he sees his need.

Now, conviction is a legal term. In a court of law, the offender is convicted when he is found guilty of his crime. Think about it in a legal sense. That is exactly where God would want to bring every lost human being.

That they come to that place where they are convicted and they are found guilty of their crimes. Again, note the definition of conviction. The work of the Holy Spirit convincing a sinner of his sins and his sinful state.

Notice both of those. I am a sinner and I have sinned. And by the way, it is not I am a sinner because I have sinned. I am a sinner and therefore I sin. Remember the diagram here. Something is missing in the middle of my being, in the center of my being.

Convincing a sinner of his sins and his sinful state, bringing him to a place of guiltiness before God. It is important that we don't get too heavy on the human side of this process. It is not our job to convict people and to pronounce them guilty.

Please note that. That is not our job. That is the work of the Spirit of God. But God does use human instruments to make that happen. But we must be careful not to get too far on the human side of that thing and be in everybody's face.

It is the Spirit of God. We are simply to be His vessels in the many means and opportunities that God gives us. And may God give us the grace to be bold enough to speak when we need to speak. Amen. We finished our last session with a key statement that I would like to focus on this morning.

Reform, Regeneration, and the Law's Work

And the two messages flow very well together in light of this statement. But remember what I said yesterday toward the end of the message. That reform without regeneration brings failure and frustration.

But this brings man to see his need. It is actually a good thing. This is one of the purposes of the law. To bring man to the end of himself. To bring man to the end of his self-righteousness. To bring man to the end of his own efforts to change his life.

Because remember, God is after more than just reform. Let's look at the reality of this frustrating process now this morning to begin with. You can turn in your Bibles to Romans chapter 7. I think I've had you read that a couple of times.

As we look at the work of the law in the heart of man. Now Paul is giving his testimony here. And there is a lot of controversy about Romans chapter 7. And some commentators will vehemently say that Romans chapter 7, especially the second-blessingers who promote a strong emphasis of a second work of grace, you know, of holiness.

They would say that this is Paul's experience as a Christian until he got the second blessing. Others would say that this is the experience of a lost man trying to do better. And my personal opinion on it is that it's both.

It's both. But nevertheless, we can see what a frustration this law of God can be to someone who does not have things right in the inner man. Romans chapter 7 and verse 14 and 15, we begin to see this frustration.

Paul says,. For we know that the law is spiritual. The law is spiritual. But I am carnal, sold under sin. For that which I do, I allow not. For what I would, that do I not. But what I hate, that do I.

Very frustrating, isn't it? Drop down to verse 18 as he goes on. For I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing. For to will is present with me. But how to perform that which is good, I find not.

There's no power. For the good that I would, I do not. But the evil which I would not, that I do. Now this is a clear description of frustration, is it not? How many of you would say you found yourself there before in your own experience?

Probably some pre-conversion and some after conversion. I've got in my heart this desire to do that which I'm supposed to do. But I don't find the power to do it. And that brings frustration. But it also brings self-realization and self-revelation.

As that man begins to realize, what do I do? What do I do? Now if I do that, I would not. It is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law that when I would do good, evil is present with me.

For I delight in the law of God after the inward man. I've got a desire there that wants to do what is right. And by the way, that's God. That's God. That desire to want to do right is God. But I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

It's like this war going on inside of me. I have this desire to do what is right. But I don't have the power to do it. I keep having these desires. But I find myself wanting when I get right down to the doing.

And he finishes with this beautiful crescendo as they say in music. Oh, wretched man that I am. Beautiful words. Beautiful words. Oh, wretched man that I am. Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

Who? He goes on in the next verse and says, I thank God through Jesus Christ. Paul says in the book of Galatians chapter 4 that the law was our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ. Again, that's where God is going.

That's where God is going in your life. That's where he's going in my life. That's what God wants. That's the whole purpose of the atonement. That's the whole purpose of everything we were talking about.

God is wanting to bring us to Christ. You know, I told you at the beginning of our sessions here last week that I'm still wrestling with a title. Well, try this title on for this series. Christ... The way God makes man righteous.

Christ as the Way to Righteousness

Is that not the truth? Christ is the way God makes man righteous. That's the only way that God will accept any righteousness that we have. It is that which is wrought by Christ in our lives. And that's where God's going.

See, that's where he's going. Christ in my life. Dwelling in the center of my being. That's where God is going. And so the law is a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ. Frustration? Yes. Some soul pain?

Yes. Some misery? Oh yes, some misery. But oh, at the end, that oh glorious end, is Christ. In reality. In your life and mine. The hope of glory. That's where God is going. To bring the sinner to the place where they say, I can't do it.

I can't do it. Oh how well I remember. Many times in prayer rooms. Through my many years. Many times in a prayer room having somebody come. Sit down there to get counsel. Only to hear them say, I'm done.

I quit. I can't do it. It doesn't work. This whole Christian thing. It doesn't work. And I. Having been around a while. I know. Where God is going. With that person. And see those aren't despairing words to me.

And I don't put my arm around him and pat him on the back and say, Oh it's okay sonny boy. I don't put my hand on his back and tell him that. I realize, whoa. God's convicting spirit is bringing this soul to the end of himself.

Christ is right over the hill. And it's important for us to understand that when we begin to guide and counsel souls. That that's where God is going. And many times when they find themselves in despair.

They're actually in despair because of this very principle that we're looking at right here. And it's God. And they don't need a pat on the back. And they don't need any sympathy at that moment. God is bringing them to the end of themselves.

And I've shocked a couple of them by just listening to them pour their hearts out for a couple of minutes. And then just look them right in the eye and say. Good. God's been waiting for you for a long time.

Film and joy. Peace, strength, power, blessing. All the other things that we've been speaking about. Yeah. And maybe you find yourself in that very place even as you sit here. It's a good thing. That you're going through.

People ask me pretty often. Brother Denny. How do you deal with your children? You know, they grow up in a Christian home. You know, they come and they hear a sermon. And they're afraid of hell. And they want to get saved because they don't want to go to hell.

How do you deal with your children in the area of salvation? This is what I tell them. I try to discern where they're at when they come. And if they're afraid of hell, we're not ready for that. If they just want to go to heaven, they're not ready yet.

If they want to be a Christian because their friend is, they're not ready yet. But if I sense deep down in their soul that cry that Paul gave there. Oh, wretched man that I am. I'm so sick of me and the way I'm living.

I want help. Then I bring them through. There's a big difference between I don't want to go to hell. Let me become a Christian. And I see who I am in myself. And I want deliverance. And blessed are those children who grow up in a Christian home where they have much light dawning upon their soul.

And this whole process of trying to make this thing right and do it right and do this right and say this right. That process comes full force on the child who grows up in a Christian home. You say, well that's not fair.

No, listen to what Paul said. So what advantage has the Jew or what profit is there in circumcision? And Paul says, much every way. Because this whole process is speeded up in their life. And again, the end?

Christ. Glorious Christ. To bring the sinner to the place where they say, I'm done. I can't do it. Many who are surrounded with much Christian influence have more of a tendency to do this because Christian home.

And some do a pretty good outward job of it. But guess what? Something is missing inside that gnawing, silent witness that just keeps saying, but yet something isn't right in here. There is no grace and power in their life, though they're trying to reform.

There is no grace and power in their life, though they know to do what is right. There is no grace and power in their life to walk with God or read His Word or have a good time of prayer. That's all missing.

Just a whole lot of struggles to bring this body and soul into order without God in the center. Man says, I can't do it. God says, I've done it. Man says, I can't stop. God says, I will take away the sin of the world.

Man says, there's no hope for me. In his despair, and God says, I will be your hope and your very life. Man says, I need God. Oh, beautiful words. And God says, I will be your Father and your all in all.

Welcome home. Oh, the joy of coming to Christ and finding Him. Finding that He is all I need. And to begin to walk with God, living by the life of another. Welcome home, Adam. Welcome home. Welcome back to the simple life of walking with God.

But before this can happen in reality, there must be repentance. There must be repentance. And thus, that leads us to our next definition, which you're supposed to memorize for tomorrow. Repentance. This is a beautiful definition.

Repentance as Turning from Sin to Christ

Not that I wrote it, but I spent hours on it. It is godly sorrow for sin, which leads to a forsaking and a renouncing of sin and a turning to Christ for salvation. Repentance is twofold. It is a turning from sin and a turning to Christ for deliverance.

It is a change of mind that brings about a change of action. That's what repentance is. Some might say, why is repentance so important? Why make such a big deal about this? There are two reasons. Number one, because the Bible does.

Amen? That's the only reason I need. Because the Bible does. But number two, because we are dealing with a person, not a doctrine or a set of beliefs. If all I need to do is give a mental assent to a group of doctrines, then repentance doesn't mean a whole lot.

But if I am dealing with a person, and we are, and that person is God, then all of a sudden repentance comes right into full view. In a person's life. Isaiah 53, 6 says, All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned every one to his own way.

And the Lord hath laid on him, Christ, the iniquity of us all. Listen, if the revelation of that verse right there falls upon your heart, it's going to rot repentance in your heart. I have gone astray, and I've turned to my own way, and in my rebellion, the Lord has laid the iniquity of me on Christ.

That will rot repentance all by itself. Repentance. The Greek word is metanoia. It means to change one's mind and purpose. This word appears 60 times in the New Testament. It is no small emphasis in the Bible.

I think it's very clear that God is trying to tell us something again. When you see a word that shows up that many times, either repent or repentance, 60 times in the New Testament. Now, repentance, brethren, is not a popular thing today.

In, quote, Christian circles. It is considered a negative message, and the people like to feel good about themselves. So, the preachers are compromising and not preaching repentance. Like one famous man said recently, who had, I don't know, 30 or 40 thousand people coming to his church on Sunday morning.

And some secular man asked him, why? Why are all these people coming to your church? Why are you telling them that they're all coming like this? And he said these words. Well, we found in this day and this age that we live in, that people like to feel good about themselves.

Great revelation, sir. That people like to feel good about themselves. So, we say the things that make them feel good. And they just keep coming and coming. Yeah, right. Only one problem with that. Someday, God's going to make them feel bad.

But it's going to be too late. And blood will be on that man's hands. I guarantee it. Yes, we live in a day and an age when the people have itching ears. And they gather themselves men who will tell them the things that they want to hear.

Oh, don't tell us what we need to hear. Just tell us what we want to hear. Make it fun. Make it light. Make it good. I want to feel good about myself when I go home on Sunday morning. To delete repentance out of the work of God in the soul of man is no little thing, brothers.

For the most part, if you delete repentance out of it, you've deleted God right out of the picture. Man is a sinner with specifics. But, if we come to these people and say that man is a sinner, generic.

No specifics. Just a sinner, generic. By the way, just about anybody would acknowledge that. As long as you don't get specific. Just keep it generic. Should we tell them man is a sinner, generic. And then you don't give them any repentance.

And, oh, no confession of sin either because there's no repentance. And we didn't get specific about anything. Add to that the idea that we're justified by faith in Christ. And then encourage them to just pray.

And ask Jesus to come into their heart. And the fruit of this theology of salvation is horrifying. It's horror. It produces worldliness. It produces reprobate silver in the church. It produces fornication and evil and wickedness and pornography and all kinds of things.

Oh, then throw on top of that eternal security. You prayed this prayer. This verse says that you are eternally secure. So, relax. I don't think we need to be real smart to figure out this kind of a salvation theology is going to produce a life that is not change.

But remember, because of these things the wrath of God cometh upon the children of disobedience. I don't care how many times they say they're justified in Christ. Because of these things the wrath of God cometh upon the children of disobedience.

Let no man deceive you with vain words. I'll give you a little bit of my testimony here. My soul winning testimony. Years ago when I was in Bible school, we had to, no we got to, we had the privilege of going soul winning every week.

If you didn't go soul winning every week, they threw you out of the school. Praise God for that. Well, we also had to turn in a little report. How many people did you witness to? And how many people came to Christ?

Well, you know, when I went to Bible school, I didn't know anything. I was just a hippie, six months old in the Lord. And I went to Bible school and I just took everything they gave me. Amen? You know, that's what an ignorant hippie is going to do.

And I started winning souls the way that they taught us. And so, every Saturday or Monday morning we'd fill out our soul winning report and I'd put down there, witness to four, two of them, you know, were born again.

Witness to five, three of them were born again. Two, three, four, five. I mean, some of these guys came in today, they had this thing rolling. I mean, they'd come in on Monday morning and say, I won ten to the Lord.

But all of a sudden, one day it began to dawn on me. None of these people that are praying these prayers ever come to church. And none of them get baptized. My own little heart started saying, maybe we're doing something wrong.

And I went back to the Scriptures and started searching the Scriptures. And all of a sudden, the light of repentance began to dawn upon my heart. And I thought, these people aren't repenting. That's why they're not coming to church.

That's why none of them will get baptized. I'm going to try this thing. So, I started, I just kept right on going with soul winning every Saturday. But when I got these people down to that place where we're going to just really get down to business, I started preaching repentance to them.

Do you know what happened? My soul winning report went down. Like the stock market. Zero. Zero. Next week, zero. One. Zero. Zero. One. My soul winning report went down. Do you know what? I could clearly see as I began to minister to those people on that level, they don't care one bit about repenting of their sins.

They just would like to have a one-way ticket to heaven. Well, who wouldn't like a one-way ticket to heaven? But it's not heaven that we're dealing with. It's very clear as we see the glorious revelation of Christ and His salvation dawning upon human history that God led every one of His messengers to preach repentance as a requirement to enter in.

Biblical Preaching of Repentance

John the Baptist was clear on this subject. Matthew 3, verse 2, he said, Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. And later on in that same chapter, he said to the ones who were not repenting, he let them in.

He didn't let them in that way. He said to them, Bring forth therefore fruits, meat for repentance. Let me see your repentance. A change of mind which produces a change of action. So John the Baptist, you know, that's what he did.

He was the man who said to the people, Prepare ye the way of the Lord. Make a way for the Lord. Make straight in the desert a highway for God. Was he talking about a desert with dust and sand? Or was he talking about the desert of our heart?

Which one do you think he was talking about? The desert of our heart. Make straight in the desert a highway for our God. How? Repent is what he said. Oh, he was not a popular preacher by the way. Our Lord Jesus from the beginning of His ministry preached repentance to the people as the only way that they could come to Him.

He said this in Luke 5 verse 31. They that are whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. That's what I came for, Jesus said. To call sinners to repentance.

When Christ was giving the Great Commission to His apostles, He made it very clear what was to go along with the good news of salvation that they're supposed to preach. He said it this way in Luke 24 verse 47.

And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name among all nations. Beginning at Jerusalem. The apostles took His word very seriously and obeyed His command to preach repentance everywhere.

Peter said it this way. In Acts chapter 2 verse 38. After the men said, Men and brethren, what shall we do? We were on that yesterday. 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.

And even Paul the apostle, who did not hear or see all that the others heard and saw, still he is right on on this subject. Acts chapter 26 and verse 20 he says,. But I showed first unto them of Damascus and at Jerusalem and throughout all the coasts of Judea and then to the Gentiles that they should repent and turn to God and do works meet for repentance.

Sounds like he was listening to John the Baptist sermon, doesn't it? These men emphasize repentance. That beautiful church that we heard about yesterday. His brother Dean Taylor was up here sharing with us.

This is what produced that beautiful church. Now, not only this. Amen. The other end, the end of this is Christ. But you don't come to Christ if you are not willing to repent. I rest my case. The Bible teaches repentance.

Again, not a very popular teaching today. In this land of comfort and good and ease. In this feel-good-about-myself humanistic philosophy that's all around us. Repentance is not a very popular message.

And by the way, I also want to remind you, brethren, of the environment that these early apostles were preaching repentance in. The environment that they were preaching it in. They could have lost their head for saying what they said.

But they said it anyway. Here's a little definition or a little commentary on repentance. Out of Barnes' commentary. One that I read that I felt, this is good. He said, Repentance implies sorrow for past offenses.

2 Corinthians 7 .10. And a deep sense of the evil of sin as committed against God. Repentance is also a full purpose to turn from transgression. And to lead a holy life in Christ. A true penitent has sorrow for his sin.

Not only because it is ruinous to his own soul. But chiefly because it is an offense against God. I have sinned against the holy God. Repentance. It is a 180 degree turn. That's what repentance means.

It means to turn around and go the opposite way. If we can just act it out here on the platform this morning. It's an individual who's going their own way. Oh, we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned everyone to his own way.

And the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. But when God arrests a man's attention on the road of life. And he begins to realize that his own way is a wicked way. That his own way crucified the Lord.

That his own way is a way of misery. That his own way is going to bring judgment upon his life. He hears those things. The conviction of the Spirit of God comes upon him. And he turns around. Amen? But brethren, he doesn't just turn around.

Amen? I mean, if you realize you're going the wrong way. You don't just turn around from going the wrong way. You start going the right way. That's repentance. Like Paul said, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.

And I'll tell you what, that will produce a life. A beautiful life. So remember what the definition says. It is a turning from sin and a turning to Christ for deliverance. It is a change of mind which brings about a change of actions.

Bring therefore fruits. Meet for repentance. I think of the dear Anabaptists of the early days of the movement. The Anabaptist movement. They believed that repentance was amendment of life. If there was no amendment of life, you can talk about how sad you are and how sorry you are for what you did until you're blue in the face.

That doesn't mean anything. If the life is not going to change, it's not repentance. But oh, some of the beautiful examples that I read of the early Anabaptists. Oh, how powerfully this whole process of conviction and repentance was displayed by them and among them.

Those early preachers gathered small groups together. And in brokenness shared their own testimony. How God had changed them. And then preached Christ's call to the people. And amazing things happened.

Men and women came under such deep conviction that they simply fell on their knees and began to tremble. And by the way, let me remind you of the context of that. I mean, when those fellows gave Christ's call, come and follow me.

And it landed on the conscience of the hearts of those people. Those people knew. If I yield to this conviction which is coming upon me, and truly repent, and follow Christ, I could be in jail in ten days and lose my head in twenty.

But they came. Oh, they came. They came by the hundreds. They came by the thousands. The Spirit of God descended upon them and the people just broke and began to weep. And were compelled by God to turn away from their selfish life.

And to follow Christ even unto their death. And many did. That's repentance. There is a portion of Scripture this morning that defines this matter of repentance so well. I want you to note a few things while we turn there to 2 Corinthians chapter 7.

Godly Sorrow and the Fruit of Repentance

Note a few things as we read. Note the key words in this passage. After you've been listening to me for a half an hour on this subject, note the key words in this passage. Note also the fruit of repentance described in this passage.

And thirdly, I would like you to note, this passage that we're going to read was written to Christians. To Christians. Repentance is not just for back there. When I come to the Lord. Repentance is a way of life.

We'll say more about that later. It might be helpful to know some of the background of this text here. In 2 Corinthians chapter 7. It is a report. It is the result of a report that Titus brought back to the Apostle Paul.

Remember, Paul wrote 1 Corinthians to them. And it was a pretty strong letter, 1 Corinthians. He admonished them and rebuked them about several things. And back in those days, it was alright for a minister to rebuke the people when they actually listened to him.

And bowed their heart to the things that he had to say. And then they'd just say, oh well that's what he thinks. Who is he? They didn't do that back in his day. And so he wrote. He wrote a letter to them as he heard and found out how things were going.

You're going to law against each other. You're causing divisions. You're saying I'm of this one, I'm of that one, I'm of Paul. He's my favorite preacher. You're doing all those kind of things. They were mixed up on things.

And they were having fellowship with one who was living in incest. But when Paul heard these things, oh my. His heart was so burdened. His heart was so broken. He wrote them a letter of reproof. You know what they did with that letter?

They broke their hearts. I mean this, Paul wrote this to us. They broke their heart. And they repented. There was a season of mourning and grief and sorrow among them. And they responded in obedience to the things that he wrote.

And Titus went there after that letter had come. And saw what happened and came back to Paul. And told Paul, oh Paul you should see their response to the letter that you wrote them. Oh it's beautiful.

He told him all about it. And then Paul turns around and writes back to them. And that's where we're dropping in here in 2 Corinthians chapter 7. Listen to what he says. Verse 8. For though I made you sorry with a letter.

I do not repent. Though I did repent. And what he simply means there is, I have changed my mind now. That's why I'm writing you and saying enough is enough. But he said, though I wrote you a letter and it made you sorry.

And that word, we don't understand that word anymore today. What it means is it made you filled with sorrow. For I perceive that the same epistle hath made you sorry. Though it were but for a season. Which by the way is a good warning to all of us.

If you are taken over with over much sorrow. It can destroy you. But for a season. It's good. Now I rejoice Paul says. Not that ye were made sorry. Oh no. I love you. I'm not rejoicing that you're full of sorrow.