The Evidence of Genuine Conversion — Jono Sims

Examining Ourselves for Genuine Conversion

2 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians chapter 13. I just want to read one verse tonight, verse number 5. 2 Corinthians chapter 13, verse 5. If you're there, would you say amen? Examine yourselves, whether you be in the faith.

Prove your own selves. Know you not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except you be reprobates. May the Holy Spirit of God give you ears to hear the Word of God. Examine, peradzo, to test or to scrutinize.

It literally means, as you place your soul under the test of genuine conversion, you really should scrutinize yourself. Do you pass or fail? And these words only grow in intensity. Documadzo, prove your own selves.

It carries the idea of passing metal through the fire to determine its makeup and its quality. Our God is a consuming fire. And as you pass your own selves through the fiery test of God's Word, what is the metal?

Does it survive or is it consumed? Paul said, examine your own selves, prove yourselves. And then he said, know your own selves. Epignosko, not just a general knowledge, but a detailed knowledge. Strong says it means to know by some distinguishing mark.

Are there any marks that betray you as a child of God? What marks reveal that Jesus Christ is in you except you be reprobates? This word reprobate is the opposite of the word prove. In the Greek, documos, it means a metal passes the test.

In our English language, we would put the prefix un to make it a negative. Same idea in the Greek. That word reprobate is not documos, it's a documos, unapproved. In other words, it means something does not pass the test.

What the apostle is saying is this. When you apply the true biblical criteria of salvation to your life, you fail the test. And beloved of God, this is one test you had better not fail. And but I'm convinced as a pastor that so many will right here in this room.

The apostle Paul says, examine, not your neighbor. Listen to these personal pronouns here. Your own selves. Prove your own selves. Know your own selves. The point of the text is that you don't need to be concerned with anyone here tonight, but your own self.

This is a test that must be by the Holy Spirit of God and the written word of God personally applied to every individual in this room tonight. I pray God will allow us to focus on no one but our own selves.

Fruit as Evidence of Faith

Let me quote a few verses of scripture as we begin tonight. The Lord Jesus said, even so, every good tree bringeth forth good fruit, but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. Now listen to this. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit.

Isn't the Lord so simple? Neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire. Listen now, whereby by their fruits you shall know them.

That's the Lord Jesus. The apostle James said it. Even so, faith, if it hath not works, is dead being alone. The apostle Paul, we can all quote the first part, for by grace are you saved through faith and that's not of yourselves.

It's the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. But listen to this, for we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

These verses and many others just like them reveal that you and I are saved by God's grace through faith alone, apart from good works. But these verses equally teach that everyone who is genuinely converted will bear fruits of righteousness and this is how we know we're saved.

The Bible says in first John in this, the children of God are manifest or made known and the children of the devil, whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.

The Lord said it this way, I'm the vine, you're the branches, he that abideth in me and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit for without me, you can do nothing. If a man abideth not in me, he is cast forth as a branch and is withered and men gather them and cast them into the fire and they are burned.

I just concluded recently, three years and about eight months in the book of Romans, when I finished, I asked God to forgive me for treating it so lightly and that's not a joke. Should have spent much more time in it when I finished Romans chapter two and I don't have time to go into that tonight and specifically verses six through ten.

This is the conclusion that I came to. If you're listening, would you say, man, don't trust works to save your soul, but don't trust that your soul is saved without them. Amen, don't trust works to save your soul, but don't trust that your soul is saved without them.

Now, let me rephrase it after 18 years, which is not long, but after 18 years of preaching verse by verse and book by book through books of the Bible, here is the conclusion that I've come to based upon my study of Scripture.

Listen to my words, the only. Underscore the word only the only evidence of genuine conversion is fruit. Did you hear me? The only evidence of genuine conversion is fruit. In other words, the way to know for sure that you're saved is to study the Bible, find out what it describes as the fruit of conversion.

Then examine your own self, prove your own self, know your own self, or you may be a reprobate. That's what the Bible says. Now, I only have two main points tonight. Very simple, as we consider the evidences of genuine conversion.

Number one, things that are not fruit of genuine conversion, but it almost seems as if they're universally accepted as evidence. Let me restate that. First of all, I want to point to some things very quickly, and I don't want to spend the bulk of my time here, but it must be done.

I want to look at some things that are not evidence of genuine conversion, but everybody thinks they are. And then secondly, and more importantly, what are fruits? Some, not all, I won't be able to be exhaustive.

What are some fruits of genuine conversion? Let's begin on the not side. I want to point out some things tonight that are not evidence of genuine conversion, but everybody thinks that they are. And again, this list is certainly not exhaustive, but in my ministry, it seems that this is where so many people land.

And what I want to say to you tonight is this. If these are the things, the only things you are trusting in as proof of your salvation, then you have been deceived and you're guilty of what the apostle says, you are reprobate, a document, you fail the test, you are not approved before the Lord.

Some of these are perhaps going to be a shock to some of you. Good. Much rather have you be shocked before John O. Sims, who has no power at all, than shocked before the presence of him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

A Profession of Faith Is Not Sufficient Evidence

What are some things that are not evidence of genuine conversion, but to hear people speak, you would think that they are number one on the list, a profession of faith. Number one on the list, a profession of faith is not an evidence in and of itself of genuine conversion.

Help me out. Jesus said, not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, shall inherit the kingdom of God. But he that doeth the will of my father, which is in heaven, Matthew seven twenty one in the context of false prophets, i .e. false professions, people who would emphatically say, Lord, Lord, verily, verily, truly, truly.

I mean, these are people who would boldly declare, I know the Lord, I'm saved, truly, truly. I tell you, I am a Christian, Lord, Lord. Man, we throw the term Lord around down here in the South. It doesn't mean a thing.

While these people were boldly professing their faith in Jesus Christ, he had a profession to problem is his is the only one that counts. They professed, Lord, Lord, and Jesus said, I never knew you, only the Lord's profession counts.

They professed they knew him, but the Bible reveals the Lord said, I never knew you. Paul wrote to Titus and he warned of these people in our churches. He said they professed that they know God, but in works they deny him being an abominable disobedient and to every good work.

Here's that word again. Reprobate a document. They fail the test. Sadly. Tragically, in Southern Baptist life, we have equated the profession of faith as the evidence of conversion. Have you made your profession?

Have you made your profession? We're seeing the evidence of it to 16 .2 million members. The last time I checked, only five million went to church this Sunday. In other words, about 75 percent of our folks don't even go to church.

I was preaching a series on divorce that will pack you church out. Let me tell you why. Because we Baptists lead the charge. The Religious and Ethics Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention. And their magazine printed these statistics.

Now, I will confess to you that this was in the 2000 issue and this is 2007, so it's probably worse now. The divorce rate among Baptists is higher than the entire world surrounding us. In America, the divorce rate is 25 percent.

This must be first time divorce rate among Christians. It's 27 percent among Baptists. It's twenty nine percent. Can we not safely conclude that a profession of faith in and of itself is not an evidence of genuine conversion?

Neither is, I went forward in an invitation, I prayed a sinner's prayer, or I know the date, the time and the place. These are all sacramentalism. They have no power at all to say evidence of genuine conversion is not what you say with your mouth.

This people draw near to me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. Jesus Christ is not impressed with what you say because he can see the state of your heart. No, a profession, if that's all you have, is not a place to anchor your soul.

Assurance, Emotion, Church Membership, and Baptism

Number two. Now, you listen all the way. Don't you go out of here tonight and misquote me. Neither is assurance. Now, I believe in eternal security. I believe that God knew us in Christ Jesus before the foundation of the world and chose us to be saved.

And therefore, nothing can ever separate us from the love of God in Jesus Christ. And that's where we get that doctrine from in Romans chapter eight. That's not what I'm talking about. When I say assurance is not an evidence of genuine conversion.

I'm talking about those folks who live the life of sin and who have habitual patterns of sin in their life. And you can ask them, sir, are you safe? And they'll look you in the face and they'll say without a moment's hesitation, I have no doubt.

I'm absolutely sure. I know I am safe. Assurance. They're assured, they are confident, they are bold that they know the Lord. That was the great group Jesus was preaching to in Matthew chapter seven. Church people, people that were sure that they were saved.

As a matter of fact, when Jesus said to them, I never knew you in Matthew seven, twenty eight, the Bible says they were astonished. It was a bombshell. They were absolutely shocked. You know what I think people are really saying, sir, are you saved?

Do you know for sure you're safe? I think what they may be saying is, yeah, I went forward. Sure, I prayed that prayer. The preacher. I did exactly what the preacher told me to do. Why? I was even baptized.

They're confident. They're sure they are assured that they have a home in heaven. Jesus said, and I'll talk about this in a moment, they were workers of iniquity. It is a false assurance. No, a profession of faith in and of itself is no evidence of genuine conversion.

Just assurance. Hey, I know I'm saved. That in and of itself is not evidence of genuine conversion. Number three, neither is an emotional feeling. Thou believest there is one God. The young lady that was baptized this morning quoted that.

Thank you, sister. Thou believest there is one God. Thou doest well. The devils also believe and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead. You know, demons have a better theology than most Baptists.

I mean, they have a good theology of Christology, they have a good theology of the deity of Jesus Christ. They know about the person and the work of God, the father and God, the son and God, the Holy Spirit.

And the Bible says when they think on these things, they even they even tremble. They think they're Quakers. Only problem is it's a dead faith. Because in the demonic realm, what they believe and tremble at produces no obedience to lordship.

You wouldn't believe some things people says to a preacher. I know you all think Brother Jeff is exaggerating. Brother, if you preach about genuine conversion every Sunday till you die, you will not be imbalanced.

Here's what I've had people tell me before. Man, when I got saved, I had an awesome feeling. I had a girl tell me one time I asked her if she was saved. She said, yes. I said, how do you know? She said, well, that day the air was cleaner, the sky was bluer, the sun was brighter and the birds sang prettier.

I'm not kidding. There are people that are going to step out into eternity based on the temperature, the cloud coverage, the wind direction and songbirds. It may sound ridiculous, but that's what people do.

Let me tell you something that the demons wouldn't want me to tell you tonight. You can hear the word of God. You can tremble when you hear it. You can cry. You can have goosebumps and die in your sins and go straight to hell.

Because faith without works is dead and that kind of faith will not save your soul and emotional feelings is not an evidence of genuine conversion. Number four, neither is church membership and baptism.

It's church, folks, Jesus is preaching to people that have been baptized, people who have, if you will, joined a church still lost in their sin. Church membership is not an evidence of salvation, neither is baptism.

And while I'm on that subject, let me just say this. Baptism has never conveyed the grace of God to one soul. Did you hear me? Grace does not come through the right of baptism. Baptism, first Peter three twenty one cannot put away the filth of the flesh, but it is an answer of a good conscience towards God.

There are multiplied millions of people who believe they will enter into heaven simply because they've joined a church or been baptized. One of my best friends who still, to the best of my knowledge, lives in the Florence area, went to elementary school with me and a very dear friend.

And I remember it like it was yesterday. I could have only been in the fourth or the fifth grade. And he came to school and he was all excited. And he told me and I didn't know a whole lot then, but I knew enough to know this wasn't right.

And he told me, he said, man, I'm going to be baptized Sunday. I said, you are. Had you been saved? He said, no, mom and dad told me it was time to be baptized. So I'm going to be baptized. And did you know that unless something has changed in that young man now, older man's life, he is going to step out into eternity and face a holy God without the blood of Jesus, only because his mom and his dad said it's time for you to be baptized.

That is not an evidence of conversion. Neither is number five religious activity. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name and in your name, cast out devils and in your name done many wonderful works?

What a self incriminating indictment when called in the presence of Jehovah God, they argue their words as the basis of their conversion. It's proof that they never knew the Lord. A genuinely converted child would never argue works before the throne of God.

He would offer up only the blood of Jesus. You know, some people confuse religious activity with fruit. I read a quote in C .I. Schofield's Bible years ago. He said religious fruit may be mimicked, but never duplicated because fruit can only be produced by the converting work of the Holy Spirit of God.

Do not make the mistake of confusing religious activity with spirit produced fruit. And so many people do that. They think, well, I'll just get busier and I'll just do more and I'll just sign up and I'll just go on that mission trip and I'll just give a little bit more than a tithe.

It's almost like a Catholic indulgence for heaven's sakes. God, I'll tithe, you overlook my foul mouth. God, I'll go to church, you overlook my drunkenness. Lord, I'll sing in the choir, you just overlook my extramarital affair.

Paul said, do you not understand that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. No fornicator, no idolater, no adulterer, no effeminate, which means homosexual, will inherit the kingdom of God.

No thief, no covetous, no drunkard, no reviler, no extortioner will inherit the kingdom of God. There'll be a lot of former fornicators and there'll be a lot of former idolaters and there'll be a whole bunch of former homosexuals and prostitutes and crack addicts and everything else.

But there won't be any present ones because the blood of Jesus Christ, his son, cleanses us from all unrighteousness. Religious activity is not an evidence of genuine conversion. Some of the most godless, wicked, immoral people I know attend church religiously.

They're deacons, they're choir members, but they're not converted. I'm not bitter about it. Pastor, you just learn to live with it. If you don't, you're not going to be around very long. Folks in Shelbyville don't give me any trouble.

I've never had the city council call me in and say, you're in trouble. It's some doggone church, folks. That's where I have my trouble. People who say with their mouth, I love God, but in words, they deny the Lord, deny the Lord Jesus Christ.

You know, I asked the Lord about that. It was always a little bit confusing to me because Jesus said, not everyone that says to me, Lord, Lord, shall inherit the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father, which is in heaven.

These people were doing, weren't they? I mean, they were preaching, weren't they? They were casting out devils, weren't they? Their own statement was they were doing many wonderful works. Yeah, by their estimation.

But by God's, they were workers of iniquity. You know what that means? I believe they were living a double life while they were preaching. They were living immoral while they were casting out devils. They were living a double life while they were doing their own professed many wonderful works.

They were hypocrites living a double life. Listen to me now. Listen to me. You can fool Jeff Mappleton. You can fool John O. Sims and you can fool the elders of this church, even with all the safeguards they have.

But you will never fool the son of God. What chance do you think you have of duping an infinite, all knowing, all wise, holy God? This is one test you had better not fail. I want to spend the rest of my time on the yes side of the equation.

Love for God and Obedience to His Word

Brother, what are some evidences of genuine conversion? Please drink deep at this well. Our youth had a disciple now weekend this past weekend. They had a fifth quarter after the ball game. They all met up at the church and we encouraged them to bring their friends.

Brother Charles went on my computer and got this manuscript. I had this sermon given to me when I was going through the book of Romans. And he went in and and downloaded it. And this this was their text for the disciple.

Now, the evidence of genuine conversion. How can I know for sure? That I've experienced what it means to be born again, wrought of God. Number one on the list, are you folks listening, would you wave at me?

Number one on the list, genuine love for God, that's number one. How do we know that we pass from death into life? Paul said in Romans chapter five, we know that tribulation work of patience and patience, experience and experience hope and hope makes us not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our heart by the Holy Spirit who is given unto us.

Love for God is not something you work up. Love for God is not something you turn up. Love for God is supernaturally imparted by the Holy Spirit at conversion. I mean, when you get saved, you fall in love with God.

And by the way, Jesus Christ is God. So you love him, you love the father and you love the Holy Spirit. Say, brother, John, oh, is that just an affinity toward God? Is that an emotional feeling? Yes, but it's so much more than that.

This is the love of God that we keep his and they're not grievous. This is how we know that we know him. If we keep his commandments, he that saith I know him, but he does not keep his commandments is a liar.

And the truth is not in him. Whoever keeps his word in him, the love of God is perfected. And this is how we know we're in him. He that saith he is in him ought to walk even as he walked. First, John, two, three, three, six.

Listen to me. Genuine love for God always produces obedience to God. Do you hear me? You go into these folks home and they got a copy of the Bible and I'm not trying to be disrespectful, but they've got a copy of the Bible sitting there on their coffee table that could choke Godzilla.

You know what I'm talking about? Got the praying hands and Jesus looking up into heaven and the thing's got a quarter inch of dust on it. And brother, I'll tell you, if you move that Bible five inches, they'd whack your head off.

But they hadn't opened up and read it in years. I'll tell you right now, all they've got is a form of godliness without the power. It's not just some kind of Southern flag waving, you know, pride in a leather covered book.

Man, listen, it is obedience to the word of God. That's how we know that we love God. And I'll tell you this. When you obey God, when you love God, when you follow obediently as a disciple, you get the feelings, too.

I mean, you get the affinity, you get the affection. I was in here today and I was on the front pew as Brother Tom was leading us. And I promise you, I'll say, oh, God, help me. Oh, God, help me. I was so emotional.

I didn't think I was going to be able to preach. I was weeping. I was crying and I'm not really a weeper. And my heart was just overcome with a sense of the love of God. Loving God is great. And that's that's one way that we know that we've passed from death unto life.

Sanctification and Perseverance in Holiness

Number two, we know that we've been genuinely converted because the Holy Spirit of God is continually separating us from sin. Did you hear me? No, that's not the doctrine of sinless perfection. The false doctrine, I might add, it's the doctrine of sanctification that God separates us from the world to live a holy lifestyle for him.

Listen to me now. Every person whom God saves, he sanctifies. If you're not being sanctified, you've never been justified. And you hadn't got a half a hallelujah's chance of being glorified. I'm confident of this.

He who began a good work in you, regeneration and justification will be faithful to perform it. Sanctification under the day of Christ Jesus, glorification, in other words, if you're expecting that you had better be experiencing this, which is based upon that regeneration and justification always leads to sanctification and sanctification always leads to glorification and nothing can abort the process because God chose that we would experience it before the world began.

You know what's interesting to me? If you read Romans chapter eight, and I understand that sanctification is not mentioned, but brother, it's overwhelmingly applied. When Paul in Romans chapter eight says that everyone whom God foreknew, he predestined everyone whom he predestined, he called everyone whom he called, he justified and everyone he justified.

He also G .L .O .R .I .F .I .E .D. When I was in school, that's past tense. Still is two plus two is four and glorified still past tense. You know, from God's perspective, I'm already glorified. You'll see the glory shining off my bald head.

That's not glory. That's lights. But praise God, I'm headed for glory. Amen. And I'm telling you right now, beloved of God, everyone whom God justifies, he also sanctifies and all whom he sanctifies, he also glorifies.

And since God chose that before the foundation of the world, nothing in time can abort the process. And my glorification is mentioned in the past tense because from God's perspective in eternity, it's already happened because there is no time in heaven.

God's not bound by time. God is not on a schedule. When God saved me, he justified me, he sanctified me, and he glorified me. I'm just kind of along for the ride. It's working itself out now in my life.

I know I'm safe because God is continually separating me from sin. You know, before I got saved, I could sin and enjoy it. Can I honestly tell you tonight that I do still sin? But I'll tell you right now, there's not an ounce of joy in it.

Oh, it grieves my heart. It's such a heavy burden. And I am more disappointed now than I ever have been before when I grieve the spirit of my blessed Savior. I hate sin. Do you? I still succumb to it, but I'm telling you right now that I absolutely hate it.

Listen to this. For whom he did foreknow, he did also predestinate to be conformed to the image of his son. That's sanctification. Ephesians 1 says he chose us in him before the foundation of the world to be holy.

That's sanctification. Did you know that sanctification is as much the predestined will of God as regeneration? Just as much. You don't get to pick what of this you want. I think I'll take a little regeneration and I want to go to glory land.

But I'm not too interested in living a holy life. Then you don't have the Jesus of the Bible. You got a God of your own making and it's not going to get you there. See, that's what we're talking about is false conversion.

When you've genuinely been converted, the Holy Spirit of God has taken you on as his his lifetime project of conforming you into the image of Jesus Christ. Brother Paul Washer, nobody's nobody has stated this more clearly than he has about the narrow gate and the narrow path and the Broadway and the wide path.

We bad just think that we can enter in through the narrow path and walk the broad road. It's a lie. Listen to me. I just had vocal cord surgery just a few months ago and I couldn't talk for a week, you know, not a word.

And after that, it was like three weeks. He told me, speak in a conversational tone. I don't have a conversational tone when I'm asleep. It was murder. But, you know, during that time, I read Bunyan's Pilgrim Progress.

And if you've never read it, shame on you. Get it and read it. That book was such an encouragement to me. And I'm telling you right now, you need to get that book and you need to read it. Listen to me now.

One thing Bunyan brings out in Pilgrim's Progress is this. It doesn't matter what you say and it doesn't matter what you've experienced. If you're on the broad path, it only leads to one place. And that's destruction.

It's the narrow path that leads to the celestial city. That's the path you'd better be on. Number three, evidence of genuine conversion is a genuine Holy Spirit, raw love for God, God's continual separation from sin.

Divine Discipline and Genuine Repentance

And number three, and tell me if this doesn't go along with the former one, discipline when we do sin. Listen to this. For whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

If you endure chastening, God deals with you as sons. For what son is it whom the father does not chasten? But if you be without chastisement, whereof all of us are partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons.

Hebrews 12, 6 through 8. Let me review and then we'll move on. Genuine conversion looks like this. At conversion, God places a love in my heart for him and we love him. And that love is manifested in obedience to him.

And our conversion is manifested in that God is working on us to separate us from sin and to conform us into the image of Christ. Regretfully and sadly, we do still sin because we give in to the flesh or the devil or the world.

But when we sin, brother, God disciplines us, God corrects us, and the Bible says he even scourges us, which means he whips us back into the way. Listen to me. If you can sin and not fall under the discipline of God, you are not his child.

It's the mark of a father to discipline his child. I've heard people, always makes me nervous, stand up in a worship service when it's testimony time. You ever been in testimony time? That's the most nervous time for a pastor.

Usually you get a goofball. I've heard people stand up and say something like this. Yeah, I got saved when I was two years old. I know I'm exaggerating a little bit. They'll say, yeah, I got saved when I was nine years old.

Now, now for the next 40 years, I live like hell. But praise God, I came back last month. No way, Jose. No way. Read 1 John chapter three. Man, listen, if you are abiding in a habitual pattern of sin, it is proof positive that you have never been converted.

Go ahead and jump through those mental hoops you've set up. I did it for 25 years, Pam. You know, for 25 years, I tried to convince God I was saved. For 25 years, I tried to tell God why I was a Christian.

You know, I never did convince Him. He kept convincing me that I was lost. I'd stand up in front of my youth group where I was a youth director, First Baptist Church, Center Star. And I'd tell my youth group, man, you can be saved and know it in the Spirit of God.

Say, you sure can. Problem is, you don't, do you? We do this game in our minds. We think we can barter with God, like I talked about this morning. You know, live this double life and somehow hope in the end that it leads to life.

Friend, it is a lie. We love God. God continually separates us from sin. When we do sin, and we do, God disciplines us to correct us and bring us into the way. And listen to the fourth evidence. These all go together.

It's like a jigsaw puzzle. We love God. God separates us from sin. We sin. God disciplines and corrects us to bring us back into the way. And listen, when the Lord God Almighty pulls out his discipline rod and applies it to his daughter, applies it to his son.

Here's how we know we're saved. We agree with him quickly, quickly, quickly. Repentance is the doctrine. Whosoever covers his sin will not prosper. Whosoever confesses and forsaketh them will have mercy.

When a child of God sins, the Holy Spirit of God will move in with conviction and up the ante as much as he needs to to get your attention. And the child of God, because the Holy Spirit of God lives inside of that child, will have a heart felt brokenness, a genuine repentance.

Brother Jeff, I've seen all kinds of definitions of repentance. I was reading Spurgeon's commentary on Psalm 139 years ago, and he quoted a man I'd never even heard of before. And here was this brother's definition of repentance.

Are you listening to me? Repentance is me taking sides with God against me. Repentance is when I take sides with God against myself. When I sin and the Holy Spirit of God comes and puts his finger on that sin and he will not remove it and he is insistent that I deal with that sin and he will not change his verdict and it will not go away.

The breaking point comes when I say, God, you're right. I am so sorry, Lord, you are right. I'm wrong. You are completely just. And I am wicked. God, you are righteous and I'm unholy. Oh, Father, would you please forgive me?

I'm so sorry. Lord, help me not repeat that again. I truly want deliverance from that. God, you are right. Have mercy on me. Genuine repentance is a heartfelt forsaking of sin, taking sides with God against ourselves.

Paul warns us of false repentance. He said the world has worldly sorrow, which worketh death, but godly sorrow leads to life. He said it this way, godly sorrow leads us to repentance. The King James Version says not to be repented of.