True Repentance Luke 19 Vs 1 10

Good morning, everyone Welcome to Faith Bible Church opening your bulletins to the announcements if you would and You'll see there that there will be a prayer meeting tonight at 6 o 'clock. Also, our missionary of the month is Jack and Bev McMahon they serve in New Zealand with BMW biblical ministries worldwide.

And please pray for them and their mission team and All of their ministries and they really are working to reach all of their students for the Lord. The next leadership board meeting will be Wednesday the 12th at 6 p .m women's Bible study on Saturday June 15th at 10 a .m. And then praying with Paul.

It's our Bible study on Wednesday nights every couple of Wednesdays and it's praying with Paul and June 19th at 530 will be the next one for that. I really want to mention what a great job they seem to be doing on the roof and Is that scheduled to be completed this week?

Yeah, cool. Let's pray dear father Thank you so much For blessing us and Giving us this time and privilege to meet together in your name help us to worship Glorify you in this time in Jesus name. Amen.

This morning we're going to and it's good to see Richard back here on the violin. Look at this and so He just keeps keeps chugging along and he's an example to to all of us. Okay, well he's good he's good at that with grace so so this morning Our first song is going to be speak.

Oh Lord, and it's a really a wonderful song to open our service. It's a it's a prayer and it's a request to the Lord and as usual. Well, I'd like to read the last verse here if I may. It's speak Oh Lord renew our minds.

Help us grasp the heights of your plans for us truths unchanged from the dawn of time that will echo down through eternity and By grace will stand on your promises and by faith will walk as you walk with us.

Speak Oh Lord till your church is built and the earth is filled with your glory. Amen. Let's all stand together as we sing speak. Oh Lord. Our next song is all I have in Christ and I'd like to read because it's a story of redemption and our response to it Colossians 1 13 and 14 read he has delivered us from the power of darkness and Conveyed us into the kingdom of the son of his love in whom we have redemption through his blood.

For the forgiveness of sins and that is something as a believer you can hold on to and nobody can take it away.

This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it. Scripture reading this morning is from 1st Corinthians Chapter 6 verses 9 through 11. 1st Corinthians Chapter 6 Verses 9 through 11.

Know ye not? That the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Be not deceived. Neither fornicators or idolaters Or adulterers nor effeminate or abusers of themselves with mankind nor thieves or covetous or Drunkards nor revilers or extortioners shall inherit the kingdom of God.

And Such were some of you. But ye are washed But ye are sanctified But ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. May the Lord add his blessing and to the reading and hearing of his holy word.

So our next song is.

One that most of you know, it's greatest I faithfulness and God is faithful.

He is a faithful God like none other and let's stand together. Thank you for.

Leading us and worship through music. I appreciate all the musicians and the tech people and Even the Arnett's printing out the music this week, even though they're not up here and thank you for right my wife and Richard and Katie Who practiced the music and thank you for Harold for singing up here because in the end, it's not about the performance but helping us to focus on the Word that show us Who God is and what he's done, right?

We're praising him for who he is and what he's done. Now let us turn to Luke chapter 19 verses 1 through 10. Luke chapter 19 verses 1 through 10. Then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho now behold.

There was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector and he was rich. And he sought to see who Jesus was but could not because of the crowd where he was a short stature. So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him for he was going to pass that way and When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and saw him and said to him Zacchaeus Make haste and come down for today.

I must stay at your house. So he made haste and came down and received him joyfully. But when they saw it, they all complained saying he was gone to be a guest with a man who was a sinner. Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord look Lord I give half of my goods to the poor and if I've taken anything from anyone by false accusation I restore fourfold.

And Jesus said to him today salvation has come to this house. Because he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost. This is the word of the Lord. Let us pray Father we are grateful That you have sent Jesus to save us from our sin.

No matter what sin His atoning death on the cross for our sake is more than sufficient. Help us to trust that. Help us to trust that there's no sinner. That's too far too beyond too far gone. The redemptive reach of your son Jesus Christ help us to Love him and appreciate him give thanks to him this morning.

May we all experience? The loving Presence of the Lord Jesus Christ through his spirit in Jesus name. Amen. Last week we saw the blind man take initiative to call out to Jesus and Jesus of course responded by healing him.

This week we will see Jesus take the initiative to call out to a text collector and The text collector will respond in faith and repentance. Both instances. The crowd that surround Jesus complained. That doesn't change.

Last week we saw through the blind man what it looked like to respond to Jesus in faith. This morning we will see what the proper response to Jesus initiative is. So they're almost like the two sides of the same coin.

And I dare their place next to each other all for that reason. What does it look like to properly respond? In this text we get the chief text collector who responds to Jesus. The ancient readers. The ancient audience would have Been scandalized by the fact that he's a chief text collector.

How could such a sinful man? Right respond to Jesus. How could Jesus stay with such a sinful man? The modern readers, however will struggle with the other part. How could a rich man respond to Jesus? When when colleges and public education indoctrinate people to think that wealth is evil.

And the socialist a communistic ideology is the way to solve the problems of the world. Mainly poverty. That's what we would be scandalized by. However, we have to read the text as The author intended and this morning it shows that there's no sinner.

That is too far. Too far gone to respond to Jesus. Initiative to redeem the scandalizing part of the text collector receiving Jesus is Because that he is a well-known public sinner. Yet, even this sinner will Repent and believe.

This idea of repentance often is misunderstood. Repentance means To turn away from sin and to turn toward God. It is the natural response to One's faith in Jesus Christ. Repentance and faith go together hand in hand because you can't repent without faith in Jesus.

You can't turn towards God without Jesus. Also, you can't just believe and Live the same way that you used to. That's not true faith. So repentance and faith faith also are kind of the two sides of the same coin.

Right. You can't repent without the object of faith Jesus Christ who died for your sin and rose again. Because there's no point of repenting you can't and you also can't truly believe without turning away from sin.

There is no such thing as a Christian who makes practice of sinning and This morning the main point of this text is what is the proper response when Jesus pursues a sinner? What is the proper response when it when Jesus pursues a sinner?

Jesus Pursues the Lost and the Crowd Objects

First when Jesus takes initiative to reach out to Outcasts many reject Jesus decision. When Jesus take initiative to reach out to outcasts many reject Jesus decision. As we're nearing Jerusalem remember Jerusalem ever since Luke chapter 9 Jesus has turned his face to Jerusalem and the reason is This King will be enthroned in the city of David not on a cushy golden throne.

But hanging from the cross. That is his main mission according to the gospel of Luke. Ever since chapter 9 Jesus has been heading towards Jerusalem. That is the center of the gospel account. That's where he's headed.

That's the climax and All of that is to save the world. Now as We near Jerusalem Luke narrates another event in the city of Jericho, which is about 18 miles away. Luke focuses here on a single character verse 2.

Now behold There was a man named Zacchaeus Who was a chief tax collector and he was rich. Remember that tax collectors were basically viewed as the lowest type of people. Tax collectors prostitutes same bunch.

They were known to be Sort of like a traitor, right? Betrayers of Israel because the Roman government. They're too big. So they hire the natives of the land to collect taxes for them. So these tax collectors are native Israelites, they're Jews.

So they're Jews. They're collecting taxes and oftentimes they're tasked to Collect a certain amount for Rome. But the Rome gave them the leeway to collect more than they needed because there would be some travel costs that need needs to be covered and You can guess that if Rome's not really Regulating how much they're actually collecting for their own travel cost that they could defraud some people.

They could take more than they actually need. So they were known For that kind known with that kind of notorious reputation, right? They're Jews, but they're taking money from other Jews excessively, right?

So they're they're viewed as the lowly in terms of their traitors really. Now Zacchaeus is more than just a tax collector. He is the regional director of the tax collectors right, he's the head honcho and What he probably did was instead of him traveling around he probably took a cut from each tax collector that he was in charge of.

So he was probably viewed even Worse than the regular tax collectors at least the regular tax collectors work and walk around to collect taxes. Zacchaeus probably didn't have to walk around too much and hence He is rich.

He collects from the tax collectors. Now when we think about this wealth We have to remember There is a theme of rich people in these couple of chapters in the last chapter Luke chapter 18 We were told about a rich man who rejected Jesus because of his wealth.

Because he could not let go of his wealth. He couldn't surrender his wealth to follow Jesus and Following that Jesus talked about and he actually used an illustration to show that The rich cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven be even a camel.

The biggest domesticated Domesticated animal in that region would have an easier time entering the eye of a needle which is the smallest possible hole that most Common people would come across on a normal day.

A camel to go through the eye of the needle and what Jesus means is not that the wealth Disqualifies someone from being saved. But rather one's passionate devotion to it when they trust that over God himself.

And the question on our mind this morning would be will Zacchaeus be any different? Would he just would it be like any other rich man? We've seen they don't have a good track record in this book and Remember, it's not the wealth that disqualified them.

It's their trust in their wealth over their trust in Jesus that disqualified them. Will Zacchaeus his response be the camel that successfully goes through the eye of the needle, right? That's the question.

And verse 3 shows how Zacchaeus will be involved in Jesus journey through Jericho and He sought to see who Jesus was. But could not because of the crowd for he was a short stature. Similar to the blind man from last week Zacchaeus has only heard about Jesus.

Zacchaeus is relying on the report of who Jesus is and what he has done and In one sense, we're of the same boat. We've only heard of Jesus. We haven't seen Jesus. Same with Zacchaeus up to chapter 3 and similar to the blind man who wanted to see Zacchaeus wants to see Jesus.

Luke threads these similarities together in these two passages. Right these stories these events. Historical events are placed back-to-back together for a reason. Now verse 3 tells us despite Zacchaeus desire to see Jesus.

He was not able to for two reasons. First the crowd had formed around Jesus already. Right sort of like the blind man. He couldn't access Jesus because there was a crowd. The crowd has also heard about Jesus and they want to see.

They want to see all the works that Jesus can do. Second Zacchaeus was short. And you can imagine logically if you're short and there's their crowd surrounding the figure you want to see. You obviously can't see him.

He's covered yet. The two unfortunate realities do not stop Zacchaeus's desire to see Jesus. Zacchaeus has to see Jesus. Verse 4. So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him for he was going to pass that way.

Zacchaeus decides to run ahead of the crowd. He knows where the crowd's headed. And he finds a spot where he can see. And for non-botanists out there a sycamore tree is like an oak tree to him. It's a sturdy tree.

The trunk is short and the branches are wide. This allows the short Zacchaeus to climb up on the tree and safely perch on one of the large branches. And wait for the crowd to pass by. Luke emphasizes Zacchaeus's desire to see here.

He has got to see Jesus. Ironically, it is Jesus who looks up at Zacchaeus first. Verse 5 and when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and saw him. And said to him. Zacchaeus. Make haste and come down.

For today I must stay at your house. Unlike the last passage in which the blind man who can't see Jesus calls out loudly to Jesus son of David. Have mercy on me. Here Jesus takes the initiative. Jesus calls out to Zacchaeus down from the tree.

Hurry up and come down because I will stay at your house tonight. Zacchaeus hoped for a glimpse of Jesus. Now he will get to host Jesus. Right. Zacchaeus only hoped that he could just see Jesus from a distance.

Well, Jesus will stay at his very home tonight. And verse 6 shows Zacchaeus's ready response. So he made haste and came down and received him joyfully. All the commands that Jesus stated in the previous verse is immediately obeyed.

He Made haste he came down and he received him with joy. Just as quickly he went up the tree to see Jesus. He hurries down just as quickly to receive Jesus. Uh, the word for hurrying here connotes excitement.

In fact last time it was used in Luke. It was in Luke 2 when the shepherds hurried to see what the angels announced of the birth of the savior to see Jesus. Lying in the manger right. Zacchaeus is obviously excited.

And in fact Luke tells us. He welcomes Jesus joyfully full of joy. Verse 7 however tells us the unfavorable response by the crowd. But when they saw it they all complained saying he has gone to be guests with a man who's a sinner.

Note the word play in this passage with the verb to see we. We have seen the verb to see many times. Zacchaeus wants to see. So he climbs up to see and then Jesus looks up and to see. And now the crowd sees.

Zacchaeus just wants to see Jesus passing by. And he makes all the effort to climb up the tree to wait and see. Ironically Jesus looks up at Zacchaeus first and takes the initiative to stay at Zacchaeus house.

Now the crowd although they can see Jesus closer than Zacchaeus could. They cannot see why in the world would Jesus make that kind of decision? The ones who are physically close to Jesus Cannot see what Jesus sees in Zacchaeus.

It's a word play here. They complain. They grumble about it and last time we saw grumbling was when the religious leaders grumbled against Jesus for Eating with the tax collectors and sinners. And in this case the crowd is similar to the pharisees.

They have a problem with Jesus a holy man the one who obviously is working divine miracles. They have a problem with him. Staying with a sinner like Zacchaeus. They like the spectacles and signs. They like the wonders and miracles.

But they cannot stand whom Jesus hangs out with. They like Jesus miracles, but they have a problem with his friends. Healing the blind man last time was great. And glory to God for that. But man staying with the tax collector.

That's a bit too much Jesus. Please stick to doing the miracle stay on the stage. Stay up there. Don't come down to the stage. We don't like the ones you're shaking hands with. Don't get personal with these folks.

Just do what you do best. Do the supernatural works? But gee do not associate with them. And this is in fact the tragic response. Often by the very people who have witnessed Jesus power and teaching. It shows That you can experience Jesus greatness.

Yet have problem with his people and it is Even more sad to see this happening in the church. And we do this by elevating certain sins and sinners at a level in which that Jesus cannot reach. Um I'm not saying sin is okay.

And as a church, we don't condone sin but there's a way of elevating certain sins in which We implicitly believe that Jesus compassionate touch cannot possibly reach. For example, did you hear about beth's daughter she's into witchcraft.

Well, johnny's struggling with homosexuality. I don't think it can be saved. Sally lives with her boyfriend. Gee, she's beyond jesus reach. Now all of those actions are sins. And all of them are legitimate sinners.

Yet what we need to remember is there is no sinner that's too far from jesus salvation. There is no category of sin in which jesus redemptive death and resurrection cannot pierce through. Hence David read from first corinthians.

All of these lists of sins, right. Thieves idolaters adulterers fornicators. Homosexuals, but what this paul says it doesn't say that's that's who you are. No, he says such were some of you. It means they weren't anymore.

They were washed. They were sanctified. They were justified. In the name of christ jesus saw these people whom many of us might just cringe at. Amen and he saw. They don't have to live that way. They can be cleansed from that that does not have to be their identity.

And when we make prejudgments on certain groups of people or certain types of sin We in fact join the crowd in their grumbling. We have a problem with jesus' plan of redemption. Ultimately Jesus came to save sinners.

Saving the lost is jesus' main business. He does not shy away from the social outcasts whom the world thinks is Just too wicked. The very people we're prone to cross the street to avoid contact with them.

The very people that we try to avoid jesus races toward them after all. He came to forgive sins. Not just the light sins or the publicly acceptable sins, you know ones that most people are fine with. The respectable sins.

Oh, he just works too much. Oh, she just worries about the finances. When jesus died on the cross He didn't just bear the respectable sins but all of our sins. Ones that you don't want anyone else to know about.

He died for sinners that people physically draw back from. The people that they naturally step back from right they they don't want to talk closer and closer. Maybe if I step back more they might get the memo.

I don't feel comfortable talking to you. Right. Those are the very people jesus came to die for. Jesus fully suffered the wrath of god that Not only we deserve but they deserved so that he can save them.

In heaven, don't be shocked when you meet former murderers and former communists. In heaven, don't be surprised when you see jesus feasting with former strippers and gang members. To jesus there's no sinner too far from his redemptive reach.

And the question for this morning is will you celebrate with jesus or join the crowd in grumbling when you see jesus saving the outcast. Will you pray for these outcasts or will you Ignore them or even more will you pray that god may use you to reach out to these outcasts or will you Run the other direction second.

True Repentance Bears Visible Fruit

What happens when jesus takes the initiative to pursue the lost. The proper response to jesus pursuit is belief in repentance. The proper response to jesus pursuit is belief in repentance. As zacchaeus receives jesus into his house Zacchaeus shows signs of true faith and repentance.

Remember true faith and repentance go together. You cannot have true faith. And not turned away from sin. And you cannot have true repentance Without the true object of faith jesus christ. You can't repent without jesus christ.

Then zacchaeus stood and said to the lord look lord I give half of my goods to the poor and if i've taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore four fold. Unlike the rich ruler who could not give his wealth to the poor upon jesus visit Zacchaeus generously offers half of his wealth.

This shows that uh. Giving all of your wealth is not a command specifically for all the wealthy. Right. It's case by case. And let me tell you what the significance of the 50 is in ancient israel 20 was considered very generous.

Giving 20 of your wealth is considered very generous. And I mean that goes along with this world too. Like if if you give 20 of your net worth To the poor that's pretty generous. What that means is giving 50 is incredible and this is not a command.

That applies to all the wealthy here. Jesus never told zacchaeus to do this. Zacchaeus did it from the bottom of his own heart. Giving generously does not save you in the end, right? If that were a command, that's that's what it would be.

However, it is a concrete proof of the salvation that has occurred in this man's life. Right. Zacchaeus's generosity to the poor is showing the supernatural. Change in a sinner's heart in response to receiving jesus.

That's what it is. There is nowhere in the bible in which you are commanded to give in order to be saved. That's works righteousness. That's a damnable doctrine. You cannot save yourself. Uh, no matter how generous you are however.

Because he's been saved through jesus he can be extremely generous. The second action shows Zacchaeus's repentance. If I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold. Presumably during his tax collecting job.

He has defrauded people. Right as i've mentioned that tax collectors often did that. Here's Zacchaeus makes right what he has done wrong. He restores those whom he has wronged. According to leviticus 5 16 the legal requirement for restoration after extortion defrauding someone was actually 20.

So if I uh You know lie to one of you. And say just give me 100 bucks and um. You can get to heaven. And I get caught right the elders they catch me and they're like You can't be doing that. Now it's it's not just okay to say sorry.

According to the levitical law if I had been a jew, I would have to pay 120 bucks back. That's what it is. That's what leviticus 5 16 is saying. Zacchaeus however takes the bigger restoration requirement according to the law.

And he promises to restore fourfold this is four times the amount he has defrauded. And this is found in exodus 22 1 it's it's when you steal a livestock like sheep or a calf a bull. You you were to return four to five times.

But he didn't need to do that. He wanted to do that. And the reason is after placing his faith in christ. He starts to live a completely different life. This is a picture of true repentance. Repentance is not Saying i'm sorry and returning to the old way.

And repentance is also not saying i'm really sorry and returning to your former life. Repentance is turning away from sin and turning toward god. Repentance must be visible in a sinner's life. Which means a repentant sinner does not make practice of sinning.

Although a repentant sinner does not become perfect. That's by no means what i'm saying. They don't become sinless that moment his life trajectory, however changes from wickedness to that of sanctification.

He's becoming more and more set apart for god. A repentant sinner begins to live righteously. Remember. It's a process. Sanctification is a process not an event. A repentant sinner begins to conform to the image of christ day by day.

They may not be perfect when they're saved. They may not be perfect. They won't be perfect 10 years after they're saved but from that moment of salvation and after 10 years he has become more like jesus in character and attitude.

Mindset his speech his behavior and how he views other people and how he loves. That's the fruit of repentance. And after witnessing jesus transformation Jesus responds in verse verses 9 to 10. Today salvation has come to this house because he Also is a son of abraham.

Jesus affirms the key is his salvation. Zacchaeus is not putting on a show for jesus that act of generosity. That wasn't just the show. His generosity is the outward expression of his inward salvific reality.

It's the natural fruit of the supernatural redemption. That has taken place inside. Moreover, jesus has no problem calling. Zacchaeus. A son of abraham the father of the faith remember abraham Is really the epitome of the old testament, uh faith.

And the reason is he believed in god's promises. When he couldn't see it. And god created it credited it to him his faith as righteousness. Abraham didn't live a perfect life. He didn't live a sinless life, even though he actually fell many times.

Sometimes a certain sin multiple times. Right yet He is credited to be righteous. Not because he's perfect not because of good works, but because he believed in god God. He's a faithful man and if you are a jew Abraham is the highest example of faith in the old testament.

The crowd may think Zacchaeus is a fraud but to jesus. He belongs to abram's family. The crowd may scrutinize his past sins. But jesus sees a faithful child of promise. You couldn't get a higher praise as a jewish text collector than that.

You resemble your father abraham. Zacchaeus. You know your response right there when you repented and believed you look like abraham. That's what it's saying. If you're called son of something it means you resemble.

That's something and jesus affirms Zacchaeus his newfound faith. In the end this visit fulfills jesus mission to save the world for the son of man has come to seek and save That which was lost. Jesus did not come to save those who think they have it all together.

Jesus came to save the lost. Those who cannot save themselves. Those who know that they cannot save themselves, right because no one can save themselves. But for someone like Zacchaeus who knew. Just no matter how hard he tried he could save himself.

So he got to see jesus. Jesus came to save those type of people. And Zacchaeus is the lost sheep that jesus carries back on his shoulders to joyfully celebrate. Zacchaeus is the lost coin that jesus rejoices over when he comes back.

To jesus. Zacchaeus is the reason that he came to die on the cross bearing his sin. Zacchaeus is the reason jesus came to die and rise from the dead. And when you become a christian. The moment you place your faith in christ and as you live.

The internal faith Becomes visible. This is because when you're saved you're renewed in christ. You're not who you used to be. Your identity is no longer in your sin. Oh, this is this is why We don't identify christians with sin nature or specific sin.

There is no adulterous christian. There is no gay christian. This is not to say adulterous can't be saved. No gay people can't be saved. That's not what i'm saying. Sin is not their identity anymore. When they're saved from their sin.

That's not who they are and that's because. When you trust jesus that he died for you and rose from the dead. You cannot keep on. Living in sin. You cannot continue in sin. Before christ you may have been doing drugs, but after christ you cannot be pursuing drugs.

Sure the the the road to. Quitting may be hard. You might falter here and there. But the trajectory is vastly different. You're no longer spiraling down. You're climbing up before christ. You may have slept around however after trusting in christ you cannot be sleeping anyone.

Sleeping with anyone whom you are not married to before christ you may have cheated on your school of work. But after christ you cannot be satisfied with any form of dishonesty. True repentance means turning away from sin.

Not just outwardly but totally. Inward and outward and turning towards god. This does not mean immediate perfection. This also does not mean you'll ever be perfect in this life. You'll have to wait for the resurrection.

It means your relationship with sin has been irrevocably changed. Because of your new relationship with god through jesus christ. Because jesus reconciled you with god you cannot maintain the same relationship you had with your former sins and your former lifestyle.

Sins you used to delight in. Will over time become more and more disturbing. Almost embarrassed to Hear what you used to think and say and do. That's the sign of true repentance. Since you used to allow in your life.

Now you desperately want to kick out of your life. Since you used to allow in your life. Now you're desperately fighting against in your life. Since you used to daily enjoy. You battle against the temptations.

You fight against the temptation daily, it's a battle term. It's a life and death situation. And through christ in the spirit, you're winning more and more battles. Day by day, you choose to follow christ rather than to resubmit yourselves to sin.

That's because you are a redeemed child of god in jesus christ. That's who you are a child of god. Does what god does? And that is live a holy life. A child of god reflects His or her father holy pure just and upright.

You no longer identify with any sin because of your new identity in christ. That's what was happening in Zacchaeus's life. Because that's what true repentance and true saving faith looks like. I would like to end with a quote from john newton.

This is not isaac newton the guy who Discovered the law of gravity. And this is also not fig newton the snack guy john newton. This actually was uh. Was a former slave trader. He was a former slave trader for england.

And by the grace of god, he was saved and he devoted the rest of his life to ministry. And also joined the abolitionist movement to end the slave trade and slavery. John newton is also the author of the words to amazing grace.

And when you when when the next time you sing amazing grace. You'll see how that's a testimony. I once was lost but now i'm found. Right. I once was blind, but now I see amazing grace. How sweet the sound.

You can see how he was touched by the grace of god through jesus christ. John newton shows a true fruit of what repentance looks like. The moment he believed in jesus christ he. And after it He devoted his life to undo the damage he's done to all the african slaves.

And he he still knew. That repentance in this life would not reach perfection. And hopefully That's not the message that you hear this morning that you can be perfect. You can't live under that kind of pressure.

But this is what john newton said. I am not what I ought to be. I am not what I want to be. I am not what I hope to be in another world. But still I am not what I once used to be. And by the grace of god I am what I am.

John newton let us pray father. We thank you that. The moment we believe in jesus christ we can Start turning away from sin. We don't have to be identified with our sin. We don't have to live in our sin.

We can actually fight against our sin. We can actually run away from temptations. We can make a violent effort of escape against our sin. Because we have been saved. Because we're new in christ. Because we're children of god in christ and in the spirit.

We have the same resurrection power that resurrected christ working in us. To become more like christ every day. Help us to live that way. Help us to bear the true fruit of repentance as we live. Help us to hate sin.

Help us to love you in jesus name amen.