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Father in heaven, we are thankful for Your kindness toward us. We're thankful for your love toward us we're thankful for your constancy toward us and that you Do not change you Have determined from eternity past what you will do and you're carrying that out in time and we praise you for that.
We thank you for gathering us here together. We pray that you would bless our time as we look to your word look to what it says about repentance. About our lives. About our lives in Christ all these things and just pray that you bless our time in Jesus name.
Amen. Well a couple weeks ago, we were we started this repentance quiz and None of you have come to me in the confessional booth since then. Which I'm a little concerned about but not too much. I does anybody have a copy of their quiz anywhere the faithful few.
I'm just gonna review quickly for those who weren't here quiz question. Number one true or false. Repentance is necessary for salvation. That's kind of a tricky question, though. It is true but it sounds like It sounds like a work that precedes salvation.
Is that true? No. Okay. The confession says this such of the elect as are converted at riper years. That Means, you know after they've lived a while and they're unserved diverse lusts and pleasures. God in their affectional calling.
Giveth them repentance unto life. Repentance is a gift. But it always leads to repentance and you know, can you separate the two? No repentance faith two sides of the same coin. We talked about that. Question number two when a person is saved he or she will not necessarily have any change in attitude towards sin.
False. This saving repentance is an evangelical grace the confession says whereby a person being made by the Holy Spirit or By the Holy Spirit made sensible of the manifold evils of a sin doth or doeth or does by faith in Christ.
Humble himself for it with godly sorrow detestation of it. In other words, you're sorry for what you've done you hate it and self abhorrency you Don't like yourself very much. Praying for pardon and strength of grace with a purpose and endeavor by supplies of the Spirit to walk before God Into all will or to be well.
To walk before God unto all pleasing in all things. It's all so difficult to say anyway. Number three true or false. Saving faith and repentance are synonyms. I Always want to say are cinnamons. Read that again saving faith and repentance are synonyms.
It's false. Even if they come at the same time, they're false. Faith focuses on Christ's grace. Repentance focuses on God and his law. Number four. True or false repentance is a good work for which Christians will be rewarded.
False because it can't be a work. It is a grace of God. And I like what Waldron says here, which I don't often say. God does not forgive us because he considers our repentance to be a deed that deserves a reward.
So that's number four. Number five. True or false repentance is a one-time act. False. The confession of faith says whereas there is none that doth good and Sineth not. And the best of men may through the power and deceitfulness of their corruption.
Dwelling in them with the prevalency of temptation fall into great sins and provocations. God hath in the covenant of grace mercifully provided that believers so sinning and falling. Be renewed through repentance unto salvation.
And we talked about that basically, it's the idea of through repentance being restored to the Joy of your salvation doesn't mean that you lost your salvation. It just means. You know if sin causes and it does a separation between you and the lord then repentance Eradicates that and brings that sense of closeness back together skipping that number six.
True or false. And now we're into new stuff here true or false. We can hear too much about repentance. False. I think it's interesting because somebody Commented several weeks ago that they don't hear much about repentance.
And i'm like, well i'm here to remedy that um. But the other thing is I think it's true right we talk about if we. Well, let's put it this way if we talk about repentance. When do we talk about it? At conversion.
Right, generally speaking. We talk about it. It could be during a gospel presentation or something else. We talk about it during Conversion and then we kind of put it on the shelf. Um the confession of faith says this.
Such is the provision which god hath made through christ and the covenant of grace for the preservation of believers unto salvation. That although there is no sin so small, but it deserves damnation. Yet there is no sin so great.
That it shall bring damnation on them that repent. Which makes the constant preaching of repentance? Necessary. So we should have more sermons about repentance. About turning from sin about all the elements of repentance.
Okay, I I like the way it says that to the confession. There's no sin so small that but it deserves damnation, you know, we tend to think oh, that's not that big of a sin. Confession says there's no sin so small, but it deserves damnation.
So enough of the small sin big sin stuff. Number seven true or false. There is an emotional element to repentance. Why do you say that? Because it's called godly sorrow. Okay, i'll go for that. Sinclair ferguson says this he says we distinguish three elements in repentance.
In other words, there are three elements of repentance. First an intellectual element. There is a change of view a recognition of sin involving personal guilt defilement and helplessness. It is designated in scripture as epicanosis Harmartius which is knowledge of sin.
Let's look at romans 3 20 for a moment. I want somebody to read that please romans 3 20. Okay, so what does the law do for us? It exposes our sin. It makes us Aware of the fact that we fall short of the glory of god as normans 3 23.
Would say that there's this constant falling short. Here's the standard. Here's where we are we like to think that here's the standard here's where we are, but we're usually not that close. So there's that intellectual element he goes on to say uh that the knowledge of sin if it's not Accomplished by the following elements.
It may manifest itself as fear of punishment. And that would be the non-godly sorrow, right? While there is as yet no hatred of sin in other words At the very least there should be a knowledge of sin that knowledge of sin can have two results.
It can have a godly sorrow or it can have a worldly sorrow. Second element first is intellectual awareness. The second is an emotional element. He says there is a change of feeling manifesting itself in sorrow.
For sin committed against a holy and just god right david says against thee and thee. Only have I sinned. This element of repentance is indicated by the word metemolo. Never mind, it's a greek word if it is accomplished by the following element.
Uh. Or if it is accompanied by the following element, which is the volitional volitional element. It is godly sorrow, but if it is not so accompanied Then it is the sorrow of the world manifesting itself in remorse and despair you know when we think of People who were sorrowful for what they did but did not repent we might think of judas iscariot.
There are many other such Elements. Then finally, so we have the intellectual element the emotional element and then the volitional elements there. He says sinclair ferguson says there's also a volitional element consisting in a change of purpose.
An inward turning away from sin and a disposition to seek pardon and cleansing. Creating me a clean heart. Oh god restore me to the joy of my salvation those kind of prayerful thoughts. This includes the other two elements, which is to say the intellectual element and the emotional element um.
And is therefore the most important aspect of repentance Right. I know that what I did was wrong i'm Deeply sorrowful for it. And therefore i'm going to do what? Stop. I mean, there's a there's another way that uh biblical counselors like to phrase it which is Also a biblical Way of saying it out of the book of ephesians, which is to put off sin and do put on Righteousness, so if I want to stop Worrying.
What should I do? I could just say to myself today i'm going to stop worrying. I realize it's a sin right the reckon the intellectual element. The emotional element i'm I before the lord i'm Sorry that I sin in that way because I know it is not Right.
I know that i've i'm falling short. I don't want to do that. I don't want to worry. So then what do I do? Okay, so I put off worry by putting on trust right and I practice those elements of trust those actions of trust that not only.
You know, I I mean there are two ways that you could do it right you could do uh, the kind of I'll just say roman catholic way, which is to say Which is to say i'm going to externally show. You know that i'm repenting from that.
Now are external actions wrong? No. But if they don't match what's going on inside. There might be a problem on the other hand sometimes. Uh. We have to do things and then what happens? Feelings follow right?
Somebody says to me, you know, I no longer love my wife. What's some good counsel that you can give somebody who says that? I don't love my wife anymore. Okay, start acting like you do and guess what?
The feelings will follow uh, Gerhardas Voss says this about. This emotional element he says our lord's idea of repentance is as profound and comprehensive as his conception of righteousness. Of the three words that are used in the greek gospels to describe the process of repentance.
One emphasizes the emotional element of regret sorrow over past evil course of life. A second expresses reversal of the entire mental attitude. And the third denotes a change in the direction of life.
One goal being substituted for another so if we just think about it this way. If my goal in sin is what what what is the goal of sin? Self-gratification we could say pleasure right? We do what we want.
Why? Because it feels good and because we want to right so repentance then would be to turn from Self self-love self-gratification and turn toward the lord. Turn turn towards his righteousness charlie.
I I would. You know, i'm going to stamp that approved, you know 100. Um, you can't add the emotional elements in other words, you can't just kind of generate it on your own, you know the more I I think about it, you know.
Kind of working myself into some sort of emotional frenzy or whatever. But if that's missing in other words if there's no kind of sense in which you're sitting there thinking to yourself I can't believe I did this in other words if you're if you're not sitting in kind of I I just keep going back.
Over and over and over again to this chapter romans 7 if you're not struggling and wrestling with it like Paul was and just saying to yourself. I hate the fact that I keep doing this. I hate the fact that I I know what the right thing to do is.
And I don't do it. I know what the wrong thing to do is. And they do that. And just kind of, you know tearing your hair out and going how and how do I get out of this? How do I get out of this rut who's going to deliver me from this body of death?
He says right he understands that he's in a A spiritual war but the enemy is Himself. His own desires. He doesn't want to do them, but he doesn't and if you're not struggling with that emotion. And understanding that you're wrong for what you do, you know, if you don't have that kind of I want to rip my heart out of my chest moment like david does after he sins and gets called on it by nathan.
If you don't have sort of the you are the man moments. I like to call it. Then there's cause for concern why don't I have more regrets. Why don't I have more sorrow? Why don't I think about the fact that it is my sin?
That put jesus on the cross. Why does that not bother me? So I think that's a good, you know, good question to ask yourself. What's that? How do you get more of that. It's a good question. How do you get more of that charlie charlie seems to have a reserve of that and I think that's right.
Having a a greater knowledge of the word and a greater a higher view of of god. You know, let's go back and let's just think because we talked about david several weeks ago if we think about all his actions that led up to the moment where nathan comes before him and tells him the the uh the story, you know about this a rich man who ultimately steals somebody else's Sheep and sacrifices it rather than giving up one of his own.
We think about all the things that he did up to that we could say david Was seeking his own pleasure doing what he wanted, right? But I think more importantly what he did was he decided in his own mind what was right right and what was okay, it was okay that he was doing these things first of all because He was the king.
Right, it's good to be king and have your own way, but He he was the king. He was entirely these things everything else, but essentially he set himself up as god. You know the determiner of good and evil.
And so when nathan comes to him, you know, and I always imagine I don't know how old nathan was. But I always imagine he's like 95 and you know walks. I mean, it's like yoda walking in, you know, and uh.
And when he points his bony, I don't know why it's bony. I mean nathan could have been 400 pounds for all I know but he could he just. He points his bony finger at david and says you are the man. All the illusions, you know all the thoughts of i'm in charge.
Okay, i'm the king. I determine what's good and right. I I I I they all go out the window. Because he's undone when he considers he stands naked before a holy god. There's no defense for what he's done and god knew it.
And he told david through nathan. I know exactly what you've done. Don't think you're getting away with it. And david's response isn't. I can't believe I didn't get away with that. Right. It's just complete, you know self abhorrence.
What was I thinking? How could I have done these things? The joy of his salvation is gone. I mean everything is gone. He realizes that that his relationship with god is. You know severed. Not permanently but severed for a time.
And that drives him to repentance. He misses that. While he's in sin is he thinking oh i'm displeasing the lord. Oh i'm doing these terrible no. But once it's revealed and he and he has that sense of guilt.
The guilt leads him to sorrow and sorrow leads him to repentance. Now, I really sound like i'm doing a star wars thing, you know, and sorrow leads to. Which leads to the dark side? Okay. Never mind I've got my eye on you Brian yeah, don't worry about who god is.
I mean we go. You know if you read through the whole book of job and all the things that are going on and then you get to the end. You know, what does god do with job? He says okay son. Hang on for a second.
Let me tell you how things really are right? And once he does that job repents. Uh, we need a more full view of who god is. And once we really if we think about that Who god is and then we consider who we are right it's that.
That gap alone should amaze us and then that god would bridge the gap. Through jesus christ is an amazing fact that's what leads us ultimately not only to repentance but to. You know joy and worship and all these kind of things.
Yes, cory good. You know, you just said something that just made me think even this morning. I was thinking about you know another. Not that i'm going to do this quiz anytime real soon, but I I wanted to call it the hypocrisy quiz.
Um, and the reason is because true or false every single person on the planet is a hypocrite. I think it's true even even unbelievers, you know, somebody said false but uh. Even people who are unbelievers have some sort of standard that they then fall short of right?
So I think we're all hypocrites in that sense, but I um the idea of having the holy spirit. The word of god reveal our sins to us. That's that should be that would be a good prayer, right? Lord, I know these things that i'm doing wrong.
What else am I doing. That displeases you Charlie can it you know. If if you're you know here, let's try this. If your view of god and the question was, you know. Do certain modern calvinists? Have such a uh, I guess we could say.
Such a high view of god's sovereignty. Seeing as how he ordains whatever comes to pass including our sin, you know, can we then become almost? Inured hardened you know against the idea of repentance because now that becomes some sort of catholic like penitence.
You know, which we're re-earning god's favor. Which is absolutely impossible, right? We can't re-earn it because we never earned it in the first place. So therefore repentance is a complete waste of time.
Or or you know, yeah like a checklist in other words. And here's one of the reasons why I want to talk about repentance. Anyway, because I think for some of us it is almost a checklist item. You know, uh.
Today lord, I know I did x y and z. Really? Sorry about that. I'll try better tomorrow. I I think that's okay if you're seven right. I I know I know I didn't listen to mommy and daddy tomorrow. I'll do better tomorrow.
Okay? Yes. And and that gets back to you know, the the question earlier which is. You know, how do I? How do I kind of get to the point where I do have that godly sorrow and I think it comes back to understanding.
You know again the holiness of god and our sinfulness. You know. Even as we think about repentance There's still some truths that come into play right we still have our Leftover sin nature that's not yet been eradicated and won't be until we're out of this body into the presence of the lord.
And we need to remember, you know, there's always a verse that comes to my mind, which is jeremiah 17 9 which says that our hearts are deceitful even when we think even at our best moments when we think you know I feel terrible about my sin and i'm saying these are our best moments, right?
When when when I think I have a full orbed view of the glory of god and I have a a crystal clear view of my sinfulness and I hate the person that I am and I Love the lord even at our best moment of repentance and sorrow over our sin.
Guess what? I'm still falling short. Right. I I still am kidding myself. I'm still deceiving myself andrew you did not write roman 7. And and I hate it I mean. And and I remember long before I was sent i'll get to you in a second charlie long before I was saved and I Tell the story from time to time.
I just remember like probably 16 Sitting there with my best buddy. Mark who's now dead um sitting there on the hood of my mustang and just kind of going I don't get this whole becoming god thing because I can't seem to stop sinning.
I can't seem to stop doing the things that I don't want to do and do it, you know but in in my mind, you know, i'm just on this righteousness treadmill where i'm going to try to perfect myself because that's The essence of mormonism and it ought not to be the essence of christianity because it isn't the essence of christianity.
Charlie yeah, I I Yeah, I I what and and I mean Yeah, there there is a there is a sense of that, right? Uh I'm glad I think that i'm not like that tax gatherer or whatever I i'm fighting the urge to pray for charlie right now, but Jonathan Good and you know to just kind of take that washing Analogy along.
I was thinking, you know, the pharisee have a few kids and I just thought you know to be like, you know, you put your kid in this this. It's been a while but you know. You put your kid in the bathtub and it's almost like you get them out.
And they go running in the backyard and roll around in the dirt again. And that's us. Right. I mean from the moment even when we think you know, we're you know, we've Repented and everything else even though we haven't um.
You know, we just run right out and we're complaining or we're thinking about how it's too cold in the sanctuary or whatever. Or we're thinking it's too warm, you know, like last week. I mean, I'll you know, just between us girls as uh, mike likes to say You know i'm preaching last week and i'm thinking pretty things are going pretty well and somebody and I don't know, you know.
If you were in here don't confess right now. But somebody like from the fourth or fifth row just gives me a yawn that almost like broke my eardrums. And i'm going man. I must be really boring. You know, so I I just you know, but right away.
I mean I just go into sin mode. There's something wrong with me and you know instead of focusing on what i'm doing We we just constantly oh, you don't have to confess bob. It's okay. Okay. He was praying for me did you hear that I'm getting close to my limit.
Yeah, I I mean there needs to be that that fear, right? Right, and and that's a great point, right? We have this I I mean it's Innate in us and I think certainly satan comes alongside, you know, our uh anti Paraclete here comes alongside us when we say Boy if I was god, I wouldn't forgive me for the 679th time of doing whatever this sin is.
The twelve thousand three hundred and seventy third time of doing whatever this sin is I wouldn't forget and you know. What here's the good news? You're not god. And god is nothing like you you know which Is awesome.
I mean can you imagine just to interrupt you for a moment? Can you imagine? You know lord, please reveal to me all my sins and we get like essentially an email with complete lists and you just go. Okay, you're gonna have to add one more because i'm a little overwhelmed at the moment go ahead yeah, I I think that's exactly right the more we realize The depth of our sin the more we realize the greatness of the grace of god, right?
Um because he doesn't just say You know, i'm gonna forgive you 678 times that 679th time that's on you, bro. He doesn't do that. Right. I mean because we did we're smoked. Well, I think that's true. Even if it's uh, a greek word that I can't think of right at the moment.
I mean He's eager You know to forgive. Yes. So and and I think that's right, I mean if our objective is to simply, you know modify our behavior. Right. Then we're wrong if our objective is to Change our thinking About who god is who we are and therefore how we act you know putting off sin putting on righteousness, well, I think that's.
That's repentance. You know I mean There are churches that have a 180 ministry, you know, because you do a 180 and i'm like why don't they ever call it? Like 179 or something like that. So close but not a complete uh.
All right, yeah, no, that's a good point I mean anytime we're thinking through things mechanically or You know setting up a series of rules that are somehow going to Erase our sins. Well, then we're we're functional Catholics and we're not doing things, right?
Other thoughts before we move on to number eight. I'm gonna get moving. Yes. Oh good good mark. Yeah, I I think you know, is it uh, for example, you know, I our old pastor used to talk about this guy who uh had a problem with alcohol and you know Every day he would drive home from work and he would drive past this out or this Liquor store and he would go into the liquor store and buy something to drink.
So the pastor said one day why don't you go home another way? Crazy, right? In other words, you know set up a rule for yourself to to just kind of remove that one and make it a little harder for yourself to to sin.
And you know, is that legalism? I I don't think so. I think it's just saying okay. I'm weak. I'm gonna do something, you know, I have to Do something to stop myself. Yes. Andrew. Yeah, I I totally agree.
Okay number eight. True or false repentance and continuous sin are mutually exclusive repentance and mutual and Continuous sin are mutually exclusive. False true false true false true true true false false.
Yeah, I guess the idea would be about one particular sin. Yeah, would that be? Okay. Uh macarthur said indeed repentance and sin are mutually exclusive. For one sins will not permit one to return to god.
That's the idea. You know, how do I repent? How do I? You know stop seeking my my own pleasure and turn towards Worshiping god. Well, I have to turn right. Thus repentance is not merely a turning from sin, but a turning to god.
Repentant individuals are Said to seek the lord and his favor to tremble at his goodness and be enticed to be reconciled to him. There's a whole bunch of verses here, but we don't have time to do all that bible stuff.
Okay number nine. I mean, I have a list of like 14 verses here number nine uh true or false. Jesus preached repentance as essential. Jesus preached repentance as essential. True true. Let's turn to luke 5 we have time for some bible stuff.
Luke 5 verses 27 to 32. Luke 5 27 to 32. After this he went out and saw a tax collector named levi Sitting at the tax booth and he said to him follow me. And leaving everything he rose and followed him.
And levi made him a great feast in his house. And there was a large company of tax collectors and others reclining a table with them and the pharisees and their scribes grumbled at his disciples saying Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?
And jesus answered them. Those who are well have no need of a physician. But those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance. Sinners to repentance to change their minds, you know, I.
You ever hear this verse or this passage here misused? I do all the time somebody will say something like Jesus liked to hang out or party with sinners. Is that what he was doing. Clearly not. Verse 32 gives it away.
I have not come to call the righteous. In other words. The pharisees the people who think that they're righteous because they have this external righteousness and who You know obey what they think is the letter of the law.
But people who are immersed in sin to repentance. That's what he does. That's what we are to do. We call sinners to repentance. Um. We don't have time for revelation. Chapter two. So we'll yeah, go ahead jonathan.
Right repentance Should be declared to all people, right. Number 10. True or false repentance does not necessarily mean one's life will change in any meaningful way. Good. I'm glad we're in agreement.
This is from uh the biblical doctrine book. Genuine repentance will inevitably result in a change of behavior. It is important to note though that the behavior change itself is not repentance. The call to repentance is not a call to clean up one's life to fit oneself for salvation.
That would turn repentance into a work of merit and would undermine the gospel of grace. Salvation is a sovereign gift of god's grace that the sinner apprehends by faith alone. Precisely because it is impossible for sinners to satisfy the demands of god's righteousness by their deeds.
But while repentance is not to be strictly defined as a change in behavior. A changed life is the fruit. That genuine repentance will inevitably bear. Now does it mean that somebody's life is going to be completely changed when they repent?
No. No. You know, I I do really like what macarthur says when he says that it's the direction of your life not the perfection. If we had to you know, if if we can only say well i'm repentant at the moment of perfection then We would never repent.
Thoughts or questions, okay. Uh during his ministry to the apostle paul. Or during his ministry the apostle paul proclaimed to jews and gentiles that they should repent and turn to god. Performing deeds in keeping with their repentance that's acts 2620.
Similarly john the baptist demanded that those who professed to be repentant bear fruits in keeping with repentance. Now again, I want to make clear that the fruit of repentance is not. Um. We we don't run around looking for the fruit of repentance in order to determine somebody's salvation.
When we when we baptize people, what are we looking for when. You know if I if i'm going to baptize somebody since i'm doing it now. What am I looking for? Okay. Signs of regeneration, which would be what?
I'm, sorry a love for christ. Agreement with the gospel. Sensitivity to sin. Bob. Godly sorrow for sin all these things, you know, just looking now. Do I say, you know, have you stopped sinning? I might say that but if the answer is yes, then i'm gonna go.
Okay. Well Baptism isn't for you yet. Because you don't get it. If somebody comes up to me and says i've reached perfection. I need to be baptized i'm like well then I need to be taught by you please.
Um, we we will not stop sinning, but we ought not to stop repenting either because we definitely need to Repent any other thoughts before we close in prayer? All right, let's close father. We thank you for forgiveness of sin.
We thank you that you are not Toward your children some kind of great accountant who merely tracks our sins and looks forward to Extracting payment. But that you and your great love and mercy sent your son the lord.
Jesus christ to take our sin to take the full Payment and penalty for it and to pay it. That we might be redeemed that we might be granted forgiveness. And father even as we think about repentance. Father, we would pray that your spirit would reveal to us our sins that we would be broken and sorrowful over them.
And that we would come to you in sorrow and in repentance but also as Your children understanding that you will forgive. We ought never not to ever presume on that grace. But to be thankful for it and father I pray that for anybody here who's struggling in terms of repenting of sin that they would be reminded afresh of our need to consistently constantly Study the word of god to grasp not just your holiness, but your transcendence your Your love all your attributes that we might recognize our sinfulness our lowliest states.
And better grasp the grace that you grant us in salvation reconciling us to yourself. Father let us never presume on that grace and Repent of it when we do because we will. Father we thank you again for the lord.
Jesus christ, and it's in his name. We pray amen.