HoHum:
"Man is born with his back toward God. When he truly repents, he turns right around and faces God. Repentance is a change of mind."
WBTU:
Acts 26:19, 20, NIV.
Repentance with many is not the repentance that God finds pleasing. Must prove their repentance by their deeds. Paul also warned that there is a repentance that leads to death as well as a repentance that leads to eternal life. False repentance vs. true repentance.
Stake one’s eternity on errors and attitudes that can be avoided is ultimate in human tragedy.
Thesis: Many popular myths that are not genuine repentance
For instances:
Sorrow equals repentance
“Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.” 2 Corinthians 7:10, NIV.
Some of us see people weeping over their sins and we think, “I have never wept like that; maybe I don’t know true repentance.” There is a danger of misunderstanding the relationship between sorrow and repentance.
History provides examples of persons who shed many tears over their sins without genuine repentance. It was revealed that the 42 President of the US was involved in an immoral relationship with a young woman in the White House. He denied the relationship and denounced his accusers as politically motivated. In time he even swore under oath that it was all a trumped up charge, thus adding perjury to his predicament. When he could no longer deny the accusations, the evidence having mounted up so high, he wept freely and declared himself a repentant man. But was he?
Must understand that some weep because they got caught in a sin. Sorrow of the world.
Others shed tears because God is convicting them of their sin and they are so grieved to have offended the Holy One that they weep brokenheartedly over their sin. This is the sorrow that leads to repentance and salvation.
Not against tears but they need to be tears that lead to a transformed life. Many who have known floods of tears and sobs have never come anywhere near repentance and faith.
Self preservation is repentance
Many, who have been caught in sin, have tried to lessen its consequences by repentant like behavior. Others who find themselves in dangerous and even frightening circumstances have vowed to repent if their lives are spared.
Ever hear of “foxhole religion.” Many soldiers on the battlefront, while shells and bombs burst all around them, have been frightened and have made spiritual vows that they fully intended to keep. Unfortunately foxhole religion is not repentance, and many of these young soldiers return to their sins soon after their fears have passed.
The fear of both death and hell are appropriate for all unrepentant persons, but even fear to the point of great trembling can be experienced without genuine repentance following. Indeed, neither the belief nor the trembling of demons has saved any of them. “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that--and shudder.” James 2:19, NIV. Fear is a motivating force in repentance but it can be cast aside and not produce any change of mind, heart or will.
King Agrippa was moved by his encounter with Paul and said, ““Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?”” Acts 26:28, NIV. Agrippa proved that there is a distance between almost and altogether. Few people who almost repent ever do.
Penance and repentance are equal
What is penance? 1.voluntary self-punishment to atone for a sin. 2. a. a punishment usually consisting of prayer, fasting, etc, undertaken voluntarily as an expression of penitence for sin b. a punishment of this kind imposed by church authority as a condition of absolution (remission or forgiveness of sins)
Based upon the NT we can say that acts of penance cannot merit God’s grace and forgiveness. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- not by works, so that no-one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8, 9, NIV.
It is against the gospel of Jesus Christ to assign acts of penance for sinners to perform- acts of penance like so many prayers, beds of nails, abstinence from food and drink, giving up cigarettes for Lent, alms, sacrifices, acts of generosity, self affliction such as wearing course hair garments or standing naked in snow banks- and then, when these acts are completed, to pronounce absolution over these people. No where in the NT
These acts are like the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel. 1 Kings 18:26-29, NIV.
While the practice of godliness may include acts of abstinence and self control, such acts must never be confused with biblical repentance.
Reformation is repentance
Must remember what true repentance is. Going in the wrong direction and then go in the right direction. Wrong direction is worldly ways, right direction is toward God and his ways.
A person who needs to quit drinking. Doctor comes in and says that if he gets drunk one more time good chance he will die. What does he do? Well, he takes the doctor seriously and he quits drinking altogether. He stopped going in the wrong direction but did he go in the right direction, toward God and his ways? Without Christ, he has reformed but he is not repentant.
This myth of self reformation as repentance can be illustrated in the life of King Ahab. Ahab and Jezebel have murdered Naboth and confiscated his vineyard. Elijah went and confronted them about their sins. God said through Elijah that all of them, Ahab’s whole family, will die and the dogs will lick up their blood. Here is how Ahab responded. 1 Kings 21:27-29.
We find from Ahab’s actions in 1 Kings 22 that he ignores the words of the Lord through Micaiah and goes to his death in battle. Turns out that he really did not repent, reformed for a time but did not repent.
Repentance and self defense can exist together
Really, it is not possible for a person to be repentant and self defensive at the same time. These two things do not exist together. Whenever a person is repentant and yet busily defends himself, we must question his repentance.
Consider the example of King Saul when he did not do as the Lord commanded in destroying the Amalekites. When Samuel confronts him about this, we find in 1 Samuel 15:15, NIV.
After a rebuke from Samuel, Saul would not abandon his self defense. 1 Samuel 15:20, 21.
Samuel rebukes him again, and even then Saul would not abandon his self defense. 1 Samuel 15:24, 25, NIV.
Samuel refused to go and worship with Saul and after a heated exchange between them this is what King Saul said: 1 Samuel 15:30. Oh, my, seems that King Saul is saying, “I know I have sinned; you, Samuel, know I have sinned; God knows I have sinned, but let’s pretend before the elders and the people that all is well.”
Notice the difference between King Saul and King David. When Nathan confronted David about his sins with Bathsheba, here is David response. “Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.” 2 Samuel 12:13, NIV. Just like King Saul but that is all that David says. No explanation! No blaming anyone else! No self defense period!
Repentance can be selective
Again we must remember that repentance is going in the wrong direction and then changing course and going in the right direction. If after repenting, we find from God’s Word that there are still wicked ways in us, we change our ways and continue to go in the direction of God. True repentance must include everything that is offensive to God, including the secret sins of the heart, which are often the most devastating sins.
Consider a person who is known as an adulterer and an accomplished liar. This person repents of these two sins. Is it alright to leave his others sins unrepented of? Most noticeable are adultery and lying but these probably are not his only sins.
Even when someone we know is caught in adultery, sheds buckets of tears, admits it openly and vows to permanently break that relationship, he or she is not necessarily repentant. True repentance has not occurred unless the underlying cause of adultery has been dealt with. That cause, in most instances, is stubborn pride.
All of us find certain sins more repulsive than others. We respond to different baits. There are sins that are very acceptable in some layers of society that are avoided in others. Many who would be horrified at the thought of going into a department store and stealing have no qualms whatsoever about carrying home supplies from their place of employment or cheating on their income taxes.
Genuinely repentant people are unwilling and unable to favor certain sins while avoiding others. For the repentant, all sin is detestable and must be turned from as quickly and as fully as the grace of God makes possible.
