Today, we are beginning a series of messages on the subject of repentance. Our goal is to clarify the value of repentance in in our lives as believers and recognize what true repentance is and isn’t.
So what is repentance? The Greek word translated “repent” is metanoia. It literally means to change your mind. But that is actually where repentance starts.
Repentance is a change of mind that results in a change of heart that results in a change of action. This change has to do with turning from sin to the Savior. Therefore, repentance is a “turning from” and a “turning to.” As illustrated below:
Repentance impacts me . . .
A. Mentally - I will recognize my sinfulness before God.
B. Emotionally - I will be repulsed by my sinfulness before God.
C. Volitionally - I will repudiate my sin and turn to God.
Repentance was an essential part of . . .
A. The ministry of Jesus.
1. Jesus began His ministry calling on people to repent.
“Repent and believe the good news!” - Mark 1:15 b (NIV)
2. Jesus performed His miracles expecting people to repent.
“Then Jesus began to denounce the towns in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent.” - Matthew 11:20 (NIV)
B. The message of the Apostles.
“He told them, ‘This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.’” - Luke 24:46-48 (NIV)
“Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away.” - Acts 3:19 (NLT)
“I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.” - Acts 20:21 (NIV)
Perhaps there’s no better treatment of the idea of repentance to be found in the Bible than our passage for this series. (READ TEXT) Our focus today is verse 10: “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.”
Repentance leads to salvation. It’s by repentant faith that we are saved from sin and its consequences. That’s why Jesus came.
1. Repentance is essential in being saved from sin’s penalty.
Jesus took our punishment we are condemned to endure for eternity when He had the sins of the world poured out on Him at the cross. He took our hell for us so we wouldn’t have to go there. In so doing, He’s provided forgiveness for sin and opportunity to escape sin’s penalty and proved He had overcome death through His resurrection. But in order to be saved from sin’s penalty, we must repent and by faith trust in Christ and His finished work on our behalf.
Sin can be defined as going our own way rather than God’s way. And all mankind is going their own way, rather than God’s way. If one would live, they must choose God’s way; but if they insist on their own way, all that’s left is punishment for sin, which is death, eternal death.
“There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.” - Proverbs 14:12 (ESV)
When one repents, they turn from their own way, and all associated with trying to justify themselves, denial of sin, trust in good works; and they trust in God’s way (Jesus) to justify them before God. Repentance and faith are two sides of the same coin. They go together in salvation.
To be saved from sin’s penalty, I must change my attitude toward sin, good works, and self-sufficiency and about my need to accept Jesus and trust in His payment for sin on my behalf. I turn and I trust. That is repentant faith: Forsaking all, I trust Him.
When I turn from my way and trust in God’s Way (Jesus) I am justified in God’s sight. It is just as if I had never sinned. I am immediately saved from sin’s penalty and I will eventually be saved from sin’s very presence through all eternity. This is the Gospel, the Good News that we must receive and that we must pass on.
“Pray also for me, that the message may be given to me when I open my mouth to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel.” - Ephesians 6:19 (CSV)
As followers of Christ, we should pray as Paul did that the Lord will grant us supernatural boldness to speak and live as He would have us do. In this age of deception and resistance to truth, we need boldness more than ever. Boldness, coupled with love and humility, is like a light in the darkness. When we are convinced our message is
life-giving and eternal, we can speak with boldness, knowing that God will use it to impact our world and change people’s eternity. Yes, the message to turn from trusting in self and living for sin and trust in Jesus isn’t always popular, but as A.W. Tozer observed:
“People on earth hate to hear the word, ‘repent.’ People in hell wish they could hear it just once more.” - A.W. Tozer
If people are going to miss hell and make heaven; they must turn to God and trust in Jesus, because repentance is essential to being saved from sin’s penalty. But repentance is important as well because . . .
2. Repentance is essential in being saved from sin’s power.
Through repentance and faith in Jesus, I’m immediately saved from the penalty of sin and assured that I will eventually be saved from the presence of sin for all eternally, for I will not spend eternity in hell, separated from God, but in heaven, with God.
“It’s urgent that you listen carefully to this: Anyone here who believes what I am saying right now and aligns himself with the Father, who has in fact put me in charge, has at this very moment the real, lasting life and is no longer condemned to be an outsider. This person has taken a giant step from the world of the dead to the world of the living.” - John 5:24 (The Message)
But what now? Through repentance and faith, God has changed my eternal position. I am now His child, destined to spend eternity with Him. But what about my daily condition? Well, repentance plays a part in my transformation and experiencing victory over sin’s power.
“And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him.” - Colossians 2:6 (NLT)
“Our Lord and Master Jesus Christ. willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.” - Martin Luther
On the surface, Luther seems to be saying Christians will never be making much progress. But that wasn’t his point at all. He was saying that repentance is the way we make progress in the Christian life. It is through daily turning from sin and trusting in Christ that we overcome sin’s power in our everyday life.
You can’t walk with God and remain where you are; and you can’t draw near to a holy God without realizing the extent of your sinfulness and need of His transforming power. That’s exactly what happens when I spend time in God’s Word, spend time in God’s presence through prayer, and spend time with God’s people. I will grow as a Christian, and progressively learn how to walk by God’s power (the same which raised Him from the dead) in victory over sin. But while I’ll learn to walk in God’s power over different sins as walk with Him, I’ll always be growing in my awareness of sin and need of Christ.
“If we claim that we’re free of sin, we’re only fooling ourselves. A claim like that is errant nonsense. On the other hand, if we admit our sins - make a clean breast of them - he won’t let us down; he’ll be true to himself. He’ll forgive our sins and purge us of all wrongdoing.” - 1 John 1:8-9 (The Message)
“The Christian who has stopped repenting has stopped growing.” - A.W. Pink
Conclusion: Being saved from the penalty of sin, escaping hell and make heaven by repenting and trusting in Christ, is possible because of the cross.
Being saved from the power of sin, walking in the power of God in victory over one sin after another and become more and more obedient to my Savior, is possible because of the cross.
Being saved from the presence of sin, when I enter Christ’s eternal presence in glory, is also possible because of the cross. Which is perhaps why the only imperfection allowed in heaven are the wounds on the risen body of our Lord.
