What It Means To Repent
Scripture: Matthew 3:1-2; 4:17; Mark 6:12; Acts 2:38; 3:19
Second Chronicles 7:14 says, “If My people, who are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” The phrase, “turn from their wicked ways” means to repent. It means to stop. It means that you’ve had a change of heart and want to do something different. Keep this in mind as we go through this message this morning because when we repent, then God is able to act on our behalf – He is able to hear our prayers; forgive our sins; and provide for us.
In my last two series of messages I talked about the grace of God; what it was, how it worked and what it did and did not do for each of us as Christians. That series opened the door to the series pertaining to whether or not it was possible for a Christian to walk away from their salvation. In that series I shared with you that the Bible says it is possible for someone to turn their backs on Christ. Actually, the Bible says not only is it possible, but that it will happen. The word translated for a person doing this is apostasy or what some Bible translations calls backsliding. The core tenet of both series was the idea of repenting and asking forgiveness. I mentioned repenting in both series but I did not dwell on the subject. Understanding what it means to repent is the key to maintaining our relationship with God and not thinking we are righteous when we are not. Remember, there are many people who are going to be surprised when they end up in hell because of house they are choosing to live here on earth. The title of my message today is “What It Means to Repent?”
How many of you parents have had children who sometimes did things intentionally to their siblings and you told them to say they were sorry. The child, fearing the outcome of what would happen if they refused your request would look at their sibling and say “I’m sorry.” If they were truly being pushed to say it when they did not feel it they would simply say, “Sorry!” Sometimes the child was truly sorry for their actions, but those other times they meant to do exactly what they did. It was during those times when we made them say they were sorry that we knew they were only saying they were sorry because they were being forced to do so. We knew they did it intentionally and was only saying they were sorry because they were being forced. In reality, they were not sorry at all. In our society when someone says they are sorry it is an admission that they made a mistake that might have hurt someone else. This is why some struggle to say they are sorry because they do not want to admit that they messed up. Think about what is happening in our society now. How many times have you heard police officers say they were sorry when they killed someone who was not threatening them? If they were to say those words then society would immediately latch on to the words as an admission of guilt which would play against them if they were to ever go to trial. For this reason people struggle saying they are sorry and believe it or not, this is the same reason some people struggle with the thought of repenting. This is what we will examine this morning, what it really means to repent and how to know with certainty if you have done it.
I want you to notice something. When John the Baptist started his ministry, his message was simple and to the point – repent! Matthew 3:1-2 says, “In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, ‘Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’” (Matthew 3:1-2) Matthew chapter four verse seventeen shows us that Jesus began His ministry the exact same way as John and with the exact same words. It says, “From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, ‘Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”’ (Matthew 4:17) When Jesus sent the disciples out on their first missionary tour, do you want to guess what their message was? “And they went out, and preached that men should repent.” (Mark 6:12) After Jesus was resurrected and the disciples started their ministry, the book of Acts records the first public sermon that Peter delivered. I wonder what Peter talked about? “Then Peter said unto them, ‘Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’” (Acts 2:38) There is a common theme in the message that each person stressed when they began their ministry. The essential message of John the Baptist, Jesus, the disciples on their first missionary tour, and Peter on the Day of Pentecost, was “Repent.” Repentance is the first “word” they delivered in their very first message and this alone underscores how important repentance is to salvation and to remaining in that salvation. In order for someone to move from a life of sin into the body of Christ they had to repent from their sins. While we use this word a lot in Church, we seldom stress the meaning of the word and how important the message of repentance really is. This morning I hope to do just that in this message.
So what does the word “repent” mean when it is used in Scripture? In the Old Testament, the primary thought of the Hebrew word translated as “repent” is “to pant, to sign, to groan, and so to lament, and to grieve about one’s doing with the person deciding to change his or her mind.” It paints a picture of being remorseful or sorry for something that you did. Let me give you a couple of examples. Jeremiah 8:6 says, “I hearkened and heard, but they spoke not aright: no man repented himself of his wickedness, saying, ‘What have I done?’ everyone turned to his own course, as the horse rushes into the battle.” (Jeremiah 8:6) In this example Jeremiah stressed that no man was sorry or changed their minds about the sins they were committing. Instead, they “turned to his own course” and that reminds us again that Proverbs 14:12 is biblical truth. It says, “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” Jeremiah 18:8 records a promise that God made if the nation turned from their evil ways. It reads, “If that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them.” (Jeremiah 18:8) In this verse the word “repent” is used to indicate a change of mind. And New Light, that’s a promise our Heavenly Father also makes to each one of us. He will forgive us and restore us and save us from the judgment we would have received.
The New Testament meaning of the word repent is derived from the Old Testament. The primary New Testament word means “to change one’s mind.” In other words, it means that you are no longer willing to continue doing what you were doing or going in the direction that you are headed. You change your mind and decide to “walk with God.” Amos 3:3 talks about this. “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” When we repent it restores us to the path that God has for our lives – the path that brings us closer and closer to Him. With repentance comes a genuine sorrow for the sin and that is something that is taken from granted in our day. We witness Christians sinning and justifying it by saying it’s what everyone else is doing and no one is being hurt. There is no sorrow, no feelings of remorse and no thought of needing to change their actions even though they understand what they are doing is wrong according to the Word of God. Remember Proverbs 14:12 says there is a way that seems right to a person but that way leads to death. What we are missing today is the understanding that true repentance – being sorry and feeling genuine disgust to the point that when we commit a sin we immediately wish we had not done it. This sense of sorrow, this feeling of remorse, will lead to a change of mind and our turning away from sin with all our hearts. This is the beginning of how we can begin to identify if we have truly repented from our sins.
Let’s examine a few Scriptures that we can use to understand how true repentance is manifested. I want you to focus on the actions of the person. I want you to see beyond the person saying they were sorry and asking forgiveness. Joel 2:12-13 says, “Therefore also now, says the LORD, turn you even to Me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning. And tear your hearts, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and relents from sending calamity.” (Joel 2:12-13) Here is an example of what God told the Children of Israel as it related to their repentance and it being true. With true repentance, our hearts will be truly humbled and shamed because of our sins. Why is this true repentance? Now I want you to hear this New Light, it’s true repentance because we understand that our sin has offended God and we want His forgiveness and we want to be right in His eyes. The outward expressions of sorrow and shame (fasting, weeping, and mourning) should be evidence of the repentance that has taken place in the heart. If the heart has not changed then no outward expression of repentance will change the outcome of the sin. This is the reason God said, “And tear your hearts, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God.” According to the custom of that time, it was proper for people to tear their garments in demonstration of great grief for their sins and a holy indignation against themselves for their sinning. However, God told them to tear their hearts versus their garments. God said “Don’t tear your garments so people believe that you are repentant. No, you tear your hearts so I will know how repentant you are.” Tearing the heart is what God looks for and requires in true repentance. Psalm 51:17 says, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” When we are greatly grieved in our souls for the sin we commit, to the point that it even cuts us to the heart to think how we have dishonored God and disparaged ourselves, then and only then are we able to establish an aversion to sin and earnestly desire to stay clear of it in the future. When we repent, we must be thoroughly submitted to God and come home to Him with thankful hearts knowing, by faith, that He has completely restored us. Our fasting and weeping don’t move God to forgive us and restore us. Only our changed hearts can do that. When we are fully convinced that it is our duty and interest to keep in with Him, (as Jesus said “Abide in Me…”) and are readily sorry that we turned our backs on Him by choosing sin, then we allow His glory to become a firm and fixed resolution for us. His will be our rule and then we will know that we have returned to the Lord our God. And this is something we cannot do “when we have the time.” No, it’s something we must do quickly like yesterday quickly! It is only true repentance that blots out our sin as captured in Acts 3:19 which says, “Repent therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.” (Acts 3:19)
When a person repents from their sins, it means that they stop sinning. They. Stop. Sinning. But that is not the end of it. Luke 15:7 & 10 says, “I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repents, more than over ninety and nine just persons, who need no repentance…. Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repents.” (Luke 15:7, 10) When we truly repent, heaven rejoices. There is joy in heaven when we repent. Why? Our repentance demonstrates two things: our love for Christ and our willingness to follow Him. Our salvation is important to the hosts already in God’s presence!!! Repentance here on earth brings joy to God in heaven. So the first thing repentance does is cause a celebration in heaven. But it does not end there.
The second thing that our repentance does is cleanses us from our sins. As many of you know, we have been studying First John in bible study. Chapter one, verse nine fits very nicely here. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” When we repent of our sins, the blood of Jesus washes us clean. Can you imagine doing something worthy of death and being forgiven for it because someone else decided to take your place in the death chamber? This is effectively what Jesus did for us. The forgiveness (remission) of our sins is only because of the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Remember what Peter stated in his first sermon on the Day or Pentecost? He said, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:38) Two things happened when we repented of our sins. First and foremost, our sins were forgiven. Second, and just as important, is that we received a new nature that is just like our Father’s and is more than capable of keeping us from reentering a life of sin if we so choose.
I want you to consider this question, “If repentance is so important, why aren’t preachers addressing it from their pulpits today?” Well the answer to this question is simple – repentance is not a popular message and it’s a message that Satan does not want people to hear. When Peter preached his first sermon in Acts chapter 2, verse thirty-seven said, “Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their hearts….” New Light, the first sermon on the day of Pentecost was not a feel good, pat you on the back message. God, through Peter, was after people’s hearts and, as we see here, it was not something the people expected to hear. Then verse forty-one captured the results of some of them who were “pricked in their hearts.” It says, “Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.” (Acts 2:41) When Peter preached, those whose hearts were pricked repented of their sins and were saved. They believed Peter’s message – your eternal salvation is on the line if you don’t repent. If there is no one explaining to people that they must repent of their sins in order to be saved then the people will not know the consequences that await them. And here is one of the main problems in the Church today; few are willing to call out the sins in the lives of others because of the sin that is in their own life. It is hard to tell others to repent when you refuse to do so yourself.
I know a minister from my youth. Before joining the Church, he was having an affair with a married woman. He later married the woman after she divorced her husband. When he joined the Church he appeared to be faithful to his work in the Church and he became a deacon. It soon became known that He having affairs with other women and members of the Church began to talk. Finally some of the leaders of the Church went to the pastor and asked him to address the issue. The pastor sat the deacon down and since his life was not reflective of the position that he held as a deacon. When the deacon was removed from his position, several weeks later he stood before the same Church members and confessed that God had called him to preach. The pastor, upon hearing this, immediately accepted the deacon, now preacher, back into his leadership and into his pulpit. What is so shameful is that the former deacon who received his pastor’s acceptance, never changed his lifestyle – he never stopped his adulterous lifestyle. People wondered how this could happen. The pastor removed the deacon from his leadership position for committing adultery and then allowed him into the pulpit when he said he was called to preach. Before continuing I want you to notice something: the man never gave any indication that he had repented to God for his sin. This preacher is going to hell unless he truly repents and changes how he is living. It does not matter that he is held up in the Church as a leader – he is living in sin and he is going to hell. I am not condemning him to hell – I am just telling you what the Bible says. And, his pastor, who allowed him to preach from his pulpit, will answer to God when he stands before him on his day of judgment. New Light, he will not only answer for allowing sin into his pulpit, but he will answer for the people who were drawn away into sin because of it. The last time I preached a funeral in my home town I told everyone present (he was there and his pastor) that the lifestyle of someone living like this would result in a death sentence to the lake of fire. I reviewed the Scriptures and told them that their time was running out. One person in the audience got up and walked out of the Church and later said that I seemed to be angry. I was angry because I was called to preach the funeral of a person that I could not say was in heaven based on his lifestyle. If the Scriptures that I reviewed could help one person in the audience to repent then I was ok with people being offended with me.
New Light, if we are going to walk in the grace of God and depend on and rely on His love for us, then we cannot live a life of sin - a life where we are not walking in agreement with Him. We have to live a life of true repentance – where we tear our hearts because of the remorse we feel when we disappoint God. Saying you’re sorry and asking God to forgive you while knowing that you are planning your next interaction with sin doesn’t cut it. There is no such thing as “pre-planned repentance.” I implore all of you, if you are living a life where sin is not the exception but the rule because you believe the blood of Jesus covers you, please repent. Remember “For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more sacrifice for sins. But a certain fearful expectation of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.” (Hebrews 10:26-27) This does not have to be the fate of anyone living in habitual sin. We have God’s promise that He will forgive us. Let’s close with a verse we read earlier from First John, chapter one, verse 9: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” New Light, I thank God that I can rest on this promise. What about you?
Until next time, “The Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift up His countenance on you and give you peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26)
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