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What Is Repentance?
2 Corinthians 7
Pastor Tom Fuller
When I say “repentance” what comes to mind? The word has become one used primarily in religious conversations. Dinner time talks don’t usually center around the concept of repentance. Yet is a key to our eternal destiny and our every day walk with God.
What does it mean to repent? As we get into the 7th chapter of 2nd Corinthians we’re going to find out but first I want to talk about what repentance is NOT.
• Repentance is not feeling guilty.
We do something wrong and the Holy Spirit or our conscience tells us its wrong and we feel guilty – that isn’t repentance
• Repentance is not confession.
Confession is a part of repentance but isn’t the whole picture. Just admitting to a sin doesn’t mean you have repented.
• Repentance is not rationalizing or giving reasons for sin.
Remember the Garden of Eden? “The woman …” “The serpent …”
We don’t necessarily think the sin is okay, but there were extenuating circumstances. That’s not repentance.
• Repentance is not penance.
This is big in the Catholic church – but we do it too. “God if you’ll forgive me I’ll go to church every day for the rest of my life and spend 4 hours a day in prayer.” Or we do something to prove that we really should be forgiven like give lots of money. This too is not repentance.
So what is it? It’s obviously important.
Acts 2:38 Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.”
Let’s read on and find out.
7:1 Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.
Some people stop right here – they preach the purity and the “perfecting holiness” but they leave out God’s grace in the “how”. They say “be holy, even as I am holy” but don’t let us know that we are simply incapable of it. It’s impossible. So we are set up for failure.
To understand how to get to purity we must understand 1) that only God can make us pure – and that 2) the first step for us is repentance. (Paul gets to that in verse 8)
First he sets the stage by stating his own innocence. And here’s a good word too – if you didn’t do anything wrong, you have nothing to apologize about!
2 Make room for us in your hearts. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have exploited no one. 3 I do not say this to condemn you; I have said before that you have such a place in our hearts that we would live or die with you. 4 I have great confidence in you; I take great pride in you. I am greatly encouraged; in all our troubles my joy knows no bounds.
Wronged: injured. Corrupted: bribed. Exploited: cheated.
Our actions didn’t cause anyone harm – we didn’t “buy” anyone’s loyalty, nor did we use other people for our own gain.
Paul had really opened himself up, made himself vulnerable to these people – but they held themselves aloof. “I’ve given everything for you” he says – don’t separate yourself from me, don’t fight against what I’m trying to bring to your life in the Lord.
Paul said he was encouraged because of the word he finally received back in person from Titus.
5 For when we came into Macedonia, this body of ours had no rest, but we were harassed at every turn-conflicts on the outside, fears within. 6 But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus, 7 and not only by his coming but also by the comfort you had given him. He told us about your longing for me, your deep sorrow, your ardent concern for me, so that my joy was greater than ever.
Remember – Paul had written a very important letter to the Corinthians – a letter we don’t have. He called it “tearful” in chapter 2. He was so anxious to know how it was received that he went to Macedonia to find him.
The news Paul got was doubly good – Titus was all right, and many of the Corinthians were sorry for treating Paul so badly and were now looking forward to him coming.
I get this picture of Paul, pacing back and forth – worried about how the letter will be received – caring so much for them, and hoping and praying that they will let go of this hardness of heart.
That’s a lot of how God thinks about us. He sent us a letter telling us of His love, and urging us to repent – and he wonders how we will receive it. Think of Jesus outside of Jerusalem –
Luke 13:34 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not! KJV
What Jesus wanted, what God wants – is repentance – a change of heart. That’s what happened to many of the Corinthians – and it gives Paul the opportunity to share with us the nature of true repentance.
It starts with sorrow:
8 Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Though I did regret it-I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while- 9 yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. 10 Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.
The first quality of repentance is sorrow. The word used here in verses 8-10 is “to cause pain.” Paul was afraid that his letter was too harsh – but since it was received with a particular kind of sorrow – Paul was glad he sent it after all.
There are times when I’ve got to say things to people that they don’t want to hear – that they can’t just believe anything they want and go to heaven – or that activities or attitudes they are having are sinful. How they react determines whether the sorrow I cause leads one of two ways: to death or to salvation.
Paul describes it as “godly” sorrow as opposed to “worldly” sorrow. In a way it is the difference between discipline and condemnation.
Hebrews 12:10 God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness.
God’s discipline brings sorrow – but the end product is not condemning but transforming. When you get a piece of round steak from the store, we used to beat the thing silly with a special mallet. It broke down the tough fibers in the meat and made it tender – it transformed the meat. Now sometimes we probably feel like God is taking a mallet to our backs – beating us silly. But what He is actually doing is breaking down our self will, so that we become pliable in His hands – He then can bring us to repentance and transform us into His image to be useful to His purposes.
This kind of process leaves no regrets – afterwards you don’t say “I’m really sorry I’ve become more like the Lord – I want to be mean and sinful again – I was happier!”
Condemnation says: “you are worthless and I reject you.” Worldly sorrow also brings death because you are sorry you can’t have more of the world that you want! Discipline says “this is going to hurt, but in the end you are going to thank me.” So step 1 is godly sorrow – the desire to let go of self and become more like God.
What the sorrow produces is called: repentance. The Greek word means “to perceive afterwards” and “to change one’s mind of purpose.” (Vines)
It doesn’t mean you are sorry you got caught – that’s what a lot of people think repentance is. I heard someone say the other day that the eleventh commandment is “Thou shalt not get caught.” Getting busted for sin is not the same thing as repenting.
Don’t just admit the sin (like a speeding motorist stopped by a cop) but change your mind about it – that’s the heart of repentance. So step two: a change of direction – turning around on the road and facing the other way and stepping in that direction.
Step three is the fruit:
11 See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done. At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter. 12 So even though I wrote to you, it was not on account of the one who did the wrong or of the injured party, but rather that before God you could see for yourselves how devoted to us you are. 13 By all this we are encouraged.
Paul makes seven points about the character of repentance here. It describes a process each of us should go through – something like this:
• First we are really serious about it – we’re not going to just go out and as soon as the Lord’s not looking sin again – that’s earnestness.
• Then the eagerness to clear – you hate that sin now – like dog poop you want to wash it off soon as possible.
• Indignation comes from a root word that means “to be greatly afflicted.” Not only do we hate the sin, but we hate what the sin has done to us, and to others.
• Alarm comes next: It’s the Greek word phobos or fear. The true effects of sin should cause us to fear – fear that the enemy has gained, fear of the consequences of sin, fear or God. Not that we afraid of Him – but He is holy and sin is anti-God.
• Longing means to “earnestly desire” something – lust would be the negative term. Here I think the longing is an earnest desire to be free from sin and from its influence and consequence.
• Concern is the word “zeal”. A real repent person never wants to sin again – and they become zealous of that – watching out for themselves to not again get in situations that might tempt them to sin – working at their relationship with God in that area. Sometimes the most zealous people against a certain sin are those who have succumbed to it themselves.
• Finally, there is a “readiness to see justice done.” The Greek here means “punishment” or “vindication.” It’s true that God doesn’t punish our sins in Jesus – but the value of “making it right” is important. Sometimes we have to go back and pay back to the one we have harmed.
In the final verses, Paul expresses his joy at how Titus was received by them:
In addition to our own encouragement, we were especially delighted to see how happy Titus was, because his spirit has been refreshed by all of you. 14 I had boasted to him about you, and you have not embarrassed me. But just as everything we said to you was true, so our boasting about you to Titus has proved to be true as well. 15 And his affection for you is all the greater when he remembers that you were all obedient, receiving him with fear and trembling. 16 I am glad I can have complete confidence in you.
To finish off today I want to turn out attention to another section of the Word that deals with repentance – of King David after Nathan the prophet called him on the carpet for having sex with Bathsheba, then having her husband murdered. This is the Psalm David wrote after he repented:
Psalm 51
Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. 4 Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge. 5 Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. 6 Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place.
7 Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. 8 Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice. 9 Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity.
10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. 11 Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will turn back to you. 14 Save me from bloodguilt, O God, the God who saves me, and my tongue will sing of your righteousness. 15 O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.
16 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. 17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
18 In your good pleasure make Zion prosper; build up the walls of Jerusalem. 19 Then there will be righteous sacrifices, whole burnt offerings to delight you; then bulls will be offered on your altar.
The Qualities of the Repentant Heart (from Psalm 51)
1. Throw yourself on the mercy of the court (don’t make excuses) vs1
2. Be honest about your sin – and be sorry (it was an “affair”) vs 3
3. Realize who the sin really hurt (“why did you despise my Word”) vs 4
4. Know that it is the sin nature that must be dealt with (no isolated sin) vs 5
5. Open up your entire life to God’s cleansing (no “off limits”) vs 6
6. Embrace the Lord’s way of cleansing through Jesus (“I am the Way …”) vs 7
7. Pray for a new heart and a new joy vs 10-12)
8. Look for changes in your attitude and your words (vs 13-15)
9. Know that you can’t earn God’s forgiveness – all He wants is your broken heart vs 16-17)
10. Turn – Confess – Receive – Change – Build – Worship (vs 18-19)
Isaiah 30:15-16 "In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it. 16 You said, ’No, we will flee on horses.’ Therefore you will flee!
Don’t flee from God – turn towards Him and repent.
1 John 1:8-10 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.
