This Is What Repentance Looks Like

Alba 10-15-2023

THIS IS WHAT REPENTANCE LOOKS LIKE

I Thessalonians 1:9-10

In Acts chapter two, the apostle Peter on the Day of Pentecost was preaching about Jesus, and he concluded his sermon with these words:

36 “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” 37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?”

38 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”

Repent!... Peter told them. In other words if you want to be made right with God, change your ways!

What if a person came saying that he wanted to become a Christian, and a preacher talked to him about it and said, "Well, my friend, what is the trouble?"

He doesn't want to tell. He is greatly agitated. Finally he says, "The fact is, I have overdrawn my account". A polite way of saying he has been stealing. He is asked, "Did you take your employer's money?" And he answers, "Yes." "How much?" "I don't know. I have never kept account of it." "Well, do you have an idea you may have stolen $1,500 last year?" "I am afraid it is that much."

Now what if the preacher would say: "Now, look here, sir, I don't believe in sudden work. So don't steal more that a thousand dollars this next year, and the next year not more that five hundred. And in the course of the next few years you will get so that you won't steal any. If your employer catches you, tell him you are being converted; and you will get so that you won't steal any by and by."

No! Peter said, “Repent!” And the Bible says, "Let him that stole, steal no longer" (Ephesians 4:28). Repentance is an about face, a change in direction, a turning away from doing wrong.

That's the action the people in the church in Thessalonica took. I Thessalonians 1:9-10 says that the apostle Paul had heard good things about them from others. There he says:

9 For they themselves declare concerning us what manner of entry we had to you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10 and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.

They turned to God. That's the key, isn't it! Turn to God! That is what repentance looks like. Most of us probably think that we have done a pretty good job of putting the Lord first in our lives. And I hope that is true. Still, there are three things that we do need to remember:

1. That all people are sinners. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) That doesn't leave any of us out.

2. That sin brings a terrible penalty. “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23) God will be true to His Word.

3. There is an inescapable judgment ahead for every person. “It is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.” (Hebrews 9:27) God is the just judge of all the earth.

Our only hope is to do what the Thessalonians did. We all must turn to God. That is what repentance looks like. It is a full turn. It is a decision followed by action.

A mother calling to her son shouted, “Johnny, tell your sister to get in the house out of the rain.” “I can't mom,” came the reply. “And just why can't you?” demanded his mother. “Because we are playing Noah's Ark mom, and she's one of the sinners.”

We like to make the distinction between the sinners on the outside of the ark and the saints on the inside, and it is a legitimate distinction.

But in so doing, we tend to cover up the reality that the saints inside are still sinners. Sinners saved by grace, but sinners nevertheless. And that is who we are. We are sinners, yes; but we also need to be saved by the grace of God which comes through Jesus Christ our risen Lord and Savior.

Unless you turn to Jesus Christ as the Lord of your life and repent of your sins, you have not turned to meet God where He offers full salvation. Faith in Christ is an all or nothing proposition.