December 15th: Repentance and Salvation

Speaker: Jide Owolabi

Repentance is absent from many Gospel sermons in these days of seeker-sensitive services and friendship-evangelism. New Testament conversion always involves turning from sin.

Repentance fundamental to a right understanding of Christian conversion.
Without it there can be no true peace with God... you will perish eternally.
Without it you will struggle to discern the difference between a true & false believer
Without a good grasp, your usefulness in bringing others to the Saviour might be curtailed.
Catholic Church turned it into a sacrament – confession to a priest. Jerome translated repentance “do penance”.

OT - Jer 3, Jer 31, Ez 36 Hos 6.1, Mal 3.7
NT - Matt 3.2,6,8   4.17, Luke 13.2-3,5, 24.47 (remission), Acts 2.38,  11.19 (gift), Acts 26.20

Nature of repentance
Not just being sorry. If it was, then hell would be full of good repentance!
Simple – Change one’s mind (metanoeō) - think differently after
- Mind, heart, will, direction and attitude + (blindness, carnality, rebellion)
- Humiliation & turning from sin to God

Matter of the heart, change involving conviction, distress, faith in Christ, humiliation of heart, holy shame, violent self-dislike, confessing, renouncing and a turning from all ones sins, to God in total commitment.
Kindly melting of the heart for sin as done against a gracious God.
The soul stands before the throne of justice weeping for itself and its own misery. But then comes before the throne of grace, weeping at having offended such a gracious Father.

- Shorter catechism: Along with the sorrow and grief and hatred of sin, one turns from it to God with full purpose and pursues after new obedience,

Repentance and Faith go hand in hand. They are simultaneous in salvation.
Some have made a distinction between the two in that repentance springs from faith in Christ. Repentance is not meritorious. It does not earn or deserve God’s forgiveness, but the reaction of an aware sinner crying to God for mercy.

Parts of Repentance
A) Humiliation (Lacking in many charismatics)
- A sense of sin - particular, not general, operative
- Sorrow – 2 Cor 7.20 .. For godly sorrow..for sin as sin, inward, lively, abiding
- Shame – I’m ashamed before God
- Self-loathing – One is at variance with himself. Spiritual disgust of oneself
Eg: Asaph Ps 73 “I was as a beast.” Paul – chief of sinners. Luke 15.19 prodigal son – “no more worthy”.

B) Turning from sin to God
2 Tim 2.19 let everyone that names the name of Christ depart...
- Longing to drop the chains, esteem turns to despite, love to hate, liking to loathing (Isaiah 55.7)
- A visible change: in life and conduct
- A fight to the death: War is waged against the old masters and captains. Resist the motions of sins in their hearts. “I hate vain thoughts, but your law do I love” (Ps 119:113).
Fear to fall to temptation and hope to be free one day of it.
Voluntarily, sincerely, speedily

Q What are some of the errant views on repentance?
A) No repentance needed – seeker sensitive / different approach
B) No repentance in John – “believe” in John encompasses repentance
To believe means what? To be convinced/persuaded and therefore trust in.
To be persuaded of and hang your life on what??? All his doctrine, specifically
Believe you are a great sinner, God is Holy & faithful, only One fit to deliver...
Believe that you must repent, turn away from your sin and turn to God (Luke 13.3)
C) Limited repentance – only change mind about Jesus
D) Repentance is a work
E) But Judas repented and was not saved – Judas, Saul, Pharaoh,
Regret. Heart is rent “for” sin, but not “from” sin.
Unlike "μετανοέω" (metanoeō), which emphasizes a complete transformation and turning away from sin, "meta-melomai" often highlights the emotional aspect of regret

What motivations are there to repentance?
The command & call of God (Acts 17.30)
The killing effect of sin, Dishonour to God, The sufferings of Christ, Eternal loss and judgement

What hindrances are there to repentance?
Thoughtlessness/Presumption/Love and cares of this world/Prejudices/Slothfulness

How does one repent?
- Acknowledge your bruised and ruined state as a sinner before God (Ps 32.5)
“I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin.”
- Be disgusted and ashamed
- Renounce your love of them and tell God you want to part with them
- Ask Christ (not a priest) to cleanse and forgive on account of his shed blood

Q Does repentance stop at conversion?
- True repentance is ongoing (For believers) - Rev 3.19 Church at Ephesus - repent and do the first works
Rev 2.5, Eph, Rev 2.16 Pergamon ... ‘will fight against’ Rev 2.22, Thyatira (Jezebel)
Rev 3.19 Laodicea “be zealous…repent” (Very blind. Thought they were rich)
Calvin: Repentance is an inward renewal of the man, which manifests itself in the outward life, as a tree produces its fruit.

Repentance in evangelism
- Important to remember people need to be brought to an awareness of their sin and the character of God (perfection, purity, grace, love)
Must talk about law/sin. Must hear bad news before they can understand good news
- Be midful about defining certain words in witness.
RC – but how can a sinful third party (priest) forgive my offenses to God?
Muslim might say he repents (remorse is not the same as repentance)

Does God repent or not?
Gen 6 “It repented God that he had made man” – not that God wished as if he didn’t know that would happen, but grieved, moved. God is transcendent but not aloof.
But Romans 11.29 says – “his promises are without repentance”. In context it means he keeps his promises v1 Has God cast away his people? Not his elect Jews. Irrevocable.
The concept of God ‘repenting’ or ‘relenting’ is understood within the framework of His covenantal faithfulness and mercy. He demonstrates his responsiveness to human actions and intercession.
Whosoever believes on him shall not perish (John 3.16-18)
Whosoever does not believe on him is condemned already

Summary
- Key biblical doctrine that cannot be discarded
- Repentance goes beyond a sorrow/regret for sin.
- It is a deep change of mind, heart and will involving shame and hatred for sin and a turning to God
- It is granted from God and not a work.
- It holds hands with faith, bringing a sinner into reconciliation with God
- It is an ongoing reality in the life of a believer

Verses
Matt 3.1,6,8 Repent, confessing, fruits worthy of, Matt 4.17 Repent…
Luke 13 ...Except ye repent, Luke 15.7, Luke 24.47 “preaching repentance and remissions of sins”
Acts 2.38 “Repent and be baptised” (requirement), Acts 3.19 “Repent and be converted”, Acts 5.31, 11.19 granted repentance unto life (a gift), Acts 17.30 Commands all men everywhere to repent (command), Acts 26.20 That they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for rep..
2 Cor 7.20 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation
2 Tim 2.25 If God perhaps will give them repentance to the acknowledging (a gift)
1 John 1.8 If we confess our sins..
Rev 2.5 Ephesus. Repent and do the first works, or else I will remove thy candlestick except thou repent
Rev 2.16 Pergamos. Repent, or else I will come unto thee quickly and will fight against thee with
Rev 2.22 Thyatira. Except they repent (Jezebel)
Rev 3.3 Sardis. And hold fast and repent
Rev 3.19 Laodicea. Be zealous therefore and repent (Very blind. Thought they were rich)

Ps 32.5, Ps 34.18 “a broken and a contrite heart God will not despise”
Isa 55.6-7, Jer 3.14,22, Jer 31.19, Ex 36.31, Hos 14.1-2
Joel 2.12-13 “turn ye even to me with all your heart. Rend your heart, not your clothes!”

Books
How to Seek/ Peter Masters
A call to the unconverted/Richard Baxter
Repentance/Thomas Boston