The Marks of a Christian: Repentance

For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation; but the sorrow of the world produces death. (2 Corinthians 7:10 NASB)

This passage mentions two kinds of sorrow. Godly sorrow, and worldly sorrow. One leads to salvation, while the other leads to death. It is vital that we understand the difference between the two. Our salvation depends upon it. 

Jesus exhorts us to enter by the narrow gate. This is a narrow path that few find, while the majority find and travel upon the broad path to destruction (Matthew 7:13-14). I'm afraid many miss the narrow gate because of an insincere repentance.

Our text above mentions the sorrow of the world. Two things come to mind when I think about this.

1. The sorrow at being caught 

2. The dread of punishment 

Many individuals who have come to "repentance" are sorry because they were caught in some type of sin. Their sin might have been hidden from everyone around them, and now it has come to light, bringing perhaps shame or embarrassment. This type of person now has a change of mind about their sin. They give it up because it has come to light, but they would never have stopped if they still could have gotten away with it. They are not really sorry, they just want to save face.

Then there are those who fear the consequences of their sin. Perhaps their sin might lead to jail time, or a divorce. Of course all sin leads to eternal separation from God, ultimately spent in torment. That should strike fear in all of our hearts. But to give up our sin to avoid prison, avoid divorce, or even avoid eternal torment in the lake of fire is a selfish repentance that does not touch upon the hurt and offence our sin has brought upon God, and the individual we have sinned against. 

Think about it. You have been caught shoplifting. It's embarrassing, you are afraid of going to jail, so you give your word that you will never do it again. Deep inside however you are not sorry about your crime, and you would still do it if you could get away with it. Is that real sorrow? Is this true repentance? 

Or you feel guilty about sin in your life. You know you are a sinner, and you know that someday you must give an account to God for your sin. You know hell awaits you and you are terrified. Understand, it is wise to know and understand that sin has consequences, and that should cause us to think about sin and our standing before God. However, if our motivation for repentance is the avoidance of punishment we fall short. How does it sound when we tell God we are sorry for our sin, and we will now obey Him, when deep inside we are not concerned as much about God's honor and our offense against Him, as we are about avoiding punishment?

A man says some mean things to his wife. She is very hurt, and now things are strained in their relationship. After a few painful days he goes out and buys some flowers and a nice necklace. He gives her these things with an abstract apology hoping that somehow things will smooth over and go back to how they were. He has only made things worse. Now his wife feels deeper pain, a wedge is driven deeper into the separation between them. 

This is worldly sorrow. Trying to fix things and patch things up between man and God without a heartfelt grief over our sin because it is sin. Worldly sorrow actually leaves God out, we only want Him for what He can do for us. There is no sorrow for what we have done to Him. This kind of repentance is selfish, it still leaves us on the throne. We might give up something sinful, and pick up some moral habits, but it is all for us and our well being, not for the honor of God.

To confess our sin (1 John 1:9) is to agree with God about our sin. Daniel confessed his sin and the national sin of Israel while they were held captive in Babylon,

     "We have sinned, committed iniquity, acted wickedly, and rebelled, even turning aside from Your commandments and ordinances. Moreover, we have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings, our princes, our fathers and all the people of the land. Righteousness belongs to you, O Lord, but to us open shame, as it is this day -to the men of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, those who are nearby and those who are far away in all the countries to which You have driven them, because of their unfaithful deeds which they have committed against You. (Daniel 9:5-7)

Daniel takes God's side in the matter. As does Ezra (Ezra 9:4-15). The Jews had returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple, but now it was discovered that they had began to intermarry with the foreigners living among them, in violation of God's command. Ezra was ashamed. He confesses that they had been given into captivity justly, on account of their sin, yet now God had shown them mercy in allowing a remnant to return to rebuild the temple. Now they had fallen into sin once again. He is grieved, not because they were caught, he prays, not to avoid punishment, but he confesses the unfaithfulness of his people to God because it was a grievous offense against a holy, yet gracious God.

This is what godly sorrow looks like. This sorrow at sinning against God causes us to be ashamed of ourselves, our sin, and admit we deserve the penalty due us for our sin. We must take God's side against us, and see ourselves and our sin as He does.

Repentance is a change of mind. This is not a fickle change of mind such as what may be produced by a worldly type of sorrow, but a change of mind brought about by a view of ourselves through the conviction of the Holy Spirit. When we see sin for what it is we will give it up.

Repentance also carries with it the idea of restitution. A thief will return what he has taken, a wrong will be righted as far as possible. Restoration between God and man is not possible without an honest attempt at restoration between the offender and the party offended. In other words, a thief who does not restore what he has taken is a thief still. One who will not go to an offended brother with a sincere confession shows that he has not yet experienced that godly sorrow that leads to repentance. Sadly, many relationships are never truly mended because true restoration has never been attempted. Often people go on like nothing has happened, but deep inside a disconnect remains.

Repentance is a turning point. We turn from sin to obedience. It carries the idea of surrender and commitment. We give up our right to control our lives, and in an act of faith we transfer control to God. In the next post I would like to look at another mark of a Christian, which is faith.

Mastering Sin

 "If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it." (Gen 4:7NASB)

This quote is taken from the Account of Cain and Abel found in Genesis 4. Abel brings a sacrifice of the first of his flocks to the Lord. Cain also bring a sacrifice of the fruit of the ground. God was pleased with Abel's offering but did not regard the offering of Cain. 

Cain was angry, and thus this warning from God. Sin was crouching at the door, desiring to control Cain. He must master it. Sadly, Cain gave in to his anger and killed Abel his brother. How different things could have been if only he had listened to God and controlled his temper.

Likewise, we also must heed this warning. Sin also seeks to dominate our lives and we also must not let it master us, but instead master it. We read this in Romans, Knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin (Rom 6:6-7). Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace (Rom 6:12-14). Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness (Rom 6:16-18).

It is through our surrender to Christ that we find freedom to overcome sin and live in victory. In John 8:34-36 Jesus states that the one who commits sin is the slave of sin, but the one whom the Son sets free is free indeed. 

God's latter days Promise to Israel

 The book of Deuteronomy finds the Israelite people preparing to enter the promised land. Forty years have passed in the wilderness. The older generation who refused to enter years ago have all died in the wilderness. This is the younger generation, those who God would allow to enter, 

We find Moses, throughout this book, reminding these people of God and His law. He instructs them in the ways of the Lord and warns them of the consequences of turning away from God. In fact, he knows that the time will come when they forsake the Lord their God. 

"So watch yourselves, that you do not forget the covenant of the LORD your God which He made with you, and make for yourselves a graven image in the form of anything against which the LORD your God has commanded you. For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God. When you become the father of children and children's children and have remained long in the land, and acted corruptly, and make an idol in the form of anything, and do that which is evil in the sight of the LORD your God so as to provoke Him to anger, I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that you will surely perish quickly from the land where you are going over the Jordan to possess it. You shall not live long on it, but will be utterly destroyed. The LORD will scatter you among the peoples and you will be left few in number among the nations where the LORD drives you. There you will serve gods, the work of man's hands, wood and stone, which neither see nor hear nor eat nor smell (Deut 4:23-28).

Moses warns them that if they forsake their God, if they turn to idols, they will be severely punished. They will be driven off the land they possess, scattered among the nations, and left few in number. And indeed, Moses was right. Years later the Assyrian empire carried off the northern kingdom of Israel for her unfaithfulness, followed by the Babylonian invasion of Judah a little over a century later. Again, we see them banished from Israel by the Romans in 70AD, and only recently, since 1948, have they settled in their land again.

Yet they have not returned to the Lord their God, and will still face one more time of tribulation, one more time when they will be scattered among the nations as captives. However they have a promise. Daniel claimed this promise and acted upon it as the days of the Babylonian captivity were drawing to a close (see Daniel 9:1-19). What was this promise?

"But from there you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart and all your soul. When you are in distress and all these things have come upon you, in the latter days you will return to the LORD your God and listen to His voice. For the LORD your God is a compassionate God; He will not fail you nor destroy you nor forget the covenant with your fathers which He swore to them". (Deut 4:29-31 NASB)

If they would repent in the time of their distress, and seek the Lord with all of their heart, God would be faithful to hear them, and deliver them. He has made a solemn covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to establish their descendants in the land that he would give them forever (Genesis 15:18, 17:19, 22:17-18, 26:3-5, 35:9-12).

It is interesting to note that Moses tells the people that they will return to the Lord in the last days. In His lament over Jerusalem, Jesus says, "For I say to you, from now on you will not see Me until you say, 'BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD.' " (Matt 23:39) In other words, they would not see Him until they recognize Him as their Messiah. The day is coming when they will be surrounded by their enemies. At their lowest point they will look upon the one whom they pierced and mourn for Him. A fountain of cleansing will be opened for their sin, and it will be removed for the nation in one day (Zech 12:10-13:1, 3:9).

The Apostle Paul quoting Isaiah 59:20-21 says this, "And so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, the deliverer will come from Zion, He will remove ungodliness from Jacob. This is my covenant with them, when I take away their sins."

Freedom to Sin?

     A common misconception of Christianity is that it gives Christians a freedom to sin. The idea goes something like this. If Jesus died for my sins, and I believe in Him, and if I am totally forgiven, therefore any future sins I commit are also forgiven. If this is the case, then it does not matter how I live out my life. I can sin all I want to, as it is all forgiven, and there are no eternal consequences to worry about.

     Of course, there are people who view Christianity with contempt because of this error, mocking the whole idea of Christ's sacrifice for the pardon of sin. Then there are those who profess to know Christ but deny Him by their deeds (Titus 1:16). They have fallen into serious error as well, as the Bible points out throughout its pages.

     Jesus tells us that a good tree will bring forth good fruit, and an evil tree will bring forth evil fruit, and be cut down and cast into the fire (Matt 7:16-20). Not everyone who professes Him as Lord will enter into the kingdom of Heaven, only those who are obedient (Matt 7:21). What He is saying is this. One who professes to know Him will obey Him. The idea of faith goes beyond a head knowledge of historical facts and things we believe about Him. A real faith puts what we believe into practice. This agrees with what James tells us about faith and works. A faith with no works is a dead faith. Our deeds show the reality of our faith (James 2:17-26). In this passage we see the examples of Abraham, and of Rahab. They both exhibited a faith that acted upon what they believed. It may shock many of you if I stated that a man is justified by his works, and not by faith alone. However, this is what James under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit states. "Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only" (James 2:24 KJV).

     Don't misunderstand me. I am not advocating legalism or a works based salvation. The scriptures are abundantly clear that our salvation cannot be earned. However, true faith goes beyond out head knowledge and ends in our actions. If not, it is a useless, dead faith. 

     The apostle Paul was accused by his enemies of preaching a cheap grace gospel. "And not rather, (as we be slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say,) Let us do evil, that good may come? Whose damnation is just (Romans 3:8 KJV). Paul condemns this this accusation in no uncertain terms! Romans 6 strongly refutes the idea of a freedom to sin. Romans 6:1 opens with the rhetorical question, "Shall we continue in sin so that grace may abound?" Paul's answer is a resounding no. He goes on to point out how a Christian is identified with Christ's death, burial, and resurrection. As followers of Christ, we are dead to sin, and alive unto God. We are to no longer allow sin free course in our lives, instead, we are to live righteously unto God. Sin no longer has dominion over a believer, as he is not under law, but grace. However, grace is not a free pass to sin, We are slaves of who, or what we yield ourselves to. A professing believer who chooses to sin is a slave of sin, and under its dominion period. Grace actually teaches us to deny sin, and live godly, obedient lives (Titus 2:11-12).

     The author of Hebrews did not agree with a sinning saint theology either. He strongly exhorts his audience to persevere in godliness. "For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgement and fiery indignation which shall devour the adversaries (Hebrews 10:26-27). I would like to make it clear, we are all prone to sin. We face temptations and sometimes fall, We may sin unintentionally, or in the heat of a moment. However, a true follower of Christ will get back up, confess his sin and turn from it and seek grace (1 John 1:9). John writes his first epistle to guard us against sin, but if find ourselves to have sinned, we have an advocate in Jesus Christ (1 John 2:1). However this is not the same thing as an individual who claims the name of Jesus, but continues on in an unrepentant lifestyle. John writes that the way we know who knows Christ is by our obedience to His commands (1 John 2:3-5). This epistle is consistent in this message. 

    Jesus came to take away our sin, and in Him is no sin. As His followers we are to be like Him. If we walk in darkness, yet claim to be in the light, we are found to be liars (1 John 1:5-7). In the third chapter of First John, we can plainly see that the mark of a Christian is that of obedience. Because the Christian has been transformed by Jesus and is now led by a new principle through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, he does not sin as before. The difference between the children of God, and the children of the devil is obvious. It comes down to sin. Have we been delivered from it, or are we still under its control. Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil and set us free from sin (1 John 3:2-10). 

     In conclusion, there is no freedom to sin found in the gospel. Salvation goes beyond forgiveness and strikes at the problem of sin itself. The gospel provides a way to deliver those who put their trust in Christ from the dominion of sin in their lives. We are not saved in our sins, but from our sins.

Without Excuse

     The Bible tells us that what is known about God is evident to men through what He has created (Romans 1:19-20).

     For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse...
                            Romans 1:20 NASB

     One needs only to look around at the natural beauty of the created world to understand that there is an almighty God who has created all of this. As the above verse states, His attributes, His eternal power, and His divine nature are clearly seen, being understood through what has been made. This speaks volumes about what man understands about God deep down within his heart. Man knows that there is a holy, just God who created all things, and who cannot tolerate sin.
     Sadly the Bible goes on to say that man rejects this revelation, choosing instead to worship the creation rather than the creator (Romans 1:21-25). This rejection of God is our downfall. This is the source of all the wicked, immoral behavior we see in the world today.
     It is little wonder that the world largely rejects Biblical creationism for the lie of Darwinism. This is man's effort to deny the revelation of God that he receives from the creation around him, and rejects. Men love darkness rather than the light.

     This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.
                                               John 3:19 NASB

     Out of the hearts of depraved men comes all manner of wickedness. Read Romans 1:21-32. Sexual immorality, homosexuality, greed, murder, strife, deceit, malice, gossip, slander, arrogance, disobedience to ones parents, inventors of evil, envy, God haters, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful, and those who may not do such things as these, but heartily approve of those who do! Those today who may not participate in the scandalous behavior of others, but embrace and encourage their sin, are just as lost and guilty as if they did. What does this say about churches who embrace deviant sexual behavior? Gay marriage, the ordination of gay ministers, and the open acceptance of the homosexual lifestyle is nothing more than the outflow of a heart that is dead to the things of God.
     We are without excuse. No one was born a homosexual, just as no one was born a gossip! We reject the revelation of God that we have received. He turns us over to our wicked passions because we would rather live selfish lives serving a god of our own invention than to serve the only true God who created us. This is nothing but gross idolatry!
     This is not only about homosexuality, reread the passage in Romans. There are many other sins listed that are just as wicked in God's sight, and He will judge them as well. What about gossip, or arrogance? How about deceit? We see more murder today than ever before, and remember that anger is seen as murder in God's eyes (Matt 5:21-22).
     Wicked behavior, and the wide acceptance of it is the result of our own choice. We cannot call it an alternative lifestyle, or claim God made us this way. The tolerance of sin in this world today only serves to show us how wicked and depraved this world really is. One whose life is filled with the sinful acts mentioned in this passage of scripture can be assured that they are dead spiritually and in need of a radical life change that can only be found in Christ.
     Our only remedy is to turn in brokenness and repentance to the Lord Jesus Christ who gave Himself to deliver us from this wicked world (Gal 1:4). Only He can set the captives free. Only in Him can we find true grace and mercy.
    
    
    

How to have a personal revival

Here is a link to an interesting article on repentance and personal revival. http://www.johnthebaptisttv.com/2010/04/18/how-to-have-a-personal-revival/

What does the Lord require?

     He has showed you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
     Micah 6:8 (RSV)

     The people of Micah's day took advantage of one another, used dishonest business practices, perverted justice. The prophets and priests of his day relaxed the law of God, and yet prophesied that all was well with the nation. People worshipped idols of everykind.
     As a result of this, God sent Micah to confront the people, and warn them of impending judgement. God,'s message is set forth as an indictment against His people, showing them the charges against them, and the resulting consequences that they faced. God invited the people to show, if they could, any instances in which He may have treated them unfairly, or wronged them (6:3-5).
      The response of the people was the typical response of all generations of people when confronted with sin and judgement. They thought if they could offer more sacrifices,go through rituals, that they would be ok. Somehow we think that God will be pleased with external shows of religion, church attendance, prayer. reading the Bible or devotion books, taking part in religious rituals, all the while ignoring the heart of the matter. God desires truth in the inward parts (Psalm 51:6), There can be no fellowship with Him as long as we persist in living for ourselves, not caring how we treat God or one another.
     The people needed to repent. A change of heart was needed. God had shown them what was good. The Apostle Paul said that the law was holy and good (Romans 7:12). The whole of the law can be summed up as loving God with all the heart soul mind and strength, and loving our neighbor as ourselves. Instead, the law had been perverted. Justice had been perverted. The teachers twisted the law to suit themselves, judges turned a blind eye to it, and the prophets prophesied for good to those with money, and bad to those without. They needed to return to justice, to show mercy, to walk humbly with God. All their sacrifices, festivals, assemblies, songs and worship meant nothing to God while they lived for themselves. He desired justice, and righteousness (Amos 5:21-24).
     The message is timeless. We can learn from it today as well. All the religious activities that we can do are abhorant in the eyes of God as long as our hearts are not right. We can participate in worship, pray, sing, read our bibles and call ourselves Christians, but if within our hearts we have not cast off pride and humbly submitted ourselves to Christ, we are only deceived. To walk humbly with God is a lifesyle that involves laying down our lives for the interests of His kingdom. God is a God of love, a love that includes justice and mercy, and as such, he demands that we show the same kind of love to those around us.
     Jesus gave us a very simple interpretation of the law in the golden rule, to treat others as we would have them treat us. We all desire to be treated fairly, and honestly. We all desire to be loved. That is how we are called to treat others.
    

True repentance is thorough.

     O Ephraim what shall I do unto thee? O Judah what shall I do unto thee? For your goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the dew that goeth early away. 
     -Hosea 6:4 (ASV)

     Throughout their history, God's chosen people Israel, have experienced seasons of backsliding, times of judgement and conviction followed by repentance, only to plunge back into sin once again. The Prophet Hosea called the nation to return to the Lord, to come to Him for healing and reviving, so that they could live before Him once again (vs 1-3).
     God desired to revive them. He desired to bless and prosper them spiritually. He did not desire to punish them. God desired that they would turn back to Him with a whole hearted repentance. He also knew their hearts, that their repentance was shallow and insincere, it was not of the kind that would last. He asks "what shall I do to you?" He desired to restore them but could not.
     Far to often people make half hearted commitments to Christ. They feel some conviction, or get into trouble and come to Him with half hearted confessions, and empty promises. What God desires is a thorough repentance. A deep breaking up of the hard packed soil of the heart. A broken and contrite heart is a heart that grieves for the hurt caused to God by sin. It grieves that God has been offended. It is ashamed of  its sinful actions. There is no making of excuses. A heart broken over sin will turn from sin. It will seek to avoid sin at all costs. It cannot bear the thought of grieving God any longer. This takes deep conviction by the Holy Spirit. It also involves a deep soul searching, and rooting out of sin in the heart. This is what is meant by breaking up the fallow ground (Hosea 10:12). Sinful actions have a root that must be removed. The hardened soil of the heart must be plowed up so that the word of God can be planted and allowed to bear fruit. True evangelical repentance is one that lasts. The life is changed. There is no turning back. It is true that the possibility of sin remains, but one who slips gets up quickly and continues to follow Christ whole heartedly.
     Sadly many modern day evangelists admit that out of every conversion, only about two percent remain faithful. What went wrong with the rest? Most blame lack of follow up, which might account for some. I think we live in a microwave society, where everything is done quickly. We settle for hasty prayers and slipping up embarrassed hands while every head is bowed and all eyes are closed, without allowing the Holy Spirit to do a complete work deep within the hearts of lost or backslidden individuals. Decisions are made based on emotion, decisions that will never last. When the feeling is over, the old life is returned to. We live in an age when nobody wants to confront sin. We are afraid to hurt others, or appear judgemental. What good will our silence, in the name of tolerance be, on the day of judgement, as our friends and families slip into an eternal hell. It is through conviction of sin that God leads an individual to repentance. The Prophets of old confronted Israel. Nathan the Prophet confronted David. John the Baptist confronted the people of his day, Jesus confronted individuals with their sin, Peter confronted three thousand souls on the day of pentecost, and urged them to repent. If we desire to see souls saved we can do no less.

Rend your hearts.

     Here is an excerpt from Matthew Henry's comments on Joel 2:12,13.

     Our fasting and weeping are worth nothing if we do not with them turn to God as our God. When we are fully convinced that it is our duty and interest to keep in with Him, and are heartily sorry we have ever turned the back upon Him, and thereupon by a fixed resolution, make His glory our end, His will our rule, and His favour our felicity, then we return to the Lord our God.
     When the heart is rent for sin, and rent from it, then it is prepared to turn entirely to God, and be devoted entirely to Him, and He will have it all or none.

Be reconciled to your brother.

     Our relationship with God, and our relationship with our fellow man are inseparable. How we relate to God will affect how we relate to one another, and how we treat our fellow man will impact the relationship we have with God.
     The world operates on a selfish principle. People are looking out for number one, ignoring the needs around them, and stepping on each other as they climb to the top. People get hurt and offended all the time, and the offenders shrug it off.
     Jesus introduces a different principle however. It is based on love. Love to God, and love to our fellow man. Love is not self seeking, instead it looks out for others even to the expense of ourselves. We are taught in the scriptures to forgive those who offend us, even as Christ has forgiven us. An unforgiving attitude puts our relationship with God in jeopardy. If we will not forgive, He will not forgive (Matt 6:14,15). Jesus also teaches us to go when we have wronged someone, and make it right (Matt 5:23,24). A heart that has been humbled by the love and mercy of God will see that we can do no less. If I have offended someone by unkind words, and then felt convicted and confessed it to God, but went no further, how would that look? What would the offended party think if I told them "It's ok, God forgave me." but I never offered them an apology? Instead Jesus says to go and be reconciled. Do it quickly! It is a priority. Even if you are on the way to worship God, go first to your offended brother, then come back and worship.
     It is a proud heart that will not go and admit we are wrong. Pride will keep us from a heartfelt apology. Pride will also destroy the fellowship we have with God. God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6).
     Our relationship with God requires that we confess our sins to Him. Likewise our relationships with each other require the same. Without this, a relationship might continue, patched up a little, but the trust is gone. For a true reconciliation to occur, confession and restitution are vital. Even if the other person chooses not to forgive us, we have done what we could in a true spirit of humility, and God knows.

Repentance and restitution.

     Under the Old Testament law, a person who had obtained property dishonestly had to make full restitution with interest to the owner, on the day he came to present his guilt offering to the priest (Lev 6:1-7). A sacrifice offered without restitution being made would not be acceptable to God. In the account of Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-9) we see the spirit of this law, as Zacchaeus freely determines to restore what he had dishonestly taken from others.
     The truth is, a thief who will not restore what he has taken is a thief still. No amount of sorrow or resolve to no longer steal changes this fact. This shows that the repentance is only superficial. A truly broken heart not only sees that God has been offended, but also recognizes how sin affects others, and will be quick to do what is in its power to make things right. To refuse to make proper restitution shows that the heart is still selfish.
     When Zacchaeus encountered Christ, he at once, with a willing heart determined to make things right. Jesus recognized this as proof that he had truly repented, and entered the kingdom of God.

True repentance is sincere.

     True repentance is sincere. It flows out of a heart that has been broken by the realization of how ugly our sin is in the sight of God. It was this realization that caused David to say "Against you only have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight" (Psalm 51:4). A true penitent means it when confession is made. Often we see people apologize half heartedly. This is especially true when we see parents trying to get their children to apologize to each other. Too often we do our children a diservice when we settle for a coerced apology that we can see is insincere.
     A heart that is truly sorry for the sin it has commited will make a full confession to God. It will hold nothing back. One who is truly sorry for sin will not make excuses for sin either. It can see the depth of it's wickedness, and will take full responsibility for it. An individual who makes excuses is an individual who has not reached the end of himself. He is still trying to justify his actions, and is unable to receive the grace of God. Such a one shows that self is still on the throne of his life.
     Along with the full blame, a truly repentant individual will see that any punishment is deserved. God is just, and a repentant person will see Him as just, and will see that his sin deserves punishment. To think that hell, or any punishment is unfair is to make God out to be unfair. This can be seen in David's psalm of confession (Psalm 51:4) and also Daniel's prayer of repentance (Daniel 9:4-19).
     While it is true that God urges us to repent, and the bible warns us of the consequences if we do not repent, yet repentance must be a free act. It can not be forced. It must flow freely out of a heart that desires to return to God. It flows out of a heart that desires to forsake sin because it grieves God. Anything forced has elements of insincerity, and selfishness in it.
   A godly sorrow will produce a true repentance that leads to life, while the sorrow of the world will only produce a false repentance, leaving one with a false hope.

The two kinds of sorrow.

     The Apostle Paul teaches us some very important things regarding repentance, in 2 Corinthians 7:8-11. In this passage he speaks of two kinds of sorrow. There is Godly sorrow that leads to repentance and salvation, and the sorrow of the world that leads to death. It is vital to our salvation that we understand the difference between these two kinds of sorrow, and make sure that we have truly repented in the right way, for the right reasons. As sinful beings, we have all lived life for ourselves,without regard to God and His word. This rebellion deserves God's wrath, and will incur it, unless one submits to Christ by faith.
     There are also the natural consequences to our actions. A person convicted of criminal activity may face prison time. Marriages and families are destroyed by substance abuse, adultery, and the pursuit of things. There is also public disgrace to be faced when sinful actions come to light.
     Many individuals when caught in their sin will look at these consequences with dread. They may fear public disgrace, they may fear prison time, the loss of family, a spouse, a job. They see that their life is a mess that they need to get out of. The fear of hell and eternal punishment is perhaps the greatest motivating factor of all. Hearing the gospel, with it's call to repent, many give up their sin and ask for God's mercy, hoping to escape the consequences of their sin. They are sorry about being caught, they are sorry about the mess they are in, but they are not sorry!
     Think of a husband who said something that hurt his wife. She is now cold and silent. After awhile he is tired of this, and decides to tell her he is sorry. He goes out and gets flowers and gives them to her with an apology, hoping that she will now talk to him, that things will be back to normal. He is sorry for the consequences of his action, but not sorry for how he treated his wife. Anyone who has ever gone through something like this knows that his wife can see right through a phony apology like this, and the problem does not get fixed, it only grows worse.
     Likewise, we all have grieved and hurt God by our sinful actions, that flow out of a sinful heart. A sinful heart is a selfish heart that cares nothing for God and His word. A true Godly sorrow is a sorrow that grieves at the pain we have caused God. A true confession of sin looks at what we have done to God, and humbly apologizes to Him for what we have done to Him. We repent for His sake, not for what we can get out of the deal. To repent, and submit to Christ so we can escape some consequence of sin, is to make Christ a servant of our selfish interests. A true penitent is thinking of how God has been mistreated and desires to forsake sin and serve Him, for His sake, not wanting to grieve Him any longer. Christ said we must lose ourselves for His sake. God will graciously forgive all those who come to Him with a sincere heart. It is the broken and contrite heart that will find acceptance at the cross.
    
   

Poor life choices, or sin?

     Then Nathan said to David "You are the man!"
      -2 Sam 12:7


     Through the encounter of Nathan the prophet with David, after his sin with Bathseba, we have in the sacred record God's view of sin.
     1. David's sin displeased the Lord.
          In the previous chapter we have the account of David and Bathseba. He saw her bathing, desired her, had her brought to him and commited adultery with her. When she conceived he then tried to hide the truth from her husband. When his attempts at manipulating the circumstances failed, he had Uriah killed in battle. David had managed to cover up his sin from those around him, but he could not hide it from God. We are not told that God was not shocked, we are not told that God was not surprised, we are not told that God understood David's poor choices. We are told that God was displeased (11:27) God did not overlook this sin, in fact the consequences that David bore show us how much this sin angered God.
     2. David's sin was a gross injustice in the eyes of the Lord.
           Nathan the prophet confronted David with a story of a rich man who commited an act of injustice against a poor man. The poor man owned a lamb that ate with him and his children. In fact he treated it as one would treat a child. One day the rich man who owned many flocks of sheep had a visitor. He took the poor man's lamb, killed it and served it to his visitor. Hearing this, David was outraged at the injustice of it. Nathan then replied "You are the Man!". David stood self condemned. He knew he had acted in a similar manner. Even more however, God saw the injustice of David's sin. David was the king of Israel. He was a wealthy man. He also had several wives. On the other hand, Bathseba was the wife of Uriah. Uriah was a soldier who was loyal to David. It breaks one's heart to read of his loyalty, as David tried to deceive him (11:6-15).
     3. David's sin showed an ungrateful spirit.
          " I annointed you King over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. I gave your master's house to you, and your master's wives into your arms. I gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more." (vs 7,8). This does not sound like the God who is too big to be hurt by our wrong choices. David had been blessed by God, yet his sin showed a dissatisfaction with all that God had given him. Most of us can relate to this. At one time or another we have all done something nice for someone, given someone a nice gift, given a compliment, but received no thanks. Maybe the individual was even indifferent, or rude, and our feelings were hurt. Make no mistake about it. God is hurt by our sin!
     4. David despised the word of the Lord. (vs 9).
          One can read through the Psalms and see the love that David had for the word of God. David treasured the Word more than gold and silver. His love for the word led him to obey it with a whole hearted passion. Yet something had happened to David's love for the word. His actions betrayed his heart. The word of God meant nothing to him now.
     5. David despised the Lord (vs 10).
          David's one desire was to dwell in the presence of the Lord all of his days (Psalm 27:4). He loved the Lord deeply. His Psalms are filled with worship, adoration, commitment, trust. Now God said "You despised Me!". That is what sin is. It is selfish attitude of the heart that does not submit to God, an attitude that does not care about serving God, does not care about pleasing Him. Many people say that they love God, but actions speak louder than words.
      6. David's sin brought reproach on the Lord (vs 14).
           The eyes of the world are on Christians. Others can see through a facade. When someone claims to be a Christian, but walks in the world, it turns people off. It causes others to ridicule christianity, to ridicule Christ. There is a verse in Hebrews that states we crucify christ all over again, putting Him to an open shame, when we walk away from Him (Heb 6:6).
     David repented of his sin, and God forgave him. However the tragic consequences of this sin followed him for the rest of his life. It not only affected him, but also his family, and even the nation of Israel. It is a common thing today, to hear people downplay sin. Sin is referred to as mistakes, wrong choices, poor life choices. Many people believe that God has created them the way they are. Individuals go to altar calls wanting God to fix their "mistakes", wanting forgiveness for "poor choices". It is true that God is a forgiving merciful God, but we need to rightly understand what sin really is. Only when we truly see how sin offends God, and how deep it runs in our heart can we truly repent of it and find grace.
  

Repentance.

     Then Jesus went back across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing in the early days. Here He stayed and many people came to Him. They said, "Though John never performed a miraculous sign, all that John said about this man was true." And in that place many believed in Jesus.
     -John 10:40-42 (NIV)

     The conflict between Jesus and the religious teachers of His day is a theme that runs throughout the four gospels. These individuals opposed Christ at every turn. They found fault with all He taught, and all He did. They were offended by the miracles that He performed, and by the love that He showed to others.
     These teachers, the Scribes, Pharisees, Sadducees, claimed to know and serve God, yet when God in the flesh lived and taught among them, they could not see Him. They rejected Him time and time again, all the while claiming to know and serve God.
     The downfall of these individuals was their pride. They placed great emphasis on externals, how they appeared to others. They loved the praises of men rather than the praise of God. They interpreted the scriptures the way they wanted to, worshiped the way they wanted to, in effect they were serving a God of their own invention. Jesus said that faith was impossible to them due to their pride (John 5:44). Their unwillingness to yield obedience to the word of God kept them from knowing the truth (John 7:16).
     God is opposed to the proud (James 4:6). Pride shuts us out from the kingdom of God. This pride is the attitude of the heart that says I am in control. I will do whatever I want to no matter if it is right or not. I do not care if my actions hurt God or anyone else. This pride places us in the position of God. We are on the throne of our lives instead of Him. In short, we have become gods. The mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God, refusing to submit to Him (Romans 8:7). Pride is the dividing wall that keeps us from knowing God, from experiencing intimate fellowship with Him. A proud person may be a religious person like the Pharisees, going to church, looking good on the outside, thinking that they know and love God. In reality they are steeped in unbelief, faith being impossible to them.
     In Greek, the original language of the New Testament, a picture is painted of God lining up in battle formation against the proud in heart. Make no mistake about it! To be in rebellion against God is a very serious matter. God stands opposed to such people. The proud cannot expect grace, mercy, or forgiveness. God is lined up against them in battle formation, waiting for the day of His wrath. Right now He is patient, not willing that any should perish, but desiring that all would come to REPENTANCE (2 Peter 3:9).
     God is opposed to the proud, but He gives grace to the humble (James 4:6). Submit yourselves, then to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and He will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up.(James 4:7-10 NIV). The first thing that God requires of each one of us is to repent. This is a theme found throughout the scriptures, Old Testament and New. The message of the old prophets was one of repentance. John the Baptist came preaching a message of repentance. Jesus began to preach saying "Repent for the kingdom of God is at hand!". Repentance was the message of the Apostles as they began to testify of the risen Christ. There is no getting around it, repentance and saving faith are linked. One cannot exist without the other.
     The scriptures show us on one hand that repentance is a gift of God, and I believe that it is true, just as I also believe that faith is a gift as well. I believe that through the convicting work of the Holy Spirit, one is brought to a place where he sees himself as God sees him. He sees the depth and ugliness of his sin, and can see that God's justice demands his punishment. God has been offended by acts of rebellion. Acts that have flowed out of a heart that is set against Him. The Holy spirit is able to bring this home to a person's heart with powerful conviction. When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the Lord" (Psalm 33:3-5 NIV). When David commited adultery with Bathsheba, he covered it up as best he could for a long time. All the while he was racked with a guilty concience. This psalm shows that it was in fact God who was convicting him of his sin, trying to get him to a place of confessing it and forsaking it, so that he could receive mercy.
     David was brought to the place where he did grieve over his sin. He recognized that his sin had offended God. (Psalm 51:4). He made no excuses (vs 4), and cast himself on the mercy of God. In verse 17 he states that what God desires is a broken and contrite heart. The Hebrew word for broken speaks of being ground up, pulverized. Absolutely crushed when we come to the knowledge of how our sin looks in the eyes of a holy God. Grieved at the thought of how we have offended Him. Grieved to the point of turning from our sin, never wanting to commit it again. Repentance is a total change of direction. My old pastor when I was a child used the example of an about face. A complete turning around. A broken, contrite heart no longer wants to live in rebellion to God. A Godly sorrow leads to a total change (2Cor 7:10)
     While God grants us repentance as a gift, it is also true that we must exercise it. God will not repent for us, just as He does not believe for us. It is up to us to repent, to turn from sin to serving God. To turn from rebellion to submission. To turn from unbelief to belief, from pride to humility.  God gives grace to the humble. While salvation is a gift of God, unmerited by anything that we can do ourselves, it is only to those who with a broken heart humbly confess and forsake sin, that God offers His mercy. To request forgiveness, while remaining impenitent, still holding on to our sin, is nothing but selfishness. We may be concerned about our future, may be afraid of God's wrath, but yet still desire to be in control of our lives. This choice still leaves us dead in sin, rebels against god Himself. Those who have been moved by a Godly sorrow find peace and new life in God. Their hearts have been purified by faith in Christ.
     John the Baptist came to prepare the way for Christ. The message he proclaimed was one of repentance. He told the crowds to bear the fruit of repentance. If there was no good fruit produced, destruction was the inevitable consequence. When Jesus returned to this region, where John had been baptizing, we see that people believed in Him there. Unlike the stubborn Pharisees who held on to their sin, these individuals had heard the message of John the Baptist, repented of their sin, and when they encountered Christ, they placed their faith in Him.
     The love of God for fallen humanity was shown to the world by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ as He went to the cross and died for our sin. He has done this that all may be set free from sin. forgiven, and set free from slavery to sin, free to live as God intends us to live. Free to serve Him instead of living for ourselves. The offer is given to all who will repent and trust in Christ.













  

Godly sorrow.

     Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Matt. 5:4 (NIV).

     The Bible speaks of two kinds of sorrow (2 Cor. 7:9-11). There is the sorrow of the world that leads to death. This is the sorrow that results from being caught. It flows from selfish intent. It's main desire is to escape the consequences of the wrong action. Any repentance that flows from this kind of sorrow is insincere. God desires truth (Psalm 51:6). It is like when a man offends his wife and she gives him the silent treatment. After a while he buys her some flowers, not because he is sorry he hurt her, but because he wants her to start talking to him again. His wife can see through this and it only makes it worse.
     Often fear of punishment, whether from God or man will play on the emotions, and cause one to make a profession of faith. It is only superficial however and does not last (Matt. 13:5-6).
     There is a Godly sorrow that does lead to repentance, and this repentance is thorough. One like David in Psalm 51 must come to the point of understanding that his sin is against God, grieves, hurts, and offends God, and then confess and forsake that sin for God's sake. We no longer want to offend Him., we no longer want to hurt Him, instead of rebellion we want to submit to His authority. This must be done for Him, not for what we can get out of it. If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us ( 1John 1:9). What pleases God more than ritual, is the sacrifice of a broken and contrite heart (Psalm 51:17).
     To be forgiven is to be brought into God's family, there is peace and safety, assurance and comfort. God has adopted us as His children, and His Spirit witnesess to us that we belong to Him. We are filled with love for Him
     We can here see why Christ begins His Sermon on the Mount with these two statements.  Jesus is our doorway into the kingdom, but without the knowledge of our utter sinfulness, and helplesness, and without a Godly sorrow that leads to repentance, we never truly enter in.