Drawn to True Repentance #2

Repentance is joined with faith, with an understanding with the conviction that Jesus Christ is the Savior that God has appointed for centers. He is the only Savior of the world has there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name given under heaven by which we must be saved were so glad you joined us on the truth but with the green founding pastor of truth Community Church in Cincinnati, Ohio high on bill right and were wrapping up our series, unless you repent with part two of a message titled drawn to true repentance. Last time Don offered the first two of three signs of true repentance brings about a true sense of sin, and the ability to see the mercy offered in Christ. Consequently, you don't just ascend into despair over your sin, you grab hold of the mercy God provides. Through Jesus Christ today. Don has a final point to impart. So let's join him now in the truthful repentance true biblical repentance is not a call for you to sink in on ending guilt and remorse over your past sins. The ideas to move beyond that sense of conviction to realize that Christ in his crucifixion and resurrection has paid for that deal so that you no longer carry it on your account. The idea of repentance is to turn to Christ, so that he could relieve your guilt and bring you into his family with a full sense of forgiveness and acceptance by the God that you had previously rejected by the God whom in your sin, you would so greatly offended repentance. True repentance relieves guilt rather than leaving the center in guilt that's vital to understand as much as I'm not impressed with Muslim visions Christ as much, as we look at that and say with grief we say that's not the real thing with equal grief.

We look at those who are bounding guilt and remorse in all of so offended God are so offended God of so offended God, and that's all that they can say we look and say that's not true repentance either because because in true repentance. There is a turning to Christ for mercy away from sin and guilt over sin, yes, but turning to Christ for mercy for forgiveness and humility coming to Christ. You see true repentance abandons self abandon sin, but it also is an abandonment of self to the point that you say yes, I'm guilty now.

Christ, I come to you as my all in all I come to you in order that you would take away my guilt rather than me simply staying in it on my own repentance sees mercy offered in Christ, that so vital in seeing that offer of mercy turns from sin to him here in acts chapter 2 the conviction led to repentance. Now let me remind you about acts chapter 7. Remember that Stephen preached a similar message. The Jews hated him for it, and they killed it right the stoned Stephen's preaching pierced the Jews in acts chapter 7, they killed him that was not repentance obviously here in acts chapter 2. These brothers in Christ that we will meet one day in heaven were grieved over there sin they just owned it.

And in their grief, they turned to Christ for salvation. Look at it in there again in verse 41 they received his word. They were baptized, and that day there were added about 3000 souls. The Jews in acts seven rejected the world and stoned the messenger the Jews in acts chapter 2 received the word received Christ were forgiven were baptized and were added to the church. 3000 of them. I'm jealous of Peter to be able to preach with a kind of power William Chamberlain in his book the meaning of repentance, says this about acts chapter 2 in acts chapter 7 he says from these two incidents. We learned that a sense of guilt may cause very different reactions, it may lead one man to repentance.

It may make another a howling demon thirsting for the blood of the man who pricked his conscience." See it's not just the piercing of the conscience is not just the conviction of sin. That is were true repentance. Both groups both audiences feeling the weight of guilt. One turns to murder to satisfy the burden on his heart.

The other turns to Christ for forgiveness and so we see that we have to look for more than simply a sense of guilt and conviction.

We realize that in true repentance. There is a there is a recognition of mercy offered in Christ and a turning from sin to receive that mercy. So freely, graciously, lovingly, kindly, mercifully offered to the center in Christ. The apostle Paul gives a similar distinction turn to second Corinthians chapter 7 second Corinthians chapter 7 verse nine Paul says I now rejoice not, that you are made sorrowful you were sorrowful, all right, but you were made sorrowful to the point of repentance. For you are made sorrowful according to the will of God so that you might not suffer loss in anything through us. It's not just that you were sorrowful you are made sorrowful all the way to repentance and he says in verse 10, 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 their sorrow.

According to the will of God, produced by the proclamation of Christ to sinners. It produces repentance that men turned to Christ seeking mercy in their guilt that is distinct from a simple sorrow over sin but does not lead to an actual inward turning to Christ. These things are abundantly clear in the Bible and so what we say about repentance. Is this repentance is joined with faith, with an understanding with the conviction that Jesus Christ is the Savior that God has appointed for sinners is the Savior of the world in the sense that he is the only Savior of the world has there is only one Savior. There is no other.

There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name given under heaven by which we must be saved. Acts chapter 4 verse 12. So, in true repentance.

There is a recognition that Christ is offered to sinners and turning to him for his grace and when the center understands that he sees Christ. He's convinced of the reality of who Christ is, that the biblical claims of Christ were true that they are undeniable convinced of that. Convinced of sin. The sinner flees to Christ to save him.

He hurries to Christ. He cries out to Christ says I am guilty.

You must save me, be merciful to me, the center see the elements of true repentance there. Luke 18 1914 the tax collector who was unwilling to even look up to heaven because he was so convicted of his guilt standing away from the Pharisee was boasting and pride of who he was. I thank you God that I'm not like these other men. Jesus says there is a tax collector. Off to the side, unwilling to look up to heaven and he said, be merciful to me, the center was beating his chest and Jesus said that's the man who went away justified. Beloved, do you see it. Do you see in that example as well.

Be merciful to me, he cries out for mercy. Simultaneous with his conviction of sin, so we flees to Christ to save them by faith he receives Christ and rests in Christ alone as a sufficient salvation of his soul. True repentance. In other words, sees the finality of Christ recognizes that in Christ. They is provided and I don't keep working to earn merit after that all my life changes. I bring forth good works, but it is in response to Christ favor not Christ favor.

There is a difference between heaven and hell and that understanding someone explain to me the entire philosophy of ministry that thinks the best thing we can do for sinners is to entertain and be likable and to make them laugh or to give them a little bump of self-esteem or to help them with a little bit of a self-improvement 20 minute little thing. Tell me how how in God's name do you justify a philosophy of ministry like that when Scripture is so clear about what true salvation is what you trying to do in that kind of ministry. There's no excuse for that. Some no doubt do it out of ignorance because that's just what they were taught to do, but some no in their culpability before a holy God will be great because there will be a stricter judgment to those who taught, I appreciated what Pastor MacArthur said he's doing everything he can to minimize the trauma when he stands before God, the accountability, the great accountability of teaching God's word to sinners. There is a man many centuries ago.

The name slips me. It's a famous quote says I preaches a dying man to dying men. I preach as if never to preach again as a dying man to dying men. That's the urgency that animates the true preaching of the gospel the preacher himself realizes I'm a wisp I'm a vapor and he looks at his audience and says your wisp in a vapor also. And so there is an urgency that animates true preaching should never be despised but should never be compromised by suggesting by your demeanor that something less than internal matters are at stake here.

Beloved. That's why we do what we do so there's a final aspect of repentance that we should not miss third point here is that repentance has a true turn toward obedience. Repentance has a true turn toward obedience and I invite you to turn to Ephesians chapter 4 Ephesians chapter 4 the unique and common characteristic of non-Christians of sinners. Is this according to the Bible, they can be known by their alienation and hostility toward the true God. They are alienated from God. They are hostile to the true God. They may be trying to pursue their own form of righteousness, but it is not according to truth and therefore it is not acceptable to God, it would be like going to Fifth Third Bank with a stack of monopoly money to pay your mortgage and say look at all the money I've got here.

I want to pay off my mortgage and the bank says will be so foolish. That's not real currency that doesn't pay for anything that's God's response to those who try to earn their own salvation, who try to be good enough to create their own system of works and say if I do this. Surely God will be pleased with me know it's monopoly money. It has no value in the bank of God and sinners even if they are looking for trying to work out their salvation. They can be known by their alienation and hostility toward God. Look at verse 17 of Ephesians chapter 4, the apostle Paul says so this I say in a firm together with the Lord that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk in the futility of their mind being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them because of the hardness of their heart and they having become callous have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity and greediness is a pretty dark picture of humanity, but absolutely accurate because were reading the inspired and inerrant word of God and that is the scriptural judgment on the mind of unsaved men. What do you find in the true Christian, what do you find in the one who is repented and forsaken sin and turn to Christ and received him. Verse 20. Again, notice the Christ centered nature of these things says, but you did not learn Christ in this way, if indeed you have heard him and have been taught in him, just as truth is in Jesus that in reference to your former manner of life you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.

The spirit of the mind of the one who is truly repented, is marked by a separation from that former manner of thinking in life and is now animated by principles of righteousness of holiness of truth in their mind they now have a new mind that is operating at the core of their heart rather than being engage with their former futility. There is an engagement.

There is an embracing there is a love there is a submission to truth in the mind of the old man has passed away. Second Corinthians 521. If any man be in Christ he is a new creature behold the old things are passed away. Behold, new things of calm. What are those new things. It's a mind that is devoted to righteousness and truth in the pursuit of holiness in Christ and in its in its seminal four-minute seed to form repentance has that laying aside the old mind laying aside the old man and turning to Christ for new life. When you remember when you remember that repentance is a work of God that repentance is something that is granted by God to the human Argosy.

Why would be that way, that there is a power to it. Beloved, think about it. Think about this is part of the this is part of the miracle of regeneration by way I believe and I believe that God still works miracles. I believe that every time a man is born again, a miracles taken place because a new mind, a new a new heart has been has been planted in him from above that he could never do on his own. He could never produce that on his own. A total reversal where where where once he once he loved to send now. He hates it.

Once he was ignorant of God.

Now he knows him truly knows him whereas before this precious book once was a close block book that he could not understand.

Now he opens and he reads with understanding with joy surging through his heart with with a newfound spirit pulsating through his veins.

The true reality of true repentance because the Holy Spirit changes renews the mind to produce harmony with God turn over to Colossians chapter 3 verse nine Colossians chapter 3 verse nine says do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices and salvation.

You laid aside that old man in all the all the evil that attended him, and you have put on the new self, who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the one who created him the old mine put aside the new mind the new self renewed according to the true knowledge of God as he is revealed in Scripture. Titus chapter 3 verse four. Again, you just see you to see these themes of mercy and Christ in newness of mine emphasized repeatedly in New Testament teaching about salvation. Verse four but when the kindness of God our Savior and his love for mankind appeared, salvation came because God is kind. Because he is he is loving he saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to his mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior. So that being justified by his grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life, Christ centered mercy, a Christ centered renewal of the mind produced by the work of the Holy Spirit.

When you see this aspect of the mind involved in repentance. When you see this aspect of repentance. When you understand the biblical teaching on repentance something really crucial emerges for you to understand repentance is not primarily introspective remorse that looks back to the past in shame over all of your sins. Repentance, beloved, hands were on the shaking here repentance. True repentance is a turning to Christ in a new direction of life, forsaking the old to pursue something new, forsaking trust and self forsaking sin to receive Christ and to turn to him and to pursue him with a disposition of obedience. That's true repentance and so were not impressed by those who would cut themselves and inflict pain upon themselves.

In an effort to atone for their sins. Sometimes you see foolish people doing in the Philippines and in Catholicism another place is trying to reenact the sufferings of Christ, trying to crucify themselves that's not repentance that's not real that's foolish a foolish effort.

It works in self-righteousness your own blood cannot atone for your own sins.

It takes the blood of someone else does your blood is guilty. It takes the blood of an innocent lamb to take away sin William Chamberlain again says this about the nature of true repentance and true repentance.

The whole of a man's nature and his viewpoints are changed when a man is in Christ Jesus.

Somehow, a creative activity of God works through the message of the crucified Savior preached by sending men to a world in sin and revolt, and so God changes the minds of men from the mind of the flesh to the mind of Christ. Repentance is produced as the Holy Spirit works within the human life transforming its aspirations, ideals, ambitions and viewpoints. The central theme upon which the spirit plays is the message of a crucified Savior, the response to this infinite love is repentance."

And if I might say amen.

See beloved. Repentance is not a one time crisis resolved in a moment with the counselor after an invitation to a sinner's bench repentance.

True repentance is marked by a forsaking of sin throughout life with a new mind that is in submission to Christ and is in conformity to his will, not sinless, not perfect, but recognizing is the fundamental controlling disposition of the heart that I am oriented toward Christ.

I want to obey him. Even when I fail even when I fall short.

That is repentance that is the reality of the work of God so beloved are you aware of your sin. Do you see mercy in the hands of Christ.

Have you turned to him in faith, with an obedient mind and obedient disposition will I want to follow you. You said follow me Lord. Amen. I will follow you.

Give me strength. Help me to do so even as I stumble so badly along the way, Peter said in response to the third question, the Jesus asked him, in John 21 Lord you know all things you know that I love you John Murray in his book redemption accomplished and applied says this.

The specific character of repentance is to turn from sin to God. The specific character of faith is to receive and rest upon Christ alone for salvation. May God bless you as you see Christ according to the revelation of God contained 66 books of the Bible and made specifically clear in the gospel of Jesus Christ today on the truth. Pulpit pastor Don Greene has completed our series, unless you repent. Let more powerful teaching from the word of God on our next broadcast so planned out to be with us then, but Don is there any aspect of our faith more important to grasp than that of true repentance will bill it certainly one of the critical aspects that we need to understand in our modern Christian society where the idea of repentance is kind of fallen into disrepute. It's not a popular topic of discussion. But Jesus Christ himself said that repentance should be preached for the forgiveness of sin to all the nations in Luke 24 my friend if you'd like to study this matter further. You can go to our website.

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I'm Bill writing will see you next time. For more from the truth. Pulpit