Drawn to True Repentance #1

In true repentance. The center understands that mercy and offer of mercy is being presented to him in the Lord Jesus Christ.

In other words, repentance happens in the context of faith.

If repentance is not just a simple regret over sin. What then is true repentance Scripture again provides the answer to pastor Don Greene will immerse us in it today on the truth pulpit high on bill right and were continuing our series, unless you repent. Earlier, Don told us that regret alone is not repentance that miracles don't produce repentance, nor does even the deathbed. Moreover, obvious judgments of God failed to change the unregenerate heart, true repentance is indeed brought about only by the work of the Holy Spirit. So let's find out more about it as we join Don Gray now in the truthful.

We saw that Judas Iscariot in Matthew chapter 27, felt remorse, felt regret over his sin, but he did not turn to Christ, he committed suicide and that is the truest surest evidence that there was no heart for Christ that there had been no no changing his mind about Christ, he simply wanted to end the weight of guilt that he felt without turning to Christ and it and so regret alone is not repentance.

We saw secondly that the mere fact that someone witnesses miracles that miracles do not have the power to produce repentance in someone's heart. In Luke chapter 16 we read that a man who rejects Moses who rejects the teaching of Scripture will will not repent.

Bell also rejected, says a man who comes to them from the dead, you remember that the rich man who is in Hades was was begging father Abraham to send Lazarus back to to warn his brothers so that they would not come to this place of torment and father Abraham told them he he said that's not going to do any good. They have Moses let them hear Moses and he argued showing his own lack of repentance even as he was suffering the torments of judgment is of no father Abraham if they if they have a man that comes from the dead, they'll listen and he said no they won't if they won't hear the Scriptures they won't listen to a man who comes from the dead. Again, that's why this word is so important. It is a response to this word that is going to produce repentance are not not something external, something that is apart from the Scriptures let me go off on another tangent that I had to deal with. Several years ago that needs to be sad although I'm not aware of it ever being an issue here within our church. There are lots of people who get excited about. Suppose it sightings of Jesus within the Muslim world. Perhaps you've heard of this and heard stories that that Muslims are seeing visions of Christ and are supposedly coming to coming to faith in Christ because they're seeing visions of him don't be sucked into that to that silly mindset. If because look, first of all, the Bible says that Satan can disguise himself as an angel of light.

And so the fact that someone sees a supernatural vision is no indication that they're seeing anything from God. Furthermore, the thing that concerns me so greatly about immediately wanting to baptize these testimonies as being indications of coming to true faith in Christ is that these visions are soup are happening apart, apart from any involvement with the Scriptures apart from the word of God at all and it is the word of God that God uses to produce true repentance in the heart of a man and the woman repentance is in response to the word of God.

You have these dear people who are already in a false religion being further confirmed in deception by demonic appearances if the visions are real at all. There's no reason to think that this is something that is producing true faith in Christ when it is happening. Apart from the word of God. Apart from the reading of the word of God. Apart from the preaching of the word of God. Apart from an understanding of the word of God because it is in the world where Christ is truly revealed and we cannot be sucked into silly things and emotional things are apart from the word of God and think that somehow were dealing with the true realm of salvation as soon as you depart from the word of God, you are vulnerable to satanic deception and so we as individuals and we as a church we have to we have to cling tightly to this word because this word is our life. This word is our hope. This word is what gives us the true discernment that we need in order to to know the realities of these things once you close your Bible and walk away from it and start talking about salvation apart from the explained word of God, you are in around that is just waiting to suck you up in deception. That's how important the word of God is in all of these things and so we want to be careful, we want to be discerning. We don't want to just get on the bandwagon of what everybody else is saying what everybody else is excited about its it's exactly appropriate to to test the spirits as first John 41 says to see whether they be of God and the only way you can truly test the spirits is by comparing them to what Scripture says let's all were trying to do here offended a lot of people already, I might as well keep going right. I really don't care. I really don't care.

The truth is what matters now so we said regret alone is not necessarily repentance regret alone is not repentance that miracles do not produce repentance.

Thirdly, we said that approaching death does not even necessarily produced repentance and we reminded ourselves we reminded ourselves from Scripture that there were two thieves on the cross. One of them did repent and one of them did turn to Christ. One of them did cry out for mercy and say Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom. But there was a second one who is also on the verge of death, who did not.

He went to his death rebuking Christ rejecting Christ, and so we see that approaching death does not produce repentance necessarily, that is not an indication of anything. And finally we saw from Revelation 9 and Revelation 16 that even the judgment of cod does not produce repentance in and of itself. The men and Revelation 9 and 16 refused to repent, even when God had slain 1/3 of humanity with his judgment and dates in an Scripture specifically says they still did not repent they still did not repent, even when such great pressure had been brought upon them externally and so we realize that repentance is comparatively speaking, a rare thing, comparatively speaking, we need to understand what it is that brings about repentance and what true repentance looks like and with that said, we quoted I believe from the shorter catechism.

The Westminster shorter catechism question number 87. What is repentance. Now we want.

Having said this is not repentance. Now let's get into the good stuff and say what is true repentance and and trust God and ask God to open our minds to open our understandings to to illuminate us so that we would understand these things deeply that those of us that are in Christ would be anchored further confirmed to say yes this work of God is happened in my heart and I come away from this stronger, more certain, because I see what Scripture describes as having happened to me that's a great place to be. And for those of us that perhaps have had a veil over our eyes. You know, I'm hoping, trusting, praying that God would you remove the veil force as we consider these things, Westminster shorter catechism question 87 it says what is repentance and it answers it with this with this phrase. It's a little bit long greeted a little bit slowly repentance unto life is a saving grace whereby a center out a true sense of his sin, to paraphrase it to help the boarding just a little bit and seeing the mercy of God in Christ with grief and hatred of his sin turns from it to God with full purpose of, and endeavor. After new obedience is a lot in there.

Let me read it again repentance until life is a saving grace whereby a sinner out of a true sense of his sin and seeing the mercy of God in Christ with grief and hatred of his sin turns from it under God with full purpose of, and endeavor.

After new obedience in repentance.

There is a new mind that is brought to pass. There is that there is a turning, there is a change of mind that takes place a change of mind toward God. A change of mind toward sin. Where before the center bobbed his sin. According to John chapter 3, perhaps was ignorant of his sin, unaware of the offense that his life was to a holy God. Now in repentance a new mind comes upon him, and he sees that differently whereas before the things he accepted and loved. He now turns and hates. He has a new mind toward sin. And as this definition brings out in repentance include repentance. There is a recognition that in the Lord Jesus Christ.

There is mercy and salvation offered to him so that in true repentance, you are not simply feeling remorse about your said you're not simply seeing looking backwards and saying I have been a wicked sinner in true repentance. There is a turn to Christ to embrace the offer of mercy that is made in the gospel and you embrace Christ in true repentance. It's not simply the negative response to your prior sin.

There is a positive turning and embracing of Christ that takes place there is an understanding that mercy is offered in Christ and you turn from sin to God with a full purpose of pursuing obedience henceforth and forever more. Now, as we said many times that is an inward turning that is not as it is so often misrepresented by people that do not understand the gospel. We are not talking about somebody doing works in order to be saved. We are talking about.

What is the nature of saving faith, saving faith is a repentant faith like that.

I repentant faith that says I turn away from sin and I break embrace Christ to forgive me and cleanse me from sin. There is this turning and true faith in Christ is a repentant faith that is that is that is repelled by sin and comes to embrace Christ as a result.

And so it is there is this inner turning the takes place in repentance and repentance is more than an emotional reaction to outward circumstances.

There so many ways to go wrong on this. Arthur repentance is not produced by 10 verses of just as I am waiting for one more and waiting for one more to come down the aisle.

That's you know and you you're playing on the emotions that's not the way to produce true repentance.

True repentance is a fruit of grace from God in the heart and it cannot be brought about by artificial means. Scripture makes it plain that God is the one who grants repentance second Timothy 225 says with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth so all of that was introduction. Now the question is what does the genuine repentance that God produces look like what are the elements of true repentance.

How can we recognize the real thing we want to illustrate this, we were just going to use Scripture's illustrations to make our point. First of all we can say this building on the things we have already said, first of all true repentance has a true sense of sin, true repentance has a true sense of sin, and I would invite you to turn to the book of acts chapter 2. Acts chapter 2 beginning in verse 36. Peter is preaching on the day of Pentecost and he is telling the Jews that they had crucified their own Messiah. And he says in verse 32 this Jesus God raised up, again, to which we are all witnesses. Notice immediately that the context of the repentance we are going to see is in the context of the proclamation of Jesus Christ and him crucified. Verse 33 therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit is poured forth this, which you both see and hear. They had they had observed the Holy Spirit falling upon the believers they were speaking in other tongues known languages not idle babble and so Peter is explaining to them what they have, saying in verse 34.

He says it was not David who ascended into heaven, but he himself says the Lord said to my Lord, sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet. So Peter is proclaiming to them the resurrected and ascended Christ says this is the Jesus that I am preaching to you. This explains the miracles that you see in front of you.

And then he says in verse 36 and I love the dogmatism with which he speaks here in verse 36.

He says therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ.

This Jesus whom you crucified your the man so to speak. You crucified the son of God, you Jews crucified him when you handed him over to Pilate, so the pilot would carry out the deed under Roman law and what was the response of them to this powerful preaching verse 37 he says now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart. They were convicted of their specific sin of what they had done. When Christ was in their hands, and yet beloved. Here's what I want you to see as we distinguish true repentance from the false versions that we have seen before. This is so very critical to see they were pierced they were convicted, but they realize that something was missing. They needed to do something in response to this conviction that had been brought to bear on their heart and they said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, brethren, what shall we do, they recognize their guilt. They understood that they were guilty, but they realize that they needed something more that guilt, the conviction alone was not enough. The sense of the sense of of of shame and accountability alone did not relieve them of the judgment which had now been proclaimed upon them, and which had been brought about in convicted in their heart. They knew that that wasn't enough. It's interesting there, charismatic friends want to talk about speaking in tongues and the display of the Holy Spirit. But when you read the chapter all the way through. Here's where it brings you to bring you to a proclamation of the risen Christ and a conviction of sin produced by the preaching of the gospel read the whole chapter, not just first for my charismatic friends.

There's an element about our church.

Just read the context for heaven sakes, but they say, brethren, what shall we do, they recognize that they needed something more. They had a true sense of their sin watch it. They had a true sense of receipt of sin in response to the proclamation of the crucified and risen Christ that was being born out of a proclamation of the word of God, for someone, someone wants to know is my repentance, genuine one of the first things I would try to help them with and help and ask them is, is your sense of conviction of sin is your sense of the gospel.

A response to the word of God explained to you the word of God read to you the word of God reading reading it for yourself is this is this inner response that you have a a reaction to the word of God itself.

That's what you see going on here next chapter 2 theirs was theirs was they were pierced inside but they knew they needed more they needed something beyond the conviction in order to resolve the guilt that had been brought to bear upon them in order to deal with their guilt. They needed something else. What was the else that they needed. Secondly, repentance sees mercy offered in Christ. Repentance sees mercy offered in Christ. It's a Christ centered focus a Christ centered turning that takes place in true repentance. And so they asked the million dollar question in verse 37 brethren in light of our guilt. What shall we do, and Peter speaking under the power of the Holy Spirit says to them this in verse 38 Peter said to them, repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit for the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off as many as the Lord our God will call to himself and with many other words he solemnly testified and kept on exhorting them saying be saved from this perverse generation in true repentance brothers and sisters. My friends in true repentance. This is so very important. In true repentance the sinner understands that mercy and offer of mercy is being presented to him in the Lord Jesus Christ. In other words, repentance happens in the context of faith.

Look at verse 41 so then, those who had received his word were baptized, and that day there were added about 3000 souls. They received the word. In other words, they believed what was being preached to them they received Christ as he was presented to them as Peter, as we seen earlier in verses 33 through 36.

Christ is the one risen from the dead Christ crucified for sinners, Christ ascended on high, that Christ is the one that you must receive in their baptism was an outward sign of the inward turning that God required from them. They they renounced themselves.

They were announced to their prior sin of crucifying Christ they turned from it and they turned not just away from sin, they turned to Christ in order to receive him, they saw that mercy was offered in Christ beloved. This is this is one really really critical component of distinguishing false repentance from true repentance and and II did I venture to say that some of you need to hear this and this is this is a relief.

This is a grace for us to be able to hear from God's word that it is like this repentance true biblical repentance is not a call for you to sink in an 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 guilt 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 true repentance brings about a true sense of sin, and the ability to see the mercy offered in Christ will next time on the truth.

Pulpit pastor Don Greene will call our attention to a final aspect of the genuine article.

As we conclude our series, unless you repent, be with us, then right now though Don's back in studio with some closing words as we close today.

I just want to make something available to you, you know, as you listen to these radio broadcasts they have to fit into a 25 minute format were very grateful for the opportunity. The Lords given us to do just that. But the radio messages are born out of a longer sermon message that contains more information, more background a fuller explanation of the passage and what were able to do on radio so I encourage you to go to our website and find the link that says follow Don's pulpit that'll lead you to a podcast that gives you the full link sermons from every Sunday and every Tuesday from my pulpit. I really think that old minister to you over time to hear the full-length messages we make that available for free and we would love you to join us in that way as well. Thanks Don and Fran to take advantage of what Don just mentioned, please visit the truth. Pulpit.com that's the truth. Pulpit.com I feel right and will see you next time on the truthful