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Repentance: a change of mind – about God and sin. (Matthew 3:2)
The Psalmist said, “Thy Word have I hid in my heart, that I MIGHT not sin against Thee.” You see, he (Ezra in this case) was a Godly realist, not some self-righteous, self-deceived, hypocrite. He knew he would sin, but desired deeply that he might fight against sinning by the help of God the Spirit and the Word of God. Praise the Lord! (Psalm 119:11)
(1 John 1:8) (Jeremiah 17:9) (Psalm 130:3-8)
Yet, repentance from our sin is continually required on a daily basis – even AFTER our original Repentance unto Salvation in Christ Jesus and in Him Alone. (1 John 1:8-9)
Definition of the term: To repent means to completely change one’s mind concerning our attitude to God and sin; to make an about-turn from sin to follow God; to cease from following hard after selfish sin; and to turn to follow hard after true Godliness; to cease from being a WILLING slave to sin, and begin to try to be a WILLING servant of Christ Jesus. (Hebrews 12:14) (Psalm 51:1-13)
As the Scriptures teach: “Turn Thou me, and I shall be turned, for Thou art the Lord my God…”. (Jeremiah 31:18) We are ‘turned’ thus, and then, once turned, we continue to turn to God daily, and away from the world, the flesh, and the Devil. (Romans 8:1-14)
Repentance: Repentance unto life Eternal is a saving grace wrought in the sinner’s heart by God the Holy Spirit – through the means of God’s Word (i.e. the Gospel of Christ’s Cross). (John 16:8) (Romans 10:17)
It is an awakening of the DEAD sinner to a sense of peril to his/her soul of the Eternal Torment of Hell, and to his/her guilt before God’s Holy eyes. (Psalm 9:17) (Habakkuk 1:13)
Repentance awakens the sinner to a deep concern towards his/her sins, and the odiousness of such sins when compared to the absolute sinlessness of God’s dear Son, Jesus Christ. (Job 42:4-6) (Hebrews 4:15) (1 John 1:5)
Repentance: Repentance is not mere remorse (self-pity!), but a clear realization of God’s wrath against sin, and of God’s grace and mercy towards sinners who are called of God to repentance and receiving of Christ Jesus as both Saviour and Lord. (Luke 1:46-50) (Isaiah 6:1-7)
Consequently, the repentant sinner so grieves for, and hates, his/her sins, that he/she turns away from them, and turns instead in obedience to God – proposing and endeavouring, to the very best of his/her ability, to walk in fellowship with God; in the way of God; as manifested in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. (Zechariah 4:6b) (1 John 1:1-7)
This is to ‘…walk not after the flesh…’ in daily practice, ‘…but after the Spirit…’. (Galatians 5:16-26) (Romans 8:1-10)
Repentance: Repentance is absolutely necessary for the sinner to be saved! It does not MERIT pardon; but, pardon is not be had without it! (Luke 13:3) (Ephesians 2:8-10)
Repentance is therefore, clearly proven to be of God’s free grace – it is freely given as an unmerited gift to whomsoever God, in His Sovereignty, elects to grant it. (2 Timothy 2:25-26)
Repentance: Repentance involves seeing and feeling sin to be not only deadly to the soul, but a filthy and hateful thing in God’s pure sight! (Ezekiel 18:27-32)
All who seek to serve God, must therefore, seek to put away sin DAILY – by humble confession to Him Alone; and by being continually washed from daily sins by a daily, ‘…washing of the water of the Word…’. (i.e. daily Bible readings and confession of sin to God) It is what the old Puritan believers called, ‘Keeping short accounts of sin with God.’. (John 15:3) (Philippians 3:12-14) (1 John 1:8-10) (Ephesians 5:26)
Progressive Sanctification: In the above manner we are progressively sanctified from daily sin in our lives as Christian believers – in relation to our actual naturally sinful STATE. Just as we have been Absolutely sanctified in our, ‘…once for all time…’ STANDING, in Christ Jesus, by the precious Blood of His Cross. (Hebrews 10:10) (1 Peter 1:18-19)
Obedience is the direct result of true repentance. (James 1:22)
Repentance: Repentance then, leads progressively to the great Scriptural doctrine of Conversion (i.e. ‘…old things passing away, all things becoming new, in Christ Jesus) (2 Corinthians 5:17) (Revelation 21:4-5)
The Holy Bible becomes our daily looking glass, our personal mirror. We read the Word, and the Word shows us where we go wrong, and how to keep ourselves clean for the Lord’s use. (Hebrews 12:14) (Psalm 119:105) (John 17:17)
A Practical Point of Repentance: Repentance does not make a sinner incapable of committing sin!
Note King David’s experience. (2 Samuel 11:1-17) He committed the sins of adultery and murder AFTER he was appointed King; AFTER he was anointed of, and chosen by, God! (John 15:16)
Read the apostle Paul’s own words of detestation of the sin yet within his OLD NATURE after he was gloriously saved; AFTER he was chosen to be a minister for God! (Romans 7:14-25) (Acts 9:1-20)
Yet, both REPENTED from their sins; and repented CONTINUALLY for their sins, no doubt, ever after until the day they died. (Psalm 51:1-13)
Conclusion: We who are born again of the Spirit of God, and redeemed by the precious Blood of Christ Jesus, first repent from sin and are saved; then we make repentance a daily practice in our lives for Christ.
We must keep ‘short accounts…’ with God concerning daily sins, and enjoy close fellowship with a thrice Holy Lord God; and with all believers of ‘…like precious faith…’. (Psalm 16:11)
Sin separates us from close fellowship with God – repentance leads us nigh to Him and to other sincere believers. (Isaiah 59:1-2) (James 4:6-10)
God blesses the repentant sinner’s soul. Hallelujah! What a Saviour! What a Sovereign! What a Lord God! Amen. (2 Corinthians 12:7-10)
This therefore, is the Scripturally sound Reformation doctrine of true Repentance. Believe it. Rejoice in its truth. Teach it to others – and the Lord God shall bless you Eternally in His truth. Amen.