What think ye of Repentance?

[Deleted member 10797]

“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”
2 Chronicles 7:14​

Repentance is a doctrine that some preachers dread to preach on, and some do not wish to hear about. However, repentance is a very important doctrine of the Bible and is essential for salvation, without such no one will see the Lord. Hebrews 12:14, “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.” Holiness and repentance go together, you cannot be a Christian who is zealous for holiness without repentance and a confession of personal sin. Peter in his first letter tells us to be holy (1 Peter 1:16). With this truth in mind I say we need to hear more on repentance, not less.

There are three groups of people regarding repentance.
1. Reject repentance and later regret it.
2. External repentance, whereby people praise God with their lips, but not the heart.
3. True repentance from the heart, whereby we give God our all (heart, mind and soul).

The first group of people are those who reject the Gospel and have their dwelling in the bottomless pit of eternal judgment. These people are not hard to find they are everywhere. The second group are those who present themselves as genuine Christian people outwardly, but inwardly are full of hypocrisy and lies. They use religion as a cover for their wickedness and sinful lifestyles. They look religious and act religious. These people are in grave danger of playing true faith. These people are not always easy to find. Many of them hold high office in the professing church, while others may hold position of public office in secular society or church life. Remember it was the Roman Catholic Church that hunted down and subjected Christian people to persecution. The third group of people are the true church of Jesus Christ. These people are born again Christians who love the Lord Jesus Christ and seek to live in accordance with His truth revealed in the Holy Bible. They are men and women who have given God their hearts, minds, souls, their all.
Therefore, it is very important we understand what repentance is. The teaching in Scripture is not about turning over a new leaf or changing the way we act. Repentance in Holy Writ is a God given gift that changes our hearts. The soul that has obtained this priceless gift seeks to reject sin, hates sin, and seeks to draw closer to God daily. Repentance does not mean the Christian is perfect in all his ways, it does mean that the Christian is no longer controlled by sin, no longer desires to sin, and no longer seeks to follow the path of sinful passions, pride nor desires to fulfil their own wants.

If we have a false view of repentance, we create a god of our own choosing and thus fashion an idol in our mind. We create a god that is pleased to bless sin loving sinners. We create a god that is not holy, righteous and just. We create a god that does not see a problem with sin. Idols twist and pollute our mind in such a way that we reach the conclusion that we cannot live differently nor honour the true living God. If the reader takes only one thing from this paper it is this. When this vain world shall be no more, and your soul stands in judgment will that day be one of great joy or awful dread. The sinful soul desires independence, but the forgiven soul is one of dependence on Christ.

Escape that condemnation
O’ flee from damnation
Come to Christ for salvation
Then to God sing adoration​

 

[Joshua]

Methinks it a concomitant of saving faith.

 

[Joshua]

An interesting point that I have been fixated upon -especially the last 20 months- is how one facet of repentance is acknowledging that the LORD has walked contrary unto us, because we have walked contrary unto him. In other words, we have to look at the afflictions that we’ve undergone and own that they are because we have sinned. And that the LORD has sent it for our recovery. We don’t get to claim “chance” or blame second causes. We must acknowledge that it is the LORD Who gives light and creates darkness. So on, so forth. It doesn’t mean we read a point-to-point affliction-to-sin ration, but it does mean -generally speaking- we understand that deprivation and affliction are because of our sins, and we humble ourselves accordingly.

 

[Ed Walsh]

So on, so forth. It doesn’t meant we read a point-to-point affliction-to-sin ration, but it does mean -generally speaking- we understand that deprivation and affliction are because of our sins, and we humble ourselves accordingly.

Hi Josh,

I would only add or reinforce what you said, particularly in the phrase I underlined above, that affliction, deprivation, even rejection by fellow Christians in itself is now always the result of sin. The fatherly correction that sends affliction also causes us to smart for it. (Psalm 106:14-15) Neither is the apparent blessing of the Lord a sign of His favor. (Proverbs 10:22)

A few days ago, I read what most consider Paul's last letter of 2 Timothy. Paul was finishing his course (2 Timothy 4:7), but a careful reading of this book also shows a sense of sadness in the Apostle.

"You are aware that all who are in Asia turned away from me, among whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes. Only Onesiphorus" "was not ashamed" (2 Timothy 1:16) of Paul's many imprisonments. Many came to regard him as being punished for his poor stewardship and now a common criminal.

This theme was brought up again in Paul's final "charge" to Timothy. Humanly speaking, Paul's end was dreary and lonely. His beloved Church in Ephasus was falling pretty badly. The great Apostle was, even in the eyes of many Saints, considered a failure.

2 Timothy 4:9-11,14-16​

Do your best to come to me soon. For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. Luke alone is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry. Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds. Beware of him yourself, for he strongly opposed our message. At my first defense, no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. May it not be charged against them!​

Consider also, even Jesus' life ended in apparent failure. Only 120± converts and even the eleven forsook Him.

Still, I think when trials come, especially if accompanied with "leanness of soul," we ought always to seek God as the cause.

Ed