I may have put together the following, but sadly, I am so very, very far from it.Do I not really repent?Or do I somehow "un-repent", i.e. repent of my repentance?Or do I not really love Jesus?That last one is the worst.How do we know if we do not really love Jesus?If we repent of the same sin over and over again, is that because we never really repented in the first place?---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Luke 15:10 Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.
Mark 2:17 When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
(What is repentance? who repents? why? how?
Repent, repentance: 46 times in the old testament, 66 times in the new testament
14 times in Luke, 12 times in Revelation, 11 times each in Matthew, Acts, and Jeremiah)
(Clearly, people repent:)
Mark 6:12 And they went out, and preached that men should repent.
(Yet even the LORD repents:)
Psalms 90:13 Return, O LORD, how long? and let it repent thee concerning thy servants.
(With people, sin is generally the issue for repenting, but not so with the LORD.)
(Repentance involves sorrow of the heart, grieving:)
Genesis 6:6 And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.
II Corinthians 7:10 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.
(And with people, repentance involves humbling one's self:)
II Chronicles 34:27 Because thine heart was tender, and thou didst humble thyself before God, when thou heardest his words against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, and humbledst thyself before me, and didst rend thy clothes, and weep before me; I have even heard thee also, saith the LORD.
(Repentance is first a change of mind arising from the sorrow of heart.
The LORD is deeply sorrowed because of our sins.
Also, people responding to the conviction of the Spirit, grieve over their sins.)
(The LORD may change his mind from blessing to chastisement, or from chastisement to blessing:)
Jeremiah 18:8 If that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them.
10 If it do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them.
(How often, when Jesus has desired to bless us, yet because of our continued sinning, we cause his mind to change?)
(Now, with people, repentance is a change of mind, which leads to a change of direction.)
Acts 20:21 Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.
(The word "toward" shows a directional change, toward God, toward Jesus.)
Acts 26:20b that they should repent and turn to God,
(Why change direction toward Jesus?
For the lost, it is because they are going the wrong way:)
Matthew 7:13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
Matthew 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
(Some may say, "I believe Jesus", but, unless someone turns to Jesus, that cannot believe in Jesus, nor call on him to save them.
They first need that change of mind, where they realize that they are guilty sinners on their way to hell, and they need a Saviour.
And in the resulting sorrow over their shame and loss, they realize that they have no hope at all, unless they turn to Jesus.
And by that turning to Jesus, they are admitting who they truly are, a worthless sinner on their way to hell.
However, to be saved, yes, they need to repent, but they also absolutely must believe on Jesus:)
Acts 20:21b repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.
(The Philippian jailer sure seemed to be repenting:)
Acts 16:27 And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled.
28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.
29 Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas,
(Yet, in addition to repenting:)
Acts 16:30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
(Now, what about us, who are already saved?
We are not to turn again from heading to hell, to believe again on Jesus for salvation - because we are already saved!
But do we still need to repent?
Do we still sin? Do we still grieve the Spirit? Do we still turn away from Jesus, and need to turn back to him?
Jesus had John write to the church of Ephesus, the church that Jesus started by Paul, which later Timothy pastored.
What did Jesus say to these believers?)
Revelation 2:4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.
5a Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent,
(They didn't "lose" their first love, rather, they "left" their first love; they had turned away.
And, in the remembering from where they had fallen, with the conviction of the Spirit, they would be grieved in their heart.
Then they could turn back to their first love - they thus could repent, a change of mind, leading to a change of direction.)
(Yes, repentance is definitely for believers, as well.
However, we cannot simply repent our own way, or on our timetable, and we cannot "turn it on" like a light switch.
Repentance is actually a gift from Jesus to us:)
Acts 5:31 Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.
(Jesus "gives" repentance to Israel.)
Acts 11:18 When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.
(Jesus "grants" repentance to Gentiles.)
II Timothy 2:25 In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;
(He "gives" repentance, but, then also, he leads us to repentance, but look at one of the ways that he leads us to repentance:)
Romans 2:4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?
(Whether through the fear of the LORD, or chastisement, or blessings, by the Spirit's conviction, Jesus leads us to repentance.
But, if we ignore that, and wait until we want to repent, it may not happen:)
Hebrews 12:17 For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.
(That is a terrible thought, but also so is shallow or vain repentance.
I don't know about you, but too often, I've simply said to Jesus, "Oops, my bad. Forgive me."
However, there was no grieving over my sin, I merely wanted a blessing, or to avoid chastisement.
Yes, Jesus will forgive us, if we confess our sins:)
I John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
(But how much better it is when we repent:)
II Corinthians 7:8 For though I made you sorry with a letter, I do not repent, though I did repent: for I perceive that the same epistle hath made you sorry, though it were but for a season.
9 Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing.
10 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.
11 For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.
(Carefulness, clearing, vehement desire, and zeal - these are great fruits of repentance. Indignation - what about that?)
Psalms 119:128b and I hate every false way.
(Not only do we hate what we thought or did, but to hate letting our old nature have its way with us.
Paul wrote to them, "what revenge!", what about that? Well, 3 chapters later, he wrote to them:)
II Corinthians 10:6 And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.
(When we put off the old man, and put on the new man, is that the kind of revenge that he is speaking about?
And all these are the fruits of repentance, which is so much better than only asking for forgiveness.
For us who are saved, repentance is a change of mind, leading to a change of direction, and by the Spirit leading to a change of behavior.)
(Peter needed to learn about repentance, and he learned about it the hard way; Peter had his own idea about how he would follow Jesus:)
Matthew 26:31 Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad.
33 Peter answered and said unto him, Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended.
34 Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.
35a Peter said unto him, Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee.
(Jesus told Peter he would deny him thrice, then in the garden he said, watch and pray, and Jesus prayed thrice, but Peter slept thrice.)
Matthew 26:37a And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee,
38b tarry ye here, and watch with me.
39a And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed,
40 And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?
41a Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation:
42a He went away again the second time, and prayed,
43 And he came and found them asleep again: for their eyes were heavy.
44a And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time.
(Jesus prayed three times, but Peter slept three times, and then Peter denied Jesus three times:)
Matthew 26:69 Now Peter sat without in the palace: and a damsel came unto him, saying, Thou also wast with Jesus of Galilee.
70 But he denied before them all, saying, I know not what thou sayest.
72 And again he denied with an oath, I do not know the man.
74 Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew.
75 And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly.
(Godly sorrow worketh repentance, and Peter for sure had that, but he still had more to learn about repentance:)
John 21:14 This is now the third time that Jesus shewed himself to his disciples, after that he was risen from the dead.
15 So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.
16 He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
17 He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
(Jesus prayed three times, Peter slept three times, Peter denied Jesus three times, then when Jesus had appeared to them three times:
Jesus asked Peter three times if he loved Jesus more, so then Peter confessed to Jesus three times that he loved him.
Why did Peter need to go through all that, to learn about repentance the hard way? Because in a few days he would need to say:)
Acts 2:14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words:
36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.
37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
(We need to understand repentance, possibly also the hard way, so when we give the gospel, we must not leave out repentance.)
.