Repentance? Some believe it means: – To ask for forgiveness – To have a “change of mind” – To feel sorry for your actions – To come back to church after “forsaking the assembly” – To come forward at the “invitation”
REPENTANCE BEGINS w/ A BROKENNESS IN SPIRIT
REAL REPENTANCE Joel 2:12-13 – “weep” “rend your hearts and not your garments” Psalm 51:3-4; – “Against You, You only, I have sinned And done what is evil in Your sight” – ”The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart”
BROKENNESS IN SPIRIT LEADS TO A CHANGE OF WORKS AND HEART
REAL REPENTANCE “Repentance is a turning away from sin, a hatred for the things that God hates and a love for the things that God loves, a growing in holiness and a desire[…] not to be like the world, and not to be like the great majority of American Christians, but to be like Jesus Christ!” 1 (ellipses added) 1. Paul Washer, Sermon: Shocking Youth Message,
REPENTANCE IS WILLING AND DELIBERATE
REAL REPENTANCE “For observe this very thing, that you sorrowed in a godly manner: What diligence it produced in you, what clearing of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what vehement desire, what zeal, what vindication! In all things you proved yourselves to be clear in this matter” (2 Corinthians 7:11).
REPENTANCE IS ACCOMPANIED BY CONFESSION
A GOOD CONFESSION IS: Unambiguous Free of excuses Specific
God’s Promise “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).