Repentance

I was made keenly aware of a sin in my life this evening during a sermon preached by Dr. David Hogg. You can click here to be routed to my church’s website where you will find a link to Dr. Hogg’s sermon for September 14, 2008. It is of no consequence to you what the nature of my sin was, as my sin is supremely against God[1]. So, do not tie your mind up in wondering, "What was it?" But, rather, open your heart to the Holy Spirit’s conviction of sin in your own life.

Conviction wrought by the Holy Spirit, when obediently examined in light of Scripture and humbly prayer, is rewarded by God with the gift of repentance[2] in accordance to the riches of God’s grace[3]. And, while the gift is freely given, this gift is only made possible by death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. Therefore, we are wise to be in daily remembrance that repentance did not come without the greatest of costs. Further, there is a tension concerning repentance that every Christian must realize- repentance is a gift from God, but there is also human responsibility. It is the Christian’s responsibility to be repentant. In other words, the Christian must take action!

At the moment of salvation every Christian receives the Holy Spirit; the very same Holy Spirit that descended upon Jesus like a dove[4]. Christian, you are equipped[5] to be holy; equipped to take action! God has given you all tools necessary to choose righteousness over sin. Your effort is to utilize these tools, in order that, you might continually turn from your sin and never look back[6].

The Holy Spirit’s conviction this evening nauseated me near to the point of physical sickness. I prostrated myself before the Lord and began praying, asking God to forgive me. In times of repentant prayer I ask God to bring forth spiritual understanding and practical understanding to the dendritic effects of my sin- that is, how my specific sin branches out and effects different areas of my life and the lives of others. The Spirit is always faithful in granting this request. This illumination can be excruciating and is always humbling. O, that I could sink deeper into the carpet and disappear. But then, as God is rich in mercy and love[7], restoration followed[8]!

Matthew 4:17 From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”

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[1] David cries out to the Lord this truth in Psalm 51:4, “Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge.” Bible references unless otherwise noted are from the New International Version.

[2] Acts 5:30-32 ³⁰ The God of our fathers raised Jesus from the dead—whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree. ³¹ God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel. ³² We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him (emphasis added).

[3] Ephesians 1:6-8 ⁶ to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. ⁷ In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace ⁸ that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.

[4] Luke 3:21-22 ²¹ When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened ²² and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”

[5] Hebrews 13:20-21 ²⁰ May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, ²¹ equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Timothy 3:15-17 ¹⁵ and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. ¹⁶ All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, ¹⁷ so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Colossians 2:9-10 ⁹ For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, ¹⁰ and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority.

Romans 15:13-14 ¹³ May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. ¹⁴ I myself am convinced, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, complete in knowledge and competent to instruct one another.

[6] Genesis 19:15-17, 26 ¹⁵ With the coming of dawn, the angels urged Lot, saying, “Hurry! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away when the city is punished.” ¹⁶ When he hesitated, the men grasped his hand and the hands of his wife and of his two daughters and led them safely out of the city, for the Lord was merciful to them. ¹⁷ As soon as they had brought them out, one of them said, “Flee for your lives! Don’t look back, and don’t stop anywhere in the plain! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!” ²⁶ But Lot’s wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.

Luke 17:30-33 ³⁰ “It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed. ³¹ On that day no one who is on the roof of his house, with his goods inside, should go down to get them. Likewise, no one in the field should go back for anything. ³² Remember Lot’s wife! ³³ Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.

[7] Ephesians 2:4-10 ⁴ But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, ⁵ made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. ⁶ And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, ⁷ in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. ⁸ For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹ not by works, so that no one can boast. ¹⁰ For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

[8] Psalm 71:19-23 ¹⁹ Your righteousness reaches to the skies, O God, you who have done great things. Who, O God, is like you? ²⁰ Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up. ²¹ You will increase my honor and comfort me once again. ²² I will praise you with the harp for your faithfulness, O my God; I will sing praise to you with the lyre, O Holy One of Israel. ²³ My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to you— I, whom you have redeemed.