Repentance part 2

IV. The Nature of Repentance
1. As touching the intellect Matthew 21:29 “He answered & said, I will not;
but afterward he repented, & went.” The lad changed his mind, thoughts
and views.
- Repentance is a revolution touching our attitude & views toward sin &
righteousness.
- Repentance teaches us to hate sin & learn to love holiness & purity.
- The prodigal son repented; he changed his mind about living in a far
country & decided to return to his father’s household as a servant.
- When Peter at Pentecost asked the Jews to repent, he meant for them to
changed their minds about the Person of Christ. From considering Jesus
a mere man, a blasphemer or an impostor, to recognizing Him as the Son
of God, the Messiah, the Redeemer of the world.
2. As touching the emotions 2 Corinthians 7:9
- Yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because
your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God
intended and so were not harmed in any way by us.
- Very often feelings play a great part in repentance; repentance is a hard
battle.
- Luke 10:13
- Woe to you, Korazin! Woe to you Bethsaida! For if the miracles that
were performed in you had been performed in Tyre & Sidon, they
would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth & ashes.
Luke 7:44 “…but she hath washed My feet with tears…” (demonstrating
repentance)
- The publican in Luke 18:13
- But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not look up
to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me a
sinner,’ (Indicating sorrow of heart)
- The Greek word for repentance means to cause one great concern.
- The Hebrew word for repentance means to pant, sigh, or moan.
- Psalm 38:18
- I confess my iniquity; I am troubled by my sin.
3. As touching the will the Hebrew word for repent also means to “turn”
Luke 15:18-20 the prodigal said, “I will arise…and he arose.”
- Repentance is a crisis with a changed experience in view.
- Paul taught repentance as experience rather than a single act.
- Repentance is a two fold act:
1) Turning from sin
2) Turning unto God
- Turning from sin without turning to God is reformation without regeneration.
1 Thessalonians 1:9
- for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us.
They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and
true God.
Acts 26:18
- To open their eyes & turn them from darkness to light, and from
the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of
sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.

V. How is Repentance Produced?
- Basically it is a gift of God.
Acts 11:18
- When they heard this, they had no further objections & praised God
saying, “So then, God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto
life.
2 Timothy 2:25
- Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God
will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth.
- As people hear the message of the Gospel, the Holy Spirit convicts them
of their sin & a great desire to repent comes over the individual as a result
- Jonah preached repentance to Nineveh; they believed the message &
turned to God.
Romans 2:4
- Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance
and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you toward
repentance?
Revelation 3:19
- Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest,
& repent!
- God often uses chastisement or rebuke to cause us to repent of our sins.

VI. The Results of Repentance
1. All heaven is a made glad
Luke 15: 7-10
- I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in
heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous
persons who do not need to repent. Or suppose a woman has ten
silver coins and loses one. Does she not light a lamp, sweep the house
and search carefully until she finds it? and when she finds it, she calls
her friends & neighbors together & says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have
found my lost coin. In the same way, I tell you there is rejoicing in the
presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
2. It brings pardon & forgiveness of sins
Isaiah 55:7
- Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let
him turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God
for he will freely pardon.
Acts 3:19
- Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out,
that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.
- Repentance does not cause one to merit forgiveness; repentance is merely
a condition.
- Repentance prepares a man for pardon but it does not entitle him to it.
(After repentance we are still unworthy of the Lord’s love & forgiveness)
3. The Holy Spirit is poured out upon the penitent
Acts 2:38
- Peter replied, “Repent & be baptized, everyone of you, in the name
of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will
receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Reference: One Hundred Bible Lessons by:Alban Douglas