REPENTANCE

I. Repentance.

A. Scripture thoughts and facts.

1. John's chief theme. Matthew 3:1-2.

2. Approach of kingdom of heaven a motive for.

3. A duty to be performed.

4. Better conduct, a fruit of. Matthew 3:8-10; Luke 3:8; Acts 26:30.

5. John immersed in order to. Matthew 3:11.

6. Not the righteous but sinners called to repentance. Matthew 9:13.

7. Christ reproved the cities because they repented not. Matthew 11:20.

8. Mighty works of Christ should cause. Matthew 11:21-23.

9. Punishment for impenitent proportioned to opportunities. Matthew 11:23-27; 12:41.

10. Preaching punishment leads to. Matthew 12:41.

11. Ninevites an example of repentance. Matthew 12:41.

12. God repented of the evil threatened and did it not. Jonah 3:10. God repented that he had made man. Genesis 6:6.

13. John preached the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. Mark 1:4; Luke 3:3.

14. Jesus preached repent and believe in the Gospel. Mark 1:15.

15. Main theme of the apostles under the first commis­sion. Mark 6:12.

16. Repentance may be attended by deep sorrow. Luke 10:8-13. 64

17. The judgment is a motive for repentance. Luke 10:13-17; 11:32; Acts 17:30.

18. Without it men shall perish. Luke 13:3; II Peter 3:9.

19. Joy in heaven over one sinner who repents. Luke 15:7-10.

20. Prodigal son an example of repentance. Luke 15:11­ 32.

21. Scripture should produce repentance. Luke 16:30­ 31.

22. To be persuaded equivalent to repentance. Luke 16:30-31.

23. If a brother repents, forgive him. Luke 17:3-4.

24. Repentance and remission of sins to be preached in the name of Jesus among all nations. Luke 24:47.

25. All sinners to repent and be baptized for the remis­sion of sins. Acts 2:38; II Peter 3:9. Repentance fol­lows pricking of heart.

26. Men to repent and turn in order to pardon. Acts 3:19.

27. Repentance given to Israel. Acts 5:31.

28. Immersed believers after sinning to repent and pray for pardon. Acts 8:22; Revelation 2:5.

29. Paul preached repentance toward God and faith in Jesus Christ. Acts 20:21.

30. Paul orders (1) repent, (2) turn, (3) do works meet for repentance. Acts 26:20.

31. Goodness of God leads to repentance. Romans 2:4.

32. Corinthians sorrowed to repentance. II Corinthians 7:9.

33. Godly sorrow works repentance in order to salvation. II Corinthians 7:9.

34. Repentance impossible to some. Hebrews 6:6.

35. Esau found no place for repentance. Hebrews 12:17.

36. Afflictions should cause repentance, but sometimes fail. Revelation 9:18-21; 16:8-9.

37. Classical meaning of repentance—a change of mind.

II. What is repentance?

A. A duty to be performed, fact 7; by sinners, facts 6, 28.

B. Better conduct suited to it, facts 4 and 31.

C. May be attended by deep sorrow, fact 16.

D. Ninevites sorrowed deeply and reformed, fact 11.

E. Prodigal son sorrowed and reformed, fact 20.

F. Follows pricking of the heart. fact 25.

G. Produced by Godly sorrow for sin, facts 32, 33.

H. God repents:

1. Of things done.

2. Of things threatened.

3. No man that he should repent. I Samuel 15:29.

I. Esau found no place for repentance, fact 35.

J. Change of mind, fact 37.

K. Conclusion:

1. Used in two ways.

a. Without reference to sin, facts 3,10, 11.

1. The classical usage.

b. With reference to sin, fact 1-8.

1. The religious usage.

2. Primary meaning is a change of mind. This is not forbidden by facts, hence a change of mind with re­ference to sin.

L. What is change of mind?

1. Not sorrow for sin or change of feeling. This for­bidden by facts 6 and 8.

2. It results from sorrow for sin, facts 6 and 8.

3. It results in reformation, facts 2 and 7.

4. But the change of mind which results from sorrow from sin and which results in reformation. Therefore repentance is the change of will in reference to sin resulting from sorrow for sin and leading to reformation.

III. How is repentance produced? The facts:

A. A duty to be performed. Matthew 3:1, 2; 11:20.

B. Approach of the kingdom a motive.

C. Judgment a motive. Luke 10:13, 14; 11:32; Acts 17:30.

D. John immersed in order to repentance. Matthew 3:11.

E. Miracles of Jesus should cause it. Matthew 11:21-23.

F. Preaching punishment leads to it. Matthew 12:41.

G. Scripture should produce. Luke 16:30.

H. To be persuaded. Luke 16:30-31.

I. Goodness of God leads to it. Romans 2:4; 7:9-10.

J. Godly sorrow for sin produces it. II Corinthians 7:9.

K. Affliction should cause it.

L. Repentance a gift of God. Acts 5:31; 11:18.

M. Conclusion:

1. It is a gift of God, (L).

2. Direct or indirect?

a. Repentance is not a direct gift for,

(1) a duty to be performed;

(2) brought about by motives, (B and C),

(3) Second cause. (D and K).

b. Therefore, repentance is an indirect gift of God. through cause and motive. Still, no repentance without aid of God.

3. Produced by a variety of causes.

a. Sorrow for sin; (J) the immediate cause for this sorrow acts directly on the will.

b. Approach of the kingdom, (B); the judgment, (C); preaching punishment, (F); goodness of God, (I); affliction, (K).

4. Scriptures a cause, (G), by bringing to bear the second class of causes.

5. Miracles a cause, (E), by confirming the spoken and written word.

6. John's immersion a cause, (D), for without repentance, no baptism, no pardon.

IV. How to preach repentance.

A. Show what it is.

B. Bring to bear the above points.

V. Does repentance precede faith? Facts:

A. Jesus preached, "Repent and believe the Gospel." Mark 1:15.

B. Paul preached repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Acts 20:21; 19:4.

C. Ninevites believed before repentance. Jonah 3:4-10.

D. Pentecostians believed before they repented. Acts 2:37-38.

E. Neither miracles, Matthew 11:21-22, nor the judg­ment, Acts 17:30, nor the scriptures, Luke 16:30-31, nor goodness of God, Romans 2:4, could cause repentance before belief.

F. Conclusion:

1. John's and Jesus' preaching of repentance was re­pentance to prepare for faith in the Gospel. Mark 1:15 Matthew 3:2; See fact 14.

a. This because repentance toward God in whom they already believed prepared Them to receive new revelations of His Will.

b. Paul did the same with Jews and Gentiles who be­lieved in God for same reason.

c. To heathen. Paul preached. (1) the true God, (2) repentance toward Him, (3) faith in Christ. Acts 17:23-31. Therefore," (1) when God known and Christ unknown, repentance toward former should precede faith toward latter—a duty and a prepara­tion. (2) In all these cases faith in the being to­ward whom persons repent preceded by repen­tance.

Baptist Views

1. Historical faith equals belief of scripture facts and teachings.

2. Repentance equals Godly sorrow for sin. "Saving faith" equals yielding up the will to Christ.

Their Mistake

1. Repentance confounded with sorrow for sin.

2. What is actually repentance is mistaken for saving faith.

3. Undervaluating real faith.

V. Importance of Repentance.

A. Joy in heaven over one sinner that repents. Luke 15:4-10.

B. It leads to pardon. Jonah 3:4-10; Luke 15:17-20; Acts 2:38; 3:19.

C. Without it must perish. Luke 13:5; 16:30; Revelation 2:16.

D. Punishment of impenitent proportionate with opportunities. Matthew 11:21:12:41.

E. It is impossible:

1. To the complete apostate. Hebrews 6:4-6.

2. To the one guilty of the sin unto death. I John 5:16.

F. The facts:

1. Elder after refusing repented and went. Matthew 21:29.

2. Pharisee after seeing Publicans and harlots believ­ed Him did not repent so as to believe. Matthew 21:32.

3. Judas seeing Jesus condemned repented the money and declared Jesus innocent. Matthew 27:3.

4. Paul first repented for grief caused by letter, but now no longer repents but rejoices. II Corinthians 7:8-9.

5. Repentance in order to salvation not to be repented of. II Corinthians 7:10.

6. The gifts and calling of God not repentance. Romans 11:29.

7. God swore and will not repent that Christ is a priest forever. Hebrews 7:21. Only used these seven times in New Testament— five times a verb and two times an adjective.

G. The classes of facts.

1. In which certainly a change of will, 1, 3.

2. In which certainly not a change of will, 4, 5.

3. In which it is unknown, 2, 6, 7.

H. Conclusions:

1. Primary meaning in 4 and 5.

2. In 1 and 3 we learn change of will from context and not from verse.

3. In 2, 6, 7, nothing to forbid primary meaning, therefore here also.

I. General conclusions:

1. Sorrow not repentance, for it does not express change of will.

2. Regret for past conduct may act as cause of repentance, 1, 3.

3. Should always be rendered regret in New Testament.