Repentance Really Matters
Notes
Transcript
Claim: Repentance that leads to obedience is the only way to be acceptable to God - and this is His Spirit’s work.
Focus: Understanding that privileges, knowledge or declarations will not save, but only a heart conversion in repentance that changes our direction in life to be Godward can.
Function: To daily repent, praying for God’s work by His Spirit to convict us and change us.
You may have thought last weeks passage was hard to hear as it expressed that God is rightly angry at humanity.
And the passage goes on to list all sorts of fairly obvious sins, sexual impurities, greed, idol worship and so forth.
But perhaps on the whole, most of us felt fairly happy to hear all that.
Well I’m not a murderer, or sleeping with people of the same sex.
Perhaps even at a faith level - we were thinking - YES - thank you Paul for reminding us of the terrible things epople get up to in our world without Jesus!
At least I’m not like that.
Well, many of us may not be quite like chapter 1 - but we are not high and dry quite yet:
1 - Repentance is essential, because it is the only way to be acceptable to God v1-11
1 - Repentance is essential, because it is the only way to be acceptable to God v1-11
Chapter 1 ends with this
Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practise them.
People not only know God’s law, and not only break God’s law in sin - they ‘approve of those’ who sin.
They want to normalise sin so that society revels and accepts it.
Chapter 2 bigins with the word ‘Therefore’ - meaning that based on what has just been argues and explained before leads to a natural conclusion.
And here it is..
You, therefore, have no excuse, you who…
(we’re expecting Paul to say - you have no excuse those of you who do all these terrible things).
but he doesn’t,
Paul has shifted from the obvious sinner, in their context the Gentiles, who grew up without the law of God.
to the religious - The JEws - to those who know and even cast judgement upon those terrible sins of chapter 1.
You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.
Having condemened to God’s wrath those who ‘approve’ of the evil of chapter 1 - Paul now moves to strike those who very much do not approve of such behaviour!
The commentator Christiohohe Ash puts it like this:
So, what of these religious people? Are they in the right with God because they disapprove of evil? Not at all! They are right to disapprove. But they are terribly mistaken if they think their disapproval puts them in the clear.
It’s right that we point out sin and disapprove of it, but it’s not alright to think that knowing what is right and wrong will save you.
Because there will be other aspects of God’s law that you break.
So when you condem someone else -we need to know we are condemening ourselevse - not for the same sin nessicerily - but for sin of some description that deserves God’s angre.
YOU can feel the JEwsih eaders recoil at that statement
But they say, as a religius man I’m not committing sins that reveal the wrath of God on me right now like those Gentile pagans!
I live in a civil moral society as a Jew. I’m ok before God! You can tell becasue God is good to us.
No says Pual - you’re mistaking God’s patience and kindness for his indifference to your own sins:
Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realising that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance? But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed.
Judgement is coming for us all.
- and any blessing and goodness from God now in this life is not to be mistaken for his approval of our behaviour.
God is simply being kind and patient!
What a wanring this is to those of us today who think we are best mates with God becasue life is going pretty well thank you.
We cast judgement on others while continuing to live in sin in our own secret ways, godly on the outside - hypocrits on the inside.
Don’t mistake God’s kindness to you for indiffernece towards your heart,
you are storing up judgement for the last day.
In fact Gods kindness is not for you to feel secure - it’s to give you time to repent!
Knowing God’s word - and even condemning those who don’t obey him will not save.
Only repentance will save.
God doesn’t punish us straight away, to give us time to repent. He is leading us kindly to repentance.
For without repentance - no-one - Jew or Gentile, then or now can be saved.
Now we need to clear here about who Paul is talking about - becasue this could realy worry some of us it’s not intended to worry.
Paul is clearly talking about people who believe themselevs to be godly - and so point out sin in others, but who themselevs are blind to the sin in their life so don’t repent.
This is the Christian who has grown too confident in their own works and thoughts that they think they are now mostly beyond the need for repentance.
The Christian who tells you how great their life is with the Lord, how he has blessed them with godly living and holiness to the point they don’t need to repent everyday!
They have mistaken God’s kindness and patience that should lead to repentncae with his belssing and approval on everything they do and think.
Paul is not talking about those of us who are shakey Christians, all too aware of our sin, who know they need to repent everyday.
IN fact if you’r repenting everyday you’re definitely not in view here.
A weak Christian in that sense is the only Christian -
one who daily knows we have failed and let down our Lord.
We see the terrible sins of others and know it’s wrong, we might even say it’s worng
- but we do not do so from a tower of perfection and internal hypocrisy!
We do it in love and humilty.
Beware the Christain who says they have no or rare need for repentance anymore.
They are a hypocrite who condemens themself by judging others.
This was Pauls point in Romans about the JEws who thought they were saved by nature of who they were and GEntiles were condmened becasue of who they were.
No says Paul - knowing the truth, and even Jewsish priveledge makes no difference. You condem yourself if you think it’s about who you are and how you thingk and what you say.
Being a Jew wont save you.
Being religious wont save you.
So what will save us?
God ‘will repay each person according to what they have done.’
Well this sin’t sounding good for any of us…
To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honour and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.
Here every person is put into 1 of 2 catagories - and it’s not Jew and Gentile. They will be founf in both categories
As he makes clear as he repeats the ideas again.
There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; but glory, honour and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For God does not show favouritism.
The 2 catagories seem to be believers and non-believers. One group inherits eternal life and the other wrath and angre.
ONe group does good in seeking glory, honour and immortality - the other disobeys God and does evil.
The question is - which group are we in!?
And so far it sounds like we all by default have to be in the unbelievers camp -those appear to be the words that best describe us.
But 2 very important things have already been said in ROmans, and much more is to come.
Firtsly - we already know salvation - being made right with God is not by works but by Faith.
For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: ‘The righteous will live by faith.’
Secondly - obedince to God’s word is not, so far, an expectation of perfection - but an expectation of striving towards becasue of the faith we have been given
- and as we do and we do often fail -= we return again, daily in humble repentance.
The doers and apporvers of sin will be condemened.
The disapporvers who deny their own sin and therefore hypocracy will also be condemened.
BUt
The disaproover who knows they too sin but strive for obeidnce through humble repentacen - well they sound a lot like
To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honour and immortality, he will give eternal life.
Those whose direction in life is deliberately, persitently towards God in repentacen (not perfection) are those who will receive etrnal life.
IN short - for the Jew - stop thinking you’re saved by who you are, how religious you are, or judgemental you are!
You are saved only by a repentant heart that is persitently inclined towards God and His ways.
And Gentile - stop worrying if you should be a Jew, or if you look right - you too are saved by a repentnace haeart that is persitently inclined towards God and His ways.
There is no difference between Jew or Gentile.
There is big difference between those who seek to do God’s will in repentnace and humility - they are people who are seeking glory, honouir and imprality with God in eternity.
And those who think they earn God’s favour becasue they are getting it all right!
Again Christopher Ash writes:
It will be no use in the court of God to say that mentally I believed or verbally I professed faith in Christ. That will cut no ice. The only evidence of faith will be a changed direction of life. Without that evidence we shall be condemned as frauds. And so we are saved entirely by God’s grace, but our faith is judged entirely by our works; for true grace is always grace which works by changing the heart
Some here today may find themselevs in the wrong camp.
If you think your blessed life is so because you are a good person in God’s sight,
Or repenceae at conversion was all you need
then you are in very real likelyhood of being a hypocrit who is no longer relying on faith but yourself.
BUt for those of us who know we are miserable sinners - rejoice! For that is where we are to be before an angry God.
On our knees, repentant - meaning more than just sorry - but repentant means turning from our ways!
We are seeking to obey and honour God. Ours is eternal life.
Pause
And just in case we being to think - well - we might be sinners - but atleast we’re clever and good enough to recognise it and repent: Paul wants us to keep our lowly humilty and repentance even more:
2 - Repentance is only possible with a heart changed by God’s Spirit v12–29
2 - Repentance is only possible with a heart changed by God’s Spirit v12–29
All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous.
Paul continues his arguement that
Only those who do what God wants will be right with God.
So to me this seems most likely still a continuation of what we know a true Christian will be like. They are not obediecnt perfectly - so we keep repenting - but we are seeking continually, persistently to obey. The fruit of faith is obedience to God’s Will alongside as we’ve said - continual repentance as it’s not our work but his.
The amazing news about this type of salavtion - this Gospel - is that it does nto mean you have to be a certain type of person, form a certain place, or race, from a certain level of sosiety.
YOu can be as priveledged as a Jew who has enjoyed the revelation of God’s ways and law since the time of Moses,
or you could be a drug addict in prison.
Both are as condemend by each other by their own natural self.
But If either finds faith in Jesus - He will change you to know, love and seek to obey His ways. Accesed through repentacen and continued in repentacne.
That seems to be his poit about the Gentiles in v14
(Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.)
And so - When Christ JEsus retunr in judgement - it will not be what JEw or Gentile, you or me, have said we believe,.
but it will be what the secrets of our hearts are - do we desire to move in God’s direction which will be seen in humble repentance first, but also growing in obedince to God over the years.
This will take place on the day when God judges people’s secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.
Grace will save us - through Christ - as God;s Gospel declares - but you cannot fool God that you have faith. The secrets of your heart will reveal the truth - and repentnat obedience will be the visible fruit to others.
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.
IN short -
If you say you have faith, but have no desire, and make no effort to follow God’s ways - then clearly you do not have faith. You might even judge others for their sin becasue you are better at hiding yours!
But, If you have faith that has been given you freely - they you will live in repentance and obedince. You will not judge your own actions to be your worthiness before God - so we repent - but we will seek and strive imperfectly to obey God - Which will please Him.
Saved by faith alone, grace alone - eveidenced by works.
BUt don’t get it the wrong way round!
If you’re worried your not a Christian now - becasue you have no desire to repent or seek God’s will - you cannot suddenly save yourself by doing all the right things!
Thsi is exactly how the JEws think they can be saved. However hard you try - you’ll be a hypocrit .
He gives some examples in v21
you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal?
and so on..
He ends by summarising the main point:
You who boast in the law, do you dishonour God by breaking the law?
And drives home the truth by pointing out that even cicumcision - God’s covennat sign for His poeple int he OT -0 does not save you:
Circumcision has value if you observe the law, but if you break the law, you have become as though you had not been circumcised. So then, if those who are not circumcised keep the law’s requirements, will they not be regarded as though they were circumcised? The one who is not circumcised physically and yet obeys the law will condemn you who, even though you have the written code and circumcision, are a law-breaker.
SO what should we do it we’re concerned we are not saved!
If secretly we are hypocrits - we say we believe in the Gospel of Jesus our King, but have no desire to repent - either becasue we think we’re good enough now, or becasuewe just don’t actiually care!?
Well - We need pray for a new heart
No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a person’s praise is not from other people, but from God.
That repentant heart - one that is circumsied - cut.
Is a gift from God by His SPirit.
2:14–16
This includes the least privileged when their hearts are changed …
2:17–24
… but it excludes the most privileged when their hearts are not changed.
2:25–29
This heart-change comes only from the Spirit of God.
It’s right to judge - but don’t think you are saved becasue you know what is worng - you too are a sinner - so repent.]
v12-13
v12-13
Teaching Romans, Volume 1: Unlocking Romans 1–8 for the Bible Teacher D. Only Those Who Do What God Wants Will Be Right with God (2:12, 13)
In verses 12 and 13 Paul states the principle which will govern verses 12–29. Outward religious privilege or achievement cannot make us right with God; only the obedience of faith can do this
Teaching Romans, Volume 1: Unlocking Romans 1–8 for the Bible Teacher D. Only Those Who Do What God Wants Will Be Right with God (2:12, 13)
it seems more likely that Paul speaks of believers ‘obeying the law’ in some sense. They do this imperfectly but genuinely, because their direction of life has changed from disobedience to ‘the obedience of faith’ and they are now seeking for glory (v. 7). These are those who prove their genuine faith by hearing and doing (
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.
Teaching Romans, Volume 1: Unlocking Romans 1–8 for the Bible Teacher E. This Includes the Least Privileged When Their Hearts Are Changed … (2:14–16)
If this is right, Paul is supporting verse 13b (‘those who obey the law will be declared righteous’) by showing that Gentile Christians do just this, in spite of not having the Law of Moses. In spite of lacking all the privileges of the Jew, their hearts are changed and they really begin to go God’s way.
v17-24 You may know your bible, but do you do your bible?
v17-24 You may know your bible, but do you do your bible?
Right to teach the bible, butnot right to be a hypocrit! 3 emapmles are given
Teaching Romans, Volume 1: Unlocking Romans 1–8 for the Bible Teacher F. … but Is Excludes the Most Privileged When Their Hearts Are Not Change (2:17–24)
In fact a professing Christian who is not genuine is worse than someone who doesn’t claim to be a Christian at all. This is the force of the quote from
v25-29
v25-29
Teaching Romans, Volume 1: Unlocking Romans 1–8 for the Bible Teacher G. This Heart-Change Comes Only from the Spirit of God (2:25–29)
What is the point of being a Jew (c.f. 3:1)? Answer: much if you obey the law, but nothing if you don’t (v. 25). To be a Jewish believer is better than to be a Gentile believer, for you have a head start in the life of discipleship; you know your Bible, you have all the pieces of the jigsaw, as Paul had before his conversion. All that is needed is for those pieces to fall into place with Jesus Christ at the centre.
But to be a Jewish unbeliever is worse than nothing, for the symbolism of your outward circumcision is nullified by your uncircumcised heart (v. 25)
VERY IMPORTANT
VERY IMPORTANT
Teaching Romans, Volume 1: Unlocking Romans 1–8 for the Bible Teacher G. This Heart-Change Comes Only from the Spirit of God (2:25–29)
This passage makes it clear that to ‘observe the law’ (v. 25), to ‘keep the law’s requirements’ (v. 26), to ‘obey the law’ (v. 27) all mean being converted and receiving the gift of the Spirit (v. 29)
Teaching Romans, Volume 1: Unlocking Romans 1–8 for the Bible Teacher G. This Heart-Change Comes Only from the Spirit of God (2:25–29)
They do not refer here to sinless perfection, but to real Christianity.
APPLICATION
Teaching Romans, Volume 1: Unlocking Romans 1–8 for the Bible Teacher Getting the Purpose Clear: The Aim
At one level Paul’s aim is simple. He wants to close off the escape hatch by which the morally upright person tries to evade the fact that he or she can be right with God only and 100 per cent by free, unmerited grace, received empty-handed by faith
Teaching Romans, Volume 1: Unlocking Romans 1–8 for the Bible Teacher Getting the Purpose Clear: The Aim
Our general aim, like Paul’s, must therefore be that we and our hearers be deeply and urgently moved to practical repentance today. We must understand that the only alternative to a life of repentance is an ever-growing debt of wrath to be poured out on the Last Day (v. 5).
Teaching Romans, Volume 1: Unlocking Romans 1–8 for the Bible Teacher Getting the Purpose Clear: The Aim
Verses 12–29 move us beyond this to grasp and cry for the urgent necessity of a changed heart by the Spirit of God.
Teaching Romans, Volume 1: Unlocking Romans 1–8 for the Bible Teacher Getting the Purpose Clear: The Aim
Daily repentance by every member of a church is the precondition for harmony within the church.
hypocrazy
Teaching Romans, Volume 1: Unlocking Romans 1–8 for the Bible Teacher Pointers to Application
Or when someone speaks unkindly or misleadingly about me behind my back, I become very angry. I turn the offence over and over in my mind. I write eloquent mental letters about how disgracefully they have behaved. But if I do the same about someone else, it’s just that I’m tired or stressed; it’s not really my fault.
VERY HELPFUL APPLICATION
VERY HELPFUL APPLICATION
Teaching Romans, Volume 1: Unlocking Romans 1–8 for the Bible Teacher Pointers to Application
Consider some particular examples of sin that are not punished immediately—perhaps fiddling our business expenses, looking at internet pornography, exaggerating to puff ourselves up or put others down. Press home that every time God does not immediately punish us, he is leading us to repentance.
Teaching Romans, Volume 1: Unlocking Romans 1–8 for the Bible Teacher Pointers to Application
Open up what it means to live a life whose direction and aims are those of verse 7.
Teaching Romans, Volume 1: Unlocking Romans 1–8 for the Bible Teacher Pointers to Application
Cry day by day for a deep, growing and lasting work of the Spirit of God in our lives and hearts.
Teaching Romans, Volume 1: Unlocking Romans 1–8 for the Bible Teacher Pointers to Application
Apply this to how we view our fellow believers, so that we do not begin to think we are on a higher level than any of them.
• Apply this to how we view non-Christians, not as those on a lower spiritual level than us, but as sinners just like us in desperate need of grace.
