Real Repentance

Intro; Last Sunday night we started looking at the doctrine of Repentance. I started by giving a definition of repentance and then talked about what Repentance Is Not! Let’s review this quickly.

Repentance is all about “change” in a person. That change becomes evident by actions in three areas of a persons life;

The intellect- a change of mind about sin and God

The emotions- a change of heart and a desire for God

The volition- a change of one’s will to that of God’s

Acts 20:21 NKJV

testifying to Jews, and also to Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.

Repentance is not being sorry [Pharaoh was sorry but kept on sinning]

Repentance is not penance [Catholic Church/ doing acts of punishment, false fasting and rehearsed prayer to be forgiven is not biblical]

Repentance is not reformation [self-appeasement to make one feel better. Judas returned money but never repented]

Tonight I want us to look at a perfect illustration of “Real Repentance” and it is found in the Parable of the Prodigal Son.

Luke 15:11–24 NKJV

11 Then He said: “A certain man had two sons. 12 And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ So he divided to them his livelihood. 13 And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living. 14 But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want. 15 Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. 16 And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything. 17 “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, 19 and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.” ’ 20 “And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. 21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. 23 And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; 24 for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry.

Prayer

1. SIN, the Two-Headed Monster; 11-16

Monster- an animal of strange or terrifying shape; a threatening force; a person of unnatural or extreme ugliness, deformity, wickedness, or cruelty.

Sin is a two-headed monster because it is terrifying, threatening, ugly, wicked and cruel in one head. But it is also strange in the fact that it lures it’s victims in with cunning craftiness that doesn’t scare you away.

[v.11-12] Ugly/Threatening/Wicked- This boy belonged to his father, just like everyone who is born is “created by God” and belongs to Him. But everyone is not a “child of God” by faith and we see that here by the actions of this young boy.

By demanding his inheritance, this young man was showing a disrespect for his father’s authority as the leader of the family [God as Creator]. It was extraordinary for a son to request his share along with its income before his father’s death. By making this demand, it was equivalent to wishing the father’s death. He was treating his father as if he was dead. This young man was also revealing his pride, arrogance and his impatience of waiting on his father’s time.

Proverbs 16:18 NKJV

18 Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall.

Luke 12:15 NKJV

15 And He said to them, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.”

[v.13] Strange/Crafty- the seduction of Sin is a strange thing. At the entrance of sin all things look inviting, fun and enjoyable. The young man was attracted to a false hope and joy while he is already living in the security and grace of his father.

God the Father watches his rich but rebellious creation squander his love and his riches as they run from Him to the far country of sin. Sinners want all the goodness of God’s creation and all the enjoyment of God’s blessings, but they do not want God himself.

Romans 1:20–25 NKJV

20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, 21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. 24 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, 25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

[v.13b-16] Ugly/Cruel- Sin may look good in the beginning but it gets ugly and cruel after time.

[v.13b] Sin makes you spend all you have on prodigal living [wasted life]

[v.14] Sin will leave you in want [empty, broken and alone]

[v. 15] Sin will make you join yourself to bad characters [Jew joining with a Gentile feeding pigs/unclean]

[v.16] Sin will bring you to the lowest point in your life [wallowing and eating with pigs]

1 Timothy 6:6–10 NKJV

6 Now godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. 8 And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. 9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

“Sin will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and cost you more than you want to pay.” Ravi Zacharias

2. Real Repentance; 17-21

[v.17] The Intellectual element- the mind considers

“Came to himself/his senses”- If someone comes to their senses then that means they were first out of their mind and insane! That’s what sin does to a person.

What am I doing? My father’s servants are better off than me, and I’m his son! How stupid am I living like this when I don’t have too, because my father loves me and provides for me. I’m the one that walked away.

Matthew 5:6 NKJV

6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.

[v.18-19] The Emotional element- a change of heart and desire for God

“I have sinned!” /Confession - I have wronged heaven [God first] and you [man].

Real repentance is not being sorry, but admitting we are wrong and a desire to be changed!

[v.19-21] The Volitional element- the act of the will

“He arose and came to his father”. Not only did he go to his father, he humbled himself before him and confessed his sin, admitting his guilt and accepting the consequences of his actions, willing to become a servant instead of a son.

Psalm 51:1–10 NKJV

1 Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin. 3 For I acknowledge my transgressions, And my sin is always before me. 4 Against You, You only, have I sinned, And done this evil in Your sight— That You may be found just when You speak, And blameless when You judge… 7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 8 Make me hear joy and gladness, That the bones You have broken may rejoice. 9 Hide Your face from my sins, And blot out all my iniquities. 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Psalm 51:16–17 NKJV

16 For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering. 17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart— These, O God, You will not despise.

Luke 18:13 NKJV

13 And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’

The prodigal son had a change of mind as he began to see the affects of sin in his life; and his change of mind effected a change of his heart; and his change of heart effected a change of his will. Then he was ready for “Real Repentance.”

3. Celebration of Salvation; 22-24

Instead of being a servant, the Father reminds him that he is a son! And a son is an heir of the Father!

When a sinner truly repents he is no longer a servant to SIN, but a child of the King! He becomes a son of God!

John 1:12–13 NKJV

12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

Romans 8:15–17 NKJV

15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.

Close;

Repentance is a plant that never grows on nature’s dung-hill. The nature must be changed, and repentance must be implanted by the Holy Spirit, or it will never flourish in our hearts.

Charles Spurgeon