Repentance & Forgiveness

Introduction

Newlywed Game

only one question

Husbands / What was the last thing you needed to apologize to your wife for?

Wives / Same question.

I’m sorry IF I hurt you doesn’t count, does it?

Why? Authentic and specific repentance can revive a relationship.

Hidden sin damages and destroys relationships.

If it is true of marriage, how much more so in our relationship with God?

2 Chronicles 3 - Solomon builds the Temple

2 Chronicles 5 - Temple finished and the Ark brought into the Temple

2 Chronicles 6 - Solomon blesses and dedicates the Temple with a prayer

In this prayer Solomon recognizes that the Temple cannot fully contain God - God is too great and holy.

He acknowledges the sinfulness of all mankind and recognizes the likelihood that Israel will sin against God

He expects that should Israel sin, they would be subject to a punishment even through exile.

2 Chronicles 6:24–25 ESV

24 “If your people Israel are defeated before the enemy because they have sinned against you, and they turn again and acknowledge your name and pray and plead with you in this house, 25 then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your people Israel and bring them again to the land that you gave to them and to their fathers.

Part of a larger theme that the Chronicler is laying out as he tells the story of how Israel was exiled.

REMINDER:

These events were written about the nation of Israel in the 6c BC. We can’t simply take this and directly apply it to ourselves, America, or anyone else.

In fact, most believe that the author wrote this following Israel’s exile and the destruction of this Temple. As such, the author probably wondered how God’s promises in the following verses could come true if the Temple was now destroyed.

We will see that though the Bible is not written TO us, it is written FOR us.

The truths we find in this passage about God are true not only for Israel in the 6c BC but for us today.

Sin is a problem.

Sin is a problem in the world.

It has been a problem since the beginning of time and it is a problem now.

We’ve already noted the evil in the world even over the past few weeks.

Sin is a problem in our hearts.

Romans 3:23 ESV

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

all of us before Christ - sinners

those of us after Christ - still can sin.

2 Chronicles 7:12–14 (ESV) 12 Then the Lord appeared to Solomon in the night and said to him: “I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a house of sacrifice.

2 Chronicles 7:13 ESV

13 When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people,

We saw this last week:

God uses circumstances to turn people back to himself.

no rain - empty hand

locust to devour - taken from the hand

pestilence - destruction of the hand

Still an act of grace.

Proverbs 3:12 ESV

12 for the Lord reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights.

When God does this, it is not out of spite or anger; it is out of a desire to call you back to him.

*Some of you know the circumstances you are in today are actually God’s way to call you back to him - You must make a decision.

Repentance is required for revival.

14 if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways,

ILLUST - Which of you husbands or wives require repentance before the relationship is restored?

You can’t expect revival to come while there is sin in the camp.

You can’t expect revival in a heart that is turned from God.

But don’t miss the fact that this is still the people of God called by his name. He’s not done with them the moment they sin.

Key Steps to Repentance:

Humility

Humble 

16 of 36 times used in 2 Chronicles. In 2 Chronicles it was the first qualification needed to abate God’s wrath

Not the idea of self-abatement, ex: “Nice shirt.” “What? This old thing?” Or “Amazing football game!” “It wasn’t all me, it was a team effort.”

This humility has the idea of submission - even being subdued by an invading army.

To humble yourself before God is to recognize his authority in your life and to submit your will to his, to bow your h

To stop justifying the areas of your life that you know is at odds with God and call it what it is - sin. 

It’s just my personality - no, it’s the sin of anger.

I can’t help what I see - but when you look for and allow it to linger it’s called lust

I’m waiting for an apology is the tune of the unforgiving and bitter

Am I quick to recognize and agree with God in confession when I have sinned?

Am I quick to admit to others when I am wrong?

Do I count others and their interests to be more significant than myself and my interests?

Why humility first?

According to Christian teachers, the essential vice, the utmost evil, is Pride. Unch”astity, anger, greed, drunkenness, and all that, are mere flea bites in comparison: it was through Pride that the devil became the devil: Pride leads to every other vice: it is the complete anti-God state of mind.””

— C.S. Lewis

James 4:6 ESV

6 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

Prayer

Prayer is critical in the process of repentance in that we confess our sin.

Sin not talked about is rarely sin repented.

Psalm 51:1–4 ESV

1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! 3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. 4 Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment.

*When was the last time you prayed a prayer of confession?

The following two work together

Seek God again

Seek God’s face.

Isaiah 59:2 ERV

2 but your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.

This does not mean that God will not hear the prayers of anyone who sins. God will always hear the prayer of the humble repentant sinner,

It does mean that we cannot walk unrepentant and expect God to favorable respond to us as we are walking apart from God.

The deepest consequence of sin is that it separates us from God - our Creator.

Turn from sin

shuv - to turn

Mark 1:15 ESV

15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

God will forgive.

if - then

not “no matter what you do, I’ll forgive”

God’s grace does not erase his holiness.

In fact, God’s holiness highlights his grace.

Notice too, none of the IF that God listed before he will hear, forgive, and heal require restitution or anything other than a heart and will ready to change.

He didn’t say, “Once I can confirm over the next year and a half that you have a steady track record, then maybe I will forgive you.”

Is there a darkness in your life that you need to repent of?

God hears

When your heart is ready to turn and your voice is ready to confess, Pray and God will hear you.

God forgives

Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament 1505 סָלַח

This verb, together with a few others, such as bāraʾ “to create,” is

has the idea of pardon

When we forgive each other - we release them to God - the final authority.

When God forgives, he pardons as the One who was truly offended.

1 John 1:9 ESV

9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

This is because of Jesus!

Faithful (will always do it)

Just (because Jesus paid the price - you don’t need to!)

Not just forgive, but CLEANSE US!

No more shame.

Freedom starts today!

God restores

heal their land.

Forgiveness precedes the healing.

Forgiveness is the most important thing

Matthew 9:2–8 ESV

2 And behold, some people brought to him a paralytic, lying on a bed. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven.” 3 And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming.” 4 But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? 5 For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? 6 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he then said to the paralytic—“Rise, pick up your bed and go home.” 7 And he rose and went home. 8 When the crowds saw it, they were afraid, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men.

Heal - repair, restore.

Land - symbol of blessing.

What refreshing, blessing, healing, does God want to restore to you if you will only repent!

Conclusion

Namaan - 2 Kings 5

Namaan at first refused God’s way of healing and (at first) suffered more.

Repentance is God’s way toward revival.

Mark 1:15 ESV

15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

Benediction

Psalm 103:10–12 ESV

10 He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. 11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; 12 as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.