Salvation By Repentance
Fundamentals 2021 • Sermon • Submitted
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Introduction
Introduction
Greetings…
Last week, we looked again at the topics of the three previous sermons on God’s plan of salvation.
Salvation by Grace.
Salvation by Study.
Salvation by Belief, Faith, & Faithfulness.
Because our God is a God of logic and reason (Isaiah 1:18) and not of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33) it makes since that “his plan” is one of logical progression.
When we believe God exists (Romans 1:19-20) and then study his word to learn more about, it creates a trust or faith in our God (Romans 10:17).
This faith or trust logically leads us to desire to follow him whom we trust and love (John 14:15).
However, as we study about God and his love and righteousness, we discover something about ourselves.
We are full of unrighteousness and are in fact, dead in our trespasses or sins (Ephesians 2:1), in need of repentance.
But what is repentance exactly?
This morning we are going to examine “Salvation By Repentance” and determine what is needed to properly repent unto salvation.
So, with that in mind, let’s examine our lesson today.
What Is Repentance?
What Is Repentance?
Understanding Our Sin.
Understanding Our Sin.
We cannot begin to repent if we don’t understand what sin is and that we are “living in it.”
Far too many people go throughout their life feeling like they are fine in the sight of God because they don’t grasp (a) what sin is and (b) the damage it truly does to them.
What is sin and why is it a problem
Sin, simply put, is the breaking of God’s law.
4 Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness.
Why is it so wrong to “break God’s law or sin?”
Sin “singular” leaves us separated from God.
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
1 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; 2 but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.
Sin “singular,” leaves us spiritually dead.
1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins
18 They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart.
Sin “singular” leaves us separated from God eternally.
41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’
44 Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ 45 Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
When we “understand our sin” this should lead us to…
Godly Grief.
Godly Grief.
Worldly grief and godly grief are two different things.
Worldly grief is based on a love for the physical.
10 For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia.
Godly grief is based on a love for God.
10 For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.
The Greek word “grief” here is translated a number of ways and gives us an idea of the meaning.
6 But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart.
1 For I made up my mind not to make another painful visit to you.
Godly grief or sorrow is a pain we feel after realizing we have sinned against our Creator and Father.
This godly grief, as the apostle Paul pointed out, leads to repentance.
Thus, repentance begins with “godly grief” which leads to a…
Change Of Mind.
Change Of Mind.
In other words, we stop focusing on the things of this world and turn our attention to the things of our God.
3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,
6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.
8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
When we change our mind to those things that are above, we will naturally or logically…
Change Our Behavior.
Change Our Behavior.
Simply put, we will strive our hardest to “turn from our evil ways i.e., sin” and live a “faithful life.”
3 It may be that the house of Judah will hear all the disaster that I intend to do to them, so that every one may turn from his evil way, and that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin.”
30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,
8 Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.
Summary
Summary
So, repentance is understanding sin and the damage it does to our soul.
That “understanding” should lead to us being “grieved” at the fact that we have hurt our Creator in such a way.
That “grief” should lead us to a “change of mind” that focus not on ourselves but on God.
That “change of mind” should then lead us to a “change in our behavior” that seeks to love God by keeping his word and making it a part of who we are.
All of this is needed and necessary for salvation but there is something else God says we must consider before change our mind or change our behavior.
What is that, we must…
Count The Cost
Count The Cost
Repentance Leads To Discipleship.
Repentance Leads To Discipleship.
Many focus their repentance on what sin is “doing to them” and then how their sin effects their God.
Why do I point this out, because up to the point of repentance one hasn’t actually started the “faithful” walk.
They haven’t made the commitment to “turn their life over to God and become his disciple.
Repentance, therefore, needs an understanding of discipleship so…
Discipleship of God is, in its most basic meaning, “a follower of God.”
One who decides to follow God the Father, Son, and Spirit wherever they tell them to go.
This is why Jesus said everyone needs to count the cost of discipleship before they commit to being his disciple.
25 Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. 27 Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.
28 For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? 29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, 30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’
31 Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. 33 So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.
Summary
Summary
Repentance cannot actually take place without and understanding of what becoming a disciple means.
It means one is willing to give up everything for God.
It means one is willing to give up family, friends, loved ones, jobs, and even one’s own life to follow Christ.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Salvation By Repentance isn’t saying “I’m sorry” to God.
It is making a conscience decision to turn from a life lived away from God to a life lived in the service of God and that decision isn’t based on ignorance but has the one repenting going into it “with eyes wide open.”
Invitation
1 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; 2 but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.
6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,
32 “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.
8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,
3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.