God's Command for all people to repent and believe
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Repent
Repent
We have talked about that Jesus paid the penalty for sinners and we know that his resurrection was Gods statement that He was satisfied with the payment that had been made.
So, if Christ’s blood on the cross was enough, why doesn’t everyone go to heaven?
As a matter of fact, many people will end up in hell.
“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.
How can this be if Jesus paid it all?
Repentance is Essential for Salvation
How many people in here love a good bargain? Perhaps you just can’t wait for your free Starbucks drink for our birthday, or for a gift card so you can buy that game you want at no cost to you. Maybe its shopping at Goodwill. I know some of you just love the 4 for 4 at Wendy’s—you want a good deal, as much as you can get for as little on you as possible.
Why do we like those deals? We value the item or product as worthy enough for us to want and perhaps we would event spend full price to get that item, but when its discounted or even free then it gets even better, right?
We want something good with little investment on our part.
Well salvation is a “good deal” and many, many people want to get in on that but they don’t want to put much in. I know that every hand in this room would go up if I asked you if you wanted to avoid hell. You want in on any package that keeps you away from hell.
If you were to ask any of your friends, if they really understood what hell was and what is meant they too would be eager to avoid that at all costs. The problem in our culture, and the problem in the church is no shortage of people that want to avoid hell. The problem is a shortage of people that want to fulfill the prescribed plan in the Word of God on what we must do.
We want the reward, avoiding hell, without any or little investment, following God’s command.
What does the bible require for us to be made right with God?
Repent
What does the word repent mean?
On your outline there are three definitions you can fill in.
a) Turning from sin, we dominate repentance.
b) Repentance is a change of mind concerning one’s obligation to the will and Word of God.
c) Repentance is essentially a change of mind
Webster says “to feel such regret over as to change one’s mind.”
Repentance or to repent means to change one’s mind about his or her sin.
In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
John the Baptist preached about repentance
From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
Jesus himself preached about repentance
So they went out and proclaimed that people should repent.
Jesus sent his disciples out to preach repentance
Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Peter preached repentance
The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,
testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.
but declared first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all the region of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with their repentance.
All through the new testament we see people called to repent, turn away from their sins and follow Christ. Turn to Mark 6.
And he marveled because of their unbelief. And he went about among the villages teaching. And he called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their belts— but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics. And he said to them, “Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you depart from there. And if any place will not receive you and they will not listen to you, when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.” So they went out and proclaimed that people should repent. And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them.
Jesus empowers the disciples to go out, humble and meek, and go to these villages and places and to do what? Cast out demons and heal the sick.
But what else were they to do? Call them to repent. Healing the sick and casting out demons solved the temporal, earthly problems but didn’t solve the eternal one. Jesus commands them to preach repentance.
This is the danger of the church. We want to be known for doing good, we want to provide food, shelter if need be, supply tangible needs, restore broken relationships, mend broken hearts. We should be known for these things.
We have dozens of ministries that fulfill needs from both in and out of our body:
Food pantry
Bookstore
community outreach dinner
camps and retreats
empty nesters
flocks
community fun day
meals for Plain Local Schools
church picnics
weddings
funerals
cleaning teams
meal trains
benevolence
pregnancy choices
local compassion outreach (rahab ministries)
global compassion outreach (Haiti orphange, Uganda school)
SOS ministries in Uganda
Earthquake relief in Haiti
Partnership with Word of God
None of those things by themselves are going to save someone. We use those things to provide physical things needed and to fulfill physical needs. But if that is what we live for and if that is what we think is our due diligence then we have not done our job. Many churches out there and dare I say even ourselves tend to measure their success as a church based on how many of those needs they have met.
We view the church as almost this Acts 2; having all things in common and breaking bread together and going house to house in great community. The problem is we are missing what happened before that in Acts 2: repent!
On the judgement day we will not be judged based on how many meals we feed or homes we fixed. Did you repent?
Repentance in the Bible can be described as bascially three things:
Conviction of sin. You have to come face to face with the truth that you have gone astray from the truth in your life. You have messed up and you have failed and you have fallen short. You have to come to that point.
Confess sin to God. Being aware of your sin is not enough. Millions of people have figured out that they have messed up. Murders and rapists weep over the acts that they have committed, they know that they have done something wrong and they went astray. But confessing your sin is required.
Willingness to turn from sin—desire to change in behavior. Many people know they mess up and they cry out to God about their mistakes. But without a change of heart, without turning away from their sin they don’t change, nothing is different for them.
Turn to Acts 8.
But there was a man named Simon, who had previously practiced magic in the city and amazed the people of Samaria, saying that he himself was somebody great. They all paid attention to him, from the least to the greatest, saying, “This man is the power of God that is called Great.” And they paid attention to him because for a long time he had amazed them with his magic. But when they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Even Simon himself believed, and after being baptized he continued with Philip. And seeing signs and great miracles performed, he was amazed. Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John, who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, for he had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit. Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, saying, “Give me this power also, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not right before God. Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you. For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity.”
Who is the main character in this story? Simon the sorcerer. He allegedly game to believe in Jesus and was saved (v.13). The problem is he didn’t want to turn away from his sins. He was never really saved and he was still captive to his sin. He did not believe and as a matter of fact he went on to persecute to church.
Heres what we know about Simon. “Repent, therefore. Here we may remark: 1) Simon was at this time an unconverted sinner. 2) That the command was given to him as such. 3) That he was required to do the thing, not to wait or seek merely, but actually to repent. 4) That this was to be the first step in his conversion. He was not even directed to pray first, but his indispensable action was to repent, that is to exercise proper sorrow for this sin, and to abandon his plan or principle of action. This shows 1)That all sinners are to be exhorted to repent, as their first action. 2) Prayer will not be acceptable or heart unless the sinner comes repenting; that is unless he regrets his sin and desires to forsake it. Then, and only then will he be heard. When he comes loving his sins, and resolving still to practice them, God will not hear him. When he comes desirous of forsaking them, grieved that he is guilty, and felling his need of help. God will hear his prayer.” Albert Barnes
Repentance is not only a mark of the believer, it should be frequent for the believer to be convicted of sin and turning from it, but it is necessary when it comes to salvation. A person may desire to place their faith in Jesus but without genuine heart to repent and turn from their sinful lifestyle it is not real. Change must follow. The change that needs to take place is in the heart, without repentance there is no true conversion and without a change in heart there is no repentance.
If you are preaching the gospel and do not include repentance you are preaching a false and incomplete gospel.
So repentance is essential for salvation
2. Faith in Christ is Essential for Salvation
We could go through verses about this but there are hundreds of them; you must believe in and have faith in Jesus Christ. What makes us right with God? What saves us from hell? Faith in Jesus Christ.
You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!
Many believe in “God”. Believe means more than just agreeing with it intellectually. When the bible says all you need to do is “believe in Jesus” that doesn’t mean all you need to do is agree that Jesus is the Son of God. Many people think they are going to heaved because they “believe” in Jesus.
Saving faith is more than just agreement, it has three parts:
Knowledge
Assent
Trust
So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
Faith comes from hearing, we must hear the message of Christ. Churches, believers must project and preach the message of Christ. You can’t put your faith in something you don’t know anything about.
because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.
We have to confess, our mouths have to assent that Jesus is who he says he is. We first must be told about and learn about that Jesus came into this world and was punished for sinners, but we must confess that we believe this. Knowledge is not enough. Millions of people know this but don’t believe. We must confess that this is true with our own mouths.
But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,
We must receive Jesus to be saved. This implies trusting in Jesus. We don’t just have the knowledge and we don’t just say words we believe that Jesus is the son of God, the Christ, the risen Lord.
Saving Faith has three parts:
Knowledge of the person of Jesus Christ of the bible
Assent or Agreement that the claims of Christ and the Bible are true, as they claim to be
Trust, personal trust, for oneself in Jesus.
Let’s work through some review questions together.
If an individual never hears or reads for himself the gospel, is there any possibility of him getting saved?
Why or why not?
Is saving faith based upon reliable facts?
Since knowledge is absolutely essential for saving faith, what must you do or what is your responsbility to your unsaved friends, family, coworkers?
Can a person know all the facts of Christianity, recite every AWANA verse and even tell you everything needed for salvation and still be unsaved?
Most people in America believe that good people (those that are kind and loving) go to heaven and bad people (murderers and rapists) go to Hell. Is this an accurate statement? What does scripture say?
John 1:12-13, John 3:18, John 5:24, John 8:24, John 3:15-16, John 3:36, John 6:40, John 20:31.
Repentance has to do with a change in mind regarding sin. It is required for salvation. It requires knowing who Jesus is and what He has done, agreeing that Jesus did that with our mouths and trusting in Jesus for salvation. it requires us to turn away from our sin.