TRUE REPENTANCE

Jonah 3:6–10 KJV 1900

For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water: But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands. Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not? And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.

6. And the word came to the king of Nineveh, and he stood from his throne, and he laid his robe from him and covered in sackcloth and sat in dust.

7. And he caused them to cry out and publish, in Nineveh, by the decree of the king and his great ones, saying, "Man or beast, cattle or flock, no human or animal, no herd or flock, is allowed to eat.

8. And be covered in sackcloth, man and beast, and cry mightily to God and let man return from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands.

9. Who knows? God may turn and relent and turn from His fierce anger so that we will not die?

10. And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil, and God had compassion instead of the destruction He said He would do to them, and he did it not.

I. A surrender of power and authority.

Bruce Larson tells how he helped people struggling to surrender their lives to Christ:

For many years I worked in New York City and counseled at my office any number of people who were wrestling with this yes-or-no decision. Often I would suggest they walk with me from my office down to the RCA Building on Fifth Avenue. In the entrance of that building is a gigantic statue of Atlas, a beautifully proportioned man who, with all his muscles straining, is holding the world upon his shoulders. There he is, the most powerfully built man in the world, and he can barely stand up under this burden. 'Now that's one way to live,' I would point out to my companion, 'trying to carry the world on your shoulders. But now come across the street with me.'

"On the other side of Fifth Avenue is Saint Patrick's Cathedral, and there behind the high altar is a little shrine of the boy Jesus, perhaps eight or nine years old, and with no effort he is holding the world in one hand. My point was illustrated graphically.

"We have a choice. We can carry the world on our shoulders, or we can say, 'I give up, Lord; here's my life. I give you my world, the whole world.'"

A. From the throne to ashes.

B. From costly apparel to the clothing of poverty.

II. A solicitation for self examination.

A. Fasting

Matthew 17:21 NASB95

“But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”

B. Examination

Psalm 34:8 NASB95

O taste and see that the Lord is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!

III. An act of faith.

David, a 2-year old with leukemia, was taken by his mother, Deborah, to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, to see Dr. John Truman who specializes in treating children with cancer and various blood diseases. Dr. Truman's prognosis was devastating: "He has a 50-50 chance." The countless clinic visits, the blood tests, the intravenous drugs, the fear and pain--the mother's ordeal can be almost as bad as the child's because she must stand by, unable to bear the pain herself. David never cried in the waiting room, and although his friends in the clinic had to hurt him and stick needles in him, he hustled in ahead of his mother with a smile, sure of the welcome he always got. When he was three, David had to have a spinal tap--a painful procedure at any age. It was explained to him that, because he was sick, Dr. Truman had to do something to make him better. "If it hurts, remember it's because he loves you," Deborah said. The procedure was horrendous. It took three nurses to hold David still, while he yelled and sobbed and struggled. When it was almost over, the tiny boy, soaked in sweat and tears, looked up at the doctor and gasped, "Thank you, Dr. Tooman, for my hurting."

A. Through limited faith.

Mark 9:24 NASB95

Immediately the boy’s father cried out and said, “I do believe; help my unbelief.”

B. While judgment was still against them.

Results

A. Compassion

B. Mercy

God did not repent in the sense that He turned from sin but rather that he relented of the judgment that He had said he would bring.