Repentance: What and How?

Bible Text: Romans 2:4-5 | Preacher: Alan Conner | Series: 2002, Romans

November 10, 2002                                                                                Northwest Bible Church

 

Rom. 2:4-5

Repentance: what and how?

 

INTRO

 

 

I.  THE IMPORTANCE OF REPENTANCE.

 

A.  Repentance is necessary for salvation.  Christ preached repentance (Mt. 4:17; Lk. 5:32; 13:3, 5; 24:46-47); Peter preached it (Acts 2:38; 3:19; 2 Pet. 3:9); Paul preached it (Acts 17:30; 20:21; 26:20).

 

B. Repentance is necessary for sanctification.  Whenever we sin, we need to confess our sins and repent of them.  (1 Jn. 1:9; Mt. 6:12; 2 Cor. 7:9-10; Rev. 2:5, 16, 21, 22; 3:3, 19-21).

 

 

II.  WHAT IS REPENTANCE?

 

A.  The meaning of “repentance.”    Metanoia =  literally it means a change of mind.

 

Intellectual – From ignoring sin to acknowledging our sin;

 

Volitional – from choosing sin to turning away from sin;

 

Emotional – from loving sin to loathing it;

 

Behavioral – “bring forth fruit in keeping with your repentance”  Prov. 28:13

 

 

B.  Principal elements:

 

1) On-going not one time event.

 

2) An issue of the heart, not the tongue only.

 

3) Self-condemning.

 

4) God-centered.   “Against You, and You only, have I sinned” Ps. 51:4

 

5) Goes hand-in-hand with saving faith.

 

 

III.  WHAT CAUSES REPENTANCE?

 

A.  Common grace cannot bring about repentance.

 

B.  Only God’s sovereign and special grace can produce repentance.

 

1) Repentance requires conviction of sin, and conviction of sin requires the                                                ministry of the law.   See Rom. 3:20; 6:13; 7:8.

 

2) The mind of the flesh is hostile to God and cannot submit to the law                                           (Rom. 8:7).  Both Total depravity and total inability.

 

3) Those in the flesh cannot please God (Rom. 8:8).

 

4) Therefore, God must give repentance as a grace gift.

 

Acts 5:31  “He is the one whom God exalted to His right hand as a Prince and a Savior, to grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.

Acts 11:18 And when they heard this, they quieted down, and glorified God, saying,  “Well then, God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life.”

2Tim. 2:25 with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth,

Zech. 12:10  “And I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him, like the bitter weeping over a first-born.

 

 

CONCLUSION