A Study Of Repentance

  1. INTRODUCTION:

    1. SCRIPTURE READING: Acts 17:30-31 = "And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead."
    2. THE WORD REPENTANCE:
      1. This is a compound word:
        1. One part means the mind.
        2. The other part denotes a change.
      2. Specifically repentance means a "change of mind" , or change of the will, which is 
        the executive faculty of the mind.

        3. Illustration: Matthew 21:28-31 = "But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work today in my vineyard. He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and sent. And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not. Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, the first. Jesus saith unto them verily I say unto you, that the
        publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.        "

        1. In the moral or spiritual realm, it means a turning from sin, motivated by godly sorrow.

          2. Luke 11:32 = "The men of Nineve shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here."

          Jonah 3:10 = "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."

          2 Corinthians 7:10 = "For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation 
          not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.          "

        2. According to the text (Acts 17:30-31) we can learn much about repentance:
  2. DISCUSSION:

    3. A. DIVINE COMMAND: GOD "COMMANDETH ALL MEN"

      1. Preached by John the Baptist.

        2. Matthew 3:1-2 = "In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." 
        Matthew 3:7-8 = "But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:"

      2. Proclaimed by the twelve.

        3. Mark 6:12 = "And they went out, and preached that men should repent."

      3. Included in the great commission.

        4. Luke 24:46-47 = "And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem."

      4. Proclaimed by the Lord's apostles as they preached during the great commission.

      Acts 2:38 = "Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost."

      2 Peter 3:9 = "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."

    1. REPENTANCE WAS A UNIVERSAL NECESSITY: WHY?
      1. Because sin is universal.

        2. Romans 3:9-18 = "What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of  the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: Their feet are swift to shed blood: Destruction and misery are in their ways: And the way of peace have they not known: There is no fear of God before their eyes."

        Romans 3:23 = "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;"

        I John 1:8-10 = "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us."

        1. Since sin is universal -- so is repentance universal:
          1. All have sinned.
          2. All have to repent.
      2. Because sin is destructive:
        1. Sin works havoc in body, in soul, and in Spirit
        2. Sin is associated with the darkness of life: pain, shame, sorrow and death.

      Ezekiel 18:30-32 = "Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord GOD. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin. Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death 
      of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye      ."

      Luke 13:3 = "I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish."

      Galatians 6:7-8 = "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting."

    2. A PRESENT OBLIGATION:

      3. Acts 17:30 = "The times of this ignorance God winked at, but now commandeth all men to repent."

      1. Because of past mercies of God toward man, He "winked at", or "overlooked", but 
        no longer.

        2. Romans 2:4 = "Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?"

      2. Because of the new revelation from God for man things have changed "but now".
        1. We now must walk in the light of the Gospel of Christ.

          2. I Peter 2:9 = "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of  him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light."

        2. We must prepare ourselves.

      Luke 12:47-48 = "And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more."

    3. MAN IS REQUIRED TO REPENT DUE TO THE JUDGMENT:

      4. Acts 17:31 = " Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead."

      Comment: A close observation of the text points out the requirement (or demand) of repentance.

      1. The time is fixed: God has "appointed a day".

        2. Hebrews 9:27 = "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:"

      2. The judgment will be universal: "He will judge the world".

        3. Matthew 25:31-32 = "When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:"

        1 Peter 4:17 = "For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?"

      3. The standard of judgment has been announced: "In righteousness".

        4. John 12:48 = "He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day."

      4. The judge has been named: "By that man whom he hath ordained;"

        5. John 5:22 = "For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:"  John 5:27 = "And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man."

      5. God has give assurance to man of this need of repentance: "Whereof he hath given
        assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead."
        1. The assurance proves:
        2. Jesus' claim that He is the Son of God.

          3. Romans 1:4 = "And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:"

        3. Jesus' words are true, and His Word will be out standard of judgment.

          4. John 12:48 = "He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day."

        4. The resurrection of Christ from the dead, denotes the certainty of a judgment 
          after death.

    Hebrews 9:27 = "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:"

  3. CONCLUSION:

    1. HAVE YOU REPENTED?
      1. It is commanded of God.
      2. Everyone must repent.
      3. There is no excuse acceptable to keep from repenting.
      4. The judgment demands that we repent.
    2. WHY NOT NOW?

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