Ezekiel 33:11 (NKJV) "Say to them: ‘As I live,’ says the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?’
Turn.........The Hebrew word is "sub" which means to "turn back."
There's nothing to misunderstand about this definition, but when the love for and of sin is present, to tell someone to turn away from it, sinners become obstinate, or stubborn.
You're commanding them to stop doing something that seems pleasurable to them.
We submit to the slave master of sin. Instead of submitting ourselves to God, and resist the devil, we resist God and submit to satan, the mind, and the flesh.
But the prohibited pleasure that they're seeking is what's about to take their life and condemn them forever. The common misunderstanding is that repentance only means that you're sorry.
The other misconception or misunderstanding is that it only means to "change your mind."
Repentance includes changing your mind because instead of thinking, speaking, and doing evil, you choose to think on what's righteous, do what's righteous, and speaking what's righteous.
Dr. Voddie Baucham couldn't have said it better.
"There's a lot of people in hell that never cussed, smoked, drank, committed sexual immorality, idolatry, were extortioners, thieves, or lied."
Then why are they in hell?
Romans 3:23-24 says "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that's in Christ Jesus."
You see. You can turn from sin but you and I are still sinners in need of the saving grace and mercy of God, exhibited in the expiatory work of the blood of Christ. In other words, your nature needs a change that only comes from God when we turn from sin and place faith on Christ alone.
We need the expiatory work of the blood of Christ. Without it, we can never be saved or changed in the heart.
The condition of the heart is sin. Galatians 3:22 tells us "That the Scripture confines all under sin that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe."
What is the promise?
Eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Acts 26:18 (NKJV) "...to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.’
Did you see this?
"in order to turn them from darkness to light" "that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified (set apart) by faith in Me."
You first have to see your need. The need to be saved from sin. The need to be born again. The need to be changed in your heart. The need to be saved from the wrath of God.
If sinners do not see this need, then repentance becomes an exercise of religiosity to appease the mind but never satisfy the righteous requirements of God.
Christ is the only one that satisfied the righteous requirements of the Lord. Sinful man will never satisfy the righteous requirement of the Lord and that's why we place our faith on Christ alone.
His substitutionary work, His intercession, His becoming the only Mediator between God and men satisfied the righteous requirement of the Lord.
His life for our life.
The ultimate goal of salvation is for the Lord to live in man. The fall of Adam brought death. The life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus brought life.
Now it brings us to 2 Corinthians 7:10.
"Godly sorrow works repentance, leading to salvation..."
How will a person know that godly sorrow is present?
If sinners do not see this need, then repentance becomes an exercise of religiosity to appease the mind but never satisfy the righteous requirements of God.
When we realize that sin is what we've committed in deliberate defiance of the will of God, that we've broken His laws, then it works repentance.
You fully recognize that you had better turn from sin or be judged by God. Then it leads to salvation.
To be led means that you allow it to take you to salvation.
So three things is happening here.
1. Godly sorrow.
2. Repentance.
3. Salvation.
Godly sorrow is deep contrition and the only relief is when we bring ourselves to the mercy of God. Remember. Mercy prevents that which we rightfully deserve. We all deserve the punishment of the wrath of God to burn in hell forever for the sins we've committed.
Even self righteousness is a sin before God.
Proverbs 20:6 (NKJV) "Most men will proclaim each his own goodness, but who can find a faithful man?"
People just stop at repentance and think that it's good enough. They must continue with the follow through and this is where many stop short because salvation requires you to depart from iniquity. It's almost a deal breaker.
"You mean, I have to stop sinning?" YUP!!!! That's what "turning" really means.
If God just offer forgiveness, sinners are good with this but forgiveness isn't given to unrepentant sinners. Remember. To "Turn" means to "turn back."
Acts 3:19, Peter said, "Repent and be converted that your sins may be blotted out..."
Peter is saying, turn, and be reverted or turn to God.
Just as Hebrews 6 says, "Repentance from dead works and faith towards God."
What's the results?
Change never comes from repentance. Change or a new heart is given by the Lord, when we repent or turn from sin. We cannot change ourselves. A new heart only comes from the Lord.
Salvation is being changed by the Holy Spirit. Godly sorrow begins the process. Repentance is initiated and it leads to salvation. In other words, Titus 3:4-7 (NKJV) "But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared,
not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,
whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior,
that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life."
"Heirs" speaks of "the inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me."
This fulfills what the Lord said in John 3:3,5,7, "Except a man is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." "Unless one is born of the water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.....you just be born again."
Then Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5:17, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation, old things have passed away, behold all things become new."
So what's the common misconception? Repentance alone is all the change one needs.
The proof of repentance is a changed heart.
We revolve instead of resolve.
Remember. Repentance just means that you've changed your mind or you turn from sin. But also remember, that turning from sin is waiting for the next step. To be led to salvation.
Another misconception is revolving door repentance. We continue to sin after we've repented.
What happens is that when the conscience is convicted, we immediately feel sorrow that we let ourselves fall into sin. The pleasure of sin quickly turns into sorrow. But what happens is that we fess up but over time, we yield to the urges and impulses in the flesh to sin. We remember the pleasure and as Paul said, "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal bodies..."
We submit to the slave master of sin. Instead of submitting ourselves to God, and resist the devil, we resist God and submit to satan, the mind, and the flesh.
Instead of ruling over the urges and impulses, we let sin rule over us.
We revolve instead of resolve.
To resolve means that you're committed to "a firm determination to do something."
To revolve means to "move in a circle on a central axis."
Usually to return to the original starting point.
There comes a point where you have to decide to stop going around and around and around.
To stop is to resolve to leave the sin we love so much.
To enter the kingdom of heaven, what are we willing to do?
Hebrews 12:1(NKJV) "Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,"
Hebrews 12:14 (NKJV) "Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord."
James 1:21 (NKJV) "Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls."
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