Repentance (Part 2)
Posted by: biblenotes <biblenotes@...>
From: Martin M Overfield
Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2000
Repentance (Part 2)
"Bring forth therefore fruits meet for" suitable, or befitting "repentance."
(Matthew 3:8)
Here's a seven point outline of the fruits of repentance as found in a
tract entitled "How To Be Saved", written by Evangelist Wm. Beirnes
(printed by Old Paths Tract Society):
TRUE REPENTANCE IS MANIFEST BY ITS FRUITS
1st FRUIT: A GODLY SORROW FOR SIN
2nd FRUIT: A BROKEN AND CONTRITE SPIRIT
3rd FRUIT: CONFESSION
4th FRUIT: FORSAKING OF ALL SIN
5th FRUIT: A FORGIVING SPIRIT
6th FRUIT: RESTITUTION
7th FRUIT: FAITH
All of these ingredients are Biblical and necessary, though a person may
not be aware of every one or even know what to call them.
Faith was dealt with in the Bible Note entitled "What Must I Do to Be
Saved". Faith is usually classified as a separate condition. Faith is the
ultimate condition for receiving forgiveness of sins; and repentance is the
condition that brings the sinner to the place where he is able to fully
believe unto salvation.
Yet, through the process of repenting there must be a measure of faith
present, which realizes that there is at least some spark of hope in seeking
God and repenting of sin. And, there IS great hope in seeking God and in
truly repenting. God is eagerly awaiting the return of His prodigal
children.
As the father in the parable of the prodigal son, God is looking for the
sinner to repent. He is ready to run toward the repentant sinner with open
arms when He sees him "yet a great way off"(Luke 15:20).
Some of the rest of these fruits of repentance need to be preached and
taught in our day. People CANNOT be truly saved whose hearts are not
truly repentant. A faith that brings real salvation to the soul is only
possible
when true repentance is present in the seeker's
heart.
I intend to deal with these necessary aspects of repentance in the order
of the above outline.
A GODLY SORROW
"For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but
the sorrow of the world worketh death." (II Corinthians 7:10)
The word "worketh" means to "do work fully, i.e. accomplish"
(Strong's Dict.). So we see that this "godly sorrow" will accomplish,
or complete, repentance (See Repentance, Part 1). It will get the
job done. Those who do not have this godly sorrow will not truly
meet the Bible requirement of repentance.
So what does "godly sorrow" mean? It means something like this: the
grief or sadness that is according to God (Literal Bible plus Strong's).
In other words, the very same kind of grief or sadness that God
has because of the sins that we have committed we must also have.
Sin harms the one who sins. It harms those who are wronged by it.
It hurts others by the bad influence of the one who commits it. It also
does much damage to the sinner himself, both in this life and through
its ultimate end -- Hell forever. But, the supremely offended by sin is
God Himself. It breaks His law and His heart. It is an affront to
God, a slap in His face!
When David sinned in the matter of Bathsheba and Uriah, wreaking
much havoc to himself, his family, his kingdom, taking the life of another
man, and involving this woman in the sin -- when he caused all this
devastation, he prayed the following words: "Against thee,
thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight" (Psalm 51:4).
David had a "godly sorrow", which here recognized that sin is ultimately
against a holy God.
One more observation: When Peter "wept bitterly" over his denial of
Christ, he wept his way back to Him with a godly sorrow for his sin.
When Judas went out and hanged himself he came to the inevitable
end of the "sorrow of the world" which "worketh death".
Therefore, true godly sorrow for sin will lead the sinner or backslider
back to God and forgiveness, but an ungodly sorrow, which is
selfish, will lead the soul farther away from God and toward eternal
damnation. This is much more than just a regret or remorse for having
been caught. It is to be a complete change in attitude toward sin and
toward God.
Yours In Christ,
Martin Overfield
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