Sermon: Order of Salvation: Repentance

Good evening friends. It is truly good to be with you tonight. I love having my personal devotions every day, but it's it's good to be with the Saints. Good for us to worship together good for us to hear the word together. So would you go with me in prayer as we come to the word tonight?

Heavenly Father we thank you that by faith you have forgiven every one of our sins past present and future. And you have counted us. Perfectly righteous in Christ, and we thank you that because of this Lord we have access all day and all night. into this grace in which we stand we have access into your kindness and favor and great power. and we do Rejoice Lord our our greatest hope Is that we will see and share in the glory of Christ.

So tonight Lord as we come to your word as we consider repentance. We pray that you would pour out Grace. Lord we are sluggish and often blind. And dull by nature. And so we pray that you would enliven us. Lord help me to make things clear. And I pray that we would we would see things perhaps we haven't seen before but even more so to be reminded and to rejoice in the great salvation Salvation Belongs to You Lord. And we pray this all in the Name of Christ.

our blessed savior amen tonight is our fourth sermon in a series. That we are calling depending on whether you like English or Latin either the order of Salvation or the Ordo salutes. It's a sermon series designed to help us better understand how we experience conversion and salvation. And so far we've heard from Matthew Chung who helped us get an overview of the order of salvation. And then Kevin mcalvey talked about effectual calling

and last week promise talked to us about regeneration tonight. We're going to be talking about repentance unto life. Now these kinds of sermons topical sermons. They're a bit challenging. We are going to have a passage that will work through but it often necessitates. We visit other passages as well. And so we'll be doing that. But before we get to Acts 2, I want to read a passage in Isaiah chapter 30 verse 15 that I think just gives us a

bit of a heads up as to what we're going to be looking at. in Isaiah verse 30 or chapter 30 verse 15 It says thus says the Lord God the Holy One of Israel. In returning and rest you shall be saved. But if you look in the ESV, there's a footnote by the word returning and it says or repentance and rest and so we're clued right at the beginning at least in this passage that returning and repenting are equivalent or at least related to

each other now, there's going to be a lot to say about repentance tonight. But again, Isaiah 30 15 tells us that a major part of repentance is returning to God. So I'm going to actually give you one of my applications right now to just keep in your mind as we go through this passage. So here's one of my summary applications. When you're thinking about repentance. And if it seems confusing and you're not sure what to do do this.

Just turn around and go home. Just turn around and go home. So let's head off to Acts chapter 2. We're going to read verses 36 through 41. And because we're coming into the middle of a story and even more strange the kind of end of a sermon. I need to give you just a little bit of background a little bit of context for this passage. So it's the Feast of Pentecost. 50 days after Passover. So 50 days after Jesus death and Resurrection.

Jesus had told the disciples to go to Jerusalem and wait for the spirit and so they had done so and they been in Jerusalem for some time now praying and waiting for the promised Holy Spirit. On the day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit comes in power with a mighty rushing wind with tongues of fire that appeared above the heads of the disciples and the disciples filled with the spirit begin to speak supernaturally in other known languages. Now, the

city of Jerusalem is full of people there for Pentecost. And so hearing the disciples exclaiming and proclaiming the wonders of God in their own languages naturally attracts a crowd. And so Peter the early leader of the church filled with the spirit stands up and begins to preach. He preaches about the prophecy and Joel that God would on in the last days pour out his Spirit upon All Flesh and he speaks about Jesus in his life and his ministry and especially his

death and resurrection. And then the climax is Jesus having been raised ascended and exalted to the right hand of God has now poured out the Holy Spirit of which they are seeing these Supernatural effects. That's where we're coming in. So if you look at x 2 verse 36, we're coming in towards the very end of his sermon. And Peter says let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain. That God has made him both Lord and Christ. This

Jesus whom you crucified. Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart and they said to Peter and the rest of the Apostles Brothers. What should we do? And Peter said to them repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the Forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children. And for all who are far off everyone whom our Lord

the Lord Our God calls to himself. And with many other words, he bore witness and continue to exhort them saying save yourself from this crooked generation. So those who received his word were baptized and there were added that day about 3,000 Souls. I want to make three main points. About repentance and then end with four brief applications. So here's Point number one about repentance. repentance and faith inseparably flow from regeneration

That's a pretty theological sentence repentance and Faith inseparably flow from regeneration. You remember promise last week talked about regeneration the Holy Spirit giving New Life to dead sinners. And what happens then is this new life leads to both repentance and faith. Now it's it's pretty hard to think about repentance and faiths without thinking of the other one. Okay. So the question arises in church history how

to repentance and Faith relate to each other does one come first. It's one more important so on and as you would expect there's a Divergence of views on this. So there's Calvin's view which still many followed today that repentance. flows from faith that God's mercy logically comes first point being you can't really repent unless you know that your love by God. So that's Calvin's view. Louis berkoff a reformed Theologian believe

the opposite that Faith flows from repentance that conviction of sin comes first the idea being you can't believe in Christ as Savior unless you first become aware of what you need to be saved from So two very different views. So what are we going to do? Well, we are going to as we have several times during this series rely on John Murray who wrote a wonderful book called Redemption accomplished and applied. Here's a quote from John Murray.

Repentance is the twin sister of faith. We cannot think of one without the other. Conversion is simply another name for repentance and Faith conjoined. That's the view we're going to take so we're going to consider them together with the emphasis tonight on repentance. So back to Acts 2 do we see faith and repentance together in this passage? Well in verse 38 it says they were cut to the heart. And they cried out Brothers. What should we

do? So they're deeply convicted by the preaching of the gospel. And this conviction is the beginning of repentance and they're told to repent to change and turn and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ. So they're told to repent and be baptized but then three verses later in verse 41. It says those who received his word were baptized receiving his words certainly implies faith in the gospel that was preached and there were added that

day about 3,000 Souls. so their conversion included both repenting and believing the word or receiving the word and both were connected to baptism as a sign and seal of this salvation. So there's X2. You don't need to turn to x 20, but I'm I'm going to read it to you and just make some points here. In Acts 2 much later in Paul's Ministry. He's he's speaking to the Ephesian elders. And he told them he said it said he testified quote

both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance towards God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. So conversion for Paul is both repentance and Faith two sides of the same coin. Another passage first, Peter, 1:22 and 23 here. We want to see that both repentance and Faith inseparably flow from regeneration. Peter says having purified your souls by obedience to the truth. For a sincere brotherly love love one another earnestly from a pure heart. All of

that is repentance. Since you have been born again or regenerated not of perishable seed but of imperishable through the living and abiding word of God implying Faith. So three points from first Peter first repentance is shown By purifying your souls obeying the truth and loving one another from the heart. Faith is implied In this passage because all of this happened through the living and abiding word of God. And the centerpiece of this conversion?

Repentance and faith is being born again. So again inseparably flow from regeneration. So the conclusion repentance and Faith are inseparable and flow from regeneration or being born again. That's Point number one point number two. Repentance is a gift of God through the gospel. That always expresses itself in two ways. sorrow for sin and a new desire to do God's will. Repentance is a gift of God through the gospel that expresses itself in sorrow for

sin. And a new desire to do God's will. Go back to Acts 2. In verse 37 says now when they heard this they were cut to the heart. What does that mean? It means they experienced a deep sorrow for sin the sin of putting Jesus to death. Well who cut them to the heart. They didn't do that themselves. God did that repentance the beginning of repentance with being cut to the heart was God's gift to them through the preaching of the gospel. And

then they said Brothers. What should we do? So they express this new sorrow for sin. With the new desire to do God's will. Another passage that shows that repentance is a gift from God is second Timothy 2:25. Paul is talking to his young pastor friend Timothy about how the Lord's servant should correct his opponents and he says God May perhaps grant them repentance leading to knowledge of the truth. So again according to Paul repentance is a gift. We

don't work it up. By our own wills and we don't present our repentance to God as some kind of meritorious work. It's not a work. It's a gift. another passage second Corinthians 7 9 through 11 again shows us that repentance expresses itself in sorrow for sin. And a new desire to do God's will Paul says as it is I Rejoice he's speaking to the Corinthians after they had not handled this church discipline issue very well.

Not because you were grieved. But because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a Godly grief so that you suffered no loss through us. For Godly grief produces repentance that leads to Salvation without regret. whereas worldly grief produces death for see what earnestness this Godly grief has produced in you. But also what eagerness to clear yourselves what indignation What Fear what longing what Zeal what punishment at

every point you have proved yourself innocent in this matter. So again a couple points here number one. Paul talks about them being grieved by his letter. into repenting he talks about Godly grief. Godly grief is heartfelt sorrow for having offended and Dishonored God, it's not merely being sorry. You got caught or sorry about the consequences. so they were grieved into repenting and then he uses these words to describe them earnestness eagerness

indignation fear longing Zeal all of those indicate a new strong desire to honor God and do his will so repentance we're seeing is a profound change of heart in The Sinner. brought about by God himself Ezekiel 36 summarizes this well. God says I will remove the Heart of Stone. unrepentant unresponsive from your flesh and give you a heart of Flesh. Which is repentant and responsive. then you will remember your evil ways and you

will loathe yourselves for your iniquities and Abominations. God gives a new heart. And it leads to sorrow for sin. So this would be a good time for us to have a formal definition of repentance. And we are going to use as good Presbyterians the Westminster Shorter confession. Here's what the confession says about repentance. And I think you'll see that everything we've talked about is in this definition. Repentance unto life is a Saving Grace

or a gift whereby a sinner out of a true sense of his sin and apprehension of the mercy of God in Christ. Doth with grief and hatred of his sin turn from it to God with full purpose of and Endeavor after new obedience. It's a Wonderful definition Now at this point, I want to just take a little take a few moments. to share what I would call some pastorally important qualifications when I say qualifications not weakening or contradicting anything

we've talked about but when we're dealing with ourselves and especially dealing with others repentance is complex and it can cause some well we might call them pastoral questions or issues. So repentance, especially initial repentance when we're first turning away from sin and turning to God turning to Christ. It's a complex phenomenon, and it's always mixed. It's always mixed with what we could call some individual secondary

motivations in other words because it's Sinners repenting. It's always going to be mixed with some other things besides a desire for God's glory. This is important pastorally or practically because some of us who are very introspective. Might be forever looking inward at our repentance to see if it's repentant enough. And you just get on a treadmill and you don't get anywhere. Someone once said and whenever I come across a

quote that I don't know for sure. I just say Spurgeon said it so Spurgeon said even our repentance needs to be repented of let's look at a few examples of what I'm talking about. Jesus well known parable of the Prodigal Son takes the father's money goes off into the far country. squanders it all on riotous living Gets a Job feeding pigs wakes up one day in the pig pen realizing he's he's hungry to eat the pig food. And it says in Luke 15 verse 17 through

19, but when he came to himself, so God's beginning to do something. Sad how many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger. Now we assume there was some. Legitimate sense that he had Dishonored his father and God. But certainly a major motivation for him going home was I'm hungry. I'm hungry. Two chapters later in chapter 17 of Luke 10 lepers approached Jesus, but but won't

come very close to him because their leopards and they cry out Jesus Master have mercy on us. Jesus does a strange thing and he says go show yourself to the priest. So they turn around and they begin to go to toward Jerusalem and as they go They're healed and then one leper out of the ten comes back. He's the Samaritan he falls to jesus' feet praising God. Now clearly that one leper. Ended up with something more than just being healed.

of leprosy We could assume that he he had saving faith in Jesus. Okay, so there's a there's a god-centeredness to his repentance. But initially at least part of that was just a desire for relief from the misery. of leprosy in church history Martin Luther sought repentance and reconciliation with God Kevin Patton pastor. Kevin talked about that this morning for years and could not find it. What he was seeking was forgiveness and favor

from what he thought was a an Angry God and he found it. So that was kind of the emphasis of his repentance a generation later. John Calvin has converted and the emphasis seems to be more Calvin coming to a more certain knowledge of the truth. And then fast forward in church history to the first half of the 20th century and we have CS Lewis and his conversion. Now CS Lewis seemed to have two stages in his conversion the first stage. This

was after having talked and discussed and debated the Christian faith with some other Oxford professors of which team of which he was one and it said one night in his rooms at Oxford. He knelt down and admitted that God was God. the most reluctant and dejected convert in all England Now certainly there's a mix in that somewhere. Okay, the second part of his conversion was when we he and his older brother Warren went to a place called the whipsnade zoo.

And if I remember the story correctly, they drove there and one of those motorcycles with a sidecar. And CS Lewis said when we started out, I did not believe that Jesus was the son of God and when we came back I did. So there's a mystery here. And this is past really important because there's a great Variety in how the Lord brings people to repentance and faith and a great Variety in their circumstances and their specific desires.

Some are brought to repentance and Faith suddenly and dramatically. And decisively others are perhaps baptized as Covenant children. And gradually see the truth and own the faith. So there's a great variety. And practically it's vital that we recognize and affirm not only one model of conversion and try to force everybody into it. into a kind of one-size-fits-all that it has to start with this and then this and then this and this experience

and so on the danger would be as Herman bobbing said that we might think people are saved by having a conversion experience. Rather than being saved by faith in Christ. that ends point to a little bit longer Point number three repentance is a lifelong process of dying to sin and living to God that is centered on the cross of Christ. It's a lifelong process of dying to sin and living to God that is centered on the cross of Christ. Let's go back again to

acts too. I'm just going to pull out some phrases from what the passage we looked at. Peter says this Jesus whom you crucified emphasis on the cross. Brothers, what should we do? That was their response Peter's response to their response is repent and be baptized. So what we see here is there's a proclamation of the Cross there's conviction of sin and there's what we would call an initial repentance and an initial turning to God for

salvation. So that's initial repentance, but a few verses later in verses 46 and 47. It says this and day by day attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes. They received their food with glad and generous Hearts praising God and having favor with all the people. So this is not their initial repentance. This is a continuing day by day repentance and obedience still based on the teaching of the Apostles and the gospel of

Christ crucified. This idea that repentance is not just an initial coming to God but a lifelong process was a big emphasis of the Reformation Luther literally at the very beginning of the Reformation. This is actually the first of his 95 Theses said this Our Lord and Master Jesus Christ when he said repent will that the whole life of Believers should be repentance. And then Calvin again a generation later said this indeed this restoration of

the image of God does not take place in one moment or one day or one year. But through continual and sometimes even slow advances. God wipes out in his elect the Corruptions of the flesh. Cleanses them of guilt. consecrates them to himself as temples renewing all their minds to True Purity that they may practice repentance throughout their lives and know that this Warfare will end only at death So there are three points about repentance like

to end now with four applications. number one In our teaching and our living. We must always keep repentance and Faith together as two sides of the same coin. of salvation Why do we need to keep them together? What if you emphasize or overemphasize faith and underemphasize repentance? It's going to result in what Bonhoeffer called cheap Grace? In antinomianism, which is a word that means you believe that the law of God

has no place in the life of a believer. Practically it's going to it's going to result in Unholy living. And that will dishonor God and actually enslave the person all over again to their sin. So we don't want to overemphasize Faith in underemphasize Repentance, but conversely we don't want to overemphasize repentance and underemphasize faith. That will lead someone to legalism. That legalism that puts them under the law again and under a curse and that also will dishonor God

and this time it will enslave the person to the law. So that's one application in our teaching and living keep repentance and Faith together. second application never make repentance a condition for coming to Christ for salvation. This is really important never make repentance a condition for coming to Christ for salvation. Repentance as we've seen is always inseparably connected to Faith. They're always equal partners.

But repentance is never a condition for faith. in other words You don't have to repent before you come to Christ because coming to Christ is a form of repentance. We could call it believing repentance or repentant believing again. You can't have one without the other. so practically whether you're coming to Christ for the first time. Or the 10,000th time. Maybe you send greatly. last night if you had sex with outside of marriage or you

Gave into internet p*** again or you head out a mammoth fight with your spouse or you lost it with your kids. Whatever. You know you need to repent so just turn around and go home. Don't try to clean up the mess first. Don't try to get your act together first don't analyze your motives. Am I do I feel sorry enough for my sin. I better wait. No don't do that. Don't analyze your motives. Don't try to work your way back into God's good

graces. Just turn around and go home. God will do the rest Remember The Prodigal Son. I have sinned against heaven and against my father I will arise and go to my father. You so if you can't go to Christ with repentance, here's another anonymous quote. Then go to Christ for repentance. Don't don't wait till you feel bad enough. Don't wait till you've made things right? Don't do pen. Don't do Protestant tenants. Protestant tenants again is when I feel like

I need to stay away from God for a certain amount of time. He's discussed it. He doesn't want to see me I got to do this that no just turn around and go home. So that's the second. application third application recognize and rejoice in the infinite variety of ways God uses to Grant repentance and faith. Now there will be some things that are always the same in true repentance. It will always be through the word. And it will always be by the spirit.

It will always lead to sorrow for sin and a new desire to do God's will but again how it looks might be very different. We said this already some may be brought to repentance and Faith suddenly and dramatically but others it will be quiet and gradual. Think about the Apostle Paul in Acts 22. He says as I was on my way and Drew near to Damascus about noon a great light from Heaven suddenly shown around me and I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying

to me Saul Saul. Why are you persecuting me? pretty sudden pretty dramatic But when Paul writes to Timothy in second Timothy 1:5 listen to what he says about Timothy. I am reminded of your sincere faith. A faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and now I am sure dwells in you as well. We don't know all the details, but Paul seems to be implying the Timothy's mother and grandmother had a quiet consistent influence

in the home upon Timothy's coming to Christ. So we want to read to recognize and rejoice. God works in many different ways. finally number four always keep your eyes on Christ crucified and on your union with him through faith. Always keep your eyes in Christ crucified and on your union with him through faith. This Christ crucified centeredness and remembering always that you are united to him by faith is the source and the secret of Salvation and

of lifelong repentance and of the Holiness that Hebrews says without which no one will see the Lord. Here's how Paul says it in Colossians 1. 3 rather one through five if then you have been raised with Christ seek, the things that are above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things that are above not things that are on Earth for you have died. And your life is hidden with Christ in God and when Christ who is your life appears

then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death therefore. Okay. Let me just flesh out that therefore therefore because you've been United to Christ in his death resurrection and future Glory. Put to death. What is Earthly in you sexual immorality impurity passion evil desire and covetousness, which is idolatry. So the secret of Salvation and of growing in the Christian life is to keep your eyes in Christ crucified to remember pray and

live out your union with Christ by faith. I'm going to end with a quote by John Murray, which I think is a is a fitting ending to our thinking about repentance tonight. The broken Spirit and the contrite heart are abiding marks of the believing soul. It is at the Cross of Christ that repentance has its beginning. It is at the Cross of Christ that it must continue to pour out its heart in the tears of confession and contrition.

So we come to God in a reconciled by looking to Christ crucified and we continue to grow the same way. so again when in doubt Just turn around. And go home. Let's pray.

Lord before I came up to preach we sang. this song by thy mercy and we just love to remember that your mercy extends. To us who are believers from before eternity before we were born. It extends to our birth and all the ways that you let us to Christ. It extends through times of Temptation. And distress and other times of being wooed and distracted by the world. It extends through those times of sickness and grief and pain and all the way to our time of death.

We live by your mercy. You said the Lord the Lord a god merciful and gracious. Slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. Lord it is through your mercy that you have granted us repentance and faith. Lord if there's anyone here tonight that has not made that transaction with you. We pray that you would lead him or her. That you would grant them repentance and faith. draw them to Christ Give them forgiveness and New Life.

And Lord for the rest of us we pray that we would live out this salvation with great. Joy and great freedom and fruitful service this week. And all these things father we pray in the precious name of Christ. amen