True Repentance

Introduction:

Most of us have experienced a sermon that was especially moving, one that was worthy of a major decision. We have sat in a congregation after such a powerful word and have pondered what exactly we ought to do next. Should I make this decision that could potentially alter the rest of my life? What does this decision mean now and, what are the implications of such later? How will these new ways affect the life I once knew? Is all that it takes worth it? However, before allowing the Holy Spirit to move in our hearts and answer these questions for us, we find ourselves observing our surroundings. Everyone else seems to be experiencing something life-altering. Therefore, in an effort to either save face or not feel left out, we move to the alter by the tears on the faces of everyone else replacing what should be a personal experience unprovoked by others with a desire to move along with the crowd. The zeal lasts for the first week but is soon replaced by waning enthusiasm provoked only by the Christian friends we surround ourselves with. Our individual relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ becomes nonexistent and, an absolute hatred for sin never develops. The only time we feel the slightest desire to do anything to further His Kingdom is around others.  We often fail to realize that True Repentance is more than a change of mind or feeling sorry for one’s sins. It has nothing to do with the amount of times we have taken “the walk” down the aisle to receive Jesus. True repentance is, on the other hand, a radical and deliberate turn or return to God that results in a change in further action. It is the recognition of our sinful nature and the acknowledgement that only the Son of God can rectify everything that we have undone. Without this true repentance, there cannot be true salvation.  It is not roused by surroundings, friends, emotions, or any other earthly component. It is, conversely, a decision made in one’s heart to give EVERYTHING to the Lord allowing Him to do as He pleases with all that is, or once was, me. True repentance is an acceptance of the fact that we are all, at one point, clothed in the filthy garment of sin that can only be completely exchanged by the Lord.The Need for True Repentance

Texts: (Read each text and discuss the textual need for true repentance before reading the follow-up paragraph. Each highlights a different need and should be discussed amongst the group.)

Zechariah 3:1-7

Before the promises found in verse 7 could be granted, there had to be a garment exchange in verses 4 and 5.  In the Amplified version of the Bible, verse 7 reads,

“Thus says the Lord of Hosts: if you will walk in My ways and keep My charge, then also you shall rule My house and have charge of My courts, and I will give you access to My Presence and places to walk among these who stand here.”

Identify the four promises outlined in the verse above and their need for us. As young people in this era, we need access to the Kingdom of God - the same access Adam had in the Garden of Eden before the fall of man. He further encourages us by saying that He will give us a place to walk amongst the angels who were standing there during the exchange. However, true repentance is needed before any of these can occur.

Matthew 22:1-14

One might think, “How can a king invite both the good and bad to a palace feast and then expect them to be properly dressed?” However, once a king invited those of a lesser station to his home for a feast, it was customary then for him to re-cloth them with the appropriate garments that are befitting a feast in the palace. It was, therefore, an insult to reject the garment, which had been made freely available, and expect to remain in the palace. Discuss some of the “garments of sin” we wear, like the man in the story, which we often refuse or have difficulty removing. It is important to remember that whether a pair of jeans or even a measly pair of socks, Jesus asks that we remove EVERYTHING in order to be acceptable and remain in His presence. There is no negotiation! You cannot expect to keep one shoe of sin on even if you have already given up your shirt and pants. It is either all or nothing. There must be a complete wardrobe exchange. 

Isaiah 59: 1-2

There is no way that the Lord will hear us in any way, shape or form if we are stained with the filth of the world. Our iniquities, transgressions, and sins have caused a separation between Him and us that can only be bridged by true repentance. The same reason the Lord turned His back on His Son on the cross is the same reason why He sometimes turns Hs back on us now (Mark 15:34; 2 Corinthians 5:21). It is impossible for the Light to mesh with any darkness.

Matthew 9:17

Repentance is the act of ridding ourselves of our former wineskins. With Jesus comes a newness that cannot be confined in our old forms. Question: What is this wine a reference to? (Answer: It is a reference to a number of spiritual gifts God bestows on His children. See a few of them in Ephesians 4:11; 1 Corinthians 12:1-11; Joel 2:28) He is ready to invest “expensive wine” in us but will not do that if there is even a slight possibility that our skins, which have not been renewed, will break spilling, and therefore, wasting the precious gifts He has given.

Conclusion

Repentance is not a once in a lifetime deal. One cannot expect to do it once in hopes that this will cover you for the rest of your life. Though it must be done thoroughly during the first encounter with the Lord, it is a daily action. Because we fall daily, we must repent daily. In Isaiah 1:18, the Bible tells us in the Living Bible translation that, “No matter how deep the stain of your sins, I can take it out and make you as clean as freshly fallen snow. If only you will let me help you (if you are willing) and if only you will obey, then you shall eat the good of the land.”  As young people, if we call ourselves Christians but continually living an actively sinful life, we are false converts. As this Bible study closes, identify if you have truly received True Repentance or if you are thus far a false convert.

Ask yourself if the seven components of true repentance are seen in your life:

(1.)  A hatred of sin - 1 John 2:4

(2.)  A deep sorrow for sins committed - Psalms 51:17

(3.)  Ongoing repentance and confession of sin - Psalms 51:2-3

(4.)  Turning from sin to God - Psalms 37: 23-24

(5.)  Restitution where applicable - Matthew 5:23 -24

(6.)  Permanent fruits of a changed life - John 15:8

(7.)  A realization that repentance is never perfect in this life but is continuously sought - Psalms 51:10-13.

If they are not evident, receive them today. If they are, pray that all 7 will remain evident as we seek the true repentance needed to experience the REAL Kingdom of God.

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