October 9, 2011 Repentance II
10.9.11
today I want to preach a doctrine
that I believe is not understood by many Christians (may be new but it is old)
Start with Symptoms that something is wrong.
Numbers 21:4-6
Christians are not attacked by snakes
and sick with venomous bites
but there can be a spiritual sickness in the church.
real Christians in a state of darkness not light, a state of drought not harvest, retreat rather than advance, defeat not victory, sickness rather than health.
There are Christians without love, without joy, and without power. (trinity)
These are invisible and secret symptoms that others may not notice and you may not even have recognized in your life.
there can be a secret sickness in a church or Christians that has not been diagnosed
What is the DIAGNOSIS?
This is NOT the only possible diagnosis
but a very likely one
God is not happy with you. He is angry at specific sins in your life.
important: if you are a Christian your position before God never changes
God always loves you and never rejects or condemns you:
Romans 8:38
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Numbers 21: people of God in a state of God’s displeasure
sometimes God is not pleased with Christians, and your experience of communion with him is broken
this is why there is no love, joy and power
God can love you with his great heart
but be angry with your sin
God loving you does not mean he is indifferent to your sin!
the cross does not make God overlook sin!
he opposes your sin just as he opposes an unbeliever’s sin
but he opposes it in a different way
WCF 11.5
“God does continue to forgive the sins of those that are justified; and although they can never fall from the state of justification, yet they may, by their sins, fall under God’s fatherly displeasure….
Revelation 3:19
Jesus says to the church in Laodicea
“those whom I love I rebuke and discipline.”
God can love and discipline the same person.
not only are you in a place without joy and love and power but he may even bring trouble and suffering into your life to get your attention
1 Corinthians 11:30
many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep…When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world.
Christians can be disciplined for sin… even physically disciplined.. does not mean he has abandoned us– calling us back
but it does mean a Christian can be in a very bad state because of sins
1 Corinthians 3:12-15
12 If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13 his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. 14 If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. 15 If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.
a Christian can be living in a powerless way without any real obedience or love
WHAT IS THE CURE?
if the above diagnosis is correct (only God can tell you so)
the cure is not to pray for the Holy Spirit to give you love or joy or power.
The cure is not to see what you are doing wrong and start doing right.
The cure is not to believe in Jesus in some general way.
The cure is not to confess “I am a sinner” or “I have sinned”
The cure is to repent of the specific sins that God is against and displeased with.
sin is fighting against God in some area
God doesn’t put up with that from his children
Repentance is recognizing real actual specific sins in your life
hating and judging them, opposing them
grieving over them, telling God about them, recognizing guilt, rejecting them, turning from them (NOT wanting to be forgiven)
Many of you have sins in your life you are not dealing with:
don’t recognize them, gotten used to them,
don’t think they are that big a deal
or too scary or shameful to face
you may not recognize the sin right now
where you are fighting God… how will you know?
you don’t need to examine your self
you need Holy Spirit examination
you need God to show you
you need to confront these places you are fighting God
by repenting of specific concrete sin
where you have been fighting against God
WCF 11.5 (whole paragraph)
“God does continue to forgive the sins of those that are justified; and although they can never fall from the state of justification, yet they may, by their sins, fall under God’s fatherly displeasure, and not have the light of His countenance restored unto them, until they humble themselves, confess their sins, beg pardon, and renew their faith and repentance.”
2 Chronicles 7:13-14
“When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, 14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
the land here was Israel “my people” not any secular country, and the promise for healing is for the church and Christians not the U.S. or another country
Acts 3:19
Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord…
Peter is speaking to unbelievers, but the same thing is demanded of Christians… In order to experience the refreshing of Jesus and the gospel.
1 Corinthians 11:31
31 But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment.
in order to be restored to God and set free of his discipline: repent
James 4:9-10
Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
repentance leads to restoration by the God who loves you
Numbers 21:7
This is repentance
but notice they ask Moses to pray for them
Jesus prays for us but we can also through Jesus pray to the Father
The cure is not simply faith
but repentance of specific sin and faith
repentance is the way to faith
Numbers 21:8-9
This is faith in the gospel
John 3:14-15 – Jesus said
Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.
believe in Jesus afresh with new repentance–
he is a real savior from real sins, there is full and complete restoration not for doing good but repentance and faith in Jesus
someone who has not repented of specific current sins can’t hear the gospel– it bores him, is dull to him, there is no joy in it
because it is not real salvation from real sin
Revelation 3:19-20
Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. 20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.
You know how you open the door?
Look at verse 19. Repent.
The final result of repentance is restored fellowship with Jesus.
He will begin to work through you again and manifest joy and love in your life.
The cure is not obedience
(salvation is by grace)
repentance comes before obedience
true repentance results in real obedience
John the Baptist says “produce fruit in keeping with repentance.” (Mt. 3:8)
Paul says “I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds” (Acts 26:20).
go on to obedience after repentance
but never think you are done with repentance
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