The Formula for Repentance

In a few minutes, we're going to be in Ephesians chapter four. Ephesians chapter four. The formula for repentance. This is again our third third message, three part sermon on repentance and how an important how important a doctrine in scripture it is. Necessary for salvation, necessary for growth in the Lord as a child of God.

I'm going to start with reminder of its necessity in regards to salvation. The Bible says, Jesus said, unless you repent, you shall all likewise perish. Lot of people in this world today look around at other people and they said, yeah, well, they're going to perish. Yeah, that boy, they got it coming to them or maybe something happens to them and say, well, you know, that's, yeah, they had it coming and Jesus response to that was, well, unless you repent, you're going to find yourself in the same position, okay? All of us are sinners, born sinners, all everyone needs to repent and turn to Christ in faith.

God's son, as Lord and savior. As it's used in scripture, we learn the word repent speaks of a change of heart and mind concerning Christ and sin. A turning from unbelief, sin, and Satan and a turning to Jesus Christ in faith and love resulting in the new birth in Christ and new desires and actions to follow. Repentance again of change of mind and heart concerning Christ and sin. A turning from unbelief, sin, and Satan and a turning to Jesus Christ in faith which results in a new birth being born what?

Born again in Christ Jesus. Being made a new creature in Christ Jesus with new desires and new actions to follow. Acts three nineteen says, repent you therefore and be converted. The word converted means be saved, be born again, that your sins may be blotted out which means forgiven. In Acts twenty and twenty six, Paul writes this, testifying to both Jews and also to Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ that they should repent and turn to God and do works meet for or befitting repentance.

This is what Paul told the governors and others he was witnessing to at as he was being tried in Caesarea concerning the ministry that God gave to him to go and preach the gospel, to preach repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and again, that works befitting repentance would therefore follow in those who were born again. If those who are unsaved refuse to repent, refuse to turn from their unbelief and misplace allegiances to sin and Satan to idols and possessions to guilty pleasures from false religions, from their own self righteousness to faith in Jesus Christ, they most will most certainly die in their sins and spend an eternity separated from God who made them. In a place called the Lake Of Fire. Repentance is vital. Tells us in Revelation 20 here and 21, the fate of those who choose not to repent and trust Jesus and whosoever was not found written the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

The fearful, the unbelieving. You might put in there the unrepentant. The abominable and murderers, whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars shall have their own part in the lake of fire which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death. There's only one way to get your name written in God's book of life and escape the lake of fire and that is through repentance and faith in who? Jesus Christ alone.

He who alone is God the son who came to Earth to die on the cross for the sins of the world. He alone who it is that rose again from the dead on the third day. He alone who it is that sits at the right hand of the father in heaven interceding in behalf of all those who come to him in faith. Only Jesus. No other god, no other idol, no other self righteous work, no other religion, no other list of rules, no guilty pleasure, no amount of money, will change your eternity.

Only who? Only Christ. You must turn. From whatever it is you're trusting in to trust in who? In Jesus Christ alone.

But we also learn that it is necessary also for God's children, those who have been saved and born again, to repent when we adopt sinful patterns of thought or behavior which are contrary to God's word and will for us. No, we don't need to be saved again because we've already been saved. We've already been born again. You're only born again once. You're born once physically.

You're born once spiritually, okay? You don't have to be born again and again and again and again and again, okay? So, we're not talking about repenting for salvation but we do sometimes need to have a change of mind and heart as Christians concerning things we are doing that are not pleasing to who? They're not pleasing to God and that are destructive to us. We still need to repent of those things.

Revelation two five. John writing to the church at Ephesus, a church assumed, mostly made up of believing Christians. He writes, remember therefore, from whence thou art fallen. What what were they fallen from? They had left their first what?

They had left their first love. Evidently, God, the relationship with God had been kind of put on the back burner because they were too busy doing other things. Sound familiar? Remember therefore, from whence thou art fallen and repent, have a change of mind and heart, do the first works. Go back to the way it was before you started to take your relationship and your fellowship with God for granted.

Go back to the first works or else I will come into thee quickly, remove thy candlestick out of its place except thou repent. He was speaking to the church as a whole, the candlestick represents their testimony and their effectiveness for the Lord. If they refuse to repent, their testimony and their effectiveness for Christ was going to end there in that city and that would be a very sad thing. So, this is important Christians. This is important as a church.

It's important to individuals that we recognize when our relationship with God is not as healthy as it should be. When we recognize that there's something in our life that does not belong as a Christian. And we deal with it. We repent of it. We have a change of mind and heart that results in a change of what?

Actions in our life. If we who are saved refuse to repent of certain sinful behaviors and patterns of thought, we too will face the chastening hand of our father in heaven. No, we're not. He didn't threaten to take our salvation away but he might take your joy away, your peace away, your health away, God because he loves his children isn't going to just let us continue to go down a path that will lead to misery and destruction in our life and loss of testimony. So, God may intervene and like a father with a child, the chastening will probably not be what?

Pleasurable but if you repent then God won't have to what? God won't have to do that. God won't have to chase in us and we won't have to face the loss ings and joy and peace and the assurance in our life. But how does one repent? That is the question we wish to to answer today with this little message on the formula for repentance for the child of God.

I have four steps, four steps this morning. Step number one, be open. Be open. Be open to who? I I I heard some whispering.

Be open to God and his word. Be open and eager for God to reveal to you any areas of thought, any attitudes, any behaviors which are contrary to God's will for you. Be open and eager for God to speak to your heart, to reveal to you something that needs to what? To change in your life, to be conformed more to the image of his son, to be a greater witness for Christ, to have all the joy and blessings that God wants you to have. Be open and eager to see those things, to hear his word.

If you're here today, I assume that's the case. It's one of the reasons that many of you came to church is because you're open and eager to be what God wants you to be. Why is it that there are a lot of Christians today that are not in church? Now, I'm not just speaking of our church and I'm not speaking of all Christians. Some of them are sick this morning, okay?

God knows that but there are many that stay home week after week after week because they're not open and eager. For God to point out the things in their life that need to change and so they think, well, I'll stay away and God will leave me alone. If you're truly saved, that will not happen. He won't leave you alone. But it will make you miserable.

Would you not rather face the misery of a moment confessing to God your sin and getting it right. For all the blessings to follow rather than spending years in misery as a Christian when it is not necessary. Be open to what God wants to tell you. In his word, he says, David says, search me, oh God, and know my heart, try me, and know my thoughts. See, if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting.

What is David saying? David saying, God, I'm open. Show me. Show me. Tell me.

What it is. That needs to change. I want to know. Do you want to know? How how does revival happen in the lives of of God's children in a church?

It happens when people want to know what God wants for them and they're open. Isaiah four, I mean, Psalm forty one forty three ten. Teach me to do thy will. For thou art my God. Thy spirit is good.

Lead me into the land of uprighteousness. David says, teach me. Lord, teach me. I need to learn. I need to know.

If you're beyond being taught, then that's a problem. Because you should never be beyond needing to be taught. And I'm the first one to say, I still have a lot to learn. I learn it from my weekly devotions. I learn it from my weekly study for teaching and preaching.

I even learn it from people that I teach. We still have a lot to learn. Be teachable. Be open. Be eager to learn what God wants.

Matthew five three, it says, blessed are the poor in spirit. For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. What's a person who's poor in spirit? It's not a person who just has a few pennies to their name. It's a person who is humble in spirit.

A person who recognizes that they are poor and that they do not have a lot to offer who? God. But that God has so much to offer them. That's a person who's poor in spirit. In first Corinthians eleven twenty eight, we are told to examine ourselves, not the person behind you, not your neighbor, but yourself.

Examine yourself. Look for the things that need to change. Rather than looking away from the things that need to change. Say, well, it's hard work changing. It's a lot easier if you do it now rather than what?

Later. It's a lot easier if you let God do it than if you try to do it without him. Examine yourselves. In second Timothy three sixteen and seventeen, it says, all scriptures given by inspiration of God and is profitable, useful, beneficial for doctrine. That's teaching.

For reproof, that's rebuke, for telling you the error of your way, for correction, that means correcting the error of your way. God's word gives us the shows you the error and then God's word tells you how to what? Correct the error in your life. For instruction in righteousness and living pleasing and honoring God that the man of God may be perfect, truly furnished unto all good works. That word correction is an important one.

How do you correct what's wrong? We start by being open to God showing you what's wrong. That's the rebuke part. Never assume that you have it all together. Always be on lookout for areas which need correcting.

And yes, you will probably find some and that's okay and that's okay. That's how we grow. Praise God. His word not only reveals the air but also the way of correcting it. So, first of all, step one, be open.

Step two is what? What do think step two is? It's in that verse. Confess. Confess.

Step two is this, you got to admit it. Once God shows you, you got to be willing to admit it. If you deny it, if you justify it, then you're not going to fix it. It's not going to get what? It's not going to get corrected, okay?

You have to confess it. You have to admit it. When God reveals something in your life which is contrary to his will, his commands, the leading of his spirits, or the principles set forth in his word, we must confess to him where we have failed and express to him our desire to change and get it right. Confess to God. We at first, you gotta confess to yourself.

You gotta admit, okay, this is a problem. I mean, so many, I mean, I've I've talked to several people who just saunter by out here or I find them sleeping under the canopy early in the morning or late at night when I get here and they have some obvious problems. By the way, all of us have problems but they have some obvious problems and you can tell before you even get up to them some of what the problem is. And yet, they won't admit that there's a problem and you just can't help them until they're willing to what? Admit that there's a problem.

Hey, you're not going to fix whatever needs to change in your life. You're not going to grow until you admit there's something that's holding you up, that's holding you back. There's something that's wrong. There's an error that needs to be corrected. You must be willing to admit it.

You must be willing also to confess it to who? Confess it to God. Admit to him. Not sometimes the even harder part. Admitting it to God and telling God, God, I have done this.

God, I see this is not right. Lord, yes, this is wrong in my life. I have failed in this area. Help me to get it right. First John one eight and nine says, if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.

Just verse nine is up here. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from unrighteousness. If we say we haven't sinned and there's nothing wrong with us and we have no need of growth or change, who are we lying to? Ourselves, we're deceiving ourselves. Quit deceiving yourself.

We all have areas that need to change. We all have areas of growth. We all have sins that beset us and we need to deal with them. We need to admit them and we need to admit them to God so he can forgive us and cleanse us from those areas of our life that are unrighteous, that are not in accordance with his word and with his will so that we can be more like Jesus. Call it what it is.

It is what? It is sin. Tell God about it honestly and pointedly. Don't beat around the bush with God. He knows but he needs to hear it from who?

He needs to hear it from you. Because he needs you to admit it to him. In order for you to change. Thus, God asked Adam in the garden. Why was he hiding?

And how he came to know he was naked? Is it because God didn't know why he was hiding? Or God didn't know why he how he came to know he was naked? Is that why God asked? Because he didn't know?

No, God knew. God just needed Adam to do what? To admit it. Sadly, Adam didn't quite get the idea and completely and he did what we often do. He blame shifted.

Rather than saying, oh yes, I have sinned against you and I did wrong. I did what you told me not to do. Adam said, what's the woman's fault? And before you women get up on the high horse, when he got to the woman, what did the woman say? It's the serpent's fault.

Blame shifting. Blame shifting. Blame shifting won't fix it, will it? Denying it won't fix it. Justifying it won't fix it.

Saying, well, look, it was my parents' fault. Oh, look, it was my friend's fault. Well, you know, it was my teacher's fault. Look, it was the circumstance. They didn't have a choice.

That's not confession. Confession is admitting whose fault it is and whose fault is it? It's your fault. It's my fault. That's what this verse means.

Confess it. It also might be a good idea. Confess it to someone else. James five sixteen, confess your faults one to another. Pray for one another that you may be healed.

The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. God says, be willing to confess it to someone else but why do I need to do that? Now, I confessed it to God. That's all I need to do, right? Well, you're missing out on a blessing.

Probably because you're too proud to let anybody else know that you've got what? Problems. Guess what? They do too. Why confess it to other people?

Well, not for confirmation of God's forgiveness like the Catholic church teaches. But for the prayers and support, in helping you to change your sinful behaviors and thoughts. No, you don't have to confess your sins to a priest to be forgiven. You confess your sins to God to be forgiven. You confess your sins to others for them to pray for you and help you if you're struggling.

With something in your life. And that is something I think that we miss out on a lot. We just aren't willing to open up and let other people in. And it's to our own detriment. That we do not get all the help that God intends for us to have.

Because we're just too proud to let people know we're not everything we're cracked up to be. Fact is, God can't help someone who is too proud to admit their shortcomings and repent of their sinful ways. Confess is an important part of this process. Be open. When God points something out, what are you supposed to do?

Confess. Admit to him that you have done wrong. Step number three, we find in Ephesians chapter four beginning in verse 17. So, if you're there, if you're not there, we're going to read several verses. They're not on the screen.

Ephesians chapter four beginning in verse 17. This I say therefore, and testify and testify in the Lord that you henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk in the vanity of their mind. Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindness of their heart. Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness. That's living simply for the pleasures of the flesh.

To work all uncleanness with greediness. But you have not so learned Christ. In other words, this isn't for you. You should be different. If so, be you have heard him and have been taught by him as the truth is in Jesus.

In other words, if you truly have received him as your Lord and savior and he lives inside your heart, then, you should be different. He goes on to say, verse 22, that you put off concerning the former conversation or conduct, the old man, which is corrupt, according to the deceitful lust, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind that you put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. So, that's we're going to stop for the moment. Notice back in verse 22, that she put what? Put off concerning the former conversation, conduct, lifestyle, way of life, way of thinking, the old man.

As Christians, we have become a new creature in who? In Christ Jesus. That old sinful person, that old sinful man that were we were before we're saved. We're not him anymore. So, don't go back to him.

Don't start acting like him. Don't don't go back to his ways. You have new ways, okay? And you need to and here's the word forsake. You need to forsake the old ways.

Forsake the old ways. Forsake the wrong ways. Forsake the errors. Forsake the sin. Okay?

Be open, confess, and for sake, okay? What does that mean? Put off, that means cast off. Cast off the old man. Cast off the old ways.

Cast off those attitudes and thoughts that are contrary to God. Cast them aside. Get rid of them. They are just weighing you down. They are just holding you back.

They are just destroying your joy and your effectiveness in life as a child of God. Cast them aside. Put them off. So, when God, when you're open and God reveals us something to you that needs to change, admit to it in Christ, and then cast it what? Cast it off.

Forsake it. Don't play with it. Don't toy with it. It's sin. It does not what?

Belong in the life of a child of God. The third step of repentance is casting aside or out of our lives the old ways. Those sinful thoughts, habits, and behavior which are not pleasing to God or befitting a child of God. And bringing forth works, meat, or befitting what? Repentance.

So, you say you repent, okay? Well, repentance includes forsaking in the Christian life. Those things casting aside those things which don't long. First Peter one fourteen and fifteen, as obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to former lust and your ignorance before you were saved but is he which hath called you as holy, so be holy in all manner of conversation or conduct or behavior. In other words, don't be satisfied with status quo.

Don't be satisfied with the sins in your life. Get victory over them. Forsake them. Confess them and forsake them. Cast them out.

They don't belong there. Don't go back to who you were before you were saved. You're not that person anymore. God gives you victory over that. Don't be satisfied with that.

There's so much more God has for you. Those ungodly ways which God brings to light whether they be sins of commission or sins of omission must be tossed out of our lives forsaken for the cause of Christ not only admitted but thrown out. Not allowed with God's help. To remain. You admit it and you say, God, help me to what?

To forsake it And take steps to do so. Don't say God help me to forsake it and then just jump right back into it. Don't sound like you really wanted God's help all that much. Paul mentions a few of these things in Ephesians four beginning in verse 25. Look, if you would in verse 25, he says, wherefore, put away lying.

Speak every man truth with his neighbor for we are members of one another. Be angry and sin not. Let not the sun go down upon your wrath. So, be honest. Quit lying.

Next, quit throwing temper tantrums. You know better. Yes, we get angry. Deal with it righteously. Get past it.

Don't throw a temper tantrum. Don't lose your blow your top and don't get bitter. 27, neither give place to the devil. That's what we do when we harbor anger. We give place to the devil.

We give him a place in our life to work horrible things. Verse 28, let him that stole, steal no more. Let him labor working with his hands the things which are good that he may have to give him that need it. Stop stealing. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth.

That which is good to the use of edifying that may minister grace unto the hearers. Stop using that foul language. Stop cutting and down and insulting other people. Use your mouth for good things, to edify one another. Verse 31, let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and evil be speaking be put away from you with all malice, with all hatred, and be you kind one to another, tender hearted, forgiving one another even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

So, what do you need to do? Be open, confess, and then forsake those things which don't belong that God points out. Once you admit it, quit doing it. Say, I can't. You can.

If you know the Lord, he says, I can do what? All things for Christ who strengthens me. Don't tell me you can't. Now, believe it. There's been some times in my life when I use that excuse.

I just can't. But I was wrong. And so are you. God wants us to have victory over sin. If God wants us to get victory over sin in our life, we can.

We can by his grace but you need to repent. You need to be open to change. You need to confess it and you need to forsake it. Repentance that does not include sincere intention to change is not repentance. Maybe sorrow, maybe remorse, but not repentance.

I can be sorry for something I did and yet have no intention of stopping it. I can be remorseful over the consequences of what happened because what I did and still have no intentions to what? To stop it, to change it. Repentance involves intentions. To change it.

Without it, you will never have true revival. You want revival? I want revival. I want revival in my life. I want revival for my church.

I want revival for this community. It won't happen if we're not willing to change and that requires repentance. Furthermore, when you cast these things out of your life, you need to insulate yourselves from them. Fleeing temptation rather than toying with it. As Paul says to Timothy, flee youthful lust.

You cast, you say, Lord, I I failed, I admit, I failed, I've confessed it to you, I forsake it, I'm not going to do it, but then you go back to whatever it is brings temptation when you could avoid it, you're just asking for what? You're just asking for trouble. If you play with fire, guess what? You'll get burnt. The best way to get victory over temptation, if you can, avoid it.

If you can, avoid it. Determine as David did. Psalm one zero one three. I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes. I hate the work of them that turn aside and shall not cleave to me.

If it's something you're looking at that's causing you temptation, get rid of it. Find a way to keep yourself from looking at it and you're less likely to be what? Tempted. Or as Job did, I made a covenant with mine eyes. Why then should I think upon a maid?

He made a covenant with us. He decided ahead of time. I am not going to go there. Determine in your heart. Say, Lord, I'm by your grace, I'm not going to go there and take steps to not go there.

Go to certain places where certain activities are going on. You know you're going to be tempted. So, don't go there. Don't go there. As Daniel said in Daniel one eight, but Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat nor drink the wine which he drank or as Paul said here in first Corinthians six twelve, all things are lawful unto me but all things are not expedient.

All things are lawful for me but I will not be brought under the power of any. I am not going to be addicted to anything. I will not be brought under its power. Well, I don't drink alcohol. You know why I don't drink alcohol?

Because if I never drink alcohol, I will never be brought under its what? Under its power. And especially if that's a temptation in your life, then the only way you're going to beat it is to forsake it and flee the temptation and not toy with it. First Corinthians nine twenty seven, Paul says, but I keep under my body and bring it into subjection lest that by any means, when I preach unto others, my myself should be a castaway. Paul says, I don't want to lose my ministry.

Don't want to lose my testimony. That would be the end of me. Paul's. So, I I I keep things under control. With God's help.

But You have to forsake those things that you know are wrong. Romans thirteen fourteen says, but put you, I think I have that up here but put you on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof. Make no provision for the flesh. Don't give an opportunity. If you give an opportunity, guess what will happen?

It'll take the opportunity and you'll find yourself right back again. Don't give the flesh the opportunity. Avoid that place. Avoid that that TV show, that movie, the internet, avoid rose relationships, whatever it is that causes that temptation in your life, you need to avoid it if you want to get victory. So, that all comes under step number three, forsake, put off and then finally, step number four, we already read it.

Ephesians chapter four and verse 24 and we already read it actually out of Romans thirteen fourteen and that's this, and put you on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Put you on Christ. Put you on the Lord. Forsake those things, get cast them aside, turn, and run the other direction, and run into who? Run into Jesus.

That's what you do when you get saved. You repent, you forsake those and you run into the arms of Jesus. Well, Christians sometimes, we need to run back into the arms of Jesus. It's not that he's left us. He's still there.

You're still saved but you're not getting victory because you are not resting and embracing Jesus Christ in your new nature that he has given you. So, put on the Lord Jesus Christ. You must replace those sinful habits, attitudes, and thoughts with Christ's, his thoughts, his ways, his power, his love. His passions. A love for God and others.

Loving God with all your heart, thinking of the needs of others before your own selfish desires. Put on the mind of Christ. Put on his love. Put on his love it'll make a difference put on his outlook on life. Remember, this world is temporary and it's just what?

Passing away. Therefore, lay up treasure where? In heaven. By being obedient to your father who is where? In heaven.

That's right. Don't don't get all tied up in the things of this life. Remember, heaven is coming. Jesus is already waiting there for you. And then, Christ's hatred of sin.

Put on his hatred of sin and evil in this world. Hate sin, abhor sin, it is not your friend, it is your what, your enemy, and the enemy of everyone else too. And put on his abundant compassion and long suffering. Whereby he suffers long with you and me. Adopt new activities and habits which are edifying and uplifting.

New godly viewing and listening habits. New unselfish past times like reading your Bible. Meditating on God's word. Spending time in prayer. New godly friends who will help you.

New activities which will count for eternity like faithful participation in church, assisting others, proclaiming the good news. Put on the Lord Jesus Christ. Embrace it with your whole heart. Put off the old and put on the what? Put on the there's a a course I learned as a kid.

It said, it it was like this. All the best thing in my life I ever did do. All the best thing in my life I ever did do. All the best thing in my life I ever did do was to put off the old robe and put on the new. Put off the old, put on the new, and God shows you something old that needs to go, confess it, forsake it, and then put on the what?

And then put on the new in its place. If you would, read this verse with me and David. Psalm one thirty nine, 23, and 24. Read it out loud with me. Search me, oh God, and know my heart.

Try me and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting. Is that your desire today? Are you open? To the Lord showing you what needs to change? Are you willing to admit it?

To forsake it? And to put on the new way. This is the formula for repentance and revival in the life of a Christian and if you will, God will draw nigh unto him. He will what? Draw nigh unto you.

Submit yourself to the Lord and the devil will flee from you. Do it God's way, never fails, you'll see wonderful changes in your life. And if you're here today and you've never accepted Christ, I pray you'll come to him. I pray you'll receive him. For he's the only way of salvation.

Let's pray. Dear God, thank you Lord for our savior. Lord, I pray if there's something you put your your hand on us today in our life that needs to change I pray Lord we would be willing to confess it to forsake it. And put on the Lord Jesus Christ in our life that we might be pleasing to you. Thank you Lord.

For all that you have done for us and for forgiving us and cleansing us when we come to you for putting up with us and suffering along with us, Lord. You are a great God of mercy and love. We pray Lord if there be one here that's never trusted Christ that they would come today as we sing this hymn of invitation. In Jesus name, we do pray. Amen.