Fundamental Biblical Beliefs - Bible Study

Okay, tonight we are looking at fundamental belief number eight, repentance. There's hardly a more important fundamental principle in Scripture and in your life and mine, and in the new covenant, and really any covenant with God, than repentance. Now it's hard to say one is more important than the other. You can't say it's more important than God. You can't say it's more important than the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, or eternal life, or anything else. But repentance is one of the core biblical teachings, because without it, one cannot inherit the kingdom of God. So let's look first of all at how serious God is about our involvement in His plan. If we look in Revelation 21, verse 7, it says, He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God, and he shall be my Son. That is a promise. God's plan of salvation has this promise that if we overcome—in other words, if we win this match with Satan and with our carnal nature, and we repent of that, and we become godly—then we will inherit all things. That's everything. And he says, I will be his God, and he shall be my Son. So this is the Father speaking. Now let's notice how serious He is about the promise, though. And that's verse 8. But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the abominable, the murderers, the sexually immoral, the sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. So God is a just God, and he will make us just in his eyes if we repent. But he also has justice, and the justice we just read is in verse 7 and 8. Those who overcome justice, they will have eternal life and inherit everything. And those who don't, those who are cowardly, fearful, they don't want to go that way. It's too difficult or it's not popular. They will be in the second death, the lake of fire. So we just have to remember that, and it brings us now to this fundamental belief on repentance. The word repentance in the New Testament comes from the Greek word metaneo. The word means to reconsider. In other words, you're going down a certain path and then you reconsider. Is this the right path? I don't think so. It's also to perceive again with moral compunction. To stop and think, oh, wait a minute, let me analyze that. I'll perceive that now with a moral compunction. It also means to think differently. That's from Strongs 3340. In Thayer, it says the meaning includes to change one's mind for the better. So it's that reconsidering and then change one's mind for the better. Or to heartily amend with abhorrence one's past sins. I like that last statement. Heartily amend change with abhorrence for one's past sins. Now, who needs to repent? Well, if we go to Luke 13 and verse 2, we're going to find all people need to. Luke 13 verses 2-5.

Jesus says, now just sort of analyzing the world around society around in general, do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans because they suffered such things? They've been persecuted and killed. Were they worse than the other people in society who got killed? I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. So he's looking at the broad society. Now he's speaking to those in front of him. Likewise, we all have to repent. And verse 4, or those 18 on whom the tower of Siloam fell and it killed them. Do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem?

I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. So this is something for all humans. And we all honestly start in a sinful state. It doesn't matter who we are. It doesn't matter how good we were before we were given the gift of repentance.

We were all, as the Bible says, sinners. And there is no one good, no not one. Not godly good.

So a type of change of mind is what's required. And it's not any kind of change of mind, but godly repentance.

And godly repentance is not just some personal regrets that come along when we pay the penalties for sin. We say, oh, I'm really sorry, you know, I just feel really bad now because all this has come upon me.

That's not it. Let's go to 2 Corinthians, chapter 7, in verses 9 and 10. 2 Corinthians, chapter 7, we'll begin in verse 9. Now Paul here is talking to the Corinthians, and you'll recall that there had been some sin in the congregation, and Paul corrected them about that. And now he's writing a second letter to them, and there had been repentance in the individual and in the congregation, and how they looked at that sin. So he says, Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you are made sorry in a godly manner. So we stop and think. At first there was sin in the congregation, and they were okay with it.

Then he brought things to mind, and they looked at that again, didn't they? That's what the word repent means. To look again, analyze it again through a different lens, and then have a change of heart.

And so they were made sorry in a godly manner. They said, this is not what we were doing or what we were seeing does not fit with godliness.

So he says, Now for godly sorrow produces repentance to salvation, that change, that abhorrence of sin to salvation. So as we first saw that salvation comes to those who overcome, and those who stay in sin, they're not saved, not eternally.

Not to be regretted, he said, but the sorrow of the world produces death. All of this, oh, I feel bad, I made a mistake, now I got caught, woe is me.

That doesn't do anything. For observe this very thing that you sorrowed in a godly manner. What diligence it produced in you, what clearing of yourselves, what fear, what vehement desire, what zeal, what vindication.

In all things, you proved yourselves to be clear in this matter. So the end result of repentance is total forgiveness, right in God's eyes, overcoming, you see, they overcame, and they were clear before God.

Now, sometimes we in the church think, well, I'm special, I don't really have to worry about sin that much. I can commingle with society and entertainment, things I see and do and think, and I can act like society around me because I'm special.

David thought he was special. I mean, he was the king, he was already crowned, he was God's servant, etc., etc. And then we read in Psalm 51 in the first five verses something that David said after he took another look. God pointed out some things to him.

And he said here in Psalm 51, verse 1, Have mercy upon me, O God, according to your loving-kindness, according to the multitude of your tender mercies.

Blot out my transgressions. I wasn't seeing those transgressions as transgressions.

Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity. Cleanse me from my sin.

For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.

Against you, you only have I sinned and done evil in your sight.

See, now he's been able to see that which was good suddenly is evil. And with compunction, he had a whores what he did.

That you may be found just when you speak and blameless when you judge.

Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me.

We all start from a place that needs to be changed.

As the Apostle Paul expressed to the Corinthians, they needed to repent.

But Paul, the Apostle Paul, the one who wrote most of the New Testament, expresses that he has ongoing repentance himself. Let's look at Romans chapter 7 and verses 24 and 25.

Romans 7 verse 24.

O wretched man that I am. What? This is the Apostle saying that. O wretched man that I am.

I'm having a second look here.

Who will deliver me from this body of death? He said, that which I want to do, I don't always do. That which I don't want to do, that's what I end up doing.

Who will deliver me from this body of death? Now, sometimes you may have a habit or a sin or a thought or a tendency or whatever it is, and you can't justify that.

But you might, as Paul says, who will deliver me from this body of death? I'm trying, but I'm a wretched person in part.

Well, the answer is in verse 25.

I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Ha!

So who's going to deliver me from this body of death?

I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

We have forgiveness if we repent. Who's going to deliver us? God is going to deliver us. So then he says, with the mind, I see myself serving the law of God. That's who I am. That's what I'm about. But with the flesh, I'm really pulled towards that law of sin. That's the fight that we have.

So now we'll go to section 2, brought to us by Mr. Wayne Ward.

Thank you very much. Part 2 is really focusing in on how the repentance involves the change. We're focusing on the change from a wrong to a right. And genuine repentance produces a change in the way we live. Even in the way we think. Those who say that we've repented, but they don't produce the fruits, as we've seen. As we know, the fruits worthy of repentance, they deceive themselves. Let's go to that scripture, Matthew 3 verse 8.

Matthew 3 verse 8 says, Therefore, bear fruits worthy of repentance. The fruits are the produce of the repentance that you have in your heart. It's what is produced. It's what shows that you are repented. This is making the change in your actions, from a wrong to a right way. And it's a change right from being disobedient. Let's turn to Titus chapter 1, verse 16. Titus 1, verse 16, They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him. Being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work. The unrepentant person disqualifies, makes himself unapproved for good works. Meaning that even the good deeds that are done, if they're not done in an obedient and with a repentant heart, they're not regarded. They're not noticed. It's not sincere. So repentance is vital for us. It's a matter of the heart. And that should be noted, really. I mean, the New Covenant was first offered to the Jews. It was the people that had the law. They kept the Sabbath and the Holy Days. But people, as people do, begin to do this out of habit. They can lose their heart for what they're doing. It's just a matter of what we've always done. So a repentance means keeping it in your heart. And we can see how repentance is not so then it's not just for the newbies. It's for all of us, all the time. Any time that we see that we've fallen short, we must repent of it. Meaning the law must be something that is purposeful and deliberate in doing. Turn to James chapter 1 verse 23.

Part 3, back to Mr. Elliott. So true repentance involves a change of heart, a change of mindset, a change of really what we strongly feel about. Doing wrong eventually becomes repulsive to us. It doesn't right away. You can see right and wrong, but you can still say, oh, but this sinful stuff, these films, these movies, this entertainment, or people in society, or this group. I really identify with them. You know, they're really go-to people, but they're breaking God's laws. They're carnal. They're doing everything God says not to do.

But sometimes our carnal side can identify with them still for a while. But after a while, if we truly repent, then we see sin as evil. And doing wrong becomes repulsive, and then others doing wrong becomes repulsive. And that's what it comes down to being in our minds if we hate evil. Not sort of disliking evil, but hating evil. If you look in, for instance, Proverbs chapter 8 and verse 13, the fear of the Lord, the deep respect of God.

If you really love God, you love the family of God, the kingdom of God, Jesus Christ is not only your Lord and Master, but your husband, and this is your family mindset, then that is to hate evil. Hate it. You know, all evil should be wrong. We shouldn't be people that say, oh, people who are this type of sinner are bad.

And that type of sinner, oh, can you believe that people are so bad? Well, we totally accept all the other sins that just fly around because, well, they're societally, you know, acceptable. We need to hate all evil. Pride and arrogance. People who are proud of not God, not God's way, but proud of what they say they do.

Pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverse mouth I hate. You know, it's very difficult to watch the news these days and not see those very things. Pride and arrogance and the evil way, it's just out there and one side is, you know, claiming it's smarter than the other side and blah, blah, blah.

But the fear of God, the deep respect of the kingdom of God is to hate all evil. And really, we want God's rulership to come. You know, where it says, seek you first the kingdom of God, seek you first the rulership of God and His righteousness. And that's what repentance is. So we've got to earnestly want God to change our hearts. And as David said in Psalm 51 and verse 10, he wanted a heart change. So repentance involves this change of heart or a change of mindset. David couldn't do that himself, neither can you or I. Neither could Paul. So he says in Psalm 51 10, creating me a clean heart, oh God, clean heart, a pure, a spotless heart, a bride's heart that has been washed and clean and there's no spot and wrinkle in that heart and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

David is one we can identify with in the Old Testament because he was part of the New Covenant. Somehow God made David to have the Holy Spirit and forgive him and he will rule with Christ in the millennium. So we see in verse 11, he says, Do not cast me away from your presence and do not take your Holy Spirit from me. You and I need that spirit. We need to be led by it. We need the heart that comes from it.

So once we begin to understand what sin is and recognize it as evil, as a member of the family of God, we should see that as something of Satan, something that is horrible, something that we learn to hate. Not the people, but the nature, the mindset, and really put on that mind of Christ. And back to Wayne for element four. Thank you. So part four is really a focus on how repentance is a full surrender and a complete willing obedience to God.

Let's start there in 1 Peter 4. Verse 1-3, 1 Peter 4, it says, Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind. For he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, that he no longer should live in the rest of his time in the flesh, for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles when we walked in the lewdness and the lusts and drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries.

So there is a completeness here to the surrender of God. As Jesus was willing, you know, willingly suffered for us in obedience and love to the Father. As he did that, we need to be equally convicted to yield to God in obedience to his law. This means removing ourselves from inappropriate activities that would compromise ourselves with that allegiance that we have to have. It's a very deep conviction that we are to be growing into, that we are to have. We know the depth of conviction Jesus had.

We review this every year at this time, throughout the Passover time. And we're reading these stories of the immense allegiance that Jesus had to the Father in laying down his life for our lives, for God's purpose. Matthew 26. And verse 39 says, He went a little farther and fell on his face and prayed, saying, Oh, my Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me.

Nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will. Jesus most definitely was thoroughly convicted to the will of the Father, knowing what he was about to go through and endured it. And it is a depth of conviction we are to take on. So, there are so many Psalms that show us the value of being that convicted, that devoted to God's Word and his law.

Let's turn to Psalm 25 to start. Psalm 25 and verse 1. To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul. We need to lift up or bear up our lives, our whole lives, for the purpose of the Father and for his purpose. Psalm 119. Psalm 5. O that my ways were directed to keep your statutes. Verse 6, that I would not be ashamed when I looked into all your commandments. And verse 10. O with my whole heart I have sought you. O let me not wander from your commandments.

Psalm 86.

And verse 11. Psalm 86 verse 11. Teach me your way, O Lord. I will walk in your truth. Unite my heart to fear your name. I will praise you, O Lord, my God, with all my heart, and I will glorify your name forevermore. For great is your mercy toward me, and you have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.

I think we can sense the theme here. The need for such a profoundly deep desire to be fully surrendered to God is a huge theme in the Psalms. And Isaiah expresses the same idea. Let's turn to Isaiah 1.

And verse 19. Isaiah 1 verse 19. If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land. You can think of the good of the land as the goodness of our future inheritance.

But it's an inheritance for the deeply convicted heart. Willing to the point of death. Let's turn to Philippians 2.

Verse 8.

And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, even to the cross.

We see the conviction of Christ willing to go all in to the point of death. It's something we may need to demonstrate one day, who knows? But for now, God is satisfied that we demonstrated our willingness at our baptism, and we continue to demonstrate our willingness every day when we deny what is wrong for His sake.

For saking ourselves to do what is right. His will. The will of the Father, as Christ did.

This willingness comes from our longing for God.

Knowing that the earth needs God and needs His way. It needs His law if it is going to survive. Psalm 42. Last scripture here.

Psalm 42 and verse 1.

It says, as the deer pants for the water, so longs for my soul, my whole life. So longs my whole life for you, O God.

I will pass the last part back to Mr. Elliott.

The fifth element here is that repentance includes mercy towards others.

When we repent of our sins, God also wants us to be merciful and forgiving to others.

Sometimes we don't see our sins, like David didn't. Sometimes Paul didn't. Sometimes you and I don't.

And we hurt one another when we break God's law.

So whenever we break God's law of love, it's not love to others, and they feel it. They sense it before we do.

We might say, I don't know what you're talking about. We might justify it. We might say, oh, I didn't do that, or I didn't hurt you. Or we might say, well, if I hurt you, I apologize. Like that meant something.

But mercy towards others is part of repentance and understanding that we all fall short.

In Mark 11 and verse 25, Jesus said, Mark 11, 25, and 26, whenever you stand praying, we all come before God and we bless God.

But with our tongue, James says, we can curse our fellow man. We can hurt our fellow man.

Whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, you have to stop here and think about it. Do I have anything against anyone? Forgive him that your Father in heaven may also forgive you of your trespasses.

So we say, I repent. I'm sorry. Forgive me.

Do we also have that mercy towards others?

But if you do not forgive, verse 26, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.

See, that's not real repentance. It's not godly repentance to say, oh, I'm sorry. I sinned. Forgive me.

But I'm not going to let somebody else be forgiven in my mind.

So this love of God really encompasses everyone.

It's love God with your heart, soul, and might. Love your neighbor as yourself.

And repentance of not loving God also extends to not loving your neighbor and your neighbor not loving you.

We're all in this together. And if we're going to be forgiven for mistakes we've made by Christ dying for us, we also have to be forgiving of others. Now, this is very important as we come up to the Passover each year. We have to remember this.

We have to realize that if we do not forgive others, we can't come to God during the year or celebrate that forgiveness at Passover and think it applies to us because it actually does not.

And that's a tough thing. Some will say, oh, but that person just sinned against me so much, I could never forgive them.

Well, we just don't realize the pain and the hurt that we cause other people. We feel it when it hurts us. We don't feel it when we hurt them.

Let's go to Luke 17 in verse 3.

And Jesus says here, think about this. Take heed to yourselves.

Take heed to yourselves. What that means is stop and think.

If your brother sins against you, oh, yeah, rebuke him. If he repents, forgive him. Whoa, that's hard. It's easy to rebuke someone and then carry that in you and maybe tell somebody, at least hold that grudge and feel the pain.

But he says, forgive him.

In verse 4, and if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day, he returns, saying, I repent, you shall forgive him.

Remember back at the beginning, we talked about sometimes we have those sins that, like the Apostle Paul, we kind of feel, oh, wretched man that I am, because we don't get over them right away always.

Some of those habits, some of those issues, and we come before God repeatedly on certain sins that come up and we say, oh, forgive me again, forgive me again.

And now here he's saying, you pass that along. You do it to me, let others do it to you. If they come and say, repent, you will forgive them over and over and over.

We find that loving others is a significant part of repentance. In Luke chapter 27 and Luke chapter 6 and verse 27.

So if you go to Luke 6 and verse 27 and 28, Jesus taught this, love your enemies. Now those who are hurting you, sinning against you, that's why they're your enemies.

Do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you.

Pray for those who spitefully use you. You know, a spite, they use you.

And he's saying with this repentance, you need to adopt this attitude of loving those who are not repenting yet. They don't see their sin yet, and they're hurting you.

So yeah, this is a real grown-up covenant that we have, a very mature covenant. And there's nobody more mature than Jesus Christ, who gave his life and went through all that he has.

And God the Father, both of them, devoting aeons of their time and life and energies towards this covenant.

So we do need to be repenting. We need to get their mindset, and that mindset is just as Jesus did, forgiving those who spitefully used him.

And one day we'll all be perfect in the kingdom of God together, and towards that end we try to encourage one another.

Now in conclusion, let's return to the initial concept. God's plan of salvation has a promise, and that promise is eternal life.

That's the hope that we have, the hope of salvation. And just as we begin in this fundamental belief, God is very serious about that promise.

Let's conclude by reading 2 Peter chapter 3 and verse 9. 2 Peter chapter 3 and verse 9.

Regarding this promise of eternal life, it says, the Lord is not slack concerning his promise. He's not variable. He's not slack. He's not, what we read there, the overcomers inherit all things and the sinners die.

He's not slack concerning his promise, as some count slackness. But he is long suffering toward us. This repentance is something we can do if we're serious. We can keep working at it.

And he's not willing that any should perish in that lake of fire. But he is willing that all should come to repentance.

Sometimes you might say, I wonder if this is God's will. Well, if you ever want to know God's will, you can turn to 2 Peter 3 and verse 9, and it's right here.

God is not willing that any should perish, but God is willing. Here's his will that all should come to repentance. So that's the will of God.

There's other things that the Bible says are God's will, but this is a real critical one for all humans. Because unless we repent, we will not be in the kingdom of God.

But when we do repent, we will not perish, but we will have that promise of eternal life.

Thank you.