Good Morning and welcome in everyone. Today, we are going to take a look at a passage of scripture from 2 Peter.
2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
Many years ago I had heard someone preaching that God only came to earth to save a certain group of people, but the truth is, He came to save all men. Sadly not all men will be saved because they will lack something that is required on our part,…it’s repentance. God wants all men to come to a place of repentance. All of us have sinned and come short of the glory of God. None of us are better than the other. I’m just the same as you are. There are only two kinds of people on this earth, sinners and repentant sinners. The thing that prevents us from having a close relationship with God and others is a lack of repentance in our lives.
Many years ago, Andrew helped me hand out a flyer that I had written which I had called the three “Rs” of Christianity. Repentance, remission, and reconciliation. In order for all these things to take place, you must take one step at a time, and the very first step that needs to be taken is repentance. When someone repents It means that they feel pain, sorrow or regret for what they have done or omitted to do. It is to be sorry for the sins that you have committed. King David found great favor in the sight of God, but he made a mistake during his life that he greatly regretted. He was filled with a repentant heart for what he had done, teaching us not only the frailty of our human nature, but the mercy of our God
Psalms 51:1-19 Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.
Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.
Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.
Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness. O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise. For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem.
Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering: then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar.
King David repented with a broken and contrite heart. Can you feel his sadness in this passage? True sorrow will cause you to feel regret about wronging God or others. True sorrow will reach out and seek forgiveness from others that you have wronged. True sorrow will cause someone to repent and confess their sins. King David was filled with this kind of sorrow, Godly sorrow, and it led him to a place of forgiveness with God.
2 Corinthians 7:8-10 For though I made you sorry with a letter, I do not repent, though I did repent: for I perceive that the same epistle hath made you sorry, though it were but for a season. Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.
It is so important in the church to confess our faults one to another, not for the purpose of others standing over you in judgment, but so that we can be healed. All of us have weaknesses just like the next man, but it is through repentance and confession that we can eventually overcome sin and mature in our faith. It begins with sorrow for what you have done wrong. True sorrow and weeping over your sins brings a blessing from God.
Luke 6:21 Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh.
The passage of the humble publican is another example of a man who was filed with sorrow and sincere regret for what he had done. He wept before God,
Luke 18:9-14 And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
Genuine repentance will possess a contrite heart as King David did. The apostles preached repentance and remission of sins, but genuine repentance is a state of the heart. The Apostle James taught the same thing.
James 4:6-10 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
Matthew 5:4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
In order to obtain forgiveness with God and others you must empty yourself of all pride. Pride only hardens the heart from receiving grace from God and others. The cure is contrition. The cure is humility. These are the first steps on the road to recovery with God. Repentance truly is……
…….The Cure
Let’s think about these things for right now. We can be found on your web browser by searching tlkjbc, where you can find our diaries distributed through various platforms, or by getting our entire podcast feeds directly, along with transcripts at tlkjbc.com, or I suppose, you can find us somewhere up here, in the Great Northern Minnesota woods. Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody. ❤️
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