Have you ever hurt someone in some way, and then felt an immediate hurt inside of yourself and the need to apologize to them? You felt sorrow for the actions that you had done and you sought to make things right. That feeling is called repentance.
“Repent” is defined in the dictionary as “to feel pain, sorrow, or regret for what one has done or omitted to do; to be sorry for sin as morally evil, and to seek forgiveness; to cease to practice sin and to love.”
Repentance is the feeling and action that someone should feel the need to do when they do something that is wrong and sinful.
There are numerable times that a person will be sentenced to many years of imprisonment for a crime that they have committed, but part of the way into their sentence they might be called into a review meeting where, if found that they have displayed remorse and feel a true desire to not commit those crimes again, that prisoner may receive a sentence reduction and be released early.
Some people might not feel remorse or sorrow for their sins or crimes, and some might. For those who show regret for their actions, oftentimes their prison time is reduced, or lessened; similarly those who show no regret will continue to serve out the full sentence.
Once again, repentance is the feeling that someone should have if they have harmed, hurt, or otherwise sinned against God or others. They should feel the need to ask for forgiveness and to change their ways.
The first example of repentance that I would like you to read is the parable that Jesus told about the Pharisee and the publican.
“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.” Luke 18:10-13
Look at the difference between these two men. The Pharisee was not sorry or repentant for any of his sins. He thought he was righteous, and perfect. Instead of feeling sorrow and asking for God’s forgiveness, he was filled with pride. Then there was the publican, who smote himself, pleading to God to have mercy upon him. He was truly sorry and repentant for his sins. Unlike the Pharisee, the publican knew that he was a sinner, and as Jesus says Luke 5:32, “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”
Repentance is more than just saying the words “I’m sorry.” If somebody does not feel sorrow or regret for a sin or wrongdoing that they have done towards God or another person, and seek forgiveness, then they have not truly repented.
The prodigal son was truly repentant. After wasting his inheritance and living in sin, he realized his mistakes, and he was ashamed of himself. He repented, and came back home to his father. He knew that he had sinned, and in fact he was ready to receive the punishment for his actions, expecting to be treated as a servant. He truly felt sorry and sad in his heart.
Repentance is more than just saying the words “I’m sorry” or “I repent.” Repentance is a heartfelt change.
In the Old Testament, in the book of Jonah, Jonah was sent to the people of Nineveh, to warn them that unless they repented of their wickedness, that the Lord was going to destroy them all. Upon hearing this, the king of Nineveh proclaimed that everyone, man and beast, should fast all food and water, and to be clothed with sackcloth and to cry unto the Lord, turning from their sins. And the Lord saw this. He saw that they felt sorrow for their wickednesspa, and He did not destroy them. What they showed was Godly sorrow.
“For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.” 2 Corinthians 7:10
We all need forgiveness if we want to go to Heaven someday, and the first step that we need to take is to first admit to ourselves that we are indeed sinners and in need of that forgiveness. We need to realize that when we sin that we are not being obedient to God’s Word, and we need to have that feeling of remorse that leads us to change.
So do you feel that way? Do you feel sorry because of your sins? Have you repented?
In Christ,
Andrew
Teufer Lake King James Bible Church 