D.L. Moody relayed the following on the subject of repentance. He said, ‘The unconverted have a false idea about repentance; they think God will make them repent. I was once talking with a man on this subject, and he summed up his whole argument by saying:

“Moody, it has never struck me yet.” I said: “What has never struck you.” “Well,” he replied: “Some people it strikes, and some it doesn’t. There was a good deal of interest in our town a few years ago, and some of my neighbors were converted, but it didn’t strike me.”

That man thought that repentance was coming down someday to strike him like lightning. Another man said he expected some sensation, like cold chills down his back. Repentance isn’t feeling. It is turning from sin to God. One of the best definitions was given by a soldier. Someone asked him how he was converted. He said: “The Lord said to me, Halt! Attention! Right about face! March! and that was all there was in it.”¹ Moody has it right; repentance is ‘a turning,’ but it’s not just for the unconverted. Repentance Is a Good Friend and Godly Companion for the follower of Jesus. Why this is true is our focus on this week’s Light On Life.

Listen to the Audio

Click Play to Listen | Right Click to Download | Subscribe in Stitcher Radio

Why Doing the Word of God Is The Ticket to Success

[Tweet “There is godly sorrow, a godly regret that produces something – it produces repentance”]

Read the Notes

You can view a basic transcript of this podcast at the bottom of this section.

Accept the Challenge

Each week’s podcast contains a call to action. The Word of God will not produce in your life unless you put it into operation.
This weeks call is:

Now that you understand what repentance is, that ita turning and not a feeling, what adjustment will you make? Ask the Spirit of God to show you and to help you.

Join the Conversation

Each week’s podcast also contains a question designed to encourage testimony. Testimony is vital to a believer’s life. We overcome by it (Rev. 12:11).
This week’s question is:

Question: How has a moment of repentance changed your life? Please share your comments in the comments section below.

About Emery

Emery committed his life to the Lord Jesus Christ over 40 years ago and has served as both a full-time pastor and an itinerant minister. Both he and his wife Sharon of 35 years emphasize personal growth and development through the Word of God. The ministry of the Holy Spirit is both the focus and the hallmark of their mission. Read more about them here.

Subscribe to the Podcast

If you have enjoyed this podcast, please subscribe.

 Stitcher Radio                      

iTunes                                         PlayerFM

Share the Love

If you enjoyed the podcast, please rate it on Stitcher Radio and leave a review. Also, if you have a suggestion for a Bible topic, you would like to see taught, or if you have a question, please e-mail me at emery@emeryhorvath.com.

________________________________________________________________________

Podcast Notes

What Repentance Is and What It Is Not

Repentance is Not Just Saying You’re Sorry

• Have you ever missed God in your life?
• Has your heart ever struck you when you veered off course?
• Did your temper ever get the best of you, and you regretted the words and actions that followed?
• Have you ever overindulged or under committed?
• What about the dreaded, ‘woulda, coulda, should a?’
• You know you should have read your Bible, could have prayed, would of went to church, but… and then you felt bad about not executing.
• None of these feelings of regret is what repentance is.
• Repentance is not a feeling by itself; it’s an action.

2 Corinthians 7:9–11 (ESV) — 9 As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us. 10 For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death. 11 For see what earnestness this godly grief has produced in you, but also what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what punishment! At every point you have proved yourselves innocent in the matter.

• The KJV has this as ‘godly sorrow works repentance.
• We will take a look at the word ‘works’ here in just a minute.
• Here, what Paul refers to here in Second Corinthians seven is a prior incident that he addressed in his first letter to the Corinthians.

1 Corinthians 5:1–2 (ESV) — 1 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father’s wife. 2 And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you.

• A man, a son, a blood relative was having sex with his own father’s wife – probably a stepmother.
• The Lord condemns this kind of wrong sex, and Paul quickly lets the Corinthians know that they ought not to tolerate this kind of mess in their midst.
• The Corinthians were grieved that they had not acted responsibly.
• They grieved over this matter to the point of repentance, to the point of godly grief.
• Did you hear the words ‘godly grief’ in this passage?
• What is that?
• How do define ‘godly grief?’
• I’m glad you asked, and with that thought, here is the Definition of the Day.
• The word ‘grief’ in the ESV is translated as ‘sorrow’ in the KJV.
• The word means regret.
• It means a sadness associated with some wrong done or some disappointment.
• The Corinthians were down in their spirits.
• There was a sadness associated with them ignoring the plain sin being committed in their midst.
• Now, there is another word we should look at to give him some further clarification about what the Spirit of God through Paul is trying to get over to us about repentance.
• Paul said godly sorrow WORKS repentance.
• What does the word ‘works’ mean?
• The word ‘works’ means to produce.
• There is godly sorrow, godly grief, a godly regret that produces something – it produces repentance – and that repentance leads to a place where you don’t have any regret.
• So, godly regret equals no regret — it’s amazing how that works.
• Because of this, we can boldly say — the Jesus follower should live life with no regrets.
• A life with ‘no regrets’ is a measure of God’s eternal zoe life.
• Listen to it again: ‘godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret.’
• That’s one reason why repentance is a good friend and godly companion.
• There is another kind of grief, another kind of sorrow, another kind of regret, an ungodly variety that works or produces a different result.
• Paul mentions it in comparison.
• Notice what he said: ‘the sorrow of the world produces death.’
• So, there is a good kind of sorrow and a bad kind of sorrow.
• There is good grief and bad grief.
• And, there is good regret and bad regret.
• Regret is not repentance.
• It leads you to repentance.
• Don’t switch it out and mistake it for repentance.
• Take, for example, Judas and his betrayal of Jesus.

Matthew 27:3 (ESV) — 3 Then when Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he changed his mind and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders,

• Did you hear the words – “changed his mind?’
• These words are a little vague – ‘changed your mind’ has a great amount of room for interpretation.
• You could say, ‘I went to a restaurant, and I ordered a hamburger but changed my mind and ordered tacos instead.’
• If you thought about what Judas did in this way, you would be nine miles away from the meaning of the Greek word.
• The word here means to regret.
• It means to feel sad on account of something done or experienced, to the point of wishing it could have been different. 
• So, if you are grieving or feeling sad over a decision you made and wished you hadn’t done it — that is not repentance.
• Another common word that gets confused for repentance is the word remorse.
• What is remorse?
• Remorse is a feeling of sadness.
• It’s also sorry for something you have done.
• So, remorse is feeling ‘sad and sorry.’
• The keyword is feeling — repentance is not a feeling; it’s an action.
• That’s what we are trying to communicate here.

Repentance is One Part of Being a Doer of the Word

• Before we go further, let’s remind ourselves of the vital nature of putting the Word of God into use in your everyday life.

Ezra 7:10 (ESV) — 10 For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the LORD, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel.

• Can you see a trinity of our responsibilities as a God follower in this passage?
• You have the word ‘study,’ followed by the word ‘do it,’ that is doing what you studied, and that is followed by the word ‘to teach,’ that is sharing what you have studied.
• Study the Word — Do the Word — Teach the Word.
• Ezra had it right.
• He had good order where God’s Word is concerned: study – do – and teach.
• Let’s look at some of these terms, and with that thought, here is the ‘Definition of the Day.’
• The Hebrew word ‘study’ is the one we need to look at, which means seeking.
• God’s Word must be sought out.
• You have to be a Word seeker.
• Maybe even a definition seeker — that is, look up some of the words in a Bible verse and check to make sure you know what the writer intended.
• How about a ‘question-asker?’
• Do you care enough to ask?
• Ask questions of the text.
• How about asking questions of the author of the text?
• How about be a cross-reference seeker?
• There are additional cross-references to the verse you are reading in the margins or center columns of your Bible.
• How about looking those up?
• I use a book here that might be helpful to you.
• It’s called the ‘New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.’
• This book is jam-packed with more cross-references than what you can find in your Bible.
• Seeker — in depth
• The Hebrew word ‘study’ also means to follow.
• To study God’s Word, you must follow God’s Word.
• Following is the by-product of doing.
• If you are not willing to follow what you studied, then what have you really accomplished?
• Did you really ‘study’ per the Hebrew definition?

Joshua 1:8 (ESV) — 8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will good success.

• Once more, Joshua echoes the same theme of doing God’s Word. Joshua says, meditate the Word.
• Why? – so that you may be careful to do it.
• You do not meditate to hear.
• You meditate to do.
• And, did you notice the scripture says that you may be careful to do it.
• The Hebrew word ‘careful’ means to observe or to conform one’s action or practice to.
• You follow the word ‘careful’ with the Hebrew word ‘to do,’ and it carries the meaning of to carry out or perform an action or course of action.
• So, the phrase ‘careful to do’ in Hebrew is like a double dose of ‘doing.’
• ‘Be careful to do’ means ‘be sure you do.’
• So, David speaks to the issue, Ezra speaks to the point, and Joshua speaks to it.
• And that’s just three witnesses.
• There are many more.
• So, I said all of that to say this: repentance should be part of your arsenal as a Jesus follower.
• You’re going to make mistakes and miss the mark, sin against God even.

Factors for Huge Growth: Repentance

• So, repentance is not just a singular act; it’s part of your spiritual journey.

Amos 4:6–13 (ESV) — 6 “I gave you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and lack of bread in all your places, yet you did not return to me,” declares the LORD. 7 “I also withheld the rain from you when there were yet three months to the harvest; I would send rain on one city, and send no rain on another city; one field would have rain, and the field on which it did not rain would wither; 8 so two or three cities would wander to another city to drink water, and would not be satisfied; yet you did not return to me,” declares the LORD. 9 “I struck you with blight and mildew; your many gardens and your vineyards, your fig trees and your olive trees the locust devoured; yet you did not return to me,” declares the LORD. 10 “I sent among you a pestilence after the manner of Egypt; I killed your young men with the sword, and carried away your horses, and I made the stench of your camp go up into your nostrils; yet you did not return to me,” declares the LORD. 11 “I overthrew some of you, as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and you were as a brand plucked out of the burning; yet you did not return to me,” declares the LORD. 12 “Therefore thus I will do to you, O Israel; because I will do this to you, prepare to meet your God, O Israel!” 13 For behold, he who forms the mountains and creates the wind, and declares to man what is his thought, who makes the morning darkness, and treads on the heights of the earth— the LORD, the God of hosts, is his name!

• Did you hear the phrase, ‘return to me?’
• These words occur five times in this short portion of scripture.
• In each case, these English words are basically one Hebrew word for ‘repent.’
• The word defines out as ‘to repent, to turn away from sin, conceived of as returning to God or returning from a location. 
• So, repenting is not a feeling; it’s a turning – a turning back to God.
• Now, maybe you are out there listening to this podcast, and you have never walked with God, or maybe never even thought much about Him.
• Maybe you were a churchgoer only because your parents took you, but you were never really thrilled about it —church was all very boring to you.
• You had no clue about the salvation of God through His Son, Jesus Christ.
• Then maybe you met a person reading a Bible one day, and he engaged you in conversation — and something strange happened inside you.
• Your heart suddenly became warm to God.
• You saw your need of Him — you wanted to know Him more.
• You repented; that is, you turned towards Him.
• That’s one repentance scenario.
• Here is another.
• Now, maybe you have walked with God for a while, and then you allowed your heart that was so warm to cool off.
• You slipped back into old cold ways.
• Maybe the automotive driving on a highway terminology might work here: you drifted out of your lane.
• Now, you know that you are not supposed to be texting while you are driving.
• You know it’s dangerous and, in many states, illegal.
• But, you like testing the edges, and so you’re driving, and you’re texting, and you’re drifting out of your lane because your concentration and focus are split.
• Part of your concentration is on the road, and part of it is on the tiny screen that you paid a lot of money for and commands so much of your time.
• Does this sound like any part of your life?
• Now, your conscience keeps bothering you as you were drifting away from Jesus.
• You know the Word of God references this phenomenon.

Hebrews 2:1 (ESV) — 1 Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.

• Now, maybe a co-worker — a fellow Jesus follower saw you sliding away, and the Spirit of God prompted him to challenge you.
• The Spirit of God drew someone to you, and those anointed words touched you within, and your heart warmed once again.
• And, you decided to make a course correction.
• You snapped out of it, and you got back in your lane.
• No, you didn’t get saved again — you repented again — you turned again.
• Turning is a good thing.
• It’s an action, not a feeling.
• Repentance is a good thing — a good God-thing.
• You will find it a good friend and traveling companion in this walk with the Most High God.
• So, the Hebrew word ‘repent’ means to turn.
• It doesn’t mean to say that I am sorry.
• With that thought, here is the quote of the day.

It is a particularly instructive word because it reflects the notion of journeying and pilgrimage, which exemplifies in a very fundamental sense the attitude and relationship between Yahweh and Israel (Deut. 26:5–11).²

• Ah, that’s a good word to add to here – relationship.
• Think of these three ‘R’s’ as a family of words: repentance – relationship – righteousness.
• Repentance renews relationship and allows you to enjoy all the benefits of your righteous standing in God.

Repentance and the Prodigal Son

• Do you remember the story of the Prodigal Son?
• It’s a tremendous story, one part of which is about the son’s repentance — the son’s turning.
• In Luke 15, after the youngest son has gone off the deep end and ran away into a lifestyle of partying and self-indulgence, he suddenly comes to himself and repents.
• Here is what he says.

Luke 15:21 (ESV) — 21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

• The Parable of the Prodigal Son is a Jesus story not about a certain son’s excessive spending habits but the father’s attitude towards both of his sons.
• It is the Father you should hone in on in this Jesus parable, not only the wayward son.
• The Father is mentioned 12 times in this parable.
• You see the Father interacting with the younger son, and then the story cuts away, and you see the Father interacting with the older son.
• The story is about a father reconciling and forgiving his selfish son.
• This younger son exposes his father to public humiliation with his early request for his inheritance.
• In the climate of the 1st century, it was shocking for a son to make this request.
• It was disgraceful and full of disrespect and highly irregular in that culture.
• The star of the show here is the father who forgave.
• The name of this parable should be changed from the Prodigal Son to the Reconciling or Forgiving Father.
• But, that reconciliation was triggered by the son’s turning, the son’s repentance.
• So, you know the story.

Luke 15:13 (ESV) – 13 Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living.

• The son takes his inheritance and goes to a far country.
• What does that mean — a far country?
• A far country is where the Gentiles live.
• You know that’s right because of the pig farm that the younger son ends up working.
• No Jewish person would own a pig farm.
• So, this son takes his father’s hard-earned inheritance and squanders it over into the hands of Gentiles.
• So, this son’s actions?
• He has humiliated his father.
• He has brought disrespect to the family name.
• The family cannot recoup this land in the year of Jubilee because those laws are not pertinent to Gentiles.
• This father has every reason to excommunicate or cut this son off.
• Jews would disinherit a person who acted like this in a ceremony called ‘The Gesasah.’

The Gesasah was a ceremony by townspeople for a son of the village who had either lost his money to Gentiles or married an immoral woman. They would gather around him, breaking jars with corn and nuts, and declare that he was to be cut off from the village. ³

• But, what does the father do instead of excommunicating his son?

Luke 15:20–21 (ESV) — 20 And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. 21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

• Remember what we said earlier about the three ‘R’s’: repentance, relationship, and righteousness.
• The scripture states, ‘While he was a long way off….’
• How could the father have seen his son from such a long way off?
• The father was looking for his son.
• Remember the first two stories, the man looking for the sheep, the woman looked for the coin.
• The father looked for this boy.
• Could it be that the father left his house and situated himself at such a vantage point where he could see way down the road?
• The father was not angry.
• He was looking.
• The Father was not upset.
• He was searching.
• This Dad was not mad.
• He was longing.
• This Father was hurting for his son.
• Notice as soon as this Father saw His boy; He felt something.
• That something was compassion.
• The offense that the son committed is not what came up to Him when He saw His son.
• His son had repented.
• This boy had turned back to His father.
• You know what happens many times with us on a human level.
• When a person has done us wrong, and we see them, we also tend to see the offense they committed against us.
• We see the injustice at the same time we see the person.
• It flies up in our face.
• Not so, this father.

Luke 15:22 (ESV) — 22 But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet.

• When this father saw that his son had turned, he restored him to right relationship and realized some of the fruits of his righteous standing with his father.
• Repentance will keep you safe.
• What was the ring about?
• The ring was used to seal important documents and conduct business transactions.
• The ring, the signet ring, symbolized authority.
• This father forgave his son and immediately gave him authority!
• That’s one of the fruits of right relationship.
• It’s one of the things that repentance brings you into.
• Now, we are looking at this story in its first-century context.
• But since the Father here is symbolic of God the Father and we know that He never changes, if we upload the robe, the ring, and the shoes into the New Covenant, what do we have?
• We have a robe that represents righteousness or right standing.
• Right standing implies total forgiveness and total cleansing of all sin.
• We have a ring that symbolizes that we have authority on planet earth.
• And finally, we have shoes which in Ephesians 6 denotes the preparation of the gospel of peace.
• All of this is a by-product of repentance.
• Looking at the shoes further, we see the added indication of trust.
• The Father God not only forgave us, but He entrusted us with the most important message on the planet.
• And, He did it right after He forgave us — right after we repented.
• I am telling you, repentance is a good God thing.
• No waiting period is necessary for a reconciled son to begin to share what Jesus did in their life.
• Many times in human relations, forgiveness comes at the expense of trust.
• Someone abused you, and, yes, you forgave them, but trust comes much slower.
• Not with your Father in heaven.
• He trusted you and empowered you immediately after you repented and received His forgiveness.
• Never doubt God’s love for you.
• If there is any hint of doubt in your mind, meditate on this story.
• See the Father God looking, searching, and waiting for you.
• This is Him — this is how He feels about you.
• No earthly father loves his children more than God the Heavenly Father loves you.
• Soak in that thought until it softens the pores of your heart.
• And if you have missed it, remember the words of First John one.

1 John 1:9 (ESV) — 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

• You have a great God week, and we will see you next time for another edition of Light On Life.

#S2-035: Why Calvary is the Home of the Double Cure [Podcast]

__________
References: