Praying with Paul: The Gift of Repentance
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Intro:
10 For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.
Tonight, we will continue [Praying with Paul], the subject of my message is, [The Gift of Repentance].
There are some gifts we receive that when we get them, we might wonder, is this really a gift?
I remember when I graduated high school, we had a company come in to sell graduation announcements. The man marketing them to us unsuspecting teenagers made this bold promise, “the more announcements you send the more gifts people will give you.”
What I didn’t realize was the more graduation announcements we purchased and sent the more money HE made.
But I listened, I sent them to anyone and everyone, as did all of my friends. People were generous as they always are when someone reaches the milestone of graduating.
One of the ladies I worked with at JCPenney told me, I am proud you are graduating, and I want to give you a gift. I was appreciative, but perplexed when she explained, I want you to go and pick out a briefcase.
I remember thinking, briefcase? What will I do with that?
She went on to tell me, God is going to use you. You are going to travel the country preaching and you need a nice briefcase to hold your Bible, book, computers, and notes.
At first, I didn’t understand the gift, but when she explained, I was humbled and thankful.
I still have the briefcase, it is in bad shape, but for some reason I can’t part with it, it’s been with me from California, to Maryland, to Florida, to Central and South America, to VULCAN.
It was a gift I did not understand at first, but it is the only graduation gift from High School that I still have fourteen years later.
Paul wrote a letter to the Corinthians that is lost to history. We do not know its contents, but we know its overall theme—repentance.
The letter was severe and harsh. Undoubtedly the Corinthians were slightly offended or hurt with the letter, Paul even identified that it created sorrow in them.
But, the letter was a gift. The Corinthians were in jeopardy of disobeying God and causing irreparable harm to their church and reputation.
What this letter did was to lead the Corinthians to repentance, which is one of the greatest gifts.
Repentance is, the act where we turn from our sin and rebellion and turn to God in faith.
Repentance is a gift that brings other gifts. I want to look at them tonight, [The Gift of Conviction], [The Gift of Comfort], and [The Gift of Consecration].
Let’s begin
1. The Gift of Conviction
1. The Gift of Conviction
9 Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing.
When Paul wrote this letter to the Corinthians, he had to address the elephant in the room— the harsh letter he wrote.
He was glad that he wrote the letter because it led them to repentance. What comes before repentance?
Conviction.
Why is conviction a gift?
Many people do not like conviction because it makes them feel bad or sorrowful. The idea for many is if God is a loving God, I shouldn’t have to change.
True, conviction does not always feel good, but God convicts us because He loves us.
5 And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: “My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him;
6 For whom the Lord loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.”
7 If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten?
When God convicts us, showing us the error of our ways, He does so because He loves us. In His great love, He reveals to us what is wrong in us so He can make it right.
Notice, the fact that God chastens us is proof that He loves us, because He loves His children.
Though conviction might not feel good, it is serves the important purpose to lead us to repentance.
God prompted Paul to write a letter that led the Corinthians to conviction,. He did so because without godly sorrow, they would not have repented.
2. The Gift of Comfort
2. The Gift of Comfort
10 For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.
When God is the one who convicts us, it is a gift because it leads us to repentance.
Notice the phrase GODLY sorrow. I think it is important to emphasize the word GODLY when it comes to sorrow or conviction.
The reason being is that God is the only one who can convict. He used Paul to get the attention of the Corinthians, but He was the one who was at work in their lives.
When God convicts and we repent it leads to comfort. Comfort knowing that our sins are forgiven and that we are in right-standing with Him.
It is a comfort to know that through repentance we are lead away from the sins of this world and God leads us in salvation. We should NEVER regret Godly sorrow and conviction.
BUT, there are times that people feel it is there God to convict others by emphasizing their perceived sins.
IF we are to call someone out on their sins, we HAVE to be led by the Holy Spirit, It is true that God can use us as He did Paul to show someone the error of their ways, but it has to be Spirit-led.
We cannot attempt to convict someone based on our opinions of that person or what we think that person is doing or not doing. We have to leave that to the Holy Spirit.
When it is true conviction it will lead to comfort. When it is the opinion of others, it will lead to condemnation.
I remember Pastor Tucker telling me of a church he pastored in the 1970s. A lady came to church and got saved and filled with the Holy Spirit. He spoke of how she overflowed with joy. Then, suddenly, one week, she looked sad and down.
He asked her what was wrong. She answered, her parents told her that she wasn’t really saved because she continued to cut her hair, wear makeup, and PANTS outside of church.
She felt condemned and not accepted by God.
1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
True conviction leads to repentance which then leads to comfort.
3. The Gift of Consecration
3. The Gift of Consecration
11 For observe this very thing, that you sorrowed in a godly manner: What diligence it produced in you, what clearing of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what vehement desire, what zeal, what vindication! In all things you proved yourselves to be clear in this matter.
How will we live when we have genuinely repented?
11 Just see what this godly sorrow produced in you! Such earnestness, such concern to clear yourselves, such indignation, such alarm, such longing to see me, such zeal, and such a readiness to punish wrong. You showed that you have done everything necessary to make things right.
Repentance changes our lives because it is more than saying we are sorry, it is turning from that sin!
Repentance makes us realize that is it not that we can’t do those things we used to do, we won’t want to do those things we used to do.
It will change our lives and our perspective.
Oh! Don’t Look For Me To Go,
Where I Used To Go Before,
I Don’t Go There Any More,
I Found A Better Way.
Don’t Look For Me To Say,
All The Things I Used To Say Before,
I Don’t Say Them Anymore,
I Found A Better Way.
Oh Well I’ve Found A Better Way,
Brighter Paths For My Feet.
My Heart Found Joy So Sweet,
I Found A Better Way.
And Since I Found The Church,
I’ve Found A Place To Pray.
And There I Found The Lord,
I Found A Better Way.
Don’t Look For Me To Be,
Just Like I Used To Be.
There’s Been A Change In Me,
I’ve Found A Better Way.
I May Not Walk So Proud,
And I May Not Boast So Loud,
But I’m Boud For Heaven Now,
I’ve Found A Better Way.
Who has found this better way?
That is not to say that the moment we repent we will cease to face temptation. Should we give into temptation, the process will start over:
Conviction— Godly sorrow
Comfort— because of repentance
Consecration— desiring to live a holy life
Should we face temptation after we’ve repented and should we give into that temptation, remember the words of John:
1 My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
Jesus stands in our place and lead us back to Him.
Close:
Repentance is a gift. At first, the feeling we have when we need to repent might not seem like a present, but I never want to lose the feeling of conviction.
I never want to stray so far from God that I can no longer sense His convicting presence. Because His conviction is a reminder that I am His child.
When I repent, thankfully, He accepts and comforts me! Now I can live a consecrated life.
As the hymn says,
Take my life and let it be
consecrated, Lord, to thee.
Take my moments and my days;
let them flow in endless praise,
let them flow in endless praise.
Repentance is a gift and we should repent everyday.