Turn with me, if you would, to
Romans 2. Romans 2. In Romans 1, We looked at all of this horrible
sin that is mentioned. There is a much, much sin, much
wicked, horrible sin mentioned. Sin of every type. Sin to condemn
every soul on this earth. Every single soul. And when we
read through it, we acknowledged the fact that we are included
in it. We are found guilty by it, all
of this horrible sin. Romans 1 condemns every man and
woman on this earth. Every single man and woman on
this earth. Now, how can we say that? How can we say that? How can
we know that every soul is condemned by this? You know, because you
read these things and think, yeah, they really shouldn't be
doing that. Alright, how can we say and how can we know that
every soul is condemned by this? Well, look at chapter 2, verse
1. It says, Therefore thou art inexcusable,
O man, Whosoever thou art that judgest, for wherein thou judgest
another, thou condemnest thyself, for thou that judgest doest the
same things." We are so quick to point out the faults and the
sins of others. We are so quick. But God says,
not so fast. Not so fast. You do the exact
same thing. I don't care what it is that
we accuse of. We do the exact same thing. Some commit sin. Certain sins in the body. Some physically carry out certain
sins in the body. All carry it out in the heart
and mind. That's just the fact. It's a horrible fact. We wish
it wasn't so, but all commit sin, all sin in the heart and
mind. And God says there's no difference. There may be some things that
a man or woman can say they have never physically committed in
the body. There may be some things that
they can say in the flesh, I've never done that. But there is
nothing that a man or a woman can say that he or she has never
committed in the mind and in the heart. Nothing. Verse 1 says, Therefore thou
art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest. For wherein
thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself. For thou that judgest
doest the same things. But we are sure that the judgment
of God is according to truth against them which commit such
things. And thinkest thou this, O man,
that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that
thou shalt escape the judgment of God?" What he's saying is
people do certain things and we look at them and think God
is going to get you for that. He's saying, do you think God
is not going to get you? You do the same thing. What makes
us exempt? Does this hit home? You know
how we know what we do. You ever
say, well, they're going to be judged in their sin. Well, I
do it too. What makes us exempt? When they
do it, it's sin to us. How come when we do it, it's
not sin to us? Verse 3 says, And thinkest thou
this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest
the same thing, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? Turn
with me over to John 16. John 16 verse 7. Nevertheless, I tell you the
truth. It is expedient for you that
I go away. For if I go not away, the comforter
will not come unto you. That's the Holy Spirit. Our Lord
said, but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he
is come, he will convince. That's what reprove means. He
will convince the world of sin. When he comes, that's the first
thing he will convince of. When the truth comes to a sinner,
the first thing that sinner sees and is convinced of is his own
sin. His own sin. When God reveals
Himself, and God reveals His holiness, and reveals the truth
of His Word, when the truth comes, sinners see their sin. They see their own sin. God's
Word cries, Thou art the man. And the sinner cries, Truth,
Lord, I am the man. I am the man. I am a sinner. I can point the finger all I
want to, but it's me. It's me. That's describing me. I'm the worst. I'm the chief. All right, that response, okay,
that response is the focal point of this Bible study. That response
to the truth of a child of God, that's our focal point in this
Bible study. Go back to Romans 2. Verse 1 says, Therefore thou
art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest. For wherein
thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself. For thou that judgest,
doest the same things. But we are sure that the judgment
of God is according to truth against them which commit such
things. And thinkest thou this, O man,
that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that
thou shalt escape the judgment of God? Or despisest thou the
riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering, not knowing
that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?" What he's
saying is, do you despise the thought of God giving the riches
of His goodness and forbearance and longsuffering to them like
He did to you? Do you despise that? Do you not
want that for them? Goodness means grace. It means favor. Forbearance means
not immediately executing vengeance. Not immediately giving what is
deserved. It means mercy. Not getting what
is owed. Grace, mercy, and long-suffering
means patience. He's saying, do you think that
you were more worthy of those things? And that's exactly what
the natural man thinks. He thinks, well, I can understand
why he would give that to me. I mean, I totally get that. But He's saying, don't you realize
that you were just as unworthy as they are? Just as unworthy. Verse 4, Or despisest thou the
riches of His goodness, and forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing
that the goodness of God led you to repentance? If my memory
is correct, I believe it was a man named William J. who walked
into John Newton's office and said, Brother Newton, did you
hear that God saved that old wretched sinner that everybody
knows about out there in town? And John Newton said, Really?
How wonderful. And William Jay said, I'll never
despair of anybody since God saved him. And John Newton said,
Brother Jay, I'll never despair of anybody since God saved me.
Since He saved me, I'm the chief. I'm the chief of sinners. If
God is willing to save me, He's willing to save anybody. What a wonderful thing for a
sinful man to come to realize, especially a preacher of the
gospel. If God is willing to save me, He's willing to save
anybody. It is the goodness of God, and
it's the mercy of God, and it's the patience of God that He would
lead any sinner to repentance. And it's the goodness and mercy
and patience of God that leads sinners to repentance. All right,
now here's what I mean in what I just said. It's His goodness
and grace that He would do it at all. And it is His goodness,
and it is His grace, and it is His kindness, and it's His favor
that sinners fall in love with. That's what leads His people
to repentance. The riches of Christ, the beauty
of Christ, the glory of Christ, that's what leads sinners to
repentance. Now let's take a moment and look
at what is repentance? All right, we're talking about
repentance. What is repentance? It's something that God does.
Men cannot do it on their own. God leads sinners to it. That's what our text just said.
It's the goodness of God that leads sinners to repentance.
No sinner's worthy of it. No sinner is owed it. It is the
riches of God's goodness and mercy and patience that any sinner
would receive it. Now what is it? What is it? We hear that word, but what does
it really mean? What is repentance? Let's see
what the scripture says about it and then I'll give you the
definition of it. Alright, look with me at Luke chapter 13. Luke chapter 13, our Lord said in verse 3, I tell you, nay, but except you
repent, you shall all likewise perish. Repentance is a necessary component
of God's salvation. That's important. That's important. He said, except
you repent, you shall all likewise perish. It is a necessary component
of God's salvation. All right, look with me at Luke
15 verse 7. Luke 15 7 I say unto you that
likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth
more than over ninety and nine just persons which need no repentance. Heaven breaks out in absolute
joy and happiness and rejoicing every time a sinner is led to
it, which is just a wonderful thought. And my mind just got
really sidetracked thinking about that. And that's another message
at another time. But you think about that. Heaven erupts with
joy every single time a sinner is led to it. Alright, turn with
me to Acts chapter 11. Acts 11 verse 18, When they heard these things,
they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also
to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life." Repentance is unto
life. It's a necessary component of
God's salvation. And all of heaven erupts with
joy over it because it's unto life. Alright, turn with me to
Acts chapter 20. Acts 20 verse 21. testifying both to the Jews and
also to the Greeks repentance toward God and faith toward our
Lord Jesus Christ. Repentance is toward God. I want to go ahead and put an
emphasis on this. Repentance is not toward us. Repentance is not toward man
in any way. Repentance is toward God. All
right, turn with me to 2 Timothy 2. 2 Timothy 2 verse 24. And the servant of the Lord must
not strive, but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient
in meekness, instructing those that oppose themselves, if God
peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth. I hope this one really sinks
in. Repentance is to the acknowledging of the truth. Alright, turn to
Hebrews 6. Hebrews 6 verse 1. Therefore, leaving the principles
of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection, not
laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and
of faith toward God." Repentance is from dead works. It is an important component
of God's salvation. Heaven erupts with joy every
time a sinner is led to it. It is unto life. It is toward
God. It is to the acknowledging of
the truth. It is from dead works. And turn with me to 2 Peter chapter
3. 2 Peter 3 verse 9 says, The Lord
is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness,
but is longsuffering to us word. And that is a critical word in
this verse of scripture. You will at some point in your
life have somebody come up to you and say, well, doesn't the
Bible say that God is not willing that any should perish? No, it says He's not willing
that any of the us-ward should perish. God's elect, His chosen,
His people. Peter started this in chapter
1 verse 1 saying exactly who He's writing to, those of like
precious faith. Us word. That's who I'm writing
to. Verse nine. The Lord is not slack concerning
his promise. As some men count slackness,
but as long suffering to us word, not willing that any of the us
word should perish, but that all of the us word should come
to repentance. All of God's people will come
to it. All of God's people now. What
is it? I promise I'm getting close to
being done. What is it? What exactly is repentance? The definition of the word repentance
that we have been looking at is a change of mind. It means to cause to think differently. When people naturally hear the
word repent, you must repent. The Lord came preaching, repent
for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. When people hear the
word repent, they naturally think it means stop sinning. They naturally think it means
turn from your sin and don't do it anymore. If that's what repent means,
then none of us have been led to repentance. If that's what
it means. None of us have been led to repentance.
Because every person here still lives daily in the same old sin
that he or she has always lived in. The same old sin. Don't you still cry, oh wretched
man that I am. Or oh wretched woman that I am. A lot of people will go around
telling others, you have no idea what I used to be. Old wretched
man that I used to be. Not God's people. Old wretched
man that I am. I hate me. I'm so sick and tired of me.
This flesh right here. If I could just get away from
me. If I could just get away from
me. Now, our Lord may have been gracious
to us and He may have allowed us to stop committing certain
open sins that were bringing a reproach on His name and a
reproach on His congregation and a reproach on His gospel.
Some of His people may have been thieves who don't steal anymore,
physically. Some of his people may have been
fornicators who don't physically fornicate anymore. Should we straighten up and fly
right? Should we strive to obey him
and be true followers of his example? Absolutely. Should we
just be okay with going deeper and deeper into vile rebellion
and sin? I used to know a man years ago
who, bless his heart, he was just a rebel. And he'd heard
a little bit about Calvinism and this was his answer every
time. He'd go, well, I'm just a sinner. Should we say that? Should we just say, well, you
know, I'm just a sinner. This is all I can do. God forbid. God forbid. Shall we continue
in sin that grace may abound? God forbid. But here's the truth
of the matter. The beginnings of Romans 2, what
we just read, told us that as long as we're in the body of
this flesh, We will never have clean hands and a pure heart.
Never. Therefore, as much as we wish
we could, we are never going to be able to turn from our sin. Not as long as we're on this
earth. We will never be able to embody mind, heart, and soul
as long as we're standing on this earth. We'll never be able
to stop sinning. Thankfully, that's not what the
word repentance means. Repentance means a change of
mind. That is something that every
true believer possesses. That is something they physically,
mentally, in heart, in soul, possess. It's something that
they have and something that they do. We start out in this
world, we start out in religion, thinking that we can do things
that are physically pleasing to God. But once He reveals just how
holy He truly is, Once He reveals just how spotless His purity
truly is and what His demands are to stand in His presence,
once He reveals that, we have a changed mind. What a fool I
was to think I could meet the demands of God. We start out
in the world and in religion thinking that we are really not
that much of a sinner. Maybe just a little bit. Just a few flaws here and there.
Overall though, not that bad. Once God reveals just how vile
and how deceitful and how wicked and how corrupt and how lustful
and how dead and how rotten we really are. Once He reveals the absolute
darkness of every man's soul, we have a change of mind. A change of mind. What a fool
I was to think that a few good deeds could undo all the corruption
that I am in my flesh. This change of mind about God,
this change of mind about self, brings a change of mind about
salvation. I can't. He must. This is salvation. This is life.
I can't. He must. I turn toward God. I now acknowledge the truth. Who is the truth? I now acknowledge
Christ. I'm not looking here anymore.
I now acknowledge the Lord Jesus Christ. I acknowledge now that
He is all my salvation. He is the one who put an end
to my sins. Therefore I now turn from all
of my dead works. Do I wish I could stop sinning?
You better believe it. But I'm not looking to that for
salvation. I'm not trusting that for my salvation. I don't find
any assurance in that. If I do a little better today,
just let's see what tomorrow brings. Salvation is of the Lord. God said every time a sinner
says that, heaven breaks out in absolute rejoicing. Every
time a sinner cries, Christ is all. Heaven cries, amen. When that is revealed to a sinner
and that sinner becomes convinced of it and stands firm in it,
repentance has come to that sinner. the goodness, the grace, the
mercy, the patience of God has led that sinner to repentance. And when it happens, that sinner
will say, if God did it for me, God can do it for anybody. Before,
he said, well, I see why he's gonna do it for me, and I don't
think he's gonna do it for them. But a change of mind comes. If
God did it for me, God can do it for anybody. If God led me
to this changed mind, God can lead you to this changed mind.
And I pray that He will. I do, I pray that He will. I
pray that He will lead all of us, all of us, to a true repentance
toward Him. May all of us cry, it's Him.
All Him. Alright, you're dismissed.