All right, go back with me if
you would to 2 Corinthians chapter 7. 2 Corinthians 7. We just looked
in our Bible study at the subject of godly sorrow. And the Apostle Paul said he
greatly rejoiced and he was comforted by and he was thankful for this
godly sorrow because he said in verse 10, godly sorrow worketh
repentance to salvation. The subject and the title of
this message is repentance to salvation. What I want us to see in this
is not only what is repentance to salvation, but do I have it? Have I been given repentance
to salvation? Has that been granted to me? Have I received it? Have I received
it? In verse 11, the Apostle Paul
gives seven statements. Just a moment ago, we read over
them real quickly. Seven evidences. That's what
these are of God given repentance. He said. You were given this
godly sorrow and that godly sorrow led to repentance. And he said,
the way I know this is because these are the things that were
produced in you. So I want us to look at each
one of these. That's what we're going to do is go down through each
one. First, let's start here, though. Go with me over to Proverbs
16. Proverbs 16. Verse 25 says, There is a way
that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways
of death. There is a way that seems right to every man, every man. There is not a man
or a woman on this earth who started out, just was born into
this world and came up in this world. with a correct understanding
of God, sin, and salvation. You know, it's not that some
had it right and some had it wrong, and let's just get everybody
on the same page. There is not a soul on this earth
that started out with a correct understanding of God, sin, or
salvation. Every way that a man or a woman
naturally thinks about God, sin, and salvation is a wrong way. They're all wrong. The Lord looked
down from heaven to see if there were any that did understand
and seek God. Nope, not one. All wrong. Every wrong way leads to destruction. If any man or woman is left to
themselves in the way that they believe, that way is going to
lead to death. Destruction. This is what that
means. Every man and woman, boy and
girl, needs repentance. every single one. Repentance
means a changed mind. If a soul is going to be saved,
that soul is going to have to receive a changed mind about
God, changed mind about sin, and a changed mind about salvation.
Alright, now turn with me to Romans chapter 2. Romans 2 verse 4 says, or despised thou the riches of
his goodness and forbearance and long suffering, not knowing
that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance. We don't
have the ability to just change our own mind. Man stands up and says, you need
a changed mind. Well, we don't have the ability
to, okay, I think I'll change my mind. We don't have, we can't
do that. God is the one who must lead
us to repentance. We are all led to repentance
and it's the goodness of our God that he would do that. The
kindness that he would lead a sinner to repent. He ought to let us
go. Just let us go. But His goodness
leads us to repentance. And when we are led to repentance,
this is what we're led to. Look with me at 2 Timothy chapter
2. 2nd Timothy 2 verse 25. In meekness, instructing those
that oppose themselves, if God per adventure will give them
repentance to the acknowledging of the truth. Repentance is a gift of God.
Everything about our salvation is by grace. By grace you're
saved. We need faith. We need to believe
on the Lord Jesus Christ. That's a gift from God. God says
we need repentance. We need a new mind. That's a
gift from God. Every part of this is a grace
of God. God lays hold of a sinner and
leads that sinner to an acknowledging of the truth. That's the grace
and that's the gift of God. We all started out in error. All of us. We started out believing
lies. But we have a good God. And he
led us to the truth. Every sinner who's led to the
truth about God, about sin, and about salvation, when a sinner
sees the truth, it sets him free. Completely sets him free. Now,
before repentance, a sinner believes that God is altogether such as
we are. That's what people believe. God
is just like us. They believe they understand
God because they think He's just like us. This is how I would
do it. So surely that's how God has to do it. After repentance,
sinners see the truth. His ways are not our ways. They're not our ways. Not at
all. Not at all. Before repentance, sinners say
God is a God of love. God doesn't hate. God's not angry. God wouldn't kill. After repentance, sinners see
the truth. God is a God of love only in
Christ. Only in Christ. Only in Christ. God is a loving God and a gracious
God and a kind God only in Christ. Outside of Christ, he is a God
of wrath. Outside of Christ, he's a God
of vengeance. Outside of Christ, Psalm 7 says
he's angry with the wicked every day. Psalm 5 says he hates all
workers of iniquity. In Deuteronomy 32, he said, I
kill. Revelation 1, he said, I have
the keys of hell and death. Romans 12, he said, vengeance
is mine and I will repay. Hebrews 10 says, it's a fearful
thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Man, it's
a fearful thing. Before repentance, sinners say,
God is trying to make this happen or he is trying to stop this
from happening. He's doing the best he can. You
know, if he's wanting good for your life, if you'll cooperate
with him and if the devil won't mess it up. After repentance, sinners see
the truth. He is God and beside him, there
is no other. There is no other. He does what
he will with the army of heaven. And that ought to make sense
to everybody. Wouldn't it make sense to everybody? God's going
to do what he will with the armies of heaven, everything that's
in heaven. But for some reason they struggle
with knowing that he's also going to do whatever he will with the
inhabitants of the earth. And none can stay his hand or
say unto him, what doest thou? All right. This is the new mind.
This is the brand new mind. The same thing applies to sin
and salvation. We're going to see that in the
text. All right, go with me back to second Corinthians seven. This repentance that God graciously
leads a sinner to. The Apostle Paul said in 2 Corinthians
7 verse 11, this is what it produces in a sinner. The seven things
that he mentions right here. I sincerely pray, I mean this,
I sincerely pray that these things might be produced in me and in
us. These seven things. Verse 11, he said, for behold,
this self same thing, that you sorrowed after a godly sort. And he said, what carefulness
it wrought in you. This gift of repentance that
God gives. This work of grace that God performs
in the heart of his child. The apostle Paul said, what carefulness
it wrought in you. Careful means full of care. That's what it means, full of
care. All of the sudden, when repentance
comes, when God does a work, all of the sudden a sinner cares. There is a God. I don't care. He's the living God. I don't
care. You've sinned against him. I
don't care. He punishes sin. I don't care. The wages of sin is death. I don't. Oh, dear God. It's an awakening. That was the
experience of the Apostle Paul on the road to Damascus. Stephen
preached the gospel to him. You know, he was saying, I don't
care. Oh, dear God. That was the experience of the
Philippian jailer. He was beating Paul and Silas
with everything he had in him, and he slung them in that prison.
All of a sudden, he comes running in, falling down to his knees. That was the experience of 3,000
souls who literally laid hold on the Lord Jesus Christ and
physically actually brought him to Pilate saying crucify him. Hate him. You know what Pilate
said to him? But this is your king. They said
we don't care. Crucify him. Peter stood up on the day of
Pentecost and he preached to the same people who this man
is and what he accomplished on the very cross they led him to. He said this man laid down his
life. This man suffered all the wrath
of God for you that you deserved for that action. You brought
him to Pilate when Pilate was willing to let him go. This is
on you and all the judgment and wrath of God for this sin against
God almighty. You talk about sin against God,
godly sorrow. They said you hung God on the
tree. And he suffered all that wrath
for you. He paid all that wrath, all that
debt for you. And now you're free to go. You're
clear in God's eyes. And they cried out. Oh, dear
God. Men and brethren, what shall
we do? When repentance comes, all the
sudden people care. He said, what carefulness it
wrought in you. What carefulness that awakening. Verse 11. Behold, this self, same thing
that you sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought
in you. Yea, what clearing of yourselves. Not by denying our guilt and
our sin. You know, we spend our entire
lives doing that. Trying to clear ourselves. No,
not me. The last thing the flesh wants
to admit is that it's a sinner. That's the last thing. When God
gives a changed mind, this is what it teaches us. All right.
Look with me at first John chapter one. 1 John 1 verse 9. If we confess our sins, He is
faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us
from all unrighteousness. If we confess our sins. Now don't
turn, but back in Leviticus 13, I adore this. In Leviticus 13, the Lord gave
his commandment concerning leprosy. And this is what he said. He
said, if there is a little spot in the flesh, just a little spot,
just a bear, you just wonder what that is. One tiny little spot. of leprosy. And you go to the priest and
the priest looks at it and sure enough, there's one tiny little
spot of leprosy. He said, pronounce him unclean
and cast him out. Put him out of the congregation.
Put him without the camp. He's a leper. He's dirty. He's vile. But he said, behold, If the leprosy
has covered all his flesh, I mean from the crown of his head to
the sole of his foot, if he is completely covered in absolute
leprosy, pronounce him clean because he is clean. I mean totally,
totally covered. Men and women spend their entire
lives trying to convince God and everybody else that they're
not sinners. Yes, I may have a little spot
right there. I will admit it. You see that?
That's one little spot right there. When we do that, we condemn
ourselves. Eternally condemn ourselves.
The reason is because we're saying we don't need the blood of Christ.
I don't need to be covered head to toe in the blood of the Lord
Jesus Christ. It's just one little spot. But when repentance comes,
as soon as we receive that changed mind about our sin, it's not
just one spot. We see our sin. We see our need
for the blood of Christ. This is what we'll cry. I don't
want to overturn this morning, but go with me to Psalm 51. When repentance comes, this is
what we'll cry. Psalm 51 verse 1, David said,
have mercy upon me. Oh God, have mercy upon me. According to thy loving kindness,
according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies, blot out
my transgressions. He's crying out for blood. 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, not the law, not anybody, 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. He's saying it's not just what
I do, it's what I am. 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. Lord, if you'll wash me, I'll
be whiter than snow. As soon as God-given repentance
causes us to see that from the crown of our head to the sole
of our foot, we are truly nothing but wounds and bruises and putrefied
sores. As soon as God causes us to see
that and causes us to cry out for the blood, mercy and the
blood of the Lamb, this is what God Almighty says. He said, as
soon as that happens, you are clear from all unrighteousness. Clean. That's wonderful. God causes us to see it. God causes us to cry. And then
God clears us for doing it. Go back to the text. Second Corinthians
7. Verse 11 says, what carefulness
it wrought in you, what clearing of yourselves, what indignation. Indignation means greatly afflicted,
much displeased, sore displeased. When repentance comes to a sinner,
that's what he will feel about himself. Every believer can relate to
what the Apostle Paul said in Romans 7. Every single believer,
he said, Oh, wretched man that I am. Oh, wretched man that I
am. What he was saying is I'm so
disgusted. Much displeased, I'm greatly
afflicted by every single thing that I do. Everything. That is not a natural opinion
of self. That's just not a person who
has not received God given repentance will not feel that way about
himself or herself. And when you tell them, this
is how I feel about myself, they won't understand it. They won't
be able to enter into it. Why? Why do you feel that way
about yourself? Those who have received repentance. Every single one of them will
feel the exact same way. Don't turn. I'll turn to you.
This is Job, okay? I believe Job received repentance. It says in Job 42 verses 5 and
6, he said, I have heard of thee by the hearing of the year, but
now mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore, I abhor myself and
repent in dust and ashes." That's God-given repentance. God-given
repentance. It produces the exact same thing
in every child. The same thing. Verse 11 says, What carefulness it wrought in
you? Yea, what clearing of yourselves? Yea, what indignation? Yea, what
fear? Fear means dread that which strikes
terror. It means reverence. Everybody
fears hell and damnation. Everybody does. The fear of the
Lord does involve a holy fear of God's judgment. It does, but
that's not the fear that he's talking about here. When repentance
comes to God's children, they greatly fear dishonoring him. They greatly fear and reverence
his holy name. This name that everybody uses
as, you know, as a response to shock. They'll just use the Lord's
name in some way. All of a sudden, when repentance
comes, they fear and they reverence that holy name. They fear bringing
reproach on His holy name. They fear not glorifying Him
in the way He deserves to be glorified. They fear not worshipping
Him in the way He deserves to be worshipped. They fear taking
his gospel for granted. Do you ever fear that? Oh, Lord,
please don't let me take the gospel for granted. They fear
being an offense to him and his people. I don't want to be an
offense. That's the heart of repentance,
true repentance. Verse 11 says, Yea, what vehement desire. That's the next one. Vehement
desire means a longing for, to long after, to pursue with love. You know, everybody believes
they ought to get religion. Everybody believes they ought
to be in church. Everybody loves God. That's fine. He's fine.
He hasn't really hurt anybody. Everybody wants to be in heaven. Everybody wants these things,
but when true repentance comes, something's different. It's not just a thing anymore. It's a person. And something
is different. David said, as the heart panteth
after the water brooks, as that deer is so thirsty for that river
of water. I'm not just showing up this
morning because I believe it's what I ought to do. I mean, I'm
telling you, I'm coming to this place. I'm hoping a river of
living water will flow. And as a deer who runs up and
puts his head down into that cool water, that's what my soul
feels for you. Something's different. It's different. The bride in
Song of Solomon 5 said, I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem,
if you find my beloved, that you tell him I'm sick of love. She was looking for him and couldn't
find him. She was asking everybody, the watchmen of the city, have
you seen him? Have you seen him? If anybody sees him, would you
tell him, I'm literally love sick, I'm love starved, I need
him. This changed mind does not just
produce agreement, it produces love. I mean real love, vehement
desire. It also means to intensely crave
possession of. Jacob said, I can't let you go. You know, the Lord asked his
disciples, will you go away also? Let me ask you this. Can you
walk away from Christ? Can you? Jacob said, Jacob said, yeah,
my name is Jacob. I'm the supplanter. I'm the trickster. I'm the center. Yes, I stole
everything I have. But I can't let you go. I'm not
worthy of you. I know that, but I still can't
let you go. David said, one thing have I
desired. I mean, one thing, the apostle
Paul said, I am willing to count every other thing loss. If I can just have him. That's
what repentance does. That's truly what repentance
produces in the heart. The next thing goes right along
with that. Verse 11 says, yea, what zeal. Zeal means jealousy
as a husband for his wife. Jealousy as a husband for his
wife. We've had a few weddings in this congregation. And when
we get to the part in the ceremony where we exchange vows, the question
is first asked to the husband. Do you take this bride who you
now hold in your right hand to be your lawful wedded wife? And these vows are serious. I
usually tell whenever two people get married, I say, as we do
this, don't zone out. You try to enter into it. You
try to really think about what you're saying. Really enter into
the moment. Do you now take this bride who
you hold in your right hand to be your lawful wedded wife? And
do you promise in the sight of God Almighty and these witnesses
that you will be a true and devoted husband, that you will love,
honor, cherish, and protect her in joy and in sorrow, in sickness
and in health, in poverty and in wealth, leaving all others. You will cleave to her and her
alone As long as you both shall live. You promise that? So far
the husband has always said, I do. That's zeal. I do. Now after that, the same question
is asked to the bride. Same question. Do you promise
to love him and honor him and cherish him in return? in joy
or sorrow, whichever one it is. Sickness or health, whichever
one it is. Poverty or wealth. Leaving all
others, you will cleave to him and him alone. You promise that.
You know what the bride says? I do. That's what repentance
produces in our. I do. That's zeal. Here's the last thing. Last thing. The apostle Paul mentions verse
11. He went on to say, yay. What?
Revenge. Revenge means justice to do one
justice to carry out justice. When repentance is in the heart
of the center, that center will say you have done all things well." That's
what the sinner will say. That will be his final word. You are the judge of the earth.
And the judge of the earth has done right at all times. Whether I understand it or not.
Whether it's a painful and trying time or not. You've done all
things well. I bow to your will. I bow to
your purpose. That is the true heart of repentance. And the apostle Paul said, whoever
has received this gift of repentance has received the gift of salvation.
This new changed heart is the heart of Christ in you. We didn't come up with that on
our own. That's the gift of God. That's the gift. I'm going to
put a brand new heart in you. Take out that heart of stone.
I'm going to put the heart of Christ himself in you. And then he finished out verse
11 by saying, in all things, you have approved yourselves
to be clear in this matter. Clear means clean, innocent,
perfect, chaste, pure. absolutely pure. May God grant
us this true repentance to Christ, repentance to him, this changed
mind about God, sin, and Christ our Savior. All right, let's
all stand together.