Okay, now we're turning in our
Bible to our continuing study. There are 24 chapters in the
book of Luke, and we've covered the first 12. Now today we start
the second half, I guess, part 2, chapter 13. Luke chapter 13
and verse 1 down to verse 5. And the Lord brings a very, very important message for us. Let's
read these five verses one more time. They were present at that
season, at that time. Or in other words, we can say
it came to pass. Some that told him of the Galileans. Now, how many were killed? I
don't know. Probably many. Whose blood Pilate had shed. He had killed these people who
were sacrificing, who were worshiping God, and Pilate ordered their
execution and then ordered those cruel men to take their blood
and to mingle it with the blood of their sacrifices. Now, what
a barbaric thing. Men are no different today. They're
still ruthless, barbaric, ungodly, all of us are by nature. And
the Lord answered these who had came and told this gruesome and
brutal story. The Lord knowing their thoughts
and their hearts, He says, you think that these Galileans were
so sinful above all the Galileans that this is the reason that
they suffered? Now that's what we would naturally
think, and that's what people yet today naturally think. But
the Lord corrects their thinking. He said, I tell you, no sir,
no. But, he said, I tell you this,
except you repent, you all likewise perish." There we see the necessity
of true godly repentance. And then the Lord tells us of
another story. There was evidently a tower being
constructed or a tower that maybe was old and ancient fell down
there in Siloam and fell and killed these 18 men. And again,
the Lord said, do you think they were sinners, or the marginal
reference has debtors, above all men that dwell in Jerusalem? And the Lord again says, I tell
you, no. No, sir. But except you repent,
twice He says this. It must be pretty important.
Except you repent, you will all likewise perish. Now, I'm entitling
the message It won't be hard to remember,
repent or perish. Repent or perish. Repent or perish. There's no middle ground. There's
no middle ground. option. Repent or perish. Surrender, we read in Acts 17. God commandeth all men everywhere
to repent. The Lord doesn't invite men to
repent. The Lord commands all men everywhere
as the King who has a right to command all men everywhere to
repent. Does that include you? Absolutely. Does that include all men? Absolutely. Now some came to the Lord who
told the report about the many who Pilate had killed, and they
supposed that these people died because they were great sinners
and the judgment of God fell upon them. Well, we can be assured
of this, that they were sinners. And we can be sure of this, the
Lord kills and the Lord makes alive. But the Lord Jesus Christ,
upon hearing the report of the many who had died in Galilee,
and those who had died in Jerusalem under the falling tower, quickly
corrected their wrong supposition, corrected their thinking, and
by nature we think ignorantly. Our thinking is wrong. They corrected
their thinking and told them to consider their own case, their
own heart, and their need of true, godly repentance. And then
the Lord said, not once, but twice. Now, I just imagine He
points His finger. He points the finger of God.
except you repent, you will perish." Now, you imagine the power that
goes forth with the Word of God spoken by the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, this word, except, Except. The Lord gives in His Word four
ultimatums concerning salvation using this word, except. Let
me give you the other three. One of them we read up here.
But here's the other three. In John chapter 3, John chapter
3, when the Lord is speaking to that self-righteous Pharisee
named Nicodemus, you remember the Lord said to him, Except
a man is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Except
a man is born again, born from above, he cannot perceive or
understand the kingdom of God. And then the Lord goes on to
tell Nicodemus, Except a man be born again, he cannot enter
into the kingdom of God. That is, you must be born of
God. Except a man is. you'll perish
in his sin. This new birth that he's talking
about there in John 3, is regeneration by the power of God the Holy
Spirit, giving us life in Christ, and the fruit of that is faith
in Christ, and repentance toward the Lord Jesus Christ. Whosoever
believeth that Jesus is the Christ, remember 1 John 5 verse 1? Whosoever
believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God. Now, here's the second ultimatum
the Lord gives. Don't turn, let me just read
it to you. In Matthew 5.20, the Lord says this, I say unto you,
except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the
scribes and Pharisees. Oh, they were clean livers. Outwardly, inwardly they were
full of dead men's bones, but the Lord said, except you exceed
this outward morality, even of the five and the Pharisees, He
said, you shall in no case enter in to the kingdom of God. Now,
how righteous do you need to be to stand in the presence of
God justified? As righteous as God. Well, preacher,
how can this sinner stand before God who is holy, righteous, and
justified? Only by standing in Christ. Only
by being found in the Lord Jesus Christ. How good and how righteous
do we need to be to enter into the presence of God? as righteous
as He is. He will by no means clear the
guilty. We must be justified before God
in Christ. And that's what we see in the
Gospel, the blessedness of being made righteous in Christ. You remember our study in the
book of Romans, Romans 4, 6. Blessed is the man whom the Lord
imputeth righteousness without works, saying, Blessed are they
whose iniquities are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed
is the man in whom that Lord will not impute sin." Now here's
the third one. The third one. Our Lord said
in Matthew 18-3, "...verily, verily, I say unto you, except
you be converted, and become as a little child, you shall
not enter in to the kingdom of God." These are ultimatums the
Lord gives us. "...except a man be converted,
and to come as a little child, he shall not enter into the kingdom
of God." Now, this conversion that the Lord is talking about
there is the fruit of the new birth, it's the fruit of salvation,
and what it is, it's total acknowledgment and complete dependence upon
the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, for everything in salvation,
just like a little child. A little child, Maddox sitting
back there, a little child is totally dependent upon his father
to provide everything for him, his food, his shelter, his health,
his well-being. He's totally dependent upon his
daddy. Believers who are converted by
the grace of God know and acknowledge that their total dependence of
salvation is totally upon the Lord Jesus Christ alone. We look to Him alone for everything
in salvation. In Him dwells all the fullness
of a Godhead bodily, and we are complete in Him. Those who are
converted know that they rest totally upon Him to supply all
our need according to His riches in glory through the Lord Jesus
Christ. And the fourth ultimatum we read
in Scripture is found here in Luke 13. In verse 3, the Lord
said, except you repent, you will perish. In verse 5, He said
again, except you repent, you will perish. And again, repeat
what I said earlier. There's no middle ground. Either you are repenting or you're
not. There's no middle ground. There
is no neutral ground here. The Lord said, except you repent,
You will perish. You either, by the grace of God,
blessed to live in a constant state of repentance, and that's
what it is, or not. Now, let me ask you this. What
is true repentance? Now, I hear what religious people
say, but what does the Word of God teach about what is true
repentance? Well, if you look the Word up,
The word repentance means a change of mind. A change of mind. That is a repentant mind. A change of mind. We read in
scripture many times about being of a repentant mind, a repentant
heart, a broken heart, a contrite heart. It's a change in our thinking
that's brought about by the power of God. It's a change in our
thinking about who God is and how God saves sinners. A change
in our thinking about our own selves, who we truly are. It's agreeing with God against
myself. When He says, guilty, a repentant
heart says, man, you're right, I'm guilty. When God said, ìAll
have sinned and come short of the glory of God,î a repentant
heart said, ìYes, against thee and thee only have I sinned,
and done this evil in thy sight.î One who is in a state of rebellion
says, ìUh-uh, not me, thatís that other guy.î A repentant
heart agrees with God, ìI am guilty, I am a sinner.î Now remember
this about repentance. Repentance, true godly repentance,
never puts away sin. A lot of people think that. If
they're sorry long enough, or cry long enough, or repent long
enough, that somehow that makes atonement for sin wrong. How is sin put away? By the blood
sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now listen to me. A true repentant
heart acknowledges and knows and realizes how sin is put away
by the blood atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ. That's what
a true repentant heart knows. That the blood of Jesus Christ,
God's Son, cleanses us from all our sins. Secondly, repentance
is never An isolated experience or isolated act. Now the thief,
often when he is caught and he comes before the judge, you know
what the judge wants to see? And often we see this. He wants
to see some remorse. And often times, that old bird,
the thief, he's just sorry that he got caught. If he had been
set free, he wouldn't be sorry anymore, would he? But a true
repentant heart is never an isolated experience. It's never an isolated
act. A true repentant heart is a state
of being. True believers are always living
in a state of constant repentance, submission, and dependence upon
the Lord Jesus Christ. That's what a true repentant
heart is. And remember this also as well.
True repentance is a gift of God just as much as faith is. For by grace are ye saved through
faith, and that not of yourselves, it is a gift of God, not of worthless
any man should boast. Now, let's turn and look at these
two scriptures. We know that faith is a gift
of God, right? But where does repentance come
from? Is that something you just work up? Muster up some repentance? Well, let's see what the Word
says. Turn to Acts chapter 5, first of all. Acts chapter 5,
verse 29. Acts chapter 5, verse 29. Then
Peter and the other apostles answered and said, ìWe ought
to obey God rather than men.î You remember they were commanded
and even beaten not to teach or preach anymore in the name
of the Lord Jesus Christ. The God of our fathers raised
up Jesus, whom you slew and hanged on a tree. Acts 5, 31. Him hath God exalted with his
right hand to be Prince and Savior, for to give repentance to Israel
and the forgiveness of sin. And we are witnesses of these
things, and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to
them that obey Him. Now, one other scripture, when
the apostle Peter went to the house of Cornelius and preached
the gospel, and they were granted faith and repentance, and they
believed the gospel, and some of those old Jews were a little
bit upset, and turned to Acts chapter 11 verse 19. Acts chapter
11 verse 19. Or verse 18 rather. When they
heard these things, They held their peace and glorified God,
saying then, hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance."
Repentance unto life. Now, repentance is a grant. Repentance
is a gift. It's the sovereign gift of God.
Now, wherever you find a repentant sinner, you always find a believing
heart. Repentance and faith Always go
together. They're always found together.
In other words, in Acts chapter 20, you remember Paul preached
repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Change
your mind about God and then look to the Lord Jesus Christ
for all of salvation. Where you find a repentant heart,
you find a believing heart. Repentance and faith are always
found together. Like a piece of paper. This piece
of paper here has two sides. When you find a repentant heart,
you find a believing heart. Always. Now, it is a goodness
of God, turn to Romans 2, what leads us to repentance? It is
a goodness of God that leads us to repentance. Remember from
our study in Romans chapter 2, turn over there. Romans 2, verse
2, We are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth
against them that commit such things. And thinkest thou this,
O man, that judgeth them which do such things, and dost escape,
and dost thou, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape
the judgment of God? Romans 2, 4, Or despisest thou
the riches of his goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing
that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? Now, what
leads us to repentance? The goodness of God, the mercy
of God. Now, I want you to turn to another
scripture, I want you to see this. You remember from our study
in the book of Revelation, we studied through it twice, find
Revelation 16. A lot of people in religion have
the idea, well, we preach hell hard enough. and the wrath of
God strong enough, and just beat up on people, and beat up on
people about the judgment of God, the wrath of God, eternal
hell and condemnation. Not that we dismiss those things.
We do preach those things. But that will not bring repentance
to a sinner. Did you know that? I'll show
you that. Turn to Revelation 16 verse 8. The fourth angel poured out his
vial upon his son, and power was given unto him to scorch
men with fire. And the men were scorched with
great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God, which had power
over these plagues, and they repented not to give him the
glory." There's a wrath of God being poured out. Did they repent? No, sir. You see, repentance
is a gift of God based upon the goodness and mercy of God revealed
in the gospel. Now, both faith and repentance,
both faith and repentance, love and believe and acknowledge the
truth of salvation. Now, I'm going to show you that
in Scripture. Find 2 Timothy chapter 1, first of all. 2 Timothy
chapter 2, rather. 2 Timothy chapter 2. Both faith
and repentance that are both the gifts of God, both are a
state of being, not an isolated act. They both acknowledge, believe,
and love the truth. Now here you can tell whether
you have a repentant heart or not, whether you have a believing
heart or not. Look what it says here, 2 Timothy
chapter 2 verse 23, But foolish and unlearned questions avoid,
knowing that they do gender strife. And the servant of the Lord must
not strive, but be gentle unto all men, able to teach, patient
in meekness, instructing those that oppose themselves, If God,
peradventure, will give them repentance, notice it's a gift,
give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth. Now, that's what
a true repentant heart does. Faith is the same thing. Turn
just to one page, Titus chapter 1. Titus chapter 1. Look at verse
1. Titus 1.1, Paul, a servant of
God, an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's
elect, there's the faith of God's elect, and the acknowledging
of the truth, which is after godliness, or the truth that
magnifies God and gives Him all the honor and glory. You cannot
have repentance toward God without faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Both are essential in salvation. They both are given of God in
regenerating grace, and they always magnify and glorify God,
saying that salvation is of the Lord. of the Lord. He that heareth my word, and
believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall
not come in condemnation, but is passed from death unto life."
You see, without faith, it is impossible to please God. A man without faith is a man
without Christ. Neither faith nor repentance
are the ground or cause of salvation, but rather the fruit of God the
Holy Spirit, conviction, and regeneration. If you have a repentant
heart, it's because you've been begotten of God. If you have
a believing heart, it's because you have been begotten of God.
Now, I quoted this, but let me read it to you again. In Acts
20 and 21, Paul said, I kept back nothing that was profitable
unto you, but I've showed you and I've taught you publicly,
from house to house, publicly and from house to house, publicly
and privately, testifying both to the Jews and also to the Greeks,
repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. He's the object of faith. Now,
my pastor used to always say this, true repentance is brought
about in a sinner's heart by change of masters. Who is your
Lord? The Lordship of Christ is the
Lord invading our heart, our mind, our soul, and our affection,
which leads to a change of mind, which leads to a change of motives,
which leads to a change of manners. A repentant heart. He's nigh
unto them of a broken heart, save as such as be of a contrite
spirit. Now, what is involved in true
repentance that is a gift of God, and how? That has a life-changing
effect upon our thinking and upon our thoughts. Well, let's
see what we can find out in the Scripture. Find 1 Thessalonians
chapter 1. 1 Thessalonians chapter 1. I'm having you turn to a lot
of Scripture this morning, but it's a good exercise. It's a
good thing to do. I could quote these to you, but
I want you to see them in Scripture. 1 Thessalonians chapter 1. You
see, a repentant heart is continually turning to change of mind and
a turning. Look what it says here, verse
9. For they themselves show of us
what manner of entering in we had unto you, how you turn to
God from your idols to serve the living and true God. That's
repentance. A continually turning... Now
notice how this is written here. How you turn to God from your
idols. It's a turning to Him. That's
a repentant heart. "...and to wait for His Son from
heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus, who delivered
us from the wrath to come." And then a repentant heart and a
believing heart is continually turning to Him. It's continually
looking to Him. It's continually coming to Him.
Find 1 Peter. 1 Peter chapter 2. Verse 1, "...Wherefore, laying
aside all malice, all guile, hypocrisy, envies, and all evil
speaking, a newborn babe desired the sincere milk of the Word
that she might grow thereby. If so, you have tasted that the
Lord is gracious, to whom coming?" You see that? turning and coming. To whom coming? As into a living
stone. This allowed indeed of men but
chosen of God and precious. You also as living stones are
built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual
sacrifices acceptable to God by the Lord Jesus Christ. And
it's continual looking to Him. Turn back a few pages to Hebrews
chapter 12. So it's turning to Him, it's
a continual state of being, turning to Him, coming to Him, and looking
to Him, believing Him. Hebrews 12 verse 1, Wherefore,
seeing we are all so encompassed about with so great a cloud of
witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth
so easily beset us, let us run with patience in the race that
is set before us, looking, looking, unto Jesus, the author and finisher
of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured
the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right
hand of the throne of God." And then thirdly, it's continual
rejoicing in Him. A continual rejoicing in Him. It's not an isolated experience
or isolated act. It's a continual rejoicing in
Him. Philippians 3.3. Let me just
read this one to you. This is familiar to you. For we are the true circumcision,
we are the circumcision which worship God in spirit, in the
Spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and we have no confidence
in the flesh." So there is a continual rejoicing in Him. Rejoice in
the Lord always, Philippians 4.4. Rejoice in the Lord always,
and again I say, rejoice in Him. Now, true repentance is being
chained by the power of God's grace, sovereign grace, almighty
grace, and it causes us to turn from self, turn to God from ourselves
and changing our thinking about four things. Four things. Now, I've got a few minutes left.
Four things. Let me give them to you quickly.
Change our mind and our thinking about the true character of God.
About the true character of God. God is not who we think He is,
He is who He is, as revealed in the Word of Truth. The God
of Scripture is absolutely sovereign in all things, over all things,
who is absolutely holy in all He does. Sovereign in creation,
providence, and salvation. So a repentant heart, is turned
in his thinking and has a revelation in his heart of the true character
of God as holy, sovereign, and almighty. Secondly, a repentant
heart, being chained by the power of God and the grace of God,
changes our thinking about the true character of man, that is,
who we really are. True repentance agrees with God
about His testimony concerning man who is totally sinful, wicked,
and ungodly. There is none righteous, no,
not one. Does that include you? A repentant
heart says, Amen. Amen. The carnal mind has enmity
against God. A repentant mind is reconciled
to God in the Lord Jesus Christ. To be fleshly minded is death.
To be spiritually minded, a mind of repentance, is life and peace.
Romans 8, 6. Thirdly, there's a change in our thinking
about the true character of salvation. The true character of salvation.
Salvation is by the grace of God alone, right? God who saved
us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our
works, but according to God's own purpose and grace. The true
character of salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, it
is of faith that it might be by grace, that the purpose might
be sure to all the seed. And then, the true character
of salvation in Christ alone. He said, I am the way, the truth,
the life. No man comes to the Father but
by and through me. Not by our deeds, not by our
repentance, not by our faith. True faith and true repentance
acknowledge how sin is put away by the sacrifice of the Lord
Jesus Christ alone. Now, the fourth thing, true repentance
by the grace of God, the power of God, changes our thinking
about this vital issue right here. Who gets the glory in saving
sinners? Now to say that God done all
He can do and the rest is up to you and it really matters
how you act toward what He did and then in that scheme of things,
who really gets the glory? Who really makes this thing work?
What a sinner does. But my friend, a true repentant
heart knows that God does all the calling, all the choosing,
all the saving, therefore, He gets all the glory. Worthy is the Lamb that was slain
to receive all honor, glory, and power, both now and forever. And we say with the psalmist
David, not unto us, O Lord, Not unto us, but unto thy name give
glory for thy mercy and for thy true sake. Now, except you repent,
you'll perish. You'll perish, the Lord said,
except you believe that I am, you'll die in your sin. vital
to our soul. We read in Psalm 34, the Lord
has nighed them of a broken heart, save us such as be of a contrite
spirit. This is the godly sorrow that
worketh, that worketh, we read, the godly sorrow that worketh
repentance to salvation, not to be repented of. God's gifts
never change. Now someone said this, if you
miss Holy Spirit conviction, you'll miss true repentance.
And that's so. If you miss true repentance,
you'll miss faith in Christ. If you miss faith in Christ,
you'll miss the salvation of your soul. This is a record that
God has given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.
He that hath the Son hath life, he that hath not the Son hath
not life. Lord, grant us repentance. Ask the Lord, Lord give me a
repentant heart, and give me faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.