REPENTANCE
An in depth study on the Biblical topic of repentance
Copyright © 2011 by Campus Outreach Birmingham Publications.
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the copyright owner, except for brief excerpts quoted in critical reviews.
Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations throughout the study guide portion of this publication are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2005 by the Standard Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Cover design by Pete Collins Interior design and typeset by Joseph Rhea
Printed in the United States of America
Contents Introduction: Why Do We Need to Study Repentance?
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Lesson 1: A Biblical Definition of Repentance
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Lesson 2: The Need for Repentance (I): The Seriousness of Sin
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“That Hideous Doctrine”
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Lesson 3: The Need for Repentance (II) - The Greatness of the One Sinned Against
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Lesson 4: The Place of Repentance in Initial Salvation
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Lesson 5: The Place of Repentance in the Life of a Christian 60 “All of Life is Repentance”
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Lesson 6: Repentance That is Heart-Deep, not Skin-Deep 74 Lesson 7: Repent, Believe, Fight
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Lesson 8: Challenging Non-Christians to Repentance
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Lesson 9: Calling Other Christians to Repentance
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Appendix 1: Breaking Up the Fallow Ground
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Appendix 2: Heart Searching for Prayer Preparation and Personal Revival
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Introduction: Why Do We Need to Study Repentance? “The gospel’s not about sin; it’s about grace and God’s love, right? That’s what people want to hear, anyways. Only old prudes and super-Christians worry about sin and repentance.”
“Christianity is mainly about being good, about cleaning up your act and being moral. That’s what God wants, is people who do what they’re supposed to do.”
Both of these are common perspectives on Christianity held by non-believers and, unfortunately, by Christians as well. Sadly, both of these views of what the gospel is “about” are dead wrong. Neither describes the condition of the world or God’s desire for it. God is not “just” love and grace, nor is he about moral rightness and good deeds.
Introduction
While many people with some understanding of Christianity would say that both of those views are too extreme, they might not know how to reconcile them. Because God is about love, and God does care about holiness. People who wish to explain the tension may think it lies somewhere in the middle of those two extremes, that there is some balance of grace and good works.
The biblical truth of the matter is actually something entirely different from these two narrow categories, though it includes something of both of them. When Jesus began his earthly ministry, he began it with a declaration and a command: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel” (Mk 1:15). He declared a fact: the kingdom of God, the open rule of the sovereign lord of the universe, is practically here! The rightful king has broken into this world! Jesus proclaimed that the world was changing, that there was a
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new reality overcoming the old.
Along with his description of a new reality, Jesus gave commands in light of it. The kingdom of God bends the lives of human beings like gravity bends the path of a thrown ball. Specifically, the kingdom of God necessarily bends the lives of the people who live in it in two ways: we must repent and believe in the gospel.
This study will examine that first command, the command to repent. Repentance is a nuanced, multilayered idea, and is much misunderstood even in Christian thought. We are going to examine how the Bible defines repentance, why repentance is necessary both for Christians and non-Christians, and how we can practically implement repentance into our lives as Christians. These lessons are not broken down into dayby-day chunks; however, they are designed to be done over several days. It is best to work slowly; when we
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Introduction
bite off too much truth in one sitting, our minds have as much trouble chewing everything just as our mouths do.
It is also best to do this study in a group setting, where you can discuss any discoveries or questions with at least one other person. This will help you digest the truth better and work through any questions or confusion you have regarding the week’s lesson.
And, as always, it is best to work through each lesson with an attitude of prayer and teachability. Psalm 19:7 says, “the law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul;” let God’s word shape your thoughts on these matters. The other authors quoted here are not the Bible, and should not be taken with the same weight as scripture; however, they have been chosen because their teaching is in accord with biblical truth. Interact with them, and learn from them what you can.
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Lesson 1: A Biblical Definition of Repentance What exactly does it mean to repent? Repentance is an inclusive practice that includes several components; none of them by itself is repentance, but each is included in repentance. We will explore several biblical texts that help us understand repentance, then write a comprehensive definition at the end of the lesson.
Read 2 Samuel 11:1-17, 2 Samuel 12:1-14, and Psalm 51:14. 1. What sins does David commit in 2 Samuel 11?
2. How does he initially hide or cover his sins?
Lesson 1: A Biblical Definition of Repentance
3. How does he respond when he hears about the same kind of sin from another person? What does this teach us about sin’s ability to blind us?
4. In 2 Sam 12:7-8, what does Nathan say about God’s relationship with David? How does this help us see our need to repent?
5. What is David’s emotional state in Psalm 51? What does this teach us about repentance?
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6. What does David say about God in these four verses?
7. What does David say about his own sin in these verses? Is sin a big deal to him, or a small deal?
8. What does David ask God to do in this passage? What does that teach us about repentance?
9. To summarize, what are the elements of repentance that we see in this passage?
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Lesson 1: A Biblical Definition of Repentance
Read Jonah 3:1-9. 1. What does v. 5 say that the people of Nineveh did? What does this teach us about repentance?
2. In vv. 7-8, what does the king of Nineveh command? What does this teach us about repentance?
3. In the Old Testament, the word for “turn” or “turn back” is often used to describe repentance. How does this help us understand what repentance is, in light of the passage in Jonah?
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Repentance
Read Jeremiah 4:1-4. 1. To what or whom does this passage say that Israel should return? What does this teach us about repentance?
2. What does God command of Israel in v. 4? What does this teach us about repentance? Think on this quote as well: “Repentance which is occupied with thoughts of peace is hypocrisy. There must be a great earnestness about it and a deep hurt if the old man is to be put off” (Bainton, Here I Stand, 48; qtd. in Ferguson 38).
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Lesson 1: A Biblical Definition of Repentance
3. To summarize so far, what are the components of repentance you see in the Old Testament so far?
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Repentance
Read Luke 15:10-32. 1. Especially in vv. 17-20, how does this parable demonstrate repentance? How do the younger son’s actions describe or symbolize repentance?
2. Read this Tim Keller quote and describe the relationship between the father’s love and repentance: “The first thing we need is God’s initiating love. Notice how the father comes out to each son and expresses love to him, in order to bring him in. He does not wait for his younger son on the porch of his home, impatiently tapping his foot, murmuring, ‘Here comes that son of mine. After all he’s done, there had better be some real groveling!’ There’s not a hint of such an attitude. No, he runs and kisses him before his son can confess. It’s not the repentance that causes the father’s love, but rather the reverse.” (73-4)
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Lesson 1: A Biblical Definition of Repentance
3. Focus on 15:25-32 and read this Keller quote. To truly become Christians we must also repent of the reasons we ever did anything right. Pharisees only repent of their sins, but Christians repent for the very roots of their righteousness, too. We must lean how to repent of the sin under all our other sins and under all our righteousness--the sin of seeking to be our own Savior and Lord. We must admit that we’ve put our ultimate hope and trust in things other than God, and that in both our wrongdoing and right doing we have been seeking to get around God or get control of God in order to get hold of those things.” (75-78) a. Had the older brother done anything “wrong” in the same sense as the younger brother?
b. Does he go into the father’s house (i.e., enter into salvation)? Why not?
c. What do these things teach us about true repentance?
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Repentance
Read Matthew 26:69-75, 27:3-5, and John 21:4-19.
Both Peter and Judas betrayed Jesus at his death, and both were “sorry,” but in different ways. Judas hanged himself in despair, but Peter was restored to righteousness. 1. What is similar about Peter and Judas’ reactions?
2. What are some things Judas does that seem like genuine components of repentance?
3. Ultimately, Judas and Jesus run in different directions, metaphorically. Where does Judas “turn,” and where does Peter “turn?”
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Lesson 1: A Biblical Definition of Repentance
4. What does this teach us about genuine repentance versus false repentance?
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Repentance
Read Colossians 3:1-10.
The Greek word used most often for “repentance” means “a change of mind.” Keep that in mind as you answer these questions. 1. What does this passage say is true of Christians in God’s eyes? That is, what is real or different about us?
2. Does it always feel like these things are true, or do we automatically live as if they are? What does that tell us about living as Christians?
3. What are we to do with the things of the “old self” in our lives?
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Lesson 1: A Biblical Definition of Repentance
4. Read this quote from N.T. Wright, and summarize what it and the Colossians passage teach us about repentance. “Jesus believed and taught that humans in general, including God’s people Israel, had a sickness of heart which all attempts at self-betterment could not touch. If the project of God’s kingdom was to be truly launched, catching hup humans into a new life and vocation whose language they would then have to learn, this sickness had to be dealt with. The corruption and decay of the old world and the old human heart, the habits and patterns of thought, imagination, and life, had to be not just reformed, but killed.” (116)
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Summary 1. Looking back at the Old Testament and New Testament passages, write out a definition or description of repentance (it doesn’t have to be a simple sentence; it can be a paragraph).
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Lesson 1: A Biblical Definition of Repentance
2. Look at this definition from the Second Helvetic Confession, a major Reformed document. If there are any ways in which you disagree with the definition or would add anything to it, write down what they are and why you think them and discuss them with your small group. “By repentance we understand (1) the recovery of a right mind in sinful man awakened by the Word of the Gospel and the Holy Spirit, and received by true faith, by which the sinner immediately acknowledges his innate corruption and all his sins accused by the Word of God; and (2) grieves for them from his heart, and not only bewails and frankly confesses them before God with a feeling of shame, but also abominates them and (3) now zealously considers the amendment of his ways and constantly strives for innocence and virtue in which conscientiously to exercise himself all the rest of his life” (Art 14, BOC 5.093)
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Lesson 2: The Need for Repentance (I): The Seriousness of Sin Many non-Christians and Christians alike do not emphasize repentance in their lives because they do not see sin as that big a deal. We will spend this chapter and the next examining why sin is a deadly serious matter.
Read Genesis 6:5-8 and Gen 8:20-22. 1. This takes place very early in the world. What does it say is the condition of mankind?
2. What does it say about sin that it could become so all-encompassing on the earth so soon after the Fall?
Lesson 2: The Need for Repentance (I): The Seriousness of Sin
3. How does God react to the sin in the world? What does this teach us about the seriousness of sin?
4. Does mankind’s condition change in Genesis 8? Why does God decide not to destroy the earth again?
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Repentance
Read Nehemiah 9. 1. How has God been gracious and merciful to Israel over the years?
2. In what different ways have the people of Israel rebelled against God? How frequently did they sin against God?
3. How do the people describe themselves at the end of this passage? What does that teach us about sin?
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Lesson 2: The Need for Repentance (I): The Seriousness of Sin
Read Ezekiel 16:8-34. 1. What relationship does God initiate with Israel? How does he treat her?
2. How does Israel use the gifts of God? What does she seek?
3. What idea does God use to describe sin here? Write a paragraph describing how that image helps us understand sin.
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Repentance
Read Matthew 5:17-30. 1. What does Christ say about the law and righteousness? Does he proclaim lawlessness or cheap grace?
2. Are Jesus’ teachings on anger and lust more or less strict than traditional understandings? Instead of focusing on the outward actions, to what does Jesus pay attention?
3. What does this passage teach us about the seriousness of sin?
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Lesson 2: The Need for Repentance (I): The Seriousness of Sin
Read Hebrews 10:26-31. 1. This passage describes a person who seems to receive Christ, but then continues unrepentantly in sin. What does it say about that person?
2. In v. 27, how does Hebrews describe non-Christians?
3. What do vv. 29-30 say about so-called Christians who remain proudly in sin? What have they done in their relationship with God?
4. What does this passage teach us about the seriousness of sin?
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Repentance
Read Revelation 20:7-15; 21:6-8. 1. How long does the final punishment of the wicked last? 2. 3. What are the two possible destinations for people in God’s judgment? 4. 5. Read the article “That Hideous Doctrine,” below.
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"That Hideous Doctrine"
“That Hideous Doctrine”
by John Thomas
That hideous doctrine of hell is fading. How often have you thought of it in the past month, for instance? Does it make a difference in your concern for others, in your wttness? Is it a constant and proper burden?
Most believers would have to say no. But the individual isn’t the only one to blame. After all, the doctrine no longer gets its float in the church parade; it has become a museum piece at best stored in the shadows of a far comer.
The reality of hell, however, demands we haul the monstrous thing out again and study it until it changes us. Ugly, garish, and familiar as it is, this doctrine will indeed have a daily, practical, and personal effect on
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every believer who comes to terms with its force.
Our Lord’s words on the subject are unnerving. In Luke 16, He tells us of a rich man who died and went to Hades (the abode of the unsaved dead betwean death and final judgment). From that story and a few other revelatory facts, we can infer several characteristics of hell.
First, it’s a place of great physical pain. The rich man’s initial remark concludes with his most pressing concern: “I am in agony in this flame” (Luke 16:24). We do not make enough of this.
We all have experienced pain to some degree. We know it can make a mockery of all life’s goals and beauties. Yet we do not seem to know pain as a hint of hell, a searing foretaste of what we will be spared from.
God does not leave us with simply the mute fact of hell’s
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"That Hideous Doctrine"
physical pain. He tells us how real people will respond to that pain. Our Lord is not being macabre; He is simply telling us the truth.
First, there will be “weeping” (Luke 13:28). Weeping is not something we get a grip on; it is something that grips us.
Recall how you were affected when you last heard someone weep. Remember how you were moved with compassion to want to protect and restore that person? The Lord wants us to know and consider what an upsetting experience it is for the person in hell.
Another response will be “wailing” (Matt. 13:42). While weeping attracts our sympathy, wailing frightens and offends us. It is the pitiable bawl of a soul seeking escape, hurt beyond repair, eternally damaged. A wail is sound gone grotesque because of conclusions we can’t live with.
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Repentance
A third response will be “gnashing of teeth” (Luke 13:28). Why? Perhaps because of anger or frustration. It may be a defense against crying out or an intense pause when one is too weary to cry any longer.
Hell has two other aspects, rarely considered, which are both curious and frightening. On earth we take for granted two physical properties that help keep us physically, mentally, and emotionally stable. The first is light; the second is solid fixed surfaces. Oddly, these two dependables will not accommodate those in hell.
Hell is a place of darkness (Matt. 8:12). Imagine the person who has just entered hell--a neighbor, relative, co-worker, friend. After a roar of physical pain blasts him, he spends his first moments wailing and gnashing his teeth. But after a season, he grows accustomed to the pain, not that it’s become tolerable, but that his capacity for it has enlarged to comprehend it, yet not be
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"That Hideous Doctrine"
consumed by it. Though he hurts, he is now able to think, and he instinctively looks about him. But as he looks, he sees only blackness.
In his past life he learned that if he looked long enough, a glow of light somewhere would yield definition to his surroundings. So he blinks and strains to focus his eyes, but his efforts yield only blackness. He turns and strains his eyes in another direction. He waits. He sees nothing but unyielding black ink. It clings to him, smothering and oppressing him.
Realizing that the darkness is not going to give way, he nervousiy begins to feel for something solid to get his bearings. He reaches for walls or rocks or trees or chairs; he stretches his legs to feel the ground and touches nothing.
Hell is a “bottomless pit” (Rev. 20:1, 2 KJV); however, the
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new occupant is slow to learn. In growing panic, he kicks his feet and waves his arms. He stretches and he lunges. But he finds nothing. After more feverish tries, he pauses from exhaustion, suspended in black. Suddenly, with a scream he kicks, twists, and lunges until he is again too exhausted to move.
He hangs there, alone with his pain. Unable to touch a solid object or see a solitary thing, he begins to weep.
His sobs choke through the darkness. They become weak, then lost in hell’s roar.
As time passes, he begins to do what the rich man did-he again starts to think. His first thoughts are of hope. You see, he still thinks as he did on earth, where he kept himself alive with hope. When things got bad, he always found a way out. If he felt pain, he took medicine. If he were hungry, he ate food. If he lost love, there was more
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"That Hideous Doctrine"
love to be found.
So he casts about in his mind for a plan to apply to the hope building in his chest.
Of course, he thinks, Jesus, the God of love, can get me out of this.
He cries out with a surge, “Jesus! Jesus! You were right! Help me! Get me out of this!”
He waits, breathing hard with desperation. The sound of his voice slips into the darkness and is lost.
He tries again. “I believe, Jesus! I believe now! Save me from this!” Again the darkness smothers his words.
Our sinner is not unique. Everyone in hell believes.
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When he wearies of appeals, he does next what anyone would do--assesses his situation and attempts to adapt. But then it hits him--this is forever
Jesus made it very clear. He used the same words for “forever” to describe both heaven and hell.
Forever, he thinks, and his mind labors through the blackness until he aches.
“Forever!” he whispers in wonder. The idea deepens, widens, and towers over him.
The awful truth spreads before him like endless, overlapping slats: When I put in ten thousand centuries of time here, I will not have accomplished one thing. I will not have one second less to spend here.
As the rich man pleaded for a drop of water, so, too, our
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"That Hideous Doctrine"
new occupant entertains a similar ambition. In life he learned that even bad things could be tolerated if one could find temporary relief. Perhaps even hell, if one could rest from time to time, would be more tolerable.
He learns, though, that “the smoke of [his] torment goes up forever and ever; and [he has] no rest day and night.” (Rev. 14:11 NASB).
No rest day and night--think of that.
Thoughts of this happening to people we know, people like us, are too terrifying to entertain for long. The idea of allowing someone to endure such torture for eternity violates the sensibilities of even the most severe judge among us. We simply cannot bear it.
But our thoughts of hell will never be as unmanageable as its reality. We must take this doctrine of hell, therefore,
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and make sure we are practically affected by it.
A hard look at this doctrine should first change our view of sin. Most believers do not take sin as seriously as God does. We need to realize that in God’s eyes, and in His actual plan, sin deserves eternal punishment in hell.
We can actually learn, by comparison, to hate sin as God hates it. As the reality of hell violates and offends us, for example, so sin violates and offends God. As we cannot bear to look upon the horrors of hell, so God cannot bear to look upon the horrors of sin. As hell revolts us to the point of hatred for it, so also God finds sin revolting. The comparison is not perfect, but it offers a start.
Second, the truth of hell should encouraged our witness. Can we ever hear a sigh of weariness, see a moment of doubt, or feel pain without being reminded of that place? In all honesty, can we see any unbeliever, watch his petty
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"That Hideous Doctrine"
human activities, realize what he has in store, and not be moved with compassion? It encourages us to witness in word and in deed.
That hideous doctrine may grip our souls in dark terror and make us weep, but let us be sure it also prompts us to holiness and compassion. 1. How does this article change your attitude towards hell?
2. How does it change your attitude towards sin?
3. Is there any sin in your life or anyone in your life to which you need to apply this doctrine carefully?
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Lesson 3: The Need for Repentance (II) The Greatness of the One Sinned Against The true reason that sin is so horrible is because it is treason against a God who is great, powerful, and loving far beyond anyone or anything we could imagine. For example: if you punched me in the face, there would be some punishment. If you punched the President of the United States in the face, though, the punishment would be much worse, because the President is much more important than I am. This lesson will examine the greatness of God for the purpose of leading us to greater repentance.
Read Isaiah 40:9-26. 1. On the next page, write a paragraph describing God as we see him in this passage.
Lesson 3: The Need for Repentance (II) - The Greatness of the One Sinned Against
2. How does this passage compare human beings to God?
3. How does God act for his people?
4. What does this passage teach us about the greatness of God?
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Read Genesis 1. 1. How does God create the universe? What does this say about God’s power?
2. What does God declare about each thing he creates? What does this tell us about God?
3. How does God bless and provide for mankind in this passage?
4. In summary, what does this passage teach us about the greatness of God?
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Lesson 3: The Need for Repentance (II) - The Greatness of the One Sinned Against
Read Jeremiah 31:31-37. 1. How does God describe his relationship with Israel? What has Israel done to that relationship?
2. What does God promise to do? How does this show his power?
3. How does this show his goodness?
4. What power does God show in his vow?
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Repentance
Read Ephesians 1:3-14. 1. What kind of power do we see God having in this passage?
2. How has God used his power? Be specific.
3. How does God’s using his power in grace towards us make him seem even greater to us?
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Lesson 3: The Need for Repentance (II) - The Greatness of the One Sinned Against
Read Colossians 1:15-23. 1. What does this passage specifically say about Christ’s power and authority?
2. How has Christ’s power been used on our behalf?
3. Write a prayer of gratitude for Christ’s having done these things for you.
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Repentance
Read Revelation 1:12-18; Rev 19:11-16; Rev 21:5-8. 1. Write a description of the glorified Christ from these three passages.
2. What does Christ do in these passages? Contrast his actions towards Christians and towards nonChristians.
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Lesson 3: The Need for Repentance (II) - The Greatness of the One Sinned Against
3. Write a prayer apologizing for your efforts to be the lord of your own life, rather than this awesome Lord.
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Repentance
Summary 1. Look back over these passages and write about what aspects of God’s greatness struck you the most profoundly.
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Lesson 3: The Need for Repentance (II) - The Greatness of the One Sinned Against
2. Write a prayer confessing some specific sins in your life, empasizing the fact that they are acts of treason against a God as great as you have just described.
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Lesson 4: The Place of Repentance in Initial Salvation Jesus (Mk 1:15) and the apostles (Ac 2:38) both commanded repentance as the beginning stages of salvation. But exactly what place does repentance play in salvation? Why is it so important?
Read Luke 9:23-26. 1. What does Jesus require of his followers?
2. What did it mean to “take up [one’s] cross?” What does that mean for us?
Lesson 4: The Place of Repentance in Initial Salvation
3. Read this passage from Calvin’s Institutes and describe what this teaching has to do with repentance: “[Repentance] consists of two parts: mortification and vivification. Mortification they explain as sorrow of soul and dread conceived from the recognition of sin and the awareness of divine judgment...The is the first part of repentance, commonly called ‘contrition’” (3.3.3).
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Repentance
Read 1 John 1:5-10. 1. What does this passage say about God?
2. What conditions does this passage give for “walking in the light” (being in a relationship with God)?
3. Why would confessing sin be so important to walking in the light?
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Lesson 4: The Place of Repentance in Initial Salvation
Read Mark 10:17-31. 1. What does Jesus command the ruler to do? Is this an absolute command for all would-be Christians?
2. Why does the ruler leave sorrowfully (see v. 22)? What does this tell us about his identity?
3. What does this story teach us about how repentance affects our identity?
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Repentance
Read Luke 19:1-10. 1. How is Zacchaeus similar to the rich man from the other story?
2. What is different about Zacchaeus’ reaction to Jesus and the rich man’s?
3. Did Zacchaeus earn salvation by doing the work of giving his money away? If not, what does this teach us about repentance?
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Lesson 4: The Place of Repentance in Initial Salvation
Read 2 Timothy 2:24-26. 1. According to this passage, who truly brings about repentance? 2. What agents does God use in bringing people to repentance?
3. Read the following quote and explain what it teaches us about repentance: “It is the Holy Ghost breathing in them that makes their words effectual...Some grow better by the word, others worse. The same earth which causes seetness in the grape causes bitterness in the wormwood. What is the reason the word works so differently? It is because the Spirit of God carries the word to the conscience of one and not another. One has received the divine unction and not the other” (Watson 14).
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In summary: 1. Write a paragraph or so describing the role repentance plays in initial salvation. Is it required? Does it cause salvation? Who brings it about? How can it be brought about?
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Lesson 5: The Place of Repentance in the Life of a Christian In Martin Luther’s famous first disputation with the Catholic Church, the first of his ninety-five theses was, “When our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, said, ‘Repent,’ He called for the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.” While repentance is an integral part of initial salvation, it is also meant to be ongoing in the life of Christians. In this lesson, we will examine why and how this is so.
Lesson 5: The Place of Repentance in the Life of a Christian
Read James 4:1-10. 1. Why does James say that we have quarrels and fights among ourselves? Does this seem to be a one-time thing or an ongoing thing?
2. Write a paragraph describing the implications of your passions’ being “at war within you.”
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3. Friendship with what leads to enmity with God? What do you think it means to be a “friend of the world?”
4. What do these realities require us to do regularly?
5. What passions wage war within your soul? What do you tend to do with them? How can you begin repenting of them more deeply?
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Lesson 5: The Place of Repentance in the Life of a Christian
Read Galatians 5:16-25. 1. What does v. 24 say is true of all Christians? What does it mean that this has already happened?
2. What opposing forces are at work in us now, according to these passages?
3. What are some “works of the flesh” that are evident in your own life right now? How should you respond to those?
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4. What does the Holy Spirit produce in us? How can you seek to “walk by the Spirit” more passionately?
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Lesson 5: The Place of Repentance in the Life of a Christian
Read Psalm 51. 1. How does David view his sin before God?
2. What does he ask God to do in this psalm? List the specific requests.
3. Does David fear that he will lose his salvation? What does he say about God in this psalm?
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4. What pleases God, according to this psalm? What does that have to do with repentance?
5. Read this quote, and then describe the place of repentance in the life of a believer. “What is involved in such repentance? Two things: 1) Recognizing that offenses have been committed against God and the covenant he has made with his people; 2) Turning away from sin in view of the gracious provisions that the Lord has made for us in his covenant.” (Ferguson 13)
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Lesson 5: The Place of Repentance in the Life of a Christian
Read Colossians 3:1-17. 1. Write down everything that is now true of us who are in Christ. Do we earn these things by our works? Do we keep them by our works?
2. What are the negative things and the positive things that we are supposed to do in light of this reality?
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3. What are some things from these lists that you need to “put to death?” What are some things that you need to “put on?”
4. Read this quote and then summarize what it and this passage teach about repentance: “Repentance can never be reduced to a single act found only at the beginning of the Christian life. It arises in the context of our union with Jesus Christ; and since its goal is our restoration into the image of Christ, it involves the ongoing practical outworking of our union with Christ in his death and resurrection” (Ferguson 30).
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"All of Life is Repentance"
Summary
Read the following article by Tim Keller:
“All of Life is Repentance”
Martin Luther opened the Reformation by nailing the “Ninety-five Theses” to the door of Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany. The very first of the theses stated that, “Our Lord and Master Jesus Christ . . . willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.” On the surface this looks a little bleak. Luther seems to be saying Christians will never make much progress in life. That, of course, wasn’t Luther’s point at all. He was saying that repentance is the way we make progress in the Christian life. Indeed, pervasive, all-of-life-repentance is the best sign that we are growing deeply and rapidly into the character of Jesus.
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The transformation of repentance. Consider how the gospel affects and transforms the act of repentance. In “religion,” the purpose of repentance is basically to keep God happy so he will continue to bless you and answer your prayers. This means that “religious” repentance is selfish, selfrighteous, and bitter all the way to the bottom. In the gospel, however, the purpose of repentance is to repeatedly tap into the joy of our union with Christ to weaken our impulse to do anything contrary to God’s heart.
“Religious” repentance is selfish. In religion we are sorry for sin only because of its consequences for us. Sin will bring us punishment—and we want to avoid that, so we repent. The gospel tells us that as Christians sin can’t ultimately bring us into condemnation (Rom. 8:1). Its heinousness is therefore what it does to God: it displeases and dishonors him.
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Thus in religion, repentance is self-centered; the gospel makes it God-centered. In religion we are mainly sorry for the consequences of sin, but in the gospel we are sorry for the sin itself.
Furthermore, religious repentance is self-righteous. Repentance can easily turn into an attempt to “atone” for one’s sin—a form of self-flagellation, in which we convince God (and ourselves) that we are so truly miserable and regretful that we deserve to be forgiven. In the gospel, however, we know that Jesus suffered for our sin. We do not have to make ourselves suffer to merit God’s forgiveness. We simply receive the forgiveness earned by Christ. God forgives us because he is “just” (1 John 1:9). That is a remarkable statement. It would be unjust of God to ever deny us forgiveness, because Jesus earned our acceptance! In religion we try to earn our forgiveness with our repentance. In the gospel we simply receive it.
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Last, religious repentance is bitter all the way down. In religion our only hope is to live a life good enough to require God to bless us. Every instance of sin and repentance is therefore traumatic, unnatural, and horribly threatening. Only under great duress do religious individuals admit they have sinned, because their only hope is their moral goodness. In the gospel the knowledge of our acceptance in Christ makes it easier to admit that we are flawed, because we know we won’t be cast off if we confess the true depths of our sinfulness. Our hope is in Christ’s righteousness, not our own, so it is not as traumatic to admit our weaknesses and lapses. Whereas in religion we repent less and less often, the more we feel accepted and loved in the gospel, the more and more often we will be repenting. Although there is some bitterness in any repentance, in the gospel there is ultimately a sweetness. This creates a radical new dynamic for personal growth. The more we see our own flaws and sins, the more precious, electrifying, and
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amazing God’s grace appears to us. On the other hand, the more aware we are of God’s grace and our acceptance in Christ, the more able we are to drop our denials and self-defenses and admit the true dimensions of our sin. The sin underlying all other sins is a lack of joy in Christ. 1. Explain how “religious” repentance differs from gospel-centered repentance.
2. Why does the gospel give us the security in God to repent of our sins?
3. Which view of repentance is more like yours right now?
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Lesson 6: Repentance That is HeartDeep, Not Skin-Deep As we have seen, repentance is meant to lead to a change of our hearts, not just our behavior. As such, we must learn, not just to repent of our behavior, but of the sinful self that causes the behavior. In the words of Richard Owens Roberts, “No one has come to genuine repentance who has not repented both of what they have done and of what they are” (113). This section of the study will provide some helps in repenting on the level of the heart.
Lesson 6: Repentance That is Heart-Deep, Not Skin-Deep
Seeing your sin clearly.
The first step before repentance can take place is to see the sin in your life. This can be more difficult than it seems: as we saw with David, sin is capable of blinding us. One major way to help you see sin in your life is to have accountability partners who have the courage to be brutally honest with you. Often, other people will see things in your life that you do not see yourself.
In addition to accountability, it is important that we strive to see our sin clearly on our own. Here are some tools we have found to help ensure that we see sin.
“Breaking Up the Fallow Ground” by Charles Finney, paraphrased by Keith and Melody Green. This is located in Appendix 1.
“Heart Searching for Prayer Preparation and Personal
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Revival.” This is located in Appendix 2.
These are two excellent resources. Take a day for each one to begin examining yourself; read through each entirely, but choose two or three sections of each that stand out to you and focus on them. These can be helpful to reference every so often in your life, maybe once per month, just as a heart-check against spiritually blinding sin.
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Understanding the “whys” of your sin.
As we have seen, we often have different reasons for why we sin. Lying is sin, but we may lie for different reasons at different times. Lust is sin, but we may struggle with lust under different circumstances or turn to it for different reasons. In the words of Tim Keller:
“We also learn from this parable that our repentance must go deeper than just regret for individual sins...When we think of repentance we think, ‘If you want to get right with God, you get out your list of sins and you tell him how sorry you are about each item.’
Repentance is not less than that, but it is much more, because the list approach isn’t sufficient to address the condition of the elder brother...To truly become Christians we must also repent of the reasons we ever did anything right. Pharisees only repent of their sins, but Christians repent for the very roots of
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their righteousness, too. We must lean how to repent of the sin under all our other sins and under all our righteousness--the sin of seeking to be our own Savior and Lord. We must admit that we’ve put our ultimate hope and trust in things other than God, and that in both our wrongdoing and right doing we have been seeking to get around God or get control of God in order to get hold of those things.” (75-78)
This section contains tools that help us look for the functional saviors and lords in our own lives that lead us to sin.
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Diagnostic Questions
These questions can be used at any time and gone through in any order. Consider this an overall tool for reflection; use the questions to help you begin asking yourself “Why?” in different situations. As you answer the questions, look for patterns in your answers. The things that come up most frequently will be things that are likely to be idols for you. 1. If I am angry: Is there something too important to me? Something I am telling myself I have to have? Am I being blocked from having something I think is a necessity when it is not? 2. If I am fearful or worried: Is something that I think is a necessity being threatened? 3. If I am despondent or hating myself: Have I lost or failed at something which I feel that I need to be happy?
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4. What is my greatest nightmare? What do I worry about most? 5. What, if I failed or lost it, would cause me to feel that I did not even want to live? 6. What keeps me going when things get hard? What do I rely on or use for comfort when I am in difficult circumstances? 7. What do I think about most easily? What comes to mind when I am free? What preoccupies me? 8. What prayer, unanswered, would make me seriously think about turning away from God? 9. What makes me feel the most self-worth? What am I the proudest of? 10. What do I really want or expect out of life? What do I think would make me truly happy?
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Problem Emotions Chart
This is a simple and interesting diagnostic tool that begins with our dominant feelings and then shows us what it is we are likely seeking. It also tells us the price we are willing to pay to have that, the greatest nightmare of the person who seeks it, and how we make others feel when this is our God. Begin with the problem emotion and work through the chart from there: Problem emotion
What we seek
Price Willing To Pay
Greatest Nightmare
Others Feel
Boredom
Comfort
Reduced Productivity
Stress/ Demands
Hurt/Anger
Cowardice
Approval
Less Independence
Rejection
Smothered
Worry
Control
Loneliness/ Spontaneity
Uncertainty
Condemned
Anger
Power
Lack of Peace Humiliation
(From Tim Keller’s study Galatians)
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Practice
Spend some time going through one of the appendices and identify some areas in which your heart is in the wrong. Next, go through the diagnostic questions and examine why you are doing you are doing. What is it that you want that makes you unable to say with Psalm 16:11, “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore?”
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Lesson 7: Repent, Believe, Fight Living out the Christian life involves a rhythm of seeing sin, dealing with sin, walking with God, repeat. Sin will always be present in our lives; it will always be a challenge to see ourselves in light of the gospel; we are called to follow in obedience always. This section will examine that three-step cycle as a means of dealing with specific idols that we see in our lives. This whole cycle can be called “repentance” by the broad definition we drew out of scripture; in this section, though, we define it more narrowly here as grieving and turning from sin.
Keep in mind also that this process and its steps are not exactly laid out in detail somewhere in the Bible. This is a guide, not a law; you do not need to follow each of these steps woodenly to have genuine repentance. This is just meant to be a help as you learn to repent.
Lesson 7: Repent, Believe, Fight
Repent “Let him turn away from evil...” - 1 Peter 3:11
The first step in the cycle is to repent of the idol. For instance, one of my major idols is success: it leads me to judge myself and others harshly and to try to ignore grace. The first step in repentance is seeing my sin for what it is--a false savior--and confessing it to God. It may look something like this:
God, I can see myself worshipping success right now. I haven’t just been trying hard in school; I’ve been obsessing about it, thinking about it much more than about you. The good grade I made on that test last week made me feel much better than I’ve felt joy in you lately. I’ve been oversleeping and missing time with you because I was up so late studying several times this week already. It’s taking time, thoughts, and emotions that should be going to you.
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Next, it can help to tell ourselves why the idol is bad, and why God is so much better than it. It could look like this:
God, good grades do not atone for my sins, and do not secure anything really lasting. In fact, following success could lead me to hell: Jesus said in Matthew 6 that no one can serve two masters. I say I’m worshipping you, but right now it seems that I’m actually worshipping success. I’m putting a lot of my heart and strength into making success seem great right now, rather than making you seem great. You created the world, though, and you rule it. You are the one who determines eternal life; more than that, you have given me the grace of eternal life.
Here is another example of this, written by Martin Luther. He struggled with moralism, judging himself by his performance of God’s law rather than by the gospel. Note how he writes directly to his idol:
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“O law! You would climb up into the kingdom of my conscience, and there reign and condemn me for sin, and would take from me the joy of my heart which I have by faith in Christ, and drive me to desperation, that I might be without hope. You have overstepped your bounds. Know your place! You are a guide for my behavior, but you are not Savior and Lord of my heart. For I am baptized, and through the gospel am called to receive righteousness and eternal life… So trouble me not! For I will not allow you, so intolerable a tyrant and tormentor, to reign in my heart and conscience — for they are the seat and temple of Christ the Son of God, who is the king of righteousness and peace, and my most sweet savior and mediator. He shall keep my conscience joyful and quiet in the sound and pure doctrine of the gospel, through the knowledge of this passive and heavenly righteousness.”
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Finally, make sure that you apologize to God and ask for forgiveness. Keep in mind that God’s forgiveness is not based on how “well” we apologize, or how badly we make ourselves feel. This is not a performance; it is a reminder to ourselves that we have offended God and need his mercy.
Practice
Choose one of the idols that you have identified so far. Walk through each of these steps of repentance with that idol, writing out your process; you can either write about it or to it, as Luther did.
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Believe “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.” - Ephesians 2:8
After repenting/grieving of sin, we must always remind ourselves to believe in the gospel. The atoning death of Jesus is the only sacrifice for sin; the life and work of Jesus is the only way that we are brought into a relationship with God, and it is the only way in which we stay in a relationship with God (Gal 3:3). If we only deal with sin by repenting and fighting, we either despair because we only feel condemnation or gain a false sense of security and pride that gets wrecked eventually.
When preaching the gospel to yourself, remind yourself that you are only accepted by God because of the gospel. You never have and never will do anything to make God accept you. This is something that we can say that we do without really doing and feeling it on an experiential level. That means that we must preach this to ourselves
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intensely and regularly, making absolutely sure that we are believing it. If not, we will have no joy in God.
Here are some scriptures that clearly lay out the gospel. These are helpful to study; they can also be helpful to memorize or at least to keep in mind when preaching yourself the gospel.
Read Ephesians 2:1-7. 1. Describe our condition before God’s work. Be specific.
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2. Describe everything that God has done for us in this passage.
3. Why did God do these things? What characteristics of God do we see in this passage?
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Read Romans 5:8-10. 1. How do we see God’s mercy in this passage?
2. What all has Jesus accomplished for us? What was our relationship to him when he did these things?
3. What does it mean to be reconciled to God? Look it up in a commentary or lexicon if you are unsure.
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Read Romans 8:31-39. 1. According to this passage, how does God see us and feel about us? Be specific.
2. Are believers under condemnation, or will we ever be? Why or why not?
3. How powerful is the love of God for us? Where did this love come from?
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Read Galatians 3:2-3. 1. How was our salvation begun? How did we become Christians?
2. How do we live and grow as Christians?
3. What does this teach us about believing the gospel?
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Summary
Look back over these passages, and write out what you have seen of the gospel.
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Fight “Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called...” - 1 Timothy 6:12
Finally, repentance demands that we submit our lives to be changed radically - we fight to make our lives reflect Christ’s. There seem to be many Christians who do not fight their sins faithfully, but think that resting in the gospel means that we cave to sin when we feel like it and rely on grace. Paul himself faced that sin in the Roman church: “What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? by no means! Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?” (Rom 6:15-16) The grace of God inpires us to obedience, to submit ourselves in service to him rather than to sin. Check out these passages about the Christian fight:
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Read Hebrews 12:1-2. 1. How does this passage describe sin? How does that help us understand fighting it?
2. How does this passage describe the Christian life? How does that meaphor help you understand the Christian life?
3. What motivated Christ? How can that motivate us?
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Read 1 Peter 2:11 1. What does Peter call the Christians? What do those terms mean (hint: they are Old Testament terms applied in a different way)?
2. What action does Peter attribute to sin? How does this help us understand the Christian fight?
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Read Ephesians 6:10-18. 1. Who is the enemy that Paul describes in this passage? How does that help us understand the Christian fight?
2. Describe a few pieces of the armor of God. How do they help arm us against the devil?
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3. Does it seem that we take up this armor once for all time, or that we have to take it up continually? What implications does that have for fighting sin?
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Principles for fighting the good fight.
Here are some helpful principles for the “fight” portion of repentance. 1. Be radical in the fight for obedience. Satan is deadly serious about keeping you from living faithfully as a Christian, so you should be deadly serious about your faithfulness. When you see an area in which you need to fight hard to live in Christ, then fight hard. Have someone else lock up your computer if you need it. Schedule times to share your faith with strangers if you’re constantly afraid of it. Fast and pray for a day or two over an issue. If we are not willing to become uncomfortable for the sake of dealing with a sin, then we cannot be sure that we really want it out of our lives.
2. Be in hard accountability. Most Christians know what it’s like to be in a “soft” accountability group: people talk about light, surface-level sins, no one ever asks any uncomfortable questions of anyone else, and people rush to apply grace without ever repenting
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well. We need people in our lives who will not shrink from asking us tough questions, and who will challenge us when we are not living in Christ. This will help us see sin that would otherwise blind us, and will help ensure that we are genuinely repenting of sin rather than just living in it. 3. Don’t just fight against negative things: fight for positive things. As we saw in the above passages, Christianity is about both fighting against sin and fighting for God’s kingdom, in our lives and in others’. If a gardener only pulls weeds but never fertilizes and helps the plants he wants, he might have a weedless garden, but it will have pretty pathetic plants. Likewise, if we only fight sin but never cultivate love for God, belief in the gospel, the fruits of the Spirit, etc., we will remain somewhat shallow and immature in our faith. The Christian fight/race is about building God’s kingdom, God’s glory, so make that your main focus. Build his kingdom in your heart, dealing with sin as you see it.
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4. When you fail, keep on repenting, believing, and fighting. You’ll notice that I said when you fail, not if you fail. You will fail in the Christian life. By God’s grace, there may be some sins that disappear completely from your life; however, there will always be sin of some sort, and you will not always be victorious. However, while your failures disappoint God, they do not catch God off guard. God knows you better than you know yourself; he knows how much of a sinner you have been, are, and will be, and he loves you anyways. He has given you grace eternally, and his forgiveness covers every sin that you have ever committed or will ever commit. So, when you fail, return to God, embrace the gospel, and keep on running!
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Lesson 8: Challenging Non-Christians to Repentance It may not seem natural to do evangelism by calling nonChristians to repent of their sins: most non-Christians don’t take sin very seriously to begin with, and talking about the love of God seems a lot more exciting and inviting to non-Christians. The love of God is indeed incredible, and God’s grace is absolutely a reason to follow him--in fact, we are saved entirely by God’s love. In Jesus’ earthly ministry, he loved non-Christians, and they were drawn to his words. However, he also spoke challenging words, words that demanded heart-level change (remember the first words we hear from him in Mark 1?). We see in history and in the Bible that there is a place for bringing people to see their sin before they even look for grace. Let’s look at some biblical passages that deal with this:
Lesson 8: Challenging Non-Christians to Repentance
Read Mark 12:1-12 1. What does Jesus teach about God in this passage?
2. What does he teach about himself?
3. What does he say about the wicked tenants?
4. What does this teach us about preaching conviction in evangelism?
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Read Acts 2:16-41. 1. What is the main message of the Old Testament passage Peter uses first? Is it condemnation? Blessing? Hope?
2. What does Peter say about Jesus in this passage? What does that tell us about evangelism?
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3. What does Peter say about his hearers? Does he offer love, comfort, conviction, or what?
4. What example does this give us about calling nonbelievers to repentance?
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As you can see, there is a place for challenging nonbelievers to repentance. We do not want to be Pharisees, wandering around dumping scorn and contempt on everyone around us. However, there is a genuine need for total repentance as part of salvation, and we should not shrink from it. Here are some principles to keep in mind when talking to non-believers about repentance: 1. Trust that the Holy Spirit is the one who brings about genuine repentance. Jesus himself told us that the Holy Spirit is the one who convicts the world concerning “sin and righteousness and judgment” (John 16:7-11). We are called to proclaim the gospel faithfully; however, it is God’s work to bring people to conviction. Let this comfort you as you speak to non-Christians; let it give you boldness to proclaim the gospel, and also courage, because in a sense the work is on God’s shoulders. 2. People usually do not think they need grace until they think they are sinners. In Luke 18:10-14, Jesus tells a story contrasting a self-righteous Pharisee and a tax collector who is deeply aware of his sin. The Pharisee thanks God
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for his righteousness, while the tax collector begs for forgiveness and mercy. Jesus says that the tax collector, not the Pharisee, is the one who goes away justified. We have all sinned (Rom 3:23); we must own our sin before we are prepared to receive grace. 3. Speak boldly about the greatness of God. Almost every single sermon in Acts centers around the greatness of God and the lordship of Jesus Christ. The primary concern of the apostles was not to present something that they thought their hearers wanted to hear; it was to proclaim Jesus as lord of the world, so that people would either bow before Jesus or remain in sinful selflordship. Don’t be a jerk, but speak boldly about God’s greatness even when you are not sure the other person is “ready” to hear it. It is God’s job to make people’s hearts ready to hear his words, not yours. 4. Do not be afraid to talk about hell. Jesus certainly loved the world; however, he also warned about hell more than every other speaker or writer in the Bible combined (see Matt 5:27-30 for a vivid example). Fear of hell by itself is not enough to save a person; however, it can lead a person to genuine conviction before God. “That Hideous Doctrine” should break your heart and
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terrify you on behalf of non-Christians; be okay to speak about hell to those in danger of it. 5. Speak boldly about the grace of God. As we ought to proclaim the justice and holiness of God, so we ought to proclaim his grace as well! As Sinclair Ferguson says: What gives repentance power is not the guilt evoked by the Law alone (Rom 7:7), but the grace proclaimed to us only in the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is the kindness of God that leads to repentance (Rom 2:4). It is only because there is forgiveness with God that we live lives of penitential fear (Ps 130:4). (41) God’s love and grace are essential elements of his glory, and we ought to meet the world with these things (see Luke 24:44-48). 6. Make sure to empasize that repentance is both from sin and to God. In 2 Corinthians, Paul writes that Christians are “ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God” (5:20). At the judgment, what ultimately matters in God’s eyes is whether or not we knew Christ as our only lord and savior (Matt 7:22-23). The greatest metaphors describing
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Christians are relational ones: sons of God, and the bride of Christ. Therefore, we ought to remind the people to whom we witness that true repentance is repentance that turns us back to God.
Response 1. Do any of these principles seem new or unusual to you? If so, mark them and share them with the group.
2. Are there any non-Christians in your life right now whom you need to call to repentance? If so, how can you do that? If not, why not?
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Lesson 9: Calling Other Christians to Repentance As we will see, the Christian call to communal holiness challenges us against both self-righteousness and apathy towards other Christians’ sin. God uses us in the sanctification of others, just as he uses us in the encouragement of others. First, we will look at some biblical principles to guide us in understanding our role in calling other Christians to repentance.
Lesson 9: Calling Other Christians to Repentance
Read Matthew 7:1-5. 1. Jesus’ command in vv. 1-2 is difficult to understand, but explained some by the other verses. What does Jesus mean by the “speck” in our brother’s eye and the “log” in ours?
2. Does Jesus say we are not to point out sin in others’ lives at all? What does he say we must do first, though?
3. With that in mind, how are we to understand vv. 1-2?
4. What principle does this teach us about calling other Christians to repentance?
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Read Matthew 18:15-17. 1. How does Jesus say that we are to treat a person who sins against us at first? What does that teach us about dealing with the sin of another Christian?
2. From v. 15, what should be the goal of calling out sin in another believer’s life?
3. How are we supposed to handle Christians who do not confess or acknowledge their sin? What does this teach us about the importance of dealing with sin in a believer’s life?
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Read Galatians 6:1-5. 1. How should we deal with a Christian who is caught in sin?
2. What verb does Paul use to describe this process? What are the implications of that?
3. What principle does Paul teach us in vv.3-4?
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Read 1 Corinthians 5. 1. Why is Paul harsher towards sin in a Christian’s life in this passage?
2. What does Paul say about sin among believers in vv. 6-7? What does that teach us about the presence of unrepented sin in the church?
3. How should we reconcile vv. 11-13 with Galatians 6:1-5?
4. Do you see this attitude towards sin practiced around you or in your life today?
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It is obviously important to address the sin in other believers’ lives, especially that of believers in our community. However, at the same time, it is equally important to see the sin in our own lives, and not to throw around judgments on others. Here are some principles for dealing with the sin in other believers’ lives: 1. Strive to see yourself as the “chief of sinners.” As Jesus said, we ought to be at least as aggressive about dealing with our own sin as we are about dealing with the sin of others. In this pattern, the apostle Paul described himself as the “chief” or “foremost” (1 Tim 1:15)! This is a principle we must keep in mind when confronting another Christian over sin--we do not stand over them, but stand with them under God’s judgment. 2. Pray for the person aggressively before and after talking with them. As we have seen, it is the Holy Spirit who guides us into truth (Jn 16:13). That means that any real heart-level change that takes place in a person’s life happens by God’s work. That can include our words of encouragement and confronta-
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tion; however, if we really want to see the person change, we ought to pray for God to make that change happen. This also helps us see if we have any pride wrapped up in our action, and gives us a place to repent of that before talking with the person. 3. Keep God’s glory as the focus of your challenge. God’s work of salvation is for “the praise of his glory” (Eph 1:12). Our purpose in all things should be God’s glory (1 Cor 10:31); this includes confronting sin in others. Even when someone’s sin affects us personally, we should seek to be really concerned about their sin as an affront to God’s glory. That way, we are not calling them to look more like us, but more like God. 4. Keep their restoration to God as the goal of your challenge. As God’s ambassadors, what we are seeking is that people be “reconciled to God” (2 Cor 5:20). Likewise, we have seen that sin is adultery against God, and repentance is seeking restoration in that relationship. Therefore, when we confront sin in others, our goal should not be just to make them feel bad or to make them stop bothering us. Make sure that you are seeking for the Christian to be in a better relationship with God over anything else.
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5. Bring them to the gospel, not just to better behavior. God’s gospel demands that our lives bend around it; that is without doubt. However, we are always supposed to act righteously as part of the gospel, in the understanding that we are made right with God by his grace, only through faith (Eph 2:8). Therefore, when we sin, we do not just need to “shape up.” We need to understand the gospel all over again, because we have forgotten it and are chasing after something else. Do not let a proudly sinful person live on contentedly in unfaithfulness to God; however, do not keep a repentant sinner from grace. The unmerited forgiveness and love of God is what leads to genuine repentance. 6. Be prepared to show them their sin in scripture. When challenging someone, first make sure that you can see their sin in scripture; this ensures that you are not just trying to make the person look more like you. If you can see their sin in the Bible, then be prepared to show them the scriptural truth which their sin contradicts. The Bible teaches that God’s word pierces the soul (Heb 4:12) and breaks the heart like a hammer (Jer 23:29). It is also much harder for a believer to argue with God’s word than with the word of another, if he or she is making a habit of a sin.
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7. Strive to be both sensitive and bold. Jesus came to the earth “full of grace and truth” (Jn 1:14), or love and challenge. In the same way, we ought to challenge Christians on their sin, but do it in a way sensitive to what they need. In Galatians 6, Paul commands us to approach others with gentleness if possible. However, some people need a bold, direct confrontation (see Gal 2:11-14). Try to pay attention to the person’s needs insofar as you can and still call them to repentance. 8. If the person repents, do what you can to help them with their sin. From Galatians 6, we see that we are to help others bear their burdens. If we are taking the responsibility to confront someone over sin, we ought to be the first to volunteer to help that person deal with his or her sin in whatever way is necessary. This is a big test of love for you who would challenge others: is your goal really to help that person glorify God more? If it is, then walk with the repentant sinner in fighting his or her sin. 9. If the person does not repent, seek counsel from someone older and wiser. From Matthew 18, we see that we are supposed to deal with sin as a community--preferably, as a
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church. If you confront someone and he or she remains unrepentant, do not gossip about the person or complain to others. Ask an older Christian in your church, ministry, or whatever about what to do. Sometimes, a form of excommunication--shutting the person out of Christian fellowship--can be the wisest way of letting them face whatever consequences come from their sin (see 1 Tim 1:18-20). However, this should be done only after every other measure has failed, and only after much prayer. It is better to seek counsel first.
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Appendix 1: Breaking Up the Fallow Ground Charles. G. Finney; Edited and Paraphrased by Keith & Melody Green
“Break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the Lord until He comes to rain righteousness on you... “ Hosea 10:12 Fallow ground is ground which has once been tilled, but has gotten hard and now lays waste. It needs to be broken up and made soft again, before it is ready to receive seed. If you mean to break up the fallow ground of your heart, you must begin by looking at your heart examine carefully the state of your mind and see where you are. Many people never even seem to think about doing this. They pay no attention to their own hearts, and never know whether they are doing well in their walk with the Lord or not - whether they are bearing fruit or are totally barren. Now you must draw off your attention from all other things and look into this right now! Make a business of it; do not be in a hurry. Self-examination consists of looking at your life, considering your motives and actions . . . calling up your past and seeing its true character. Look back over your past history. Take up your individual sins one by one, and look at them. This doesn’t mean that you just take a casual glance at your past life, see that it has been full of sin, and then go to God and make a sort of general confession, asking forgiveness. General confessions of
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sin are not good enough. Your sins were committed one by one; and as much as you are able, they ought to be reviewed and repented of one by one. It’s a good idea to take a pen and some paper as you go over them, and write them down as they come to mind. Go over them as carefully as a businessman goes over his books; and as often as a sin comes to your memory, write it down! Now begin, and start with what are usually, but improperly, called SINS OF OMISSION (i.e. things you didn’t do that you should have): 1) Ingratitude (Unthankfulness). Take this sin, for example, and write down under this heading all the times you can remember where you have received great blessings and favors from God for which you have never given thanks. How many cases can you remember? Write down the instances of God’s goodness to you when you were still in sin, before your conversion, for which you have never been half-thankful enough - and the uncountable mercies you have received since. 2) Lack of Love for God. Think how grieved and alarmed you’d be, if you suddenly realized a great lack of affection for you in your wife, husband, or children if you saw that someone else had captured their hearts, thoughts, and time. Perhaps in such a case you would almost die with a just and holy jealousy. Now, God calls Himself a jealous God. Have you not given your heart to
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other loves and infinitely offended Him? 3) Neglect of the Bible. Put down the cases where for perhaps weeks or longer, God’s Word was not a pleasure to you. Some people, indeed, read over whole chapters in such a way that afterwards they could not tell you what they had been reading. If that is so, no wonder your life has no direction, and your relationship with God is in such a miserable state. 4) Unbelief. Recall the instances in which you have virtually charged the God of truth with lying, by your unbelief of His express promises and declarations. If you have not believed or expected to receive the blessings which God has clearly promised, you have called Him a liar. 5) Lack of Prayer. Think of all the times you have neglected private prayer, family prayer, and group prayer meetings; or you’ve prayed in such a way as to grieve and offend God more than if you hadn’t prayed at all. 6) Neglect of Fellowship. When you have allowed yourself to make small and foolish excuses that have prevented you from meeting with other believers. When you have neglected and poured contempt upon the gathering of the saints merely because you “didn’t like church”!
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7) The Manner In which You have Performed Spiritual Duties. Think of all the times when you have spoken about God with such a lack of feeling and faith, in such a worldly frame of mind, that your words were nothing more than the mere chattering of a wretch who didn’t deserve that God should listen to him at all. When you have fallen down upon your knees and “said your prayers” in such an unfeeling and careless way that if you had been put under oath five minutes later, you could not say what you had been praying for. 8) Lack of Love for Souls. Look around at all your friends and relatives, and think of how little compassion you have felt for them. You have stood by and seen them going straight to hell, and it seems as though you didn’t even care! How many days have there been when you have failed to make their wretched condition the subject of even one single fervent prayer, or to prove any real desire for their salvation? 9) Lack of Care for the Poor and Lost in Foreign Lands. Perhaps you have not cared enough about them to even attempt to learn of their condition. How much do you really know or care about the unconverted masses of the world? Measure your desire for their salvation by the self-denial you practice in giving from your substance to send them the Gospel. 10) Neglect of Family Duties. Think of how you have lived before your family, how you have prayed, what an example you have set before them. What direct efforts do
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you habitually make for their spiritual welfare? 11) Lack of Watchfulness Over Your Witness. How many times have you failed to take your words and actions seriously? How often have you neglected to watch your conduct and speech, and having been off your guard, you have sinned before the world, the church, and before God! 12) Neglect to Watch Over Your Brethren. How often have you broken your covenant that you would watch over them in the Lord? How little do you know or care about the state of their souls? And yet you are under a solemn duty to watch over them. What have you done to get to know them better? How many times have you seen them falling into sin, and you let them go on? And you pretend to love them? Would you watch your wife or child going into disgrace, or falling into a fire, and hold your peace? 13) Neglect of Self-Denial. There are many professing Christians who are willing to do almost anything in religion that does not require self-denial. They think they are doing a great deal for God, and doing about as much as He ought to reasonably ask, but they are not willing to deny themselves any comfort or convenience whatsoever for the sake of serving the Lord. They will not willingly suffer reproach for the name of Christ. Nor will they deny themselves the luxuries of life to save a world from hell. They are so far from realizing that self-denial is a condition of discipleship, that they do not even know
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what it is! They have never really denied themselves a ribbon or a pin for Christ and the Gospel. Some are giving from their abundance, and giving a lot - and will even complain that others do not give more - when in truth, they are not giving anything that they need, or anything that they would enjoy if they kept it. They only give from their surplus wealth!
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Now turn to SINS OF COMMISSION… 14) Love of Things and Possessions. What has been the state of your heart concerning your earthly possessions? Have you looked at them as really yours - as if you had a right to use or dispose of them as your own? If you have, write it down! If you have loved property and sought after it for its own sake, or to gratify ambition, you have sinned and must repent. 15) Vanity. How many times have you spent more time decorating your body to go to church, than you have in preparing your heart and mind for the worship of God? You have cared more about how you appeared outwardly to men than how your soul appeared in the sight of God. You sought to divide the worship of God’s house, to draw off the attention of God’s people, to look at your appearance. And you pretend that you do not care anything about having people look at you? Be honest about it! Would you take all this pain about your looks if every person were blind? 16) Envy. Look at the cases in which you were jealous of those who were in a higher position than you. Or perhaps you have envied those who have been more talented or more useful than yourself. Have you not so envied some, that it has caused you pain to hear them praised? It has pleased you more to dwell upon their faults than upon their virtues... upon their failures rather than their successes. Be honest with yourself, and if you have harbored this spirit of hell, then repent deeply
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before God. 17) Bitterness. Recall all the instances in which you have harbored a grudge or a bitter spirit toward someone, or have spoken of Christians in a manner completely devoid of charity and love. Love “hopes all things,” but you have given no benefit of doubt, and have suspected the worst. 18) Slander (Gossip). Think of all the times you have spoken behind people’s backs of their faults (real or supposed) unnecessarily and without cause. This is slander. You need not lie to be guilty of slander - to tell the truth with the intent to injure is slander. 19) Levity. How often have you joked before God, as you would not have dared in the presence of an important dignitary or official? You have either been an atheist and forgotten that God existed or you have had less respect for Him than you would have had for a mere judge on earth. 20) Lying. Any form of designed deception is lying. If you purpose to make an impression other than the naked truth, you lie. Put down all those cases you can recollect. Do not call them by any soft names. God calls them lies and charges you with lying, so you’d better charge yourself correctly! Think of all your words, looks, and actions designed to make an impression on others contrary to the truth, for selfish reasons.
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21) Cheating. Set down all the cases where you have dealt with anyone in a way you yourself would not like at all. That is cheating. God has said that we should treat all men in the same manner we would like to be treated. (Matt. 7:12) That is the rule. And if you have not done so you are a cheat! God did not say that you should do what you would expect them to do, for if that were the rule it would allow for all kinds of wickedness in our actions. But it says, do what you would want them to do to you! 22) Hypocrisy. For instance, in your prayers and confessions to God, set down all the times in which you have prayed for things you didn’t really want. How many times have you confessed sins that you never intended to stop doing? Yes, you have confessed sins when you knew in your heart you as much expected to go and repeat them, as you expected to live! 23) Robbing God. Think of all the instances in which you have totally misspent your time, squandering the hours which God gave you to serve Him, and save souls. Precious time wasted in vain amusement or worthless conversation, in reading worldly novels, or even doing nothing; cases where you have misused your talents and ability to think. Think of how you have squandered God’s money on your lusts, or spent it for things which you really didn’t need, which did not contribute to your health, comfort, or usefulness. 24) Bad Temper. Perhaps you have abused your wife, or your children, or your family, or employees, or
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neighbors. Write it all down! 25) Hindering Others From Being Useful. You have not only robbed God of your own talents, but tied the hands of somebody else. What a wicked servant is he who not only is useless himself, but hinders the rest! This is done sometimes by taking their time needlessly. Thus you have played into the hands of Satan, and not only proved yourself to be idle, but prevented others from working also. 26) Sexual Immorality. Consider all the instances where you have looked on that which is not holy or lusted for that which is not holy. Write down every time you have dishonored your spouse or future spouse in thought or action. What sins have you committed that you would never want your spouse or future spouse to know? Remember that sexual sin is particularly grievous in God’s sight. Some Important Guidelines To Follow… 1) If you find you have committed a fault against anyone, and that person is within your reach, go and confess it immediately and get that out of the way. If they are too far away for you to go and see them, sit down and write them a letter, give them a call, or send them an email, confessing the injury you have committed against them. If you have defrauded anybody, send the money - the full amount and the interest.
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2) As you go over the catalogue of your sins, be sure to resolve upon immediate and entire reformation. Wherever you find anything wrong, commit yourself at once, in the strength of God, to sin no more in that way. It will be of no benefit to examine yourself unless you determine to change, in every aspect, that which you find wrong in heart, temper, or conduct. 3) Go thoroughly to work in all this! Go now! Do not put it off - that will only make matters worse. Confess to God those sins that have been committed against God, and to man those sins that have been committed against man. Do not think about getting off easy by going around the stumbling blocks. In breaking up your fallow ground, you must remove every obstacle. Things may be left that you may think are small, and you may wonder why you don’t have your peace with God, when the reason is your proud and carnal mind has covered up something which God has required you to confess and remove. Unless you take up your sins in this way, and consider them in detail, one by one, you can form no idea of the amount or weight of them. Go over the list as thoroughly and as carefully and as solemnly as if you were preparing yourself for the Judgment! (I Cor. 11:31) 4) Run to the grace of God. Read and memorize 1 John 1:9, Psalm 103:8-12, and Isaiah 43:25. Rest in the forgiving mercy of God – He cleanses you from all unrighteousness. Then pray that God will give you a holy fear of living like His forgiveness is not precious to you (1 Peter 1:15-19).
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5) Trust in the Spirit of God. Read Romans 8 and remember that only the Spirit of God can enable you to overcome sin and live in righteousness. No matter how much effort you put forward, you are utterly unable to live the Christ-life by yourself. You need His Spirit to live out His life in you. Walk in desperation for His Spirit on a moment-by-moment basis and trust Him to give you all you need to overcome sin and temptation. Walk in victory!
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Appendix 2: Heart Searching for Prayer Preparation and Personal Revival Psalms 139:23-24: “Search me, O God and know my heart, try me and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Confession of sin is necessary for fellowship with God and revival among God’s people. Prayerfully consider the following questions. Go through the questions one by one. Answer each question truthfully. Every “Yes” answer means sin in your life. In reading these questions, as you are convicted of sin, confes it at once to God and be willing to make it right; then you can claim cleansing and forgiveness. I John 1:9: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Be sure to name your sin to God: ex., “Lord, I have not put you first in my plans,” or, “I have neglected your work and prayer.” Do not make the least excuse for sin of any kind in your life. Proverbs 28:13: “He that covers his sins shall not prosper, but who confesses and forsakes them shall have mercy.” No matter what others do, or do not do, Christian, leave nothing undone on your part. God wants to work
Appendix 2: Heart Searching for Prayer Preparation and Personal Revival
through you to bring about a great spiritual awakening. He can begin by you fulfilling every requirement shown by the Lord through the Holy Spirit and His Word. A revival from the presence of the Lord begins today, if you desire it. Read the scriptures first, ask the question, and give a truthful answer...”Yes” or “No.” 1. Matthew 6:12-15: Is there anyone against whom you hold a grudge? Anyone you haven’t forgiven? Anyone you hate? Anyone you do not love? Are there any misunderstandings that you are unwilling to forget? Is there any person against whom your are harboring bitterness, resentment, or jealousy? Anyone you dislike to hear praised or well spoken of? Do you allow anything to justify a wrong attitude toward another? 2. Matthew 6:33: Is there anything in which you have failed to put God first? Have your decisions been made after your own wisdom and desires rather than by seeking and following God’s will? Do any of the following in any way interfere with your surrender and service to God: ambition, pleasures, loved ones, friendships, desire for recognition, money, your own plans? 3. Mark 1:17: Have you failed to seek the lost for Christ? Have you failed to witness consistently with your mouth for the Lord Jesus Christ? Has your life not shown the Lord Jesus to the lost? 4. John 13:35: Are you secretly pleased over the
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misfortunes of another? Are you secretly annoyed over the accomplishments or advancements of another? Are you guilty of any contention or strife? Do you quarrel, argue or engage in heated discussions? Are you a partner in any divisions, or party spirit? Are there people whom you deliberately slight? 5. Malachi 3:10: Have you robbed God by withholding His due of time, talents and money? Have you given less than a tenth of your income for God’s work? Have you failed to support mission work either in prayer or in offerings? 6. I Corinthians 4:2: Are you undependable so that you cannot be trusted with responsibilities in the Lord’s work? Are you allowing your emotions to be stirred for things of the Lord but doing nothing about it? 7. I Corinthians 6:12-20: Are you in any way careless with your body? Do you fail to care for it as the temple of the Holy Spirit? Are you guilty of intemperance in eating or drinking? Do you have any habits which are defiling to the body? 8. I Corinthians 10:31: Do you take the slightest credit for anything good about you rather than give all the glory to God? Do you talk of what you have done rather than of what Christ has done? Are your statements mostly about “I?” Are your feelings easily hurt? Have you made a pretense of being something that you are not?
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9. Ephesians 3:20: Are you self-conscious rather than Christ-conscious? Do you allow feelings of inferiority to keep you from attempting things you should in serving the Lord? 10. Ephesians 4:28: Do you underpay? Do you do very little in your work? Have you been careless in the payment of your debts? Have you sought to evade payment of debts? Do you waste time of others? 11. Ephesians 4:31: Do you complain? Do you find fault? Do you have a critical attitude toward any person or thing? Are you irritable or cranky? Do you ever carry hidden anger? Do you get angry? Do you become impatient with others? Are you ever harsh or unkind? 12. Ephesians 5:20: Have you neglected to thank Him for all things, the seemingly bad as well as the good? Have you virtually called God a liar by doubting His Word? Do you worry? Is your spiritual temperature based on your feelings instead of on the facts of God’s Word? 13. Ephesians 5:16: Do you listen to unedifying radio or TV programs? Do you read unworthy magazines? Do you partake in worldly amusements? Do you find it necessary to seek satisfaction from any questionable source? Are you doing certain things that show that you are not satisfied in the Lord Jesus Christ? 14. Philippians 1:21: Are you taken up with the cares of this life? Is your conversation for heart joy over “things”
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rather than the Lord and His Word? Does anything mean more to you than living for and pleasing Christ? 15. Philippians 2:14: Do you ever, by word or deed, seek to hurt someone? Do you ever gossip? Do you speak unkindly concerning people when they are not present? Do you carry prejudice against true Christians because they are of some different group than you are, or because they do not see everything exactly like you do? 16. Philippians 4:4: Have you neglected to seek to be pleasing to Him in all things? Do you carry any bitterness toward God? Have you complained against Him in any way? Have you been dissatisfied with His provision for you? Is there in your heart any unwillingness to obey God fully? Do you have any reservations as to what you would or would not do concerning anything that might be His will? Have you disobeyed some direct leading from Him? 17. Colossians 3:5-9: Do you engage in empty and unprofitable conversation? Do you ever lie? Do you ever exaggerate? Cheat? Steal? Carefully consider...Do you overcharge? 18. 2 Timothy 2:22: Do you have any personal habits that are not pure? Do you ever allow impure thoughts about the opposite sex to stay in your mind? Do you read that which is impure or suggests unholy things? Do you indulge in any unclean entertainment? Are you guilty of the lustful look?
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19. Hebrews 10:25: Do you stay away from meetings of the preaching of the gospel? Do you whisper, or think about other things while God’s word is being read or preached? Are you irregular in attendance at services? Do you neglect to attend or participate in meetings of prayer? Have you neglected or slighted daily or private prayer? Have you neglected God’s word? Do you find the Bible and prayer uninteresting? Have you neglected thanksgiving at meals? Have you neglected daily family devotions? 20. Hebrews 13:17: Do you hesitate to submit to leaders in the church or elsewhere? Are you lazy? Do you rebel at requests given you to help in the work of the Gospel? Do you in anyway have a stubborn or unteachable spirit? 21. James 1:27: Have you allowed yourself to become “spotted” by the world? Is your manner of dress pleasing to God? Do you spend beyond what is pleasing to God on anything? Do you neglect to pray about things that you buy? 22. James 4:6: Do you feel that you are doing quite well as a Christian? That you are not so bad? That you are good enough? Are you stubborn? Do you insist on having your own way? Do you insist on your “rights?” 23. James 4:11: Have you dishonored Him, and hindered His work by criticizing His servants? Have you failed to pray regularly for your pastor or other spiritual leaders? Do you find it hard to be corrected? Is there rebellion
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toward one who wants to restore you? Are you more concerned about what people will think than what will be pleasing to God? If you have been honest and true in the matter of admitting your sins, then you are ready for God’s cleansing. Sins that are admitted are sins that are confessed. Remember these three things: 1. If the sin is against God, confess it to God and make things right with God. 2. If the sin is against another person, confess it to God then make things right with that person. 3. If the sin is against a group, confess it to God then make things right with the group.
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Works Cited Calvin, John. Institutes of the Christian Religion. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., 2008. Ferguson, Sinclair. The Grace of Repentance. Wheaton: Crossway, 2010. “Heart Searching for Prayer Preparation and Personal Revival.” BASIC Ministries.
Keller, Tim. “All of Life is Repentance.” Redeemer Presbyterian Church. Keller, Tim. The Prodigal God. New York: Penguin Group, 2008. Roberts, Richard Owens. Repentance: The First Word of the Gospel. Wheaton: Crossway, 2002. Thomas, John. “That Hideous Doctrine.” Reprint from Moody Magazine. Chicago: Moody Bible Institute, Sept. 1985. Accessed from Watson, Thomas. The Doctrine of Repentance. Edinburgh: The Banner of Truth, 1988.
Wright, N. T. After You Believe. New York: HarperCollins, 2010.
For more information or for a list of additional resources contact: Campus Outreach Birmingham phone:
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