Repent and turn to God

The Need for Repentance

(Preface: I say some pretty harsh things about current practices in the Body of Christ. My goal is to say these out of love for the admonishment and edification of the Body. I do not intend to lambaste the church for selfish motives. My motive is to improve knowledge and light in the Body of Christ. JW)





Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus.
Acts 3:19

CURRENT SITUATION

1.) The American Church is desperately in need of a revival.
2.) This is perhaps the last generation that can call America, a Christian nation.
3.) To a large extent, our current efforts to gain converts to Christianity are failing
4.) 90% of Americans believe there is a God, but we are not an Godly society

HOW DID WE GET IN THIS SITUATION?

1.) Bad Theology
2.) Bad Doctrine
3.) We’ve told the world, “Jesus Loves You.” We’ve done mass media campaigns, and almost everybody in America could parrot the saying, “Jesus Loves You.”
4.) What we haven’t told ourselves and the world to do is REPENT!
5.) When Peter is asked, “What must I do?” Peter answers, “Repent and be baptized.”
6.) We tell people the wrong thing when they’re looking for salvation.
6.a.) We tell them things like, “Let Jesus into your hearts.” This is an instruction to sinners that has almost no scriptural basis, and no logical reason either.
6.b.) We lead them in the sinners prayer. Here is an excerpt:
6.b i. ) Dear Father God in heaven, I come to you in the name of Jesus. I acknowledge to You that I am a sinner, and I am sorry for my sins and the life that I have lived; I need your forgiveness.
6.b.ii.) The sinners prayer is not Biblical!!!!
6.b.ii.1.) At the end of this article, I’ve included salvation instructions from John the Baptist, Jesus, Peter, and Paul. NONE of them used the sinners prayer.
6.b.ii.2.) Every sinner is more than happy to make a blanket admission that they’re a sinner. This worst drunk will happily tell you how bad he is. But admitting that you’re a sinner does not lead to repentance, and does not lead to salvation.
6.b.ii.3.) The sinner’s prayer gives people a false hope.
6.b.ii.4.) The sinner’s prayer is leading to a unconverted and unsaved church.


WHAT WE SHOULD BE TELLING POTENTIAL CONVERTS

1.) Tell them to Repent
2.) Give your heart to God
3.) Peter implies that Repentance and turning to God happens before forgiveness of sins


WHAT IS REPENTANCE

1.) Repentance is a act of the will
2.) A complete change of Heart
3.) A total change of Affection
4.) It is every person’s Duty
5.) Every sinner can repent. To say that can’t is to call God unfair for telling them to do it.
6.) Repentance is giving up everything that stands between you and God
7.) Sin is selfishness. Repentance is turning from selfishness to benevolence.
8.) Repentance implies a disgust for all sins
9.) Repentance implies a confession for sins and restitution where possible
10.) Repentance includes a change of opinion about the nature and the punishment for sin. Look at the Rich Man and Lazarus, Abraham does not show any sympathy for The Rich Man in hell. Instead his actions imply that Abraham believes that he is getting his just reward for his actions on earth.
11.) Repentance is ALWAYS accompanied by an outside change in behavior


WHAT’S NOT REPENTANCE

1.) Repentance is not remorse or grief for sin. Hell is full of remorseful sinners. (Note: The Rich Man and Lazarus)
2.) Repentance can take as long or short as it needs to. The thief on the cross repented immediately.


YOU MUST REPENT TO COME TO GOD

1.) It is your duty to change your heart
2.) You must give up every sin
3.) You must give your entire heart to God, to His work, to His Kingdom, to His Will, and to His fellowship.
a. It’s hard to imagine that we’ve given God-haters any salvation hope. People that don’t pray, don’t read God’s word, and don’t fellowship with God are not God’s people.
4.) You must change from sinfulness to Holiness, as it says, “be ye holy as I am holy.”
5.) You must change your idea of sin and its desirability. You must loathe sin, and abstain from it.
6.) You must realize that sin deserves eternal punishment
7.) With true repentance the disposition to sin is gone


HOW DO I KNOW IF I NEED TO REPENT?

Examine yourself. John the Baptist said, “produce fruits in keeping with repentance.” (Matthew 3:8) Jesus said, “By your fruit, you will recognize them.” (Matthew 7:16) The prophet Malachi says that we weary God by saying all who do evil are good in the sight of the Lord. (Malachi 2:17)


Examine your life. Take inventory of your sins in the following categories;

1.) Sins of Omission
These are things you should have done, but didn’t.
a.) Ingratitude to God
b.) Lack of Love for God
c.) Lack of Bible Reading
d.) Lack of a prayer life
e.) Unbelief
f.) Unconcerned about Souls
g.) Neglect of Family Duties
h.) Neglect of Social Duties
i.) Lack of Discipline

2.) Sins of Commision
a.) Lust
b.) Porn
c.) Greed
d.) Pride
e.) Envy
f.) Critical Spirit
g.) Slander
h.) Disrespect
i.) Lying
j.) Cheating
k.) Hypocrisy
l.) Robbing God
m.) Anger

WHAT IF I NEED TO REPENT?

Understand that God already knows that you need to change your heart and give up your sins. The entire Bible is all about God’s love for you. He created you just the way that he wants you with all the skills, talents and abilities that he wants you to have. God desires fellowship with you so much that he sent his Son to die for you.

So if need to repent, do it now. God is waiting to forgive you. He wants to forgive you.

WHAT OTHERS HAVE TO SAY ABOUT REPENTANCE

John the Baptist
In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”
Matthew 3:1

Jesus
“The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!”
Mark 1:15

The Apostle Paul
First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and to the Gentiles also, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds.
Acts 26:20

Jesus to the Church at Ephesus
Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.
Revelation 2:5

Jesus to the Church at Pergumum
Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.
Revelation 2:16

Jesus speaking about the Prophetess Jezreal to the Church at Thyatira
I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways.
Rev 2:21-22

Jesus speaking to the Church at Sardis
Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.
Revelation 3:3

Jesus speaking to the Church at Laodicea
Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent.
Revelation 3:19










Humbly submitted,

John Wheeler





All scripture quotes come from:
The Holy Bible, New International Version. Pradis CD-ROM