"The Sound of Truth"
By: Notes from the Elder.
"Repentance"
Our first step with God is the hardest, just like a baby trying to make his first step. The first thing the Bible
tells us to do is repent.
Mark 6:12 And they went out, and preached that men should repent.
Luke 13:1 There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate
had mingled with their sacrifices.
2 And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the
Galilaeans, because they suffered such things?
3 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
Acts 17:30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
Rev. 2:16 Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.
Romans 2:4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that
the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?
2 Corinthians 7:10 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow
of the world worketh death.
Hebrews 12:17 For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected:
for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.
God and sin are at opposite ends of the spectrum. They are completely incompatible. God will not dwell at
the same place with sin. In order for one to possiss God ha must disspossess sin. Because of the mercies
of God and love of God, mankin has the priviledge of preparing his life so that God will come and dwell in his
heart. The process through which man must go to bring about this condition is called repentance.
Repentance is a change of mind, a turning around, a change in direction. Repentance is a repentance from sin.
In order to approach God, we must divorce ourselves from sin. We cannot come to God with sin in our life.
We must realize how repulsive sin is to a Holy God. We must make a repentance to God. Because of our
sinful past, we have wronged God. We become repulsive to God through our sinful ways. As David said,
"Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: ..." Psalms 51:4 When the apostles
were ask on the day of pentecost, "... men and brethren, what shall we do..." Peters's responce was
clear and certain. "Then Peter said unto them, Repent..." Repentance is not only a wonderful
priveledge, but also a necessity. Repentance is not necessarily a one step, one time process that we
go through. We find the Bible teaches repentance.
"Before Repentance"
The Bible speaks of repentance before one can come to God. Acts 2:38, Acts 17:30, Luke 13:1-3, Mark 6:12
This repentaance is a turning from our past, from sin which we had committed contrary to the will of God.
It is an acknowledging of our alienation from God and sinlessness. This step is to be taken before the
name of Jesus is applied in baptism.
"Too Late"
The error of some is that they think that repentance may take place at any time, and at any place. If it would
be possible to call Esau back from the grave, he would inform them that this is not so. (Hebrews 12:17)
There is such a thing as waiting until it is too late to repent.
"Repentance is only repentance when God accepts it."
Repentance is not crying. It is not saying I'm sorry. Repentance is Godly sorrow which brings about repentance.
And it is only God who produces this Godly sorrow in one's heart. Those who, like Esau, do despite the
Spirit of Grace could find themselves in a condition in which they cannot find place of repentance. Billy Sunday
said, "Deathbed repentance is burning the candle of life in the service of the devil, and then blowing the
smoke into the face of God."
Old John Knight - a saintly old man he was, - was sitting back in the church one night listening to
George Smith preach, & George was preaching of repentance and he was agoing it. He was speaking of
evangelical repentance, and legal repentance, splitting hairs a mile long and quartering them. Showing
which was legal repentance, and which was evangelical repentance. Old Uncle John Knight sat back there
listening to old Uncle George until he was tired, and old Uncle John stood up and said, "George, won't you
stop a minute, and let me tell them what repentance is?" And George said, "Yes, Uncle John, I always
like to hear you talk." Uncle John started up the isle this way, and said, "I'm going to hell, I'm going to hell,
I'm going to hell." And when he got up about the end of the isle, he started right back and said: "I'm going
to heaven, I'm going to heaven, I'm going to heaven." Now, said he, "George, tell 'em to turn around.
That means repentance, that means conversion. And don't stand there splitting hairs on evangelical,
and legal repentance."
Make the first step. Matthew 3:8 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance."
Rev. Gerald Capps pastor:
Church of the Lord Jesus Christ
8611 Old Pascagoula Rd.
Theodore, Al. 36582
Ph. 251-653-4472
Lord bless,
Elder Jim