The Nature and Necessity of True Repentance # 2

The Nature and Necessity of True Repentance # 2

3. True repentance extends to all known sin, without exception. Every sin, whether it consists in neglecting what is commanded, or doing what is forbidden: whether it is immediately against God, against our neighbor, or ourselves; whether it is fashionable, constitutional, pleasing, or painful; every sin, without exception - is hated and lamented by the true penitent. He should indeed regard them according to their different degrees of aggravation; but he should not except any of them, even the smallest. They are all forbidden by the same divine authority; all contrary to the holy nature of God, and therefore, they must be all repented of. This was the character of David - that he "hated every false way!" (Ps. 119:128).

4. True repentance always includes reformation. There are many whose whole life seems to be one continued struggle between the strength of sin and  conscience; and they run around in a circle of sinning and repenting; repenting and sinning - all their days. Sin is so strong that it will prevail in spite of all the struggles of conscience though without success. Nay, the repentance of some is so far from reforming them from sin - that it rather encourages them to return to it; for now, they think, they have cleared off the old score, and they may venture upon a new one; until that also swells very high, and then they have another fit of repentance to clear off this new account.

Alas! friends, is this repentance unto life? What does that sorrow for sin avail - which leaves the heart as much in love with it as ever! The only reason why sorrow is a necessary ingredient in repentance is, because we will not, forsake sin - until it is made bitter to us; and therefore, when our sorrow has not this effect, it is altogether useless. Can that repentance save you, which is so far from being an ingredient of holiness, that it is a preparative to sin - a repentance that answers no other end but to make conscience easy after a debauch, and prepare it for another round of sin?

Is this the nature of true repentance? No!  It is the character of every true penitent, that sin has not an habitual dominion over him (Romans 6:14). Remember that maxim of the wise man, "He who covers his sins shall not prosper; but whoever confesses and forsakes them, shall have mercy." (Prov. 28:13). Observe, not only confessing - but also forsaking them - is necessary to the obtaining of mercy. The same thing appears from the various expressions used in Scripture to describe repentance.

To repent, in the language of the Bible, is to depart from our evil ways; to cease to do evil, and learn to do well; to cleanse our hands, and purity our hearts. These expressions signify not only sorrow for sin - but especially reformation from it. In vain, therefore, do you pretend to repent - if you still go on in the sins you repent of! I do not mean by this, that true penitents are perfectly free from sin in this life: alas! their painful experience makes the best of them sensible of the contrary. But I mean two things, which deserve your notice:

1. The one is, that every true repentant has a habitual dominion over sin: the principles of religion and virtue are prevailingly uppermost in his soul, and habitually regulate his behavior. As for gross, overt acts of sin - he is habitually free from them, and indeed, generally this is no great difficulty. To him it is no such mighty exploit to abstain from drunkenness, swearing, injustice, or the like. And so to his daily infirmities, they are contrary to the habitual prevailing bent of his soul, and are matter of his daily lamentation.

2. And this introduces the other remark I had in view, which is this: that the true repentant cannot be perfect in this life - is the daily grief and burden of his soul. Many hypocrites seem well pleased that this is an imperfect state, because they think it furnishes them with a plea or an excuse for their neglect of the service of God, and for their sinful indulgences. In short, sin is their delight, and, therefore, freedom from it would be a painful bereavement to them; and they are glad they are in such a state as will admit of their retaining it. Now such people do really esteem it a privilege to be imperfect, and they rejoice in it as their happiness, that they are able to continue sin.

But it is quite the reverse with the true penitent - perfection in holiness, and an entire freedom from sin - is the object of his eager desire and most vigorous pursuit; and he can never be easy until he is free from it. If he cannot enjoy the pleasure of serving God as he would in the present state, he must, at least, enjoy the pleasure of grieving over and lamenting his guilty imperfections. If he cannot get free from sin, his old enemy, he will, at least, take a kind of pleasing revenge upon it, by hating and resisting it. In short, the remains of sin afford him more uneasiness, perplexity, and sorrow - than all other things in the world. Oh! if he were but delivered from this body of death, he would be happy, however oppressed with other burdens; but while sin lies upon him, all the world cannot render him easy and happy.

From the whole, you see that reformation is an essential ingredient of true repentance; and in vain do you pretend that you repent of sin - if you still indulge yourselves in it. You may try to excuse yourselves, but in spite of all your excuses, this is an eternal truth - that unless your repentance reforms you, and turns you from the outward practice or secret indulgence of those sins you are sorry for - it is not repentance unto life.

5. And lastly, evangelical repentance implies a believing application to God for pardon - only through Jesus Christ. Evangelical repentance does not consist of despairing agonies and hopeless horrors of conscience - but is attended with an humble hope of forgiveness and acceptance; and this hope is founded entirely upon the merits of Jesus - and not of our repentance and reformation.

How opposite to this is the prevailing spirit of the world! If they repent, it is to make amends for their sins, and procure the divine favor by their repentance; and thus, even their repentance becomes a snare to them, and one cause of their destruction! In this sense, a bold saying of one of the church fathers is true: "That more souls are destroyed by their 'repentance' - than by their sins!" That is, their superficial, servile repentance has the appearance of goodness, and therefore they make a righteousness of it; and upon this quicksand they build their hopes, until they sink in remediless ruin!

Thus I have endeavored to open to you the great  gospel duty of repentance, as distinguished from all counterfeits and delusive appearances. I hope you have all understood me; for I have labored to make myself understood, and spoke as plainly as I could. If you have experienced such a sincere, evangelical repentance, as has been described, you may venture your souls upon it, that it is repentance unto life; but if you are strangers to it, I may leave it to yourselves to determine, whether you can be saved in your present condition.

~Samuel Davies~

(continued with # 3)