This episode mostly focuses on the kindnesses of God that lead to repentance. The last program emphasized cooperation with the convicting Holy Spirit, as He works godly sorrow leading to repentance without regret. The temptation for some evangelists (and churches) is interrupting or sidestepping the Holy Spirit's work of conviction, resulting in shallow repentance without genuine sorrow. The result at best, is a shallow repentance with regret. The evangelist instead needs to cooperate with the Holy Spirit's "sorrowful" work, while at the same time bringing to mind His more "positive" gracious works. "The kindnesses of God lead you to repentance." (Romans 2:4) Many unbelievers have experienced kindnesses of God that smack of divine intervention: miraculous survival from normally "fatal" accidents, instantaneous answers to prayer, and rescue from dire circumstances. God can't help Himself, for "He is kind to ungrateful and evil people." (Luke 6:35) The evangelist can then hopefully elicit acknowledgment of God's kindnesses while articulating God's call to repent. Godly sorrow coupled with God's kindnesses, embodied in the cross, are the means of repentance.
Sorrow that Leads to Repentance without Regret
This episode unpacks 2 Corinthians 7:10, in which "sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret." Arguably the reason why many repent only superficially is that sorrow according to the will of God is missing. Sorrow over sin and missing the purpose of God is necessary for lasting repentance. So when an evangelist is not comfortable with a would-be convert's squirming under conviction, he may interrupt the Holy Spirit's convicting work by minimizing or dumbing down the need for repentance. Many churches, in a sincere desire to bring people to Christ, unfortunately gloss over repentance in rushed alter call settings. It may result in recitation of the sinner's prayer, but since genuine sorrow leading to a repentance without regret is rarely possible in a five-minute alter call, many either return to the world (seed sown in rocky ground) or vacillate in their commitment to Christ. Their "repentance" came with regrets because real SORROW was never experienced. The evangelist then needs to be attentive to the Holy Spirit and allow His work of conviction to proceed uninterrupted, until it produces a sorrow that leads to repentance without regret.
God Commands ALL People Everywhere to Repent
This episode surveys key passages in the book of Acts where entrance into the kingdom of God is granted based on repentance and faith in Christ. Some dispensationalists have erroneously claimed that only Jews needed to respond to the gospel with repentance and faith. Yet both Peter and Paul preached to Gentiles and included repentance in their gospel presentations. Based on Peter's testimony relating Gentile reception of Christ at Cornelius' house, the church at Jerusalem conceded that God had granted the Gentiles "repentance that leads to life." (Acts 11:18) Paul told Gentiles at Mar Hill that God "commands" everyone to repent. (Acts 17:30) Before King Agrippa, Paul summarized his 25 year mission as "turning people from darkness to light, from the power of Satan to God, leading to sanctification by faith in Christ. (Acts 26:18) The evangelist then must incorporate both repentance and faith in Christ as the basis of salvation.
An Incomplete Gospel Leading to Complete Ruin
This episode spells out the potentially devastating consequences of a sinner's profession of faith, devoid of repentance. Unfortunately many Americans claim to be Christians based on an incomplete grasp of the gospel. They may have recited a sinner's prayer, assenting to their need for Christ's sacrifice to cover their sin-debt. But accessing the benefits of Christ's sacrifice was based on believing, apart from any repudiation of their sinful lives. John MacArthur illustrates an encounter with "easy-believism" in which a strip club owner made a profession of faith in Christ at a church, but nevertheless continued to promote sin with his business. Churches and evangelists are at fault when they incompletely explain access to salvation, dumbing down or leaving out entirely the need for repentance. The results are spurious "decisions for Christ" that amount to fire insurance policies designed to secure heaven, without any corresponding change in heart or behavior. The result is that many have false assurances of salvation based on an incomplete gospel presentation. Sadly, the self-delusion, reinforced by the Church, now acts to inoculate the Hell-destined nominal believer from the true gospel based on self-renunciation and repentance. If they don't repent eventually, they will hear Christ's terrifying words, "depart from me, you workers of iniquity, I never knew you." (Matthew 7:22) The evangelist then is obligated to preach repentance and faith in Christ as the means of accessing salvation. Anything less makes the evangelist complicit in providing false hope for unbelievers. I wonder how many churches have so diluted the gospel, that they are actually stumbling blocks for the Kingdom..
Evangelism: Co-working with the Spirit
This episode summarizes some of the salient points made so far, beginning with simply showing up ready to have spiritual conversations. Unbelievers are often genuinely interested in discussing spiritual issues, even when they come off as hostile. Consequently, following the Spirit's leading, the second point, is indispensable when evangelizing. At certain points in a gospel presentation, the message brings conviction and "wounds the conscience" of sinners, making them uncomfortable. Since no one ultimately embraces Christ without being convicted of sin, the evangelist should expect and even be comfortable that the message preached causes others discomfort and distress. Along these lines, don't shy away from preaching the saving Biblical response to the gospel, repentance and faith in Christ. The evangelist shouldn't leave out the call to repentance because it is a stumbling block to salvation. This "obstacle" merely highlights the supernatural work of the Spirit necessary for ANY to call Christ Lord.
Stay in Your Lane and Preach Repentance
This episode ties together several New Testament passages, highlighting how saving faith ALWAYS involves repentance. Paul summarized his mission before king Agrippa, "to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins.." (Acts 26:18) The prerequisite to receiving forgiveness of sins is a turning away from sin and Satan. Additionally no one can "follow Christ," if they're "following" themselves. Self-denial, a repudiation of one's self-centered life, is foundational to being a Christian. (Matthew 16:24) The episode anticipates that preaching a gospel that includes repentance will result in fewer "conversions," for sinners naturally balk at "receiving Christ" if it requires a change of mind and lifestyle. Since genuine conversions REQUIRE repentance, and only the Holy Spirit can bring one to repentance, the evangelist should stay in his lane, faithfully preaching the naturally distasteful message of repentance and faith in Christ, while the Holy Spirit overcomes resistance and enables sinners to receive Christ as Lord. The conversion of the soul is a supernatural event where the Holy Spirit does the heavy lifting, convicting and confirming the gospel we preach.
The Folly of Assent without Repentance
Based on 1 Peter 4:1-2, this episode spells out the gospel expectation that "calling Christ Lord" means "living for the will of God." Peter says that Christians "no longer live for the lusts of men but for the will of God." In essence, a Christian is one who repents from living for his own lusts and now follows Christ. So calling Christ Lord presumes repentance. Unfortunately many trust in confessional formulas where assent to the truths of the gospel, devoid of repentance, is sufficient for salvation. But mere assent doesn't address one's attitude towards sin, which is fundamentally not living for the glory of God. The evangelist then should not shy away from preaching repentance, the repudiation of the flesh-centered life that misses the glory of God. Faith in Christ manifests itself in an obvious change of direction: "living for the will of God" replaces living "for the lusts of men."
“Godly Sorrow Leads to Repentance”
This initial episode emphasizes that coming to Christ necessarily requires mourning. The gospel of grace is predicated on judgment, the acknowledgement that justice must be satisfied. "The wages of sin is death," so either Christ's pays the debt or the sinner renders the payment. The conditions to receive Christ are repentance and faith. 2 Corinthians 7:10 declares that "godly sorrow leads to repentance." So even though subsequent joy over receiving the grace of God is the experience of the Christian, mourning that leads to repentance opens the door to that joy. The surrounding verses of Matthew 5:4 also highlight the psychological state of anyone who comes into the kingdom. Being "poor in spirit" and hungry and thirsty for righteousness describe those who mourn over sin. Those who receive Christ are subsequently comforted by the Comforter, the Holy Spirit.
Are You a True Believer or a Mercenary?
This episode addresses the purely "transactional" understanding of salvation by mercenary Christians. "Transactional" Christians are professing Christians who have made a calculated decision to "follow" Christ, not because His way is better, but because He's the only One who can satisfy their sin-debt. While elements of this perspective are also embraced by genuine believers, true Christians follow Christ because they actually see Christ's way as so much better. They reflect on their false ways by contrast, and repent. Like the Psalmist, they have two encounters with the Law of God: one challenging and convicting, the second delightful and instructive. Mercenary "believers" are likened to the wicked, lazy "servant" in the parable of the talents. That servant also had a transactional understanding of "accepting" Christ. He took care of his sin-debt problem by ostensibly trusting Christ and then went off and buried his talent in the ground. He never fell in love with Christ and never delighted with the Law of God in the inner man. The other 2 servants delighted in the gifts of the Master and invested those gifts to honor Him. A transactional, mercenary view of Christ and the salvation He offers is consequently not salvation at all, for the wicked lazy servants ends up in hell.
Grace to Repent
This recap of the prior weeks' lessons emphasizes the necessity of God's grace in repentance. Many believers unfortunately don't avail themselves of God's grace to repent, because they're unaware that God honors sincere prayers that say something like, "Lord, I confess this sin, but I honestly don't want to repent..can you help me?" The primary casualty of such a prayer is human pride, and God gives grace to the humble honest petitioner who acknowledges that even though he knows about God's ways, he can't honestly embrace them as his own. The grace to repent, is consequently God's answer to the psalmist's first petition in verse 5: "that my ways be established to keep your statutes." The psalmist rests his hope on God's grace to repent in verse 32: "I will run the way of your statutes, for you will enlarge my heart." God establishes the psalmist's "ways" by enlarging his heart and helping him to repent.