Lesson 11

     What else is the will of the Father that we may please Him so that we can go to Heaven?  Jesus says in Luke 13:3, "I tell you, no; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish."  It is either repent or perish; the choice is ours. But Satan does not want us to repent.  Acts 17:30, "Truly these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent."  All people everywhere, and that includes you and me, are commanded of God to repent. Repent of what?  Repent of our sins.  "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves; and the truth is not in us" (1 John 1:8).  Repent of not fully serving and following all that God says.

     God is pleading with us to repent.  He greatly desires that we turn to him.  He tells us in 2 Peter 3:9, "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance."  God wants us to repent so we can be saved. He is patiently waiting on us.  But eventually our time will run out.  The longer we put off repentance, the harder our heart gets.

     Repentance is not just being sorry.  2 Corinthians 7:10 says, "For Godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death."  If one is only sorry he got caught, then this will not lead to repentance.  Godly sorrow helps bring on repentance.  Repentance is not sorrow for sin, but one cannot repent without being sorry he has sinned.  “Let the wicked forsake his way…let him return to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him…for He will abundantly pardon” (Isaiah 55:7).  In repentance, one must first understand he has sinned, feel sorrow for the sin, and then stop and turn away from that sin.  Repentance is a change of heart and a change of mind.  We must make up our mind to stop living life our way and start living it God’s way.  It is making up our mind that henceforth we are going to serve God with all our might and do everything He says.  Matthew 22:37, "Jesus said to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind."  In other words, we must do it with all of our being.

     Paul says, “Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?  Certainly not!” (Romans 6:1-2).  To show our repentance we are to “Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance” (Matthew 3:8).  Why should we repent of sins?  “For the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).  Spiritual death is separation from God in eternity.  Unless one repents he cannot go to Heaven, but will eternally suffer the torments of Hell.  We must give up our sin and “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body” (Romans 6:12).  “He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes his sin shall have mercy” (Proverbs 28:13).

     Repentance is a change of heart, which results in a change of actions for the better.  Without repentance we cannot receive forgiveness and be saved.  Where we spend eternity, in Heaven or Hell, is determined by our repentance.  All of Heaven is anxious for us to repent.  Jesus says, "Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents" (Luke 15:10).   

     Romans 2:4 says, "Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing the goodness of God leads you to repentance."  God has been so good to us, and this should cause us to want to please Him in every way.  God, because of His love for us, has done so much for us, and because of this we read in I John 4:19, "We love Him, because He first loved us."  This should cause us to want to repent and do all the things that He has asked us to do, otherwise we do not love God.  Jesus said in John 14:24, "He who does not love Me, does not keep my words."  1 John 2:4 says, "He who says 'I know Him', and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him."  Do you know and love God and Christ?  If you do, you will want to do everything that He says.  In John 14:15 Jesus says, "If you love Me keep My commandments."  Are you willing to show your love to God by repenting?