True Repentance

          For a Christian, true repentance is not just saying, "I'm sorry," and having
     a bad feeling about his sins.

          "True repentance results in the outward hatred of sin and a lifelong endeavor
     to be more like Christ" (Theopedia).

         
          Repentance is a gift from God.  It does not come from within the person.

                                "Or do you show contempt for the riches of His
                                  kindness, tolerance, and patience, not realizing
                                  that God's kindness leads you toward repentance."
                                                                            Romans 2:4


                                "Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to
                                 salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly
                                 sorrow brings death."
                                                                            2 Corinthians 7:10


                                "God exalted Him at His right hand as Leader and
                                 Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness
                                 of sins."
                                                                             Acts 5:31


          "Godly sorrow manifests itself by repentance and the experience of divine
     grace."
          "Worldly sorrow brings death because, instead of being God-centered sorow
     over the wickedness of sin, it is self-centered sorrow over the painful conse-
     quences of sin."
                                                                            NIV Commentary


                                                          **********


          "The term [repentance] demands radical conversion, demands a transformation
     of nature, a definitive turning from evil, a resolute turning to God in total obedience.
     This conversion is once for all.  There can be no going back, only advance and re-
     sponsible movement along the way now taken.  It affects the whole man."
                                                                            Gerhart Kittle


          "True repentance is a turning of the heart, as well as of the life; it is the giving up
     of the whole soul to God, to be His forever and ever; it is a renunciation of the sins
     of the heart, as well as the corruptions of life."
          "All sin must be given up, or else you will never have Christ:  All evil must be re-
     nounced, or else the gates of heaven must be locked to keep you out forever.  Let us
     remember then, that for repentance to be sincere, it must be total repentance."
                                                                             Charles Spurgeon


                          "Then He called the crowd to Him along with His disciples
                            and said, 'If anyone would come after me, he must deny
                            himself and take up his cross and follow me.  For whoever
                            wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his
                            life for me and for the gospel will save it.
                          "What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet for-
                            feit his soul?  Or what can a man give in exchange for his
                            soul?  If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this
                            adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be
                            ashamed of him when He comes in His Father's glory with
                            the holy angels."
                                                                            Mark 8:34-38


          "Repentance means that you realize that you are a guilty, vile sinner in the
     presence of God, that you deserve the wrath and punishment of God, that you
     are hell-bound.  It means that you begin to realize that this thing called sin is
     in you and that you long to get rid of it, and that you turn your back on it in
     every shape and form.
          "You renounce the world whatever the cost, the world in its mind and out-
     look as well as its practices, and you deny yourself and take up the cross and
     go after Christ.  Your nearest and dearest and the whole world may call you a
     fool or say you have religious mania; you may have to suffer financially, but
     it makes no difference.  That is repentance."
                                                                                   Martin Lloyd-Jones



          Jesus commanded us to repent.

                               (Jesus said), "The time has come.  The kingdom of God is
                                                     near.  Repent and believe the good news."
                                                                                     Mark 1:15