Repentance = Spiritual Brokenness

Holy mourning for Jesus is the by-product.

A picture is worth a thousand words they say….

What does the above image convey to your spirit?

For me, repentance equals my spiritual brokenness and daily submission to the mind of Christ. This is not a one-off event signified by the praying of a certain prayer, being evidenced by the performance of healings, speaking in some illegible babble, or, here is the big one, being baptized, sprinkled, or any other form of man-made salvation attempts. It is my willingness to take up my cross and follow Jesus, or in the words of Paul, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

Baptism is the disclosure to the world of what side of the spiritual battle you are on and it has nothing to do with salvation.

1 Peter 3:18-22 KJV  For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:  (19)  By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;  (20)  Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.  (21)  The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:  (22)  Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.

You are saved by grace through faith in Jesus and nothing you do in the physical realm can justify you to God.

What does this look like to those around you?

Red flag to most, confessing Christian or not.

This is the second half of the gospel the false religions leave out.

Let us discover together the history of repentance in scripture.

Did you know God repented?

What? He who has no sin repented? What heresy is this?

Genesis 6:6 KJV  And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.

The Hebrew word used here and translated as “repented” is nacham, pronounced naw-kham, and it is used 109 times in the Old Testament. and it means to be in holy sorrow. In this verse, God was sorrowful (repentant) that He made mankind due to their abject wickedness.

Are you familiar with the Old Testament term “clothed in sackcloth”?

1 Chronicles 21:16-17 KJV  And David lifted up his eyes, and saw the angel of the LORD stand between the earth and the heaven, having a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders of Israel, who were clothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces.  (17)  And David said unto God, Is it not I that commanded the people to be numbered? even I it is that have sinned and done evil indeed; but as for these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, O LORD my God, be on me, and on my father's house; but not on thy people, that they should be plagued.

We see this term used again in the New Testament in Revelation 11 in reference to the two witnesses.

Revelation 11:3 KJV  And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.

The two witnesses are a post-rapture phenomenon whereby both Jews and Gentiles alike are repentant of their rejection of Christ. They know this because they are still on Earth when loved ones or friends are now taken up to be with Jesus. The two witnesses know now that their repentance (clothed in sackcloth) will lead them to martyrdom in 31/2 years’ time. They are mournful, but full of the Holy Spirit.

What did John the Baptist teach?

Matthew 3:1-3 ESV  In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea,  (2)  “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”  (3)  For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.’

Israel in those days had become Hellenized and worshipped the Gods of Greece and Rome. In this context, repentance means to mournfully turn away from your idols and back to Yahweh, the only true God of creation.

What did Jesus teach?

Mark 1:14-15 ESV  Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God,  (15)  and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

Jesus was echoing John the Baptist. And also…..

Luke 24:46-47 ESV  and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead,  (47)  and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.

After Jesus was resurrected, He instructed His disciples to proclaim spiritual brokenness for the forgiveness of sins to all nations, starting in Jerusalem. No spiritual brokenness, no forgiveness.

What did Peter teach?

Acts 2:36-38 KJV  Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.  (37)  Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?  (38)  Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Holy sorrow precedes baptism.

Today, most Pastors do not even ask if people are repentant before baptism. The numbers are more important than salvation to most. We have lost what holy sorrow means before the living God.

We fill our seminaries with students that have no idea about holy sorrow and the resultant indwelling spirit of Jesus.

What did Paul teach?

2 Corinthians 7:9-11 ESV  As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us.  (10)  For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.  (11)  For see what earnestness this godly grief has produced in you, but also what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what punishment! At every point you have proved yourselves innocent in the matter.

I hope by now you have an understanding of true repentance.

Repentance is holy sorrow and resultant holy mourning for Jesus. Without it, no salvation.

Is the gate narrowing for you?

Your indwelt spiritual slave to Jesus (Gal 2:20KJV)