What Repentance is not

Repentance is not:
Godly sorrow for sins

"For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death" 2 Cor. 7:10. Godly sorrow works or produces repentance but it is not repentance. We saw Wednesday that repentance is from the Greek word Metanoia, which means "change of mind?"

The need for godly sorrow. Sorrow for sins is desperately needed in and out of the church. Jeremiah tells about his day saying, "For from the least of them even to the greatest of them, Everyone is greedy for gain, And from the prophet even to the priest Everyone deals falsely" and then says, "Were they ashamed because of the abomination they have done? They were not even ashamed at all; They did not even know how to blush" Jer. 6:13-15. People talk openly about their sexual promiscuity, perversion and practices without one ounce of shame. neither do they blush. There is no conviction nor contrition over sin.

What is the answer Sorrow for sins, conviction of sins, contrition over sins, must be produced in the hearts of people by the Holy Spirit. " He will convict the world concerning sin " John 16:8. We preachers and pastors just need to see the "hand of God upon us" as it was upon the apostles. It all starts with us being "filled with the Holy Spirit," so that we see old fashioned conviction of sin. Peter saw that conviction in his preaching shortly after he wept over his sins of denying the Lord Jesus. "Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brethren, what shall we do?" Acts 2:37.

Stephen saw it Stephen preached, "being full of the Holy Ghost" and "Now when they heard this, they were cut to the quick, and they began gnashing their teeth at him" Acts 7:54. Of course he lost his life but gained and eternal reward.

We all need to see it Preachers, teachers, and reachers of souls all need to see the conviction of the Holy Spirit. We must be "purged" vessels "meet for the masters use" 2 Tim. 2:22. We must "thirst" and "drink" and "believe" to see "the flow of rivers of living water," the Holy Spirit flowing through us to see conviction and contrition in our hearers. Doesn't that make sense?

Prayer:  Father help us to preach and teach in the power of the Holy Spirit and see dynamic and powerful results in our churches today. In Jesus name.