Godly sorrow is an important element of faith. There is no faith without repentance. The opposite is true as well: there is no repentance without faith. What is repentance? Let us try to define it, hoping that we all may examine our hearts before God, for without repentance it is impos­sible to please God.

The Source of Repentance⤒🔗

Let us first of all consider the source of repentance. Repentance is a work of God the Holy Spirit. It is the "sound of the wind of the Holy Spirit" (John 3:8). Wherever the wind of the Spirit is blowing, sinners will be humbled to the dust, flee from sin and seek to do and love the will of God. The Holy Spirit works this repentance already in regeneration, but He works it out in the way of sanctification.

Repentance is not a work of man. The Spirit brings him to the right place. He draws him by means of God's Word, applying the Word of God to the heart. He brings it home. The application of the Word of God leads, for instance, to a consideration of God's justice, before Whose face no sinner can stand and live, or He may lead to meditation on the suffering and death of Christ. Through that hidden and powerful work of the Spirit a true sense of sin arises in our hearts and an awareness of God's mercy in Christ Jesus is awakened.

This does not exclude us from a faithful use of the appointed means. The Lord promised to bless the use of the means (Matthew 7:7, 8). But salvation is not dependent on our strength, wisdom or decision. The comfort of the Gospel is that there is a Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Jesus, Who is able and willing to work salvation in a helpless and needy sinner's heart. We need His power because of our natural resistance. By nature we do not like to be humbled and give up our own will and ask: Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?

Being comforted and encouraged by the knowledge that the Holy Spirit will use the means, preachers are called to exhort their hearers to repent and believe. When they preach the command of the Gospel He will surely give the blessings of repentance and faith!

Some Exhortations to Repent←⤒🔗

Let us consider some exhortations not to delay repentance. In the first place, it is an indispensable command of God. "He commands all men everywhere to repent" (Acts 17:30). Except we repent, God will not reveal Himself in His forgiving love. We have wronged God. We have abused His honour. We have broken His perfect law. That makes repentance necessary. "Except ye repent, ye shall perish" (Luke 13:15). Repentance is necessary, not only for worldly, godless people, but for everyone! "He commands all men everywhere to repent." Repentance as an ongoing exercise is also necessary for all who fear the Lord. "I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a con­trite and humble spirit" (Is. 57:15). "The proud He knows afar off" (Ps. 138:6).

The Bible exhorts us to repent, for today is the day of salvation. Now is the season of repentance. "Now is the accepted time" (2 Cor. 6:2). God has willed to show mercy to the penitent.

In his book The Doctrine of Repentance, Watson writes:

It is dangerous to delay repentance, because there are three days that soon may expire. First, the day of the Gospel. It is sweet but swift. The Asian Churches had a day, but at last the candlestick was removed. Secondly, a man's personal day of grace may expire when he is hardening his heart, so that nothing will work upon him or make him sensible; or a spirit of deep sleep may be upon us. "Today if ye will hear His voice, harden not your heart" (Heb. 3:15). Thirdly, the day of life may expire. What security have we that we shall live another day? The God that made you, most graciously invites you. The doors of heaven are thrown open to you. God offers all needed grace to enable you. Behold, He stands at the door of your heart and knocks. If any man opens the door, He will come in! Revelation 3:20.

The Nature of Repentance←⤒🔗

Let us in the second place concentrate on the nature of repentance. What is true repentance? It is first of all, and especially, humiliation. "It is by the highway of pride that sinners depart from God, and it is by the low way of humiliation that they return to Him" (J. Colquhoun). God's grace brings sinners down from their pride and conceit. He brings them low at the footstool of a gracious God.

The exercise of true repentance includes godly sorrow for sin. It is a deep-felt pain that we – being unfruitful sinners – sinned against a good-doing God. We will shed tears of a broken heart. A contrite spirit is according to God's will. "The sacrifices of God are a broken and a contrite heart" (Ps. 51).

Repentance also includes a hatred of sin. A child of God is never without sin, but he will learn to hate sin; he loathes himself for his iniquities. He cannot live in sin anymore and he complains: I am carnal, sold under sin. Watson says, "Christ Jesus is never loved till sin be loathed. Heaven is never longed for till sin be loathed."

True repentance also includes shame and confusion of face before God. For sin is sin against a good-doing God; it is unthankfulness. Did not sin nail Jesus to the cross? "Surely, after that I was turned, I repented; and after that I was instructed, I smote upon my thigh therefore I was ashamed, yea even confounded, because I did bear the reproach of my youth" (Jer. 31:19).

True repentance also includes confession of sin. That is the purpose the Lord aims at. "I will go and return to My place, till they acknow­ledge their offence and seek My face" (Hos. 5:15). They come with the confession of the publican: "O God, be merciful to me, a sinner". Confession of sin implies a hearty decision to turn from evil and to turn unto God. "Come let us return unto the Lord, for He has torn and He will heal us; He has smitten and He will bind us up" (Hos. 6:1).

Reader, what about you? Does your heart know the secret of repentance?

There is no true repentance without faith. Faith takes refuge in the promises of the Lord. It takes refuge to the Lord Jesus and His finished work. When the jailor cried out: "What must I do to be saved?" Paul the apostle answered: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved" (Acts 16:31). Judas could not believe in God's pardoning grace. Faith makes repentance sweet. Faith upholds the despondent and broken-hearted ones. It encourages one to stick to the Word of God and it gives one boldness to ap­proach the throne of grace. "I will not let Thee go, except Thou bless me" (Gen. 32:26).

He Who works repentance works faith as well. There is no repentance without faith and no faith without repentance. "Without faith it is impossible to please God. For he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a Rewar­der of them that diligently seek Him" (Heb. 11:6). The evil spirit convicts of sin just to cause despair. The good Spirit uncovers our sins in order to lead us to the Fountain of salvation.

The Fruits of Repentance←⤒🔗

We have considered the source of repentance and studied its nature; we will now discuss the blessed fruits of repen­tance. The sinner who repents for the first time or by renewal will experience a very rich blessing, the favour of his God and peace with God. Christ Jesus will become precious to him.

How desirable is the Saviour to a troubled soul! The righteousness of Christ will become his only hope. The Lord Jesus will become the Way, the Truth and the Life. We will need Him as our chief Prophet and Teacher, our only High priest having compassion on us, and our eternal King. The Lord Jesus is the great Physician and He has much work to do in the heart and life of a repentant sinner. "I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance" (Mark 2:17). He comforts all that mourn and binds up their wounds. What a blessed fruit of repentance – we will gain Christ!

In the way of repentance (not because of it), a sinner will taste the gift of forgiveness. Where do we hear that most comforting word "My son, my daughter, your sins are forgiven"? – in the depths of humiliation, at Jesus' feet. When did the prodigal son experience his father's love? In His father's arms; in the way of repentance.

Another fruit of repentance is sanctification. The Spirit of Christ renews the heart in the image of Christ Jesus. In this way we will fight against sin and flee from sin. The sinner will desire His protection, for he prays: Lead me not into temptation, but deliver me from evil. He desires to lead a holy life. He begins to fear sin, for doesn't the penitent experience the bitterness of sin? Doesn't he feel that he displeases his God? By means of Christ's sanctifying work in our hearts we will experience more and more our unworthiness and depravity and more and more a sense of Jesus' necessity and suitability. Paul be­came the chief of sinners and the least of all saints in his own eyes.

Do you know that work of Christ's Spirit in your heart? There is nothing that is more displeasing to the Lord than spiritual pride. A person who does not need Christ Jesus, the only Saviour, is an abomination in His eyes.

Without repentance God will abase us. "For everyone that exalts himself shall be abased" (Luke 18:14). But everyone who learns to humble himself before God will experience "that (whoever) humbles him­self shall be exalted." That is also the fruit of repentance: exaltation and glory! The fruit of repentance is not only self-knowledge, Christ-knowledge and sanctification, but also glorification. A repentant sinner is on his way to heaven! "I say unto you that joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repents" (Luke 15:17). The angels know that one more pearl has been added to the crown of the Mediator and one more soul has been added to the multitude which will receive glory in heaven. Yes, the fruit of repen­tance is glorification. A perfect and eternal joy will be on the heads of the saints in heaven. The unrepentant are on their way to abasement and misery. The repentant sinner is on his way to glory and joy. The gate to the house of the Father is called humiliation. In godly sorrow the soul cries for God and longs for Him. God will meet this desire of the heart. They will all see Him and live eternally with Him.

The Main Alm is to Glorify God←⤒🔗

Let us not be mistaken. The main and final aim of God's work in us is the glory and honour of His Name above all. No saint in heaven will glorify himself! The fruit of repentance will always be humiliation. The humble Davids are the future kings. The meek Mephibosheths will get a place at the king's table. The glory of the King of kings is that He receives sinners and eats with them! What will be the glory of the King? "In the multitude of people is the king's honour" (Prov. 14:28).

This multitude will forever praise the abundance of God's grace. In the depth of repentance they learned to need and to adore the mercy of the Lord. In heaven they will forever sing God's mercy and faithfulness. They will glorify the Father because He adopted them, He drew them and He gave His Son for them. The saints will also glorify the Son because He saved them, He bought them and He delivered them from their enemies. They will also glorify the Holy Spirit because He re-created them, He comforted them and He sanctified them.

Shall we meet each other in God's palaces above? Then we will already meet each other here in the valley of humiliation. Sinners, do not be discouraged. There is a Saviour willing to save even you. In His blood is forgiveness and peace.