What is repentance?
There was a small kid living with his loving mother and father in a sweet little house out in the peaceful countryside. One day, his mother baked her world-renown homemade chocolate chip cookies. Once they had cooled, she put them in the family cookie jar on the kitchen counter, then told her son he could have a cookie after his supper.
However, the son, unwilling to wait for what felt to him like an eternity, slowly scooted a chair to the counter, quietly climbed it, and cautiously moved his hand into the forbidden jar. He had only savored the first bite of his ill-gotten gain when he was suddenly caught by his mother. Although she graciously rebuked him and he promised he would wait, it was only a matter of minutes before his word was broken, his hand was in the jar, and his mouth was munching on another cookie.
Contrast this story with Psalm 51:
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Would you agree that we all have sinned before God?
What do we do when we have sinned or done wrongdoing before God?
What is the purpose of acknowledging wrongdoing before God?
Why is repentance impossible without doing this?
How did David do this…and how does this contrast with the child’s behavior?
The child in the example did not see what he did as being wrong. He cared more about his selfish desires than his mother’s rules and her knowledge of what was best for him. In contrast, David openly acknowledged before God that his sin with Bathsheba was wrong, that he had sinned against Him, and that God was just in disciplining him. Thus, repentance begins with an acknowledgement that we are guilty before God and have fallen short of His perfect standards.
What is the difference between acknowledging and regretting something?
What is the purpose of regretting our sins before God?
Why is this necessary for repentance?
How did David do this… and how does the child’s behavior contrast with his?
Although the disobedient child told his mom he would not disobey her again, his continued rebellion proved he was not sorry for his misbehavior. In contrast, David’s words in Psalm 51 reveal the regret that burdened his heart. He noted that sin created a wall between him and his Lord, and he could not stand the thought of bearing this separation. Thus, he asked God to cleanse him from his sin and give him a new heart, allowing David to restore his relationship with Him so that he could once again wholeheartedly worship the Lord, properly represent Him before others, and effectively teach them about Him and His ways.
What happens when we refuse to repent?
What happens when we repent?
Why did David desire to repent… and why did the child refuse to do so?
The child’s heart was not repentant because he immediately dove back into sin without a single regret. Conversely, David did not just acknowledge his sin and regret it. Rather, his heart and sorrow were followed by obedient action. He gratefully received the Lord’s forgiveness by setting in his heart a genuine desire to obey Him and turn from his sin. He decided that his relationship and service to God were more important and of greater value than the pleasures of sin. Thus, he repented, turning from sin back to God.
The importance of repentance for every person cannot be understated. The person who continues to live in sin and defiance against God will not enter heaven. Rather, because God is perfectly holy and just, He must punish sin and will thus send the unrepentant, unsaved sinner to hell. As 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9 state, “In flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might.”
It is true that Jesus offers us salvation, for as John 3:16 states, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” However, just as David had to confess his sin and repent from them to receive God’s forgiveness, so do all who are unsaved need to likewise not only place their faith in Christ but also turn from their sins in repentance. As 2 Corinthians 7:10 states, “For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret.”
Will we be like the child, constantly shoving our hands into the cookie jar of sin, or will we be like David, who was forgiven much by acknowledging his wrongdoing before God, having genuine regret for it, and turning away from his sin to seek the Lord in obedience? As God gave this warning to Israel, so does He for us in Deuteronomy 30:19, “I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live.”