Living Hope Fellowship Church

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. Living Hope Fellowship Church....Sermons by the Pastor

SIGNS OF REPENTANCE

By Pastor Kevin Badgley 10/14/01

In order for God to move in our lives, there has to be repentance. I’m not talking about getting saved again. Some call it sanctification, but as you turn completely around toward God, you turn your back completely on the world!

Romans 6:1-2 says, “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?” We must literally forsake our own opinions and plans. The priority must be Jesus Christ!

Romans 6:14 says, “For sin shall not have dominion over you. . . .” Sin will not have dominion over you if your carnal mind and flesh does not rule you, because that is the devil’s sphere of operations!

James 1:14 says, “But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.” Would you like to just close the door where the devil couldn’t tempt you any more? If we give no place to the devil (see Ephesians 4:27), then he has nothing in us (see John 14:30).

Habits, mentalities, and our ways of living must be broken down and destroyed. Romans 12:2 says, “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

When you are transformed, the devil has nothing to work with anymore! Every day we face temptation, and we choose to go with God or the world, but we do not have to sin!

Numbers 32:23 says, “. . . be sure your sin will find you out.” Jesus said that you would know a tree by its fruit. If a tree bears rotten fruit, the tree is rotten. However, God can take the poison out of your system! Repentance is the key that unlocks the door of bondage!

Some people aren’t hard of hearing; they are in rebellion. With one eye on Jesus, and one eye on their own plans, they get cross-eyed, frustrated, disappointed, and in despair. They have set themselves up for a fall!

Yes, you repented when you got born again, but the root of sin must be destroyed. If there is no repentance, there is no forgiveness. If sin (little or big) has dominion over you, you can’t go to heaven.

People say that is awfully hard, because there are a few things they enjoy that they know aren’t exactly right! Do you have to do it? Do you have to have those things? What is it that is missing in your life that Jesus cannot provide if you are truly born again? What is lacking? Let God fill the void!

2 Corinthians 7:9 says, “Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance. . . .” You can be sorry that you got caught, or you can be sorry you did it. Sorrowing to repentance is being sorry that you did it, and you are humbly willing to make restitution for it. God forgives, but there is judgment sometimes.

God sees the sin of your mind and heart, and you may not pay now, but you will pay sooner or later. I’m talking to Christians who are behaving like sinners. A Christian in sin is a hypocrite! Jesus had to cleanse the temple in John 2:16!

You say, I just can’t quit doing some things! It has to be important enough to you to seek the face of the Lord. Repentance is when you are sorry enough to QUIT!

2 Corinthians 7:10 says, “For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation. . . .”

There are certain characteristics that must be evident for full blown repentance! Read 2 Corinthians 7:11. When you have truly repented you are going to be careful not to do that sin again. You clear up your witness. You destroy your affection for sin and remove your association with it. You don’t run with the same crowd, and you quit complaining, nagging, arguing, and gossiping! You have indignation - you are angry with yourself for not doing right. You will say, “I was wrong. Please forgive me.” You will be ashamed, and you won’t justify sin. You repent of your failure to please God. You won’t tolerate murmuring in yourself. You’ll have compassion on one who is tempted as you were (see James 2:13). The fear of God works in you (see Proverbs 16:6) You’ll have vehement desire toward God. You zealously want the presence of God in your life. Your revenge is against the devil, not people (see Romans 12:19-21).

Vengeance belongs to God. God gets revenge on the devil. Instead of destroying man, he is saving man, whosoever will come, and the devil has to watch Him do it! If you do not repent, don’t expect any move of God in your life. There is only so long that we can ride on grace. True repentance is death to what you used to be, and life to what God has ordained you to be! Let’s repent and watch God move!

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