Except Ye Repent
The sermon emphasizes that sinful people cannot be forced into repentance and that not all will repent in the face of judgment.
A.W. Tozer emphasizes that true repentance cannot be forced upon sinful and rebellious individuals, as the same message that leads one person to repentance may provoke disdain in another. He reflects on the prophetic warnings from both the Old and New Testaments regarding God's impending judgment and the reality that not all will turn to God in repentance, even in the face of dire consequences. Tozer highlights the tragic truth that many will remain unrepentant despite witnessing God's power and judgment, illustrating the deep divide in human responses to divine truth.
Text
There are many compelling lessons to be drawn from the Scriptures and one of the clearest is that sinful and rebellious people can never be forced into repentance. The same act that may cause one person to repent and believe will cause others to hate and despise God! The same Bible sermon that brings the person to tearful submission at an altar of prayer will send others out with pride and a resolve to have their own human way.
Students of the Scriptures are aware that the Old Testament prophets and the writing apostles of New Testament times foresaw and proclaimed God's coming day of judgment-the consummate settling of accounts between the Sovereign God and his rebellious and sinful creation.
How desperately we would like to believe that in the face of coming judgment, all lost men and women will cry out to God, but such will not be the case: "The rest of mankind that were not killed by these plagues still did not repent" (Revelation 9:20).
Sermon Outline
- The Inability of Force to Bring Repentance
- The Coming Day of Judgment
- Sinful people cannot be forced into repentance
- The same act can have different effects on different people
- God's judgment is a settling of accounts between God and humanity
- Not all people will repent in the face of judgment
Key Quotes
“The same act that may cause one person to repent and believe will cause others to hate and despise God!” — A.W. Tozer
“The rest of mankind that were not killed by these plagues still did not repent” — A.W. Tozer
“How desperately we would like to believe that in the face of coming judgment, all lost men and women will cry out to God” — A.W. Tozer
Application Points
- Repentance is a personal choice that cannot be coerced by external circumstances.
- God's sovereignty is vindicated in His judgment, where He settles accounts with humanity.
- Not all people will repent in the face of judgment, as seen in Revelation 9:20.