Precious Repentance
Repentance is a precious and sanctifying result of salvation that helps us to leave sin, lament sin, and loathe sin.
C.H. Spurgeon emphasizes the beauty and necessity of repentance in the life of a believer, illustrating it as a precious gift from God that leads to a deeper understanding of His grace and mercy. He explains that true repentance arises from recognizing our failures and the love of God, prompting us to loathe our sins and seek restoration. Spurgeon encourages believers to remember their ways and to approach God with a heart willing to repent, highlighting that this process is both sanctifying and essential for spiritual growth. He calls for a heartfelt response to God's covenant love, suggesting that such awareness can soften even the hardest of hearts. Ultimately, he longs for believers to experience the relief and joy that comes from genuine repentance and the outpouring of God's grace.
Text
And there shall ye remember your ways, and all your doings, wherein ye have been defiled; and ye shall loathe yourselves in your own sight for all your evils that ye hate committed. (Ezekiel 20:43)
When we are accepted of the Lord and are standing in the place of favor, and peace, and safety, then we are led to repent of all our failures and miscarriages toward our gracious God. So precious is repentance that we may call it a diamond of the first water, and this is sweetly promised to the people of God as one most sanctifying result of salvation. He who accepts repentance also gives repentance; and He gives it not out of "the bitter box" but from among those "wafers made with honey" on which He feeds His people.
A sense of blood-bought pardon and of undeserved mercy is the best means of dissolving a heart of stone. Are we feeling hard? Let us think of covenant love, and then we shall leave sin, lament sin, and loathe sin; yea, we shall loathe ourselves for sinning against such infinite love. Let us come to God with this promise of penitence and ask Him to help us to remember, and repent, and regret, and re- turn. Oh, that we could enjoy the meltings of holy sorrow! What a relief would a flood of tears be! Lord, smite the rock, or speak to the rock, and cause the waters to flow!
Sermon Outline
- The Importance of Repentance
- The Means of Repentance
- The Fruit of Repentance
- Leaving sin
- Lamenting sin
- Loathing sin
Key Quotes
“So precious is repentance that we may call it a diamond of the first water, and this is sweetly promised to the people of God as one most sanctifying result of salvation.” — C.H. Spurgeon
“He who accepts repentance also gives repentance; and He gives it not out of 'the bitter box' but from among those 'wafers made with honey' on which He feeds His people.” — C.H. Spurgeon
“Oh, that we could enjoy the meltings of holy sorrow! What a relief would a flood of tears be!” — C.H. Spurgeon
Application Points
- We should ask God to help us to remember our failures and miscarriages toward our gracious God.
- A sense of blood-bought pardon and undeserved mercy can help us to experience repentance and leave sin.
- We should come to God with the promise of penitence and ask Him to help us to repent, regret, and return.