The Sermon Few Pastors Preach—Repentance
The Call For Repentance
Many preachers are guilty of preaching salvation from sin without repentance. The invitation to receive Christ as Savior and Lord, have your sins forgiven, and be born again must be preceded by heartfelt repentance. This is what Jesus taught and what Peter preached on the Day of Pentecost.
Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. 46He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. (Luke 24:45-47)
Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:38)
In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. (Acts 17:30)
Whether one is living in the deepest pit of sin, at the height of hypocrisy, or somewhere in between there can be no salvation unless one first repents. Knowing that God requires everyone to repent in order to be saved from their sins and be born again makes repentance the objective of our message.
God loves us and sent Jesus to rescue us from our sins. God has provided a path to forgiveness and regeneration so we might become born-again children of God through repentance. Repentance is the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit brought about when an unbeliever senses the convicting power of the Spirit in their mind and heart. The unbeliever’s response should be to turn from their independent self-governed sinful lives and turn to God in full repentance. The unbeliever must realize that they are unworthy sinners in desperate need of God’s mercy, grace, and forgiveness. We must believe that Jesus died in our place on the cross for our sins and that he is going to transform our lives into a new creation when we repent.
Unfortunately, many preachers have turned to a kind of quasi-repentance that invites people to accept all the blessings and benefits of a child of God without actually repenting and being born again. Quite often these believers work at producing a better version of themselves rather than becoming a regenerated new creation in Christ. Authentic repentance involves a full surrender of the heart, mind, and will to God so that He might transform us into Christlike children of God.
Over the span of 50 years, I have known many people who say they love God, the Bible, the church, and the minister but have never truly repented and been born again. At best, they have concocted a self-styled religion that is void of authentic repentance and conversion to Christ. Their heart, mind, and will remain unsurrendered to Christ. They are fooling themselves with their religion supposing they are in possession of eternal life.
While it is necessary and edifying to preach and teach all the Scriptures the call for repentance has gone largely neglected in many churches and denominations. Nevertheless, the Scriptures declare that God “commands all people everywhere to repent.” Without repentance, you cannot be forgiven and saved from your sins.
How to Turn to God
Perhaps at this very moment, you have realized that you need the Lord in your life. Maybe you drifted away or need to be born again? If so, you can stop right now and begin talking to God. Ask Him to forgive you for being a sinner and for the life you have been living outside of His love. Surrender your life to Him, unconditionally. Call Him Lord and make Him Lord of every thought, attitude, and action. You can say, Lord Jesus, forgive me for all my sins and come into my heart and take full control of my life. I am your child from this day forward. Change my heart and mind to be Christ-like in every way. I confess Jesus as my Lord and Savior forever.
