Revelation 3:19 “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be
zealous therefore, and repent.”
Songs of Repentance
#94
Show pity, Lord, O Lord forgive, Let a repenting rebel live; Are not Thy mercies large and free? May not a sinner trust in Thee?
My crimes are great, but don’t surpass the power and glory of Thy grace; Great God, Thy nature hath no bound, so let Thy pard’ning love be found.
Should sudden vengence seize my breath, I must pronounce Thee just in death; and if my soul were sent to hell, Thy righteous law approves it well.
Yet save a trembling sinner Lord, whose hope still hov’ring round Thy word; would light on some sweet promise there, some sure support against despair.
Chorus
O depth of mercy can it be that mercy’s still reserved for me? Ah, can my God His wrath forbear, and me the chief of sinners spare?
#338
Afflictions, tho they seem severe, in mercy oft are sent; they stopped the prodigal’s career, and caused him to repent. Although he no relenting felt till he had spent his store, his stubborn heart began to melt when famine pinched him sore.
What have I gained by sin, he said, but hunger shame and fear? My father’s house abounds with bread, while I am starving here. I’ll go and tell him all I’ve done, and fall before his face, not worthy to be called a son; I’ll seek a servant’s place.
He saw his son returning back, he looked, he ran, he smiled, and threw his arms around the neck of his rebellious child. Father, I’ve sinned, but O forgive; and thus the father said, Rejoice, my house! My son’s alive, for whom I mourned as dead.
Now let the fatted calf be slain, go spread the news around: My son was dead, but lives again; was lost but now is found. Tis thus the Lord Himself reveals, to call poor sinners home. More than the father’s love He feels, and bids His children come.
#330
Just as I am, without one plea, but that Thy blood was shed for me, and that Thou bidd’st me come to Thee, O Lamb of God, I come, I come!
Just as I am, and waiting not to rid my soul of one dark blot, to Thee whose blood can cleanse each spot, O Lamb of God, I come, I come!
Just as I am, tho tossed about, with many a conflict, many a doubt, fightings and fears within, without, O Lamb of God, I come, I come!
Just as I am, poor, wretched, blind, sight, riches, healing of the mind, yea, all I need in Thee to find, O Lamb of God, I come, I come!
Just as I am, Thou wilt receive, wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve. Because Thy promise I believe, O Lamb of God, I come, I come!
#415
Jesus my Savior, I’m coming right now. Humbly before Thee this moment I bow. Praying “forgive me for wrongs I have done.” Lord, I’m unworthy to be called Thy son.
Always I’m doing that which I’d not do. I’ve been unfaithful, yes, I’ve been untrue. Still Thou hast loved me O merciful One. Lord, I’m unworthy to be called Thy son.
Tears fill my eyes now and I bow my head, knowing for me Thy life’s blood Thou didst shed. Yet I have drifted; Thy way I did shun. Lord, I’m unworthy to be called Thy son.
Chorus
Lord, I’m unworthy to be called Thy son. Years I have wasted, so lost and undone; weeping, repenting, a beggar I come. Lord, I’m unworthy to be called Thy son.
#492
Hear the blessed Savior calling the oppressed, “O ye heavy laden, come to Me and rest; Come, no longer tarry, I your load will bear. Bring me ev’ry burden, bring Me ev’ry care.
Are you disappointed wandring here and there, dragging chains of doubt and loaded down with care? Do unholy feelings struggle in your breast? Bring your case to Jesus, He will give you rest.
Have you cares of business, cares of pressing debt? Cares of social life or cares of hope unmet? Are you by remorse or sense of guilt depressed? Come right on to Jesus. He will give you rest.
Have you by temptation often conquered been, has a sense of weakness bro’t distress within? Christ will sanctify you, if you’ll claim His best. In the Holy Spirit He will give you rest.
Chorus
Come unto Me, I will give you rest; take My yoke upon you, hear Me and be blest; I am meek and lowly, come and trust My might; come, My yoke is easy, and My burden’s light.
#482
How oft, alas! This wretched heart has wandered from the Lord; how oft my roving thoughts depart, forgetful of His word!
Yet sovereign mercy calls return, dear Lord, and may I come?
My vile ingratitude I mourn; O take the wand’rer home.
And canst Thou, wilt Thou yet forgive, and bid my crimes remove! And shall a pardoned rebel live, to speak Thy wondrous love?
Almighty grace, thy healing power how glorious, how divine! That can to life and bliss restore, so vile a heart as mine.
Thy pard’ning love, so free, so sweet, dear Savior, I adore; O keep me at Thy sacred feet, and let me rove no more.
#1060
Weary of wandering from the Lord, and now made willing to return, I hear, and bow me to the rod; For now, not without hope, I mourn; There is an Advocate above, a Friend before the Throne of Love.
O Jesus! full of truth and grace, more full of grace than I of sin; Yet once again I seek Thy face; Open Thy arms, and take me in! All my backslidings freely heal. And love the faithless sinner still.
Thou know’st the way to bring me back, my fallen spirit to restore; O for Thy truth and mercy’s sake, forgive, and bid me sin no more! The ruins of my soul repair, and make my heart a house of prayer.
Ah, give me, Lord, the tender heart, that trembles at the approach of sin; a godly fear of sin impart; Implant and root it deep within; that I may love Thy gracious power, and never dare to offend Thee more.
#1084
Ah, wretched, vile, ungrateful heart, That can from Jesus thus depart, Thus fond of trifles vainly rove, Forgetful of a Saviour’s love!
In vain I charge my thoughts to stay, and chide each vanity away, In vain, alas! Resolve to bind this rebel heart, this wandering mind.
Through all resolves how soon it flies, and mocks the weak, the slender ties; There’s nought except a power divine that can this roving heart confine.
Jesus, to Thee I would return, at Thy dear feet repentant mourn; There let me view thy pardoning love, and never from Thy sight remove.
O God of mercy, hear my call; my load of guilt remove; Remove this separating wall, that bars me from Thy love.
Give me the presence of Thy grace, Then my rejoicing tongue shall speak aloud Thy righteousness, and make Thy praise my song.
No blood of goats, nor heifers slain for sin could e’er atone: The death of Christ shall still remain sufficient and alone.
A soul oppressed with sin’s desert the Lord will ne’er despise; A humble groan, a broken heart, is our best sacrifice.
#301
Come, humble sinner, in whose breast a thousand tho’ts revolve; Come with your guilt and fear oppressed, and make this last resolve.
I’ll go to Jesus, tho my sin high as a mountain rose; I know His courts I’ll enter in, whatever may oppose.
Prostrate I’ll lie before His throne, and there my guilt confess; I’ll tell Him I’m a wretch undone without His sovereign grace.
I’ll to the gracious King approach, whose sceptre pardon gives; But if I perish, I will pray, and only perish there.
I can but perish if I go; I am resolved to try; For if I stay away, I know I must forever die.
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E’er since by faith I saw the steam Thy flowing wounds supply,
Redeeming love has been my theme, and shall be till I die.
Worldly pleasures once my dream, tempted by their gloss, till I saw the scarlet stream, dripping from the cross.
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From the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer
Almighty and most merciful Father; We have erred, and strayed from thy ways like lost sheep. We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts. We have offended against thy holy laws. We have left undone those things which we ought to have done; And we have done those things which we ought not to have done; And there is no health in us. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us, miserable offenders. Spare thou those, O God, who confess their faults. Restore thou those who are penitent; According to thy promises declared unto mankind in Christ Jesus our Lord. And grant, O most merciful Father, for his sake; That we may hereafter live a godly, righteous, and sober life, To the glory of thy holy Name. Amen.
2 Corinthians 7:10, 11, “For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.”
This is called “godly sorrow” because God is the Author of it. He grants it; it is a free gift from Him. Even though we are obligated to repent, we cannot do so unless God enables us to. Some Scriptures which plainly show this are: Acts 5:31, “Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.”
Acts 11:18, “When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.”
2 Timothy 2:25, “In meekness instructing those that oppose
themselves; if God peradventure will give
them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth…”
This is also called “godly sorrow” because God is the Object of it. John Gill says about this that, “it was a sorrow for sin, because it was committed against a God of infinite holiness, justice, and truth, goodness, grace, and mercy…” An individual who has godly sorrow says with David in Psalm 51:4, “Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.”
This godly sorrow “worketh” repentance. Gill says that this repentance results “even in an ingenuous confession of sin, a forsaking of it, and in bringing forth fruits meet for repentance, in the life and conversation…”
The sorrow of the world worketh death. Gill says that “it is often nothing more than a concern for the loss of worldly things, as riches, honours, &c. or for a disappointment in the gratification of worldly lusts and pleasures…” Gill says again about this sorrow that “it works in the minds of men a fearful apprehension of eternal death, and, if grace prevent not, issues in it.” Some examples of this sorrow of the world can be found in Cain, Judas, Ahithophel, and Pharaoh.
For Cain see Genesis 4:13, “And Cain said unto the LORD, My punishment is greater than I can bear.” He was sorry for the consequences of his great sin, but this was not the godly sorrow of repentance.
For Judas see Matthew 27:3-5, “Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that. And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.” He could not live with the tremendous guilt. However, not being a child of God he did not turn to the Lord in true repentance. The sorrow of the world drove him to death.
For Ahithophel we turn to 2 Samuel 17:23, “And when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his ass, and arose, and gat him home to his house, to his city, and put his household in order, and hanged himself, and died, and was buried in the sepulchre of his father.”
Pharaoh confessed his sin more than once, but it was obviously not a confession brought about by godly sorrow, which had led to true repentance. Rather, he made his confessions only when he was under intense pressure, and, when the pressure was off, he went back to his old ways. Exodus 9:27, “And Pharaoh sent, and called for Moses and Aaron, and said unto them, I have sinned this time: the LORD is righteous, and I and my people are wicked.” This looks like a good confession but his subsequent actions and words shows that it did not represent true repentance. He made a similar confession after this in Exodus 10:16. “Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron in haste; and he said, I have sinned against the LORD your God, and against you.”
Sometimes people are so hardened in sin that they won’t repent in any sense of the word, even though they may be in torment. We can see this in Revelation 16:9-11, “And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory. And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain, And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.”
A consideration of this should make us pray for God to turn us and to grant us true repentance as Ephraim did long ago. We read of him in Jeremiah 31:18, 19, “I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus; Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, as a bullock unaccustomed
Surely after that I was turned, I repented; and after that I was instructed, I smote upon my thigh: I was ashamed, yea, even confounded, because I did bear the reproach of my youth.”
We must remember that even though we cannot repent unless God grants us repentance, it is still our responsibility to repent. We have already seen Revelation 3:19 “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.” Both the word translated “be zealous” and the word translated “repent” are in the aorist imperative. The imperative mood is the mood of command. This is a command of Jesus Christ to repent. We must strive to obey the commands of Christ.
Verse Ten
Now let us look at the seven characteristics of genuine repentance, which are revealed in 2 Corinthians 7:11:
“For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.” It is very obvious here that these Corinthians were being very zealous and very sincere in their attempts to repent. Let us examine each of these seven characteristics and prayerfully ask God to give us some insight into what constitutes true repentance.
1.
What carefulness-
The word translated “carefulness” here is spoudee.
Vine says that it means, “primarily haste, zeal, diligence, hence means earnest
care, carefulness.” Albert Barnes says about this carefulness, “This word
properly denotes speed, haste; then diligence, earnest effort, forwardness.
Here it is evidently used to denote the diligence and the great anxiety which
they manifested to remove the evils which existed among them. They went to work
to remove them. They did not sit down to mourn over them merely, nor did they
wait for God to remove them, nor did they plead that they could do nothing; but
they set about the work as though they believed it might be done. When men are
thoroughly convinced of sin, they will set about removing it with the utmost
diligence. They will feel that this can be done, and must be done…”
William Burkitt says about this characteristic, “Care, or an holy carefulness
to amend what is amiss for time to come, by shunning and avoiding all occasions
and temptations that lead to sin. He that truly repenteth, is careful not to
sin again.”
It is obvious that they worked very hard at their repentance. They were not
lazy or lukewarm about it. A truly repentant person will not dilly-dally around
with his sins. He will find a way to repent!