Sermon Notes
“Repented Enough?”
Hebrews 10:18-39
May 3, 2015
Introduction
1) Today’s Question: “How do we know if we have fully repented of all our sins?”
2) To begin we need to define “repentance,” which is a critical and core teaching in the Bible.1
a) To repent (metanoéō, ) literally means
“to change one’s mind” or “to relent.”
Matt 21:29,32; 2Cor 7:8;
Heb 7:21
b) It involves regret and/or sorrow over one's sins but is always, and most critically,
accompanied by a true willful change of one’s thinking and direction.
c) It should be distinguished from mere regret, or remorse (metamélomai, ),
which is merely to regret something that has been done, and wish it was undone,
yet with no effective change of heart.
i) Judas Iscariot regretted betraying Jesus, but he didn’t repent.
Matt 27:3
ii) A person (such as a public figure) might have great remorse about
some scandal, solely because he or she simply got caught.
iii) Unlike Saul/Paul, who truly repented from his sins to Christ.
Acts 9:1-19
d) True repentance has the following:
i) Acknowledgment and grieving over one's sins. (To “name it and claim it.”)
ii) A willful turning away from sin, self, Satan & the world, to trust in Christ.
iii) This repentance and faith produces thanksgiving and good works.
e) So biblical repentance is less about lists of individual sins, and more about turning.
i) What is critical is who and what you are turning to and trusting in.
ii) If one gets Christ's Gospel correct, then there is full assurance.
iii) Hebrews 10:22-23 – “Let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of
faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies
washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without
wavering, for He who promised is faithful;”
3) The questioner comes from a Roman Catholic perspective.
a) Influenced by the Roman Catholic sacramental system of confession.
i) What if I miss a sin I forgot to confess?
ii) How do I know if I really have confessed enough?
b) These questions arise because Rome doesn't proclaim the biblical Gospel.
i) It is the primary issue that caused the Protestant Reformation.
(The split between Protestants and Roman Catholics in the 16th century.)
ii) It was over the doctrine of justification: How one is judicially
(or forensically) declared righteous before God.
iii) It was also about the nature of saving grace.
3) The nature of Gospel and the doctrine of justification are not secondary issues, but are
the very foundation of Christianity.
a) The Protestant Reformers thought their understanding of the justification
(i.e. by grace alone, through faith alone, on account of Christ alone) was
the very foundation of the church.
b) This is found taught throughout the Scriptures.2
c) Many Protestants went to their deaths standing for the biblical Gospel.
1
2Chr 6:37; Job 42:6; Psalm 107:17-22; Is 30:15; Ezek 14:6; 18:30; Matt 3:2,11; Mark 1:15-17; 6:12; Luke 24:46-48; John 3:9-21;
6:36ff; Acts 2:38; 3:19; 8:22; 11:18; 17:30; 20:21; 26:20; Rom 1:18-4:25; 1Cor 6:9-12; 2Cor 7:10; Eph 2:1-10; 2Tim 2:25; Titus 3:3-8;
2Cor 7:9-10; 2Pet 3:9; Rev 2:5,16; 3:3,19.
2
Is 43:7; 46:13; 53:10-12; Matt 16:16-17; John 1:12-13; 6:28-29; 14:6; Acts 8:22; 13:39; 15:11; 16:14; Rom 3:20-28; 4:5; Gal 2:16;
3:11; Eph 2:4-9; Phil 1:29; 3:4-11; 2Tim 1:9; 2:25; Titus 3:4-7; Heb 12:2; 1Pet 1:5,21. Note that James 2:24 is dealing with a particular
problem, teaching against mere intellectual faith that lacks willful trust which produces works (Read the context: James 2:2-26).
Roman Catholic vs Protestant Understanding of the Gospel
Roman Catholic
Protestant
Salvation is synergistic; where man
and God cooperate together.
Salvation is monergistic; it is solely an
act of God's sovereign grace.
Grace is necessary, but is not sufficient.
Man’s merit has to be added.
Grace is not only necessary, it’s sufficient.
Thus one is saved by “grace alone.”
Christ’s righteousness is infused into the
believer to enable him or her to work
on being justified.
Christ’s righteousness is imputed (or credited)
to the believer solely by a sovereign work of
God's grace which declares the believer fully
justified because one is clothed in Christ.
Justification is by faith and works and is
a lifelong process starting with being
made born again by one's baptism.
Justification is by faith alone and is an
instantaneous byproduct of the work of
the Spirit, making us born again which
produces initial repentance and faith.
Justification and Sanctification (a lifelong
pursuit of holiness) are essentially the
same thing.
Justification and Sanctification are different,
but fundamentally linked. Justification will
lead to sanctification.
The sacraments infuse grace which helps
one to try to earn one's justification.
The sacraments graciously proclaim one’s
perfect status in Christ by faith alone.
There is no assurance in this life, because
justification is dependent one's merit.
One can have full assurance, because
justification is a sovereign work of God.
1) The reason the Reformers so strongly protested the Medieval Church’s teaching was their
belief that Rome’s Gospel was false and brought only despair.
a) Imagine a judge saying you have to earn a declaration of one’s innocence,
which could be taken away at any time in the future.
b) Or imagine a father saying to an adopted child they have to earn their adoption.
c) This is simply monstrous.
2) This is why we describe this church as “Biblical, Traditional, Protestant,”
because the Protestant (i.e. biblical) understanding of the Gospel is critical.
3) The Gospel is the power of God.
Rom 1:16-17; 1Cor 1:18,24; 2:5; 2Tim 1:8; 1Pet 1:3-5
a) So to answer the question (“How do we know if we have fully repented of all our sins?”)
is to respond “are you trusting in Christ?”
b) Please note, the Gospel is not an internal feeling, but the external proclamation of
Christ’s work with the call to repent and believe.
i) Christ covers all our sins, both those named and not named.
ii) Again, repentance is less about a list and more about turning to Christ.
c) Also remember, Christ’s Gospel also covers the sins of weak faith and repentance!
d) If you are worrying about not repenting enough, then turn and trust in Christ!
4) Wouldn’t such a Gospel make us lazy?
a) If there is a true turning, how can there be?
b) The more you turn to Christ the more sinful you will realize you are,
and the more you will trust in Christ and thus walk in the Spirit.
c) Hebrews 10:18-39 shows this balance.
Hebrews 10:18-39
1) Heb 10:18-23 = We have full forgiveness & assurance because of Christ, who is faithful.
2) Heb 10:24-25 = Therefore we should engage in good works, especially in the church,
while not forsaking His spiritual body on earth, i.e. the church.
3) Heb 10:26-31 = If we know such forgiveness how can we turn back on Christ?
If we do there will be even severer punishments.
4) Heb 10:32-36 = Our actions are from Christ, therefore let us endure in His Gospel.
5) Heb 10:37-39 = Therefore we shouldn’t shrink back, but Christ will preserve our soul.