The Lord Gives Repentance

In the previous teaching¹ in this series on this web site², we noted from the first passage of Scripture laid down that God would give the Messiah for a Covenant³. In other words, He and the blood of His broken body would be the physical evidence of a new Covenant, made available, to those who accept it, in a new and living way.
This new Covenant did not operate according to physical laws laid down, such as "an eye for an eye", but operated on the evidence of the love of God to those whom He created.
However, God is still God and mankind His creation and God will only accept those into His presence who respond to His love with love and loving obedience from the heart.

Like Adam, the choice is ours. Do we accept God for who they are and receive the Spiritual blessings, or not?: And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name. And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven. In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight. All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him.; (Luke 10:17-22); Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.; (Romans 6:16-18); That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.; (Ephesians 1:17-23); And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.; (Ephesians 2:1-10); Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus; Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house. For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house. For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God. And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after; But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end. Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years. Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways. So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.) Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end; While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation. For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses. But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness? And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.; (Hebrews 3:1-19); Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. And this will we do, if God permit. For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame. For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God: But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned. But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak. For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister. And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end: That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises. For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself, Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee. And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife. Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath: That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.; (Hebrews 6:1-20)

¹ Discerning
² www.hosanna.org.za
³ The Heart of the Gospel



ENRICHED IN NOVEMBER 2013
: But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.; (1 Corinthians 11:3)
Please study the implications.

One of the great difficulties we have in the Christian life is trusting the divine wisdom.
God uses His wisdom to help us become holy, because without holiness we shall not enter the Celestial City.
That He makes us happy on this earth might be very nice but is of no lasting value.
How much do I trust Him? How much do I know Them? God is good! God is perfect!
All things God gives us are for His good pleasure, and the first of these is repentance:: For though I made you sorry with a letter, I do not repent, though I did repent: for I perceive that the same epistle hath made you sorry, though it were but for a season. Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.; (2 Corinthians 7:8-10)

Following Spiritual conviction, a search was made on this web site¹ for teachings that concern the subject of repentance and it was discovered that no clear explanation was given even though the above passage of Scripture was used more that once.

Few Christians realise that Paul's ministry - that which was divinely given to him - was repentance towards God, and faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 20:21). First comes initial faith, with reaction to that faith resulting in our repentance, the granting of repentance by God resulting in conversion, then growing in faith over time as a result of learning what the Holy Trinity did and is doing for His elect, with resultant broadening Spiritual wisdom and loving obedience.

Also, because of the international nature of the internet, not everyone has an English dictionary.
Therefore, a list of words and their meanings has been extracted from Chambers Dictionary and included in these following teachings, and linked together.
Making You Sorry.
God Gives Repentance
The Lord Gives Repentance.
Repentance.
The Impenitent Heart.

Sorry: Regretful, apologetic, miserable, wretchedly bad, contemptible, expressing apology.

Remorse: A feeling of regret and guilt for past wrong doing, but not asking for forgiveness from God.

Penitence: Suffering pain or sorrow for past sin and feeling a desire to reform - contrite. Undergoing penance - a worldly action to obtain God's forgiveness.

Repentance: To regret what one has done or left undone, to change from past evil or misconduct - to feel contrition. Regret with action (change moral outlook to acceptable Godly standard.)

Repentance is recognition by the sinner of the magnificence of God, of his guilt, and confession of his need of deliverance by his Creator, turning from his sinful way, earnestly desiring to be cleansed from the filth of his sin; on his knees, believing that the ever-present all powerful God who made him can hear him: opening his heart and pleading that the Living Loving merciful God will forgive him.
And then, only then, will our Heavenly Father, in His lovingkindness, mercy and grace forgive the sins of the contrite heart and grant repentance, converting the sinner into a new Spiritually aware creature.
Hallelujah!

¹ www.hosanna.org.za.