The Command of Repentance Unto Remission, Full Section 1 & 2

1.  If we repent we will enter into God's blessings, because repentance is restoration with God.  It means someone is getting right before God.  It means someone is making "peace" with God.  Repentance is not a meritorious good work.  We only repent because it is a gift to us by the Spirit and the Word that changed our hearts in rebirth.  We have corrupt and depraved and polluted natures of sinfulness.  We cannot "repent" on our own or according to libertarian free will, because the Bible clearly says that there is nothing good in us.  I think there is a "repentance" of the flesh but it is according to attrition.  We ought to understand that "repentance" is rarely taught these days.  The minister does not want to offend anyone, but the Bible clearly teaches that human beings are in original sin and totally corrupt and radically depraved.  We do not have the spiritual ability to repent because our free will is totally hindered to apprehend God's gift of faithful repentance.  What do we need?  We desperately need the regenerating power of the Spirit and the Word.  Our free wills cannot grasp a faithful and contrite repentance.  I suggest to you that this is how the heart is changed from a stoney heart to a heart of flesh by spiritual rebirth!  We ought to understand that repentance is a blessings from God that leads to restoration with God.  If we confess our sins to a brother or sister in Christ, he or she may pray for us so we may be healed. 
2.  If we look in the Old Testament we see God's people engaging in rebellion unto explicit idolatry, and worshiping foreign gods or images and practicing evil things of the occult.  The nation of Israel had fallen into difficult times.   The people of Israel needed God's doctrine and practice of repentance in their daily lives.  We see them worship images that cannot speak, walk, hear, or think.  We see them engage in worship of strange gods and surrender their lives to them like the "queen of heaven."  The right solution is contrite repentance for any nation under God's wrath.  The nation of Israel was under God's wrath or fallen into difficult times (1 Samuel).  We see that thousands have been killed in battle.  We see that the Philistines populated the land.  We see that the Ark of the Covenant was captured, but it was returned because it posed a liability or threat to Israel's enemies.  Chapter 7 of I Samuel reveals that all of the house of Israel cried after the Lord, because the tabernacle was destroyed and the glory departed.  It is said that historians know that this was the most hard time in the nation of Israel's history. 
3.  Sometimes in the Christian life we experience gloom and depression.  We see a picture of hope because of the OT prophet Samuel.  He was obedient, faithful and courageous.  May we all strive to be like Samuel!  Israel reached a point of "desperation" and Samuel came to their aid.  Samuel came in the midst of extreme suffering.   We ought to see that the hope of the nation of Israel was through the contrite hope of repentance!   We ought to understand when we have committed sin.  Sometimes it is so elusive that we do not see it in our lives, but delayed obedience is disobedience!  We have a fallen nature that wants nothing to do with faith and repentance.  It is true that Satan provides us with more bondage, but if we were left to ourselves we still could not repent.  I suggest to you that we need the Holy Ghost and the Holy Word to change our hearts.  Many rely on the flesh where there is no good thing to repent and believe.  This is known as decisional regeneration.   I would like to point out that if we are left to ourselves no one would ever repent toward God.  The Bible clearly teaches that the nation of Israel needed the divine intervention of God Himself and the all-overcoming power of the written and divine Scriptures!  Do you see that your free will only leads you to rebellion against God like Adam and Eve?  Do you see that you need a new nature in Christ that only God can provide through His Spirit and Word?  

 4.  Conservative Arminians and Calvinists agree that sinner's must repent because it is a command of God.  However, some say it is an invitation instead of a divine command.  The Bible clearly says that "contrite repentance" is not merely an invitation but a divine command that all human beings must do in order to be right with God.  However, many "repent" to a false "god."  We must repent to the God of the Old and New Testaments!  The God of the Bible is the Blessed and Holy Trinity.  He alone deserves our worship and service and adorable love.  I would like to point out that many people do not understand that it takes the awesome power of the Word and the Spirit to bring someone to spiritually rebirth.  How can someone repent?   Does a person repent by their own spiritual freedom and the liberty of their wills?  I suggest to you that people repent because it is a gift of God and the divine work of God the Spirit and His matchless Word.  I remember when I was spiritually dead in sins and transgresses.  I tried to lift myself up through my own boot straps but I was spiritually unsuccessful.  I could not repent in and of myself though I gave it my best shoot.  It means that we cannot spiritually avail ourselves to authentic repentance unless God changes our stoney hearts.  We may have the spiritual freedom to choose what work we do for employment or what we eat for dinner or the person we marry, but I suggest to you that we do not have the spiritual freedom to repent unto remission because we were born with a spiritually dead condition before God and man!
5.  We ought to concern ourselves with the "recipe" for true and authentic repentance.  What is God-honoring repentance?  We can see what God-honoring repentance is by taking a look into the life of Samuel of the Old Testament.  I suggest to you that true repentance is the Spirit and the Word at work in us to mourn over our sin, misery and guilt.  We should not be afraid of God's punishment because all punishment was taken upon Jesus at His bloody Cross.  Are you grieved over your sin and guilt?  Do you know that if you mourn over sin you are blessed?  I would like to point out that the sons and daughters of Adam have different degrees of grieving.  We ought to have a sense of grieving over sin and felt need for Jesus Christ in our hearts.  This can only come about by God's absolute and divine intervention!  I suggest to you that any amount of contrite mourning is spiritually acceptable to God through His dear Son alone.  Those who mourn will be comforted.  We see that Esau mourned over his sin of selling his birthright to Jacob but could not truly repent.  He could not repent because it was something of his flesh.  He only could yield a attrition repentance.  I suggest to you that this kind of repentance is no repentance at all.  Do not grieve over consequences of sin because it is a worldly sorrow.  We must grieve over offending God alone.  We must be spiritually broken in our hearts before Him.  We see that Israel rebel against a holy God but they lamented after God in godly contrition.
6.  We see that Samuel speaks of true and authentic repentance.  God does not only require a emotional response but a godly sorrow in Christ.  True repentance always leads to godly sorrow and fruits of godly repentance.  Samuel proclaimed that they must return to the Lord.  Repentance is returning to the Lord and turning away from sin and evil.  Do you sin?  Turn away to the Lord!  We ought to turn from sin and return to the Lord.  The Lord requires holiness because He is holy.  We ought to be like the Lord.  However, we are sinners but we need His divine guidance in His written Word alone in order to walk worthy of the gospel in all good works.  God desires your ultimate and unqualified allegiance!  Does He have it?  Does He have your loyalty?  Have you forsaken your sin and returned to God?  Have you repented with all your heart as best as you know how to the God of the Bible alone?  We ought not to rely on our own understanding but on God's written Word alone.  We ought to hate what we once loved concerning our detestable iniquity.  Do you want the pleasures of sin or the obedience to God?  Do you seek the pleasures of God at His right hand?  We all must direct our hearts and minds to the good Lord and serve the Lord.