The BLB Blog

The official blog of Blue Letter Bible

Repentance Must Go with Forgiveness

Posted on Posted by

God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.
(Acts 5:31) 

Repentance and Forgiveness Go Hand in Hand

Repentance must go with remission, and you will see that it is so if you think a little upon the matter. It cannot be that pardon of sin should be given to an impenitent sinner; this were to confirm him in his evil ways, and to teach him to think little of evil. If the Lord were to say, “You love sin, and live in it, and you are going on from bad to worse, but, all the same, I forgive you,” this were to proclaim a horrible license for iniquity. The foundations of social order would be removed, and moral anarchy would follow. I cannot tell what innumerable mischiefs would certainly occur if you could divide repentance and forgiveness, and pass by the sin while the sinner remained as fond of it as ever. In the very nature of things, if we believe in the holiness of God, it must be so, that if we continue in our sin, and will not repent of it, we cannot be forgiven, but must reap the consequence of our obstinacy. According to the infinite goodness of God, we are promised that if we will forsake our sins, confessing them, and will, by faith, accept the grace which is provided in Christ Jesus, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. But, so long as God lives, there can be no promise of mercy to those who continue in their evil ways, and refuse to acknowledge their wrongdoing. Surely no rebel can expect the King to pardon his treason while he remains in open revolt. No one can be so foolish as to imagine that the Judge of all the earth will put away our sins if we refuse to put them away ourselves.

The Grace of Repentance

Moreover, it must be so for the completeness of divine mercy. That mercy which could forgive the sin and yet let the sinner live in it would be scant and superficial mercy. It would be unequal and deformed mercy, lame upon one of its feet, and withered as to one of its hands. Which, think you, is the greater privilege, cleansing from the guilt of sin, or deliverance from the power of sin? I will not attempt to weigh in the scales two mercies so surpassing. Neither of them could have come to us apart from the precious blood of Jesus. But it seems to me that to be delivered from the dominion of sin, to be made holy, to be made like to God, must be reckoned the greater of the two, if a comparison has to be drawn. To be forgiven is an immeasurable favor. We make this one of the first notes of our psalm of praise: “Who forgiveth all thine iniquities.” But if we could be forgiven, and then could be permitted to love sin, to riot in iniquity, and to wallow in lust, what would be the use of such a forgiveness? Might it not turn out to be a poisoned sweet, which would most effectually destroy us? To be washed, and yet to lie in the mire; to be pronounced clean, and yet to have the leprosy white on one’s brow, would be the veriest mockery of mercy. What is it to bring the man out of his sepulcher if you leave him dead? Why lead him into the light if he is still blind? We thank God, that He who forgives our iniquities also heals our diseases. He who washes us from the stains of the past also uplifts us from the foul ways of the present, and keeps us from failing in the future. We must joyfully accept both repentance and remission; they cannot be separated. The covenant heritage is one and indivisible, and must not be parceled out. To divide the work of grace would be to cut the living child in halves, and those who would permit this have no interest in it.

Live in the Grace of Repentance

I will ask you who are seeking the Lord, whether you would be satisfied with one of these mercies alone? Would it content you, my reader, if God would forgive you your sin and then allow you to be as worldly and wicked as before? Oh, no! The quickened spirit is more afraid of sin itself than of the penal results of it. The cry of your heart is not, “Who shall deliver me from punishment?” but, “O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death? Who shall enable me to live above temptation, and to become holy, even as God is holy?” Since the unity of repentance with remission agrees with gracious desire, and since it is necessary for the completeness of salvation, and for holiness’ sake, rest you sure that it abides.

This has been adapted from Charles Spurgeon’s book All of Grace. All of Grace is one our featured books of the month at the Blue Letter Bible Bookstore. Visit the bookstore for more featured products. You can also find more free resources from Charles Spurgeon at the Blue Letter Bible website.

Comments

  1. It certainly is quiet, and rightly so, who can add anything besides Amen!?
    To evidence what our Sovereign God is showing me this AM is this: in studying Romans 3:23 and 6:23 and renewing them as memorization, I was looking up the meaning of “fall short” (fail, want, lack, come short of)…and then saw this wonderful posting. Resulting thought is that the Roman Road to salvation is tarnished without this thought of “unity with repentance and remission”.

    • In my time of ministry i learned that you can confess and not repent for your sins. But they are equel in importantce. Confessing your wrong is verbally done but repenting from the heart or not God will judge.

    • the spirit is willing but the flesh is not willing ,even the carnal mind,i sometimes wonder when will this flesh stop,it wont never quit trying to disobey,repentance and remission does go hand in hand,but if you say u dont never slip back or sin ,u r lying,we all do ,i started to feel as something was wrong because i have strong-holds in my life after reading the blb tweet,but i realized that we are not condemn as sinners ,even though we allllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll sin.

      • as long as you have this mortal body you will sin. The idea is that we are not to be controlled by it. Romans 7:12. It is always an issue of control.

  2. Twins! Song.4:2 & 6:6. Even shorn, legs equal (Pro.26:7), even place (Ps.26:12). You can find many twins in the Bible, eg. hearing & doing James. 1:22; Word & Faith (Heb.4:2) etc… In fact, grace collocates with TRUTH, they look like TWINS too! Grace is the means and Truth the end. Truth IS meaning, safety,, freedom. Will you teach your kids,ICE=fire? Preposterous ! No scorpions, stones or serpents (Luke.11:11-12) Woe unto them..(Isa.5.20) Say, when you transpose the color-coded wires..fire, fire of corruption. Short-circuiting is destructive, suicidal. We are not crazy SUICIDE BOMBERS, but SALVATION BOMBERS. Listen to Paul. Pay attention(1Tim.4:2) Christian suicide bombers are far more worse than their Muslim counterparts. From such turn away.. Run for life..like Bro. Lot & fly. God is pulling you, GRACE is pulling. Don’t you feel the tug? ” COME OUT OF HER MY PEOPLE, C O M E O U T , before the final dissolution. Rev.18:4; 2Pet.3:12. George Herbert’s poem “Pulley” is apt. Also the “YET”s in Amos.4 are worth counting! So let us be corrigible…lest..
    Interestingly, pl. read the Yahoo news item on “Why Mr. Mitt Romney can’t shut up about his wealth – scientific explanation”. It is amazing and wonderfully substantiates Paul’s thesis in Rom.7, YOU CANNOT SUPPRESS THE TRUTH Rom.1:18 which the Holy Spirit brings forth to us this morning through the blog. Hallelujah.
    Also note (Heb.1:9)..therefore..We cannot flirt with the truth. Sell it not. Just Escape-emancipate yourself, Lincoln did his job, Sold Under Sin – That seems a good meaning of JESUS !!! Paul is right, we are without excuse. Lord, help. Grace be with you all.
    Poor and needy one,
    Mathew

  4. Shalom 2 All , ” Human Nature = The Carnal Mind ” ; The Almighty God Of Abraham , Issac , And Israel Created Human Nature And Our Minds , Warns Us In Proverbs C. 16 All But Vs. 1 – 7 , 25 :K.J.V. ; There Is A Way That Seemeth Right Unto A Man ( Me , Myself , I , Verses Christ*s Saying To Deny One*self , And Follow Him As He Was Led By His And Our Father !!! ) , But The ” END ” Thereof Are The Ways Of Death !!! First We Must Be Sincere Of Our Repentance , Of Sinning Against God , His Statutes And Commandments We Have Not Kept !!! Then We Can See How Much God Loved Us By Shedding God*s Begotten Son Of God , Son Of Man , Yeshua*s – Jesus*s Blood Atonement For Us Sinners !!! Then Realization Happens In Our Minds To Percieve How Christ Forgave Us , Thus To Forgive Others , Even Your Enemys ( Family – Matt. C. 10 All But Vs. 34 – 36 ) !!! Repentance And Forgiveness Is The Will Of God , So Is To Love One Another , As Jesus Christ Has Loved Us From Our Father !!! Faith Hope Peace Mercy Love From Mount Zion , Praise And Blessings To God Our Father Through Jesus Christ Our Lord And Savior , Bless Everyone , Amen Shalom Bye !!!

  5. James 1:5-7 If any of you lack wisdom let him ask of GOD that giveth to all men liberally and abraideth not and it shall be given to him (6) BUT let him ask in faith nothing wavering for he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed (7) For let not that man think that he shall receive anything from the LORD

    Genesis 26.5 Because that Abraham obeyed MY voice and kept MY charge MY commandments MY statutes and MY laws

    John 8:39 They answered and said unto HIM Abraham is our father JESUS saith unto them if you were Abrahams children you would do the works of Abraham

    Hebrews 11:8 By faith Abraham when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance obeyed and he went out not knowing where he went (see Genesis 12 for Abrams start of obedience)

    Hebrews 11:17 By faith Abraham when he was tried offered up Isaac and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son

    James 2:21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son upon the altar

    James 2:23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith Abraham believed GOD and it was imputed unto him for righteousness and he was called the friend of GOD

    John 15:14 You are MY friends if you do whatsoever I command you

    James 2:24 You see then how that by works a man is justified and not by faith only

    Acts 13:26 Men and brethren children of the stock of Abraham and whosoever among you feareth GOD to you is the word of this salvation sent

    Acts 11:14 Who shall tell thee words whereby thou and all thy household shall be saved

    Mark 8:35 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it But whosoever shall lose his life for MY sake and the gospels the same shall save it ——ABRAHAM——- Abrahams chidren

    Loving the LORD

  6. Abraham started out an idol worshiping gentile,he didnt listen to God at first,God made a covenant with Himself concerning the promise about abraham,s seed ,he lied concerning his wife,he took his his wife handmaid to help God out,yet God said He obeyed,my point is He made mistakes ,and God was bigger than His mistakes God brought him to a point of stronger faith,God did it,i wonder how many of your works made God love you more,the answer is none of them,we believe God and the Spirit that in dwells us leads us into upright living-nothing but the blood gives us acess

  7. Ezekiel 33:31&32 And they come unto thee as the people cometh and they sit before the as MY people and they hear thy words but they will not do them for with their mouth they show much love but their heart goeth after their covetousness (32) and lo thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice and can play well on an instrument for they hear thy words but they do them not

    John 5:42 But I know you that you have not the love of GOD in you

    John5:43 I am come in MY FATHERS name and you receive ME not if another shall come in his own name him you will receive

    John 5:44 How can you believe which receive honor one of another and seek not the honor that cometh from GOD only

    John 7:38 He that believeth on ME as the scripture hath said out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water

    2 Timothy 4:2-4 Preach the word be instant in season out of season reprove rebuke exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine
    (3) For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers having itching ears (4) and they shall turn away their ears from the truth and shall be be turned unto fables

    1 John 5:14 And this is the confidence that we have in HIM that if we ask thing according to HIS will HE heareth us

    Loving The LORD JESUS

  8. Lord, I could not live without your Mercy, grace and forgiveness. Thank you so much!

  9. Great message and a timely one. In our darkening culture, there is a great disconnect. As biblical counselors, my wife and I frequently see people wanting the benefits of Christ and the church BUT not wanting to follow Jesus, the Savior. We know of one couple living together. Each is married to another person. The man’s wife is living with another woman’s husband. Last week the first man told me that he and his new live in lady (wife of another) are going to church this Sunday. Now isn’t that special! There is a great disconnect between wanting the blessings of God but not wanting to choose to do the hard, gutteral work of repentance by turning from those things which greatly offend God and destroy lives, relationships, and souls. There are numerous children caught up in this terror…Please pray for all of these souls.

  10. 10 When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion

    and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened.

    –Jonah 3:10 (NIV)

    God loves, demands, and honors repentance.