Acts 17:30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commands all men every where to repent: I. ITS NATURE. 1. A deep sense of unworthiness to receive the Divine forgiveness. So felt Job, "Lord, I am vile: how shall I answer Thee?" So felt Isaiah, "Woe is me!" etc. So felt Peter, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord." So also did Paul, "O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" 2. Bitter sorrow for past sin. When Peter caught the reproving eye of his Lord his repentance was evidenced by his "going out and weeping bitterly." Paul "was three days, and neither did eat nor drink"; so great was his distress of mind. When the jailor at Philippi was awakened he came trembling. 3. Confession of sin before God. The prodigal went to his father and said unto him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee," etc. "For, with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." 4. A fixed determination to abandon henceforth, by God's help, former sins. Herod heard John the Baptist gladly preach the doctrine of repentance, and he did many things which he enjoined; yet he gave not up his brother Philip's wife, and so his repentance could profit him nothing. Judas, when he saw that his Lord was condemned, is said to have repented, but he afterwards went and hanged himself. 5. Amendment of life, holiness and diligence in the service of God. 6. Restitution. II. ITS OBLIGATIONS. Repent, because — 1. God commands it. 2. Because of the atonement made for sin by Christ. Repentance would be of no avail in itself for salvation; it draws all its value from the death of Jesus. 3. Because by virtue of Jesus Christ's intercession the Holy Spirit is now sent down to enable them to obey the command. Repentance, however necessary, is not a feeling which any man can produce when he pleases; it is not a product of the natural mind. 4. Because "God hath appointed a day in the which He will judge the world in righteousness by that Man whom He hath ordained." He who now waiteth to be gracious as our merciful Saviour in the forgiveness of our sins shall then have become our righteous Judge. And that the certainty of this awful event might be strongly fixed in the minds of men, He hath verified it by the amazing miracle of the Resurrection of Jesus. (R. M. Jones, M. A.) Parallel Verses KJV: And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: |
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