Repentance In Jeremiah

Introduction

1. One of the truly great Bible doctrines is repentance. It was preached by: a) John the Baptist, “…fruits worthy of repentance.” Matthew 3:8 b) Jesus Christ, “Repent and believe the gospel.” Mark 1:15 c) Peter, “Repent therefore and be converted…” Acts 3:19 d) Paul, “…but now commands all men everywhere to repent.” Acts 17:30 2. The doctrine of repentance isn’t just a NT teaching. It is as old as God’s word. It seems to have been the message of every prophet God ever sent to His people. 3. It is from one of those prophets that we learn what it really means to repent, or what we need to do in order to truly repent. Jeremiah 3:20-4:4 a) God lays out the problem. Vss. 20-21 b) The Lord then outlines the solution. Vss. 22-4:4 4. These principles are not just for those who have totally rejected the Lord. They are for every one of us who struggle with sin in our lives and stand in need of God’s forgiveness.

Discussion

I. Decide To Change. (Jeremiah 3:22)

A. God calls on the people to return to Him, but it must be their decision. 1. Even Jesus Christ could not make people repent. Matthew 23:37 2. It is completely up to you and me to make the decision to return to the Lord.

B. But look how welcoming the Lord is when we return. 1. Reminds me of the Prodigal Son. Luke 15:17-20 2. The whole reason God wants us to repent is so He can heal us. So that He can take away the hurt, the guilt, and the shame. 3. That knowledge ought to lead us to want to repent. Romans 2:4

C. We must understand what a big step this is. 1. Losing weight is about making the decision to finally do it. 2. Overcoming the sin in our life is same way! 3. You will always struggle with that one sin until you decide you’ve had enough. 1 Peter 4:3

1 II. Admit The Problem. (Jeremiah 3:23-25)

A. I think that too often we do not really see the terrible nature of sin, but just remember how God feels about it. Jeremiah 3:20

B. We have to admit that sin has a hold on us before we can truly break the hold.

C. We need to understand what leads us to sin, so we can stop it before it begins. 1. We need to remember that we are the problem. James 1:13-15 2. This is what God told Cain. Genesis 4:7

D. In your private prayers for forgiveness be brutally honest (We’re not telling God anything He doesn’t already know) and ask for specific help from God.

E. We must also understand that simply confessing our sin is not repentance.

III. Put The Problem Away! (Jeremiah 4:1)

A. God says, “If you’re going to return, then do it. Put away the abominations.”

B. This is what repentance is all about. At it’s very nature it is about change. 1. A change of heart that leads to a change in actions, or a change of life. 2. This was also God’s message in Ezekiel. Ezekiel 18:21-23 3. Sometimes people think repentance is just feeling sorry for sins, but godly sorrow is not repentance. 2 Corinthians 7:9-10 4. Repentance occurs when there is a visible change in a person. 2 Cor. 7:11 a) John told those who came to him to bear fruits worthy of repentance. b) Here Paul tells us what those fruits are. c) Repentance is an action. 5. We cannot claim to have repented and continue on in the same sin.

C. If you truly want to repent then stop sinning. 1. Deciding to change gives us resolve to work and admitting the problem should help us gain the knowledge necessary to overcome. 2. But you must put that resolve and knowledge into practice. 3. I often talk to young men about identifying their triggers. a) Look and see what leads you to sin. b) Then change those behaviors that make us susceptible to temptation.

D. True repentance a prerequisite to mercy and forgiveness. Prov. 28:13; Acts 3:19

IV. Trust In The Lord. (Jeremiah 4:2)

A. If you are struggling with a particular sin it is obvious that you cannot trust in yourself to overcome the problem. Also, it’s obvious that the sin in your life offers no comfort.

B. Trusting in the Lord is the only place to find strength and comfort.

2 C. Notice the three things Jeremiah specifically tells us to trust. 1. Truth – here’s the answer to overcoming. Let this occupy you. 2. Judgment – there’s the motivation for changing. 3. Righteousness – there is the comfort. 1 John 1:9

D. God gives us practical advice for any problem. 1. Bad language – Ephesians 4:29 no corrupt word…good for necessary edification 2. Evil thoughts – Philippians 4:8 true, noble, just, pure, lovely, … 3. Stealing – Ephesians 4:28 steal no more but let him labor…give him who has need 4. Fornication – 1 Corinthians 7:1-4 each man have own wife…each woman…

E. God didn’t just say stop. He shows us how. Trusting in Him will lead us out of the darkness of sin.

V. Make Yourself New. (Jeremiah 4:3-4)

A. Fallow ground is cropland that hasn’t been plowed in a long time. When you plow this ground you turn it upside down.

B. When we are ready to truly repent, we’ve got to turn ourselves upside down. 1. We have to learn to hate the sins that once ensnared us. 2. We have to love the righteous living that draws us closer to God. 3. It’s like trying to lose weight by convincing yourself fatty foods are gross.

C. Paul calls it putting on the new man. Colossians 3

D. God also says, “Do not sow among the thorns.” Vs. 3 1. Avoid the things that can lead you away from God again. 2. Paul says, “Make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill it’s lusts.” Romans 13:14 3. Understand that those thorns will just trap you again and choke the spiritual life right out of you. Mark 4:19

E. We also need to understand that repentance is painful. Vs. 4 1. Sin becomes like a welcomed friend to us. 2. It is hard to give up some sins because we do find pleasure in them. 3. But the pain of refusing to repent will be far greater for much longer!

Conclusion

1. People often say that admitting you have a problem is the hardest part, but I haven’t found that to be true in my life. a) Without a doubt it is often hard to see the problem and to take ownership. b) But the hardest part for me has always be the real change repentance requires. 2. It is my prayer that this lesson will help us all make real change in our lives, no matter how difficult, so that we can receive mercy and forgiveness from God.

–Simon Harris Albany, NY

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