The Freedom Found In Forgiveness (Part 2)

By Pastor Matthew

Part one of this Blog series brought up a huge issue regarding forgiving others.  How can I forgive someone who has not asked me to forgive them?  I will answer this question with a question.  Does forgiveness always follow repentance?  Meaning when Jesus forgives us of our debts, mistakes, transgressions, does He automatically do it, or do we have to repent and ask for His mercy and grace?  The answer is we have to repent and ask Him to forgive us. 

There are three Greek words used in the New Testament to denote repentance.  First, the verb metamelomai, which is used of a change of mind, such as to produce regret or even remorse on account of sin, but not necessarily a change of heart.  This word is used with reference to the repentance of Judas (Matt. 27:3).  Second, the verb Metanoeo, meaning to change one’s mind and purpose, as the result of after knowledge.  The third, the cognate noun metanoia, is used of true repentance, a change of mind and purpose and life, to which remission of sin is promised. Evangelical repentance consists of (1) a true sense of one’s own guilt and sinfulness; (2) an apprehension of God’s mercy in Christ; (3) an actual hatred of sin (Ps. 119:128; Job 42:5, 6; 2 Cor. 7:10) and turning from it to God; and (4) a persistent endeavor to a holy life walking with God in the way of his commandments.  The true penitent is conscious of guilt (Ps. 51:4, 9), of pollution (51:5, 7, 10), and of helplessness (51:11; 109:21, 22).  Therefore, he apprehends himself to be just what God has always seen him to be and declares him to be.  But repentance comprehends not only such a sense of sin, but also an apprehension of mercy, without which there can be no true repentance (Ps. 51:1; 130:4).

Repetance Lies in the Oposite Direction

The meaning of “repent” is found in Jesus’ parable of the prodigal son as follows:

Luke 15:11-24

“And he (Jesus) said, There was a man who had two sons; and the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the property that falls to me (by inheritance).’ And he (the father) divided his living between them.  Not many days later, the younger son gathered all that he had and took his journey to a far country, and there he squandered his property in loose living. And when he had spent everything, a great famine arose in that country, and he began to be in want.  So he went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed swine. And

The Prodigal Son in Misery

he would gladly have fed on the pods that the swine ate; and no one gave him anything.  But when he came to himself he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, but I perish here with hunger!  I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me as one of your hired servants.’  And he arose and came to his father. But while he was yet at a distance, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.  And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’  But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet; and bring the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and make merry; for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to make merry.”

The parable of the prodigal son illustrates the process and meaning of repentance.  The process began when the young son recognized his wrong-doing against his father.  The son had shown disrespect for his father by squandering the property that his father had given to him.  The next thing to come was the son’s decision to turn away from his wrong-doing and confess his sin with an attitude of contrition (feeling sorry for what he had done).  The son said to himself, “I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you.  I am no longer worthy to be called your son.”

Then came the son’s actual change in direction in his life and his confession of wrong-doing “And he arose and came to his father….and the son said to him, I have sinned….”  The son’s confession of sin was made to his father who had been hurt by his son’s bad behavior, and the son was willing to make amends by working as a hired servant.  Of course, the father’s response was forgiveness and rejoicing.  “For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.”   This parable of the prodigal son shows that repentance has a process and the process of repentance includes:

1.  The recognition of and acceptance of personal responsibility for sin.

Welcome Home Son I Forgive You!

2.  A sincere feeling of remorse and sorrow for having sinned.

3.  A conscious decision to stop the wrong-doing.

4.  An actual “turning away from” the sin. This is a change of direction in behavior.

5.  A confession of sin and a humble request for forgiveness. The request for forgiveness is made to the one who has been hurt by the sin.

6.  An offer to make amends for the hurt that was caused by the sin.

7.  Repentance is not just an intellectual exercise of “feeling sorry” for sins. Repentance
     involves a “turning” or “reorientation” of one’s life. The evidence of that change is
     seen in the “fruit,” or how a person lives. John the Baptist told those who came to
     confess their sins that they must “bear fruit that befits (evidences) repentance”
     (Matthew 3:8).

Thoughts or Questions anyone?