The sermon, 'Of Repentance Unto Life and Salvation,' delivered by Scott Brown, explores the doctrine of repentance as outlined in the Baptist Confession, chapter 15, paragraph 5. Brown emphasizes the timelessness and necessity of repentance, stating it is never too late to repent. He outlines five key points: the availability of repentance for Christians who fall into sin, the grace-filled nature of repentance unto salvation, the ongoing duty to repent of known sins, and the continuous nature of repentance in a Christian's life. Illustrations using sheep and airplanes highlight the blessings of repentance, emphasizing the turning away from sin. Brown discusses the preservation of believers through repentance, the severity of even the smallest sin deserving damnation, the possibility of forgiveness for all sins through repentance, and the necessity for pastors to preach repentance constantly. The sermon concludes with a call for believers and unbelievers alike to embrace repentance as a divine gift leading to joy and salvation.

Well tonight we're going to be focusing in on this last paragraph in the Baptist Confession on repentance. And this is of course chapter 15. I've given you a fairly extensive outline. I hope you have in front of you to see. I want to first of all just give a brief summary.

You have it there in your outline. This section contains five paragraphs that speak of the doctrine of repentance. And in the first paragraph, the main message is this, what a great message, it's never too late to repent. It's never too late. In the second paragraph, we're taught that God provides renewal for Christians who fall into sin through repentance.

Christians will fall into sin and God gives them this gift of repentance that they might be restored. And then in the third paragraph, We learn that repentance unto salvation is a work of grace. It's all of grace. God is the one who engineers our repentance by pouring out his grace. Here in this paragraph the focus is repentance unto salvation.

No one comes to salvation unless God gives them grace to turn. And then in the fourth paragraph, we're taught about our duty to repent of known sins, Which brings us to a lifetime of repentance. You never outgrow repentance. You're always repenting. And this is the paragraph that has those famous words that we repent of, particular sins, particularly.

And then in the fifth paragraph, we see even more of the blessings of the provision of repentance. Thomas Manton said that repentance is the golden harvest. It's the banqueting house of unspeakable joy. It's such a gift. It's such a help.

I'll give you two illustrations here. Children particularly, maybe you want to think of repentance in this way, in terms of the blessings of repentance. The first illustration is the illustration of sheep. The second illustration is the illustration of an airplane. And both of these just explain the blessings of repentance.

Now there are two parts of repentance. First is repentance unto salvation. I'll use sheep to illustrate that kind of repentance and the blessing of it. And the second kind of repentance is the ongoing repentance of the Christian. I'll use an airplane to explain the blessings of that.

So a few years ago there's a story that came out of the Middle East of a large flock of sheep and hundreds of them just walked one by one right off a cliff and fell down and they were piled up at the bottom of this cliff. They just followed one another right in step. And what the blessings of repentance unto salvation is that If one of those sheep had turned and gone the other way, the other sheep would have followed them. And repentance unto salvation is that way. If you don't repent unto salvation, you will end up in an eternal disaster, and you will experience everlasting death.

So the tragedy and the blessing of repentance is shown in the story of sheep. But sheep must turn. They must turn around. To repent is to turn. The second illustration is the illustration of an airplane.

I just experienced this a couple of days ago where we got on an airplane bound for Dallas, Texas and apparently the headwinds were mighty headwinds and the plane was late, actually quite late because of the headwinds. And when the plane turned around and came back, the tailwind pushed that plane so fast, we were so early, I got home early last night because of those tailwinds. When the plane turned and faced the right direction, then it just sailed right on. And that's what happens to the Christian when he is continually repenting, turning, is that The speed of his progress increases and he gets to his destination and it's just sweeter. In contrast, if you have a Christian who's not repenting, he's always sailing against the wind.

He's always running against the wind and it's hard. The repentance, the repentant life is a much easier life. We think a lot of times that repentance would make it hard for us. Well that's not really true. It may seem like the hardest thing but it actually turns out to be the very easiest thing when we finally make the turn.

So repentance is to turn, and there are blessings or curses whether you turn or not. And that's why Thomas Manton said that repentance is a golden harvest. It's the banqueting house of unspeakable joy. What a blessing it is. So now as we get into paragraph five, you see it there on your outline and I'm going to extract four things that we learn from this paragraph here.

And the first is that God preserves his people through repentance. Secondly, that the smallest sin deserves damnation. Thirdly, that there is no sin so great that it cannot be forgiven. And fourth, we come to the truth about Sin that the truth about sin requires pastors to preach on repentance. So I want to take each one of those Individually and so let's let's deal with this I'll first of all read the entire paragraph and then we'll enter into the first phrase paragraph 5 Such is the provision which God hath made through Christ in the covenant of grace for the preservation of believers unto salvation that although there is no sin so small but it deserves damnation yet there is no sin so great that it shall bring damnation on them that repent which makes the constant preaching of repentance necessary So let's cover these one by one.

First, that God preserves his people through repentance, such as the provision which God hath made through Christ in the covenant of grace for the preservation of believers unto salvation." Here it's exposed to us what repentance is. It's a provision. It's a gift. It is a treasure. It is something that God has provided the human soul.

He's given you this tool for this particular purpose, and it's for your preservation. And There are two ways that we can take this. It is a provision to keep believers safe during their heavenly journey till they reach their final glorification. And at the same time, it is a gift, It is a gift of unbelievers who will be saved. It preserves them.

It preserves them for all eternity. But here what I so appreciate about this clause is it just speaks about God as a provider, that He provides everything for life and godliness. Repentance is one of those things. He's provided everything we need. Every person here has everything they need tonight.

And God has provided one thing that every person needs, and that is repentance. Often we think we need so many things when the things that God has provided are right in front of us. And the question we should be asking is, Am I using this gift that God has given me? Am I ignoring it right now? Am I running past it?

And am I running against the wind as a result? God always makes a way for hopeless people in hopeless situations. He makes a way, and his way is often found through repentance. He makes a way for escape. Repentance is one of those ways of escape from the entrapments that we find ourselves in.

And you know, God makes a way for his people. He made a way through the flood. He made a way through the wilderness. And he made a way through the Red Sea. And he makes a way through this life of sin and temptation, through repentance.

God has made this available to us. He's made a way. And if the gift is unused, for the unbeliever there's no salvation. If the gift is poorly used in the believer, then they find themselves flying against the wind their whole life long. And so it is a gift.

Thomas Watson was right. It is a golden harvest. It's a banqueting house of everlasting joy. We somehow have to think differently about repentance. We think darkly about it when God actually has given it as a gift to usher us into his light.

So use the gift. So first the first the first issue here is that it's it pre repentance preserves since a gift to preserve that was provided by God. Secondly, the smallest sin deserves damnation. The phrase in the confession is this, although there is no sin so small, but it deserves damnation. We often like to think wrongly about our sins that some sins really aren't all that bad.

Now there's a, I'll explain some of the details of this and let me explain it by walking through some various categories. This This statement refutes the Roman Church claims that there are mortal sins and venial sins. There are sins that require damnation, sins that really aren't so bad. And this also refutes, this statement refutes a common understanding of sin in our culture and particularly of what is revealed through homosexual culture. When you encounter homosexuals you often encounter the idea that all sins are equally bad and there's no sin that's worse than another.

And the logic goes like this, no sin is any worse than any other sin, therefore homosexual practice is no worse than any other sin. That's the calculus that you often encounter. And it's actually contrary to this confession. And, you know, Alan Chambers, who was the former head of Exodus International, which was really, you know, a gay organization, an organization to rescue gays from homosexuality, he changed, he joined the other side. But at one of his conferences most recently, He said this, Jesus didn't hang on the cross a little longer for people who were involved in same-sex attraction or who had been gay or lesbian.

In other words, the assertion is that all sins are exactly of the same severity. That's what the homosexual crowd would like us to think. And by the way, there's a very helpful book, probably the best book on the subject by Robert Gagnon, who's a scholar who's I think probably written the best stuff on this whole deal, dealing with the Christian view. And here's what he writes. He says, Surely all reasonable persons are bound to acknowledge that for a woman's husband to tell her that she spent $50 rather than $25 on a new watch is not as bad as if he had committed adultery against her with five other people.

There really are differences in severity of sin. Just in terms of logic, we all know that is true. And, but what does the scripture teach? I'll give you four propositions. Some sins really are worse than others, that's number one.

Matthew chapter five, verse 19 speaks, says, whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches men so he shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven but whoever does and teaches them he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 23 23 woe to you scribes and Pharisees hypocrites for you tithe mint and dill and cumin and have neglected the weightier matters of the law justice mercy and faithfulness These you ought to have done without neglecting the others. There are some sins that are called abominations in the Bible. For example, the customs of pagans in Leviticus 18 30, a proud look, Proverbs 6 16, a lying tongue, Proverbs 6 17, hands that shed innocent blood, Proverbs 6.17, a false balance or scale, Proverbs 11.1, a sower of discord, Proverbs 6.19, Refusing to hear the law, Proverbs 28-9. Violence, Ezekiel 18, 6-13.

Lending with interest to a brother, Ezekiel 18, 6-13. Hardness of heart, Ezekiel 18, 6-13. Well, there are things that are called abominations. There are some sins that are more serious than others. And those who say that all sins are just as serious as the others really are speaking against scripture.

Some sins receive greater punishments than others. If you look in the Old Testament law, there are various kinds of punishments for various kinds of sins. For example, if you look at the laws of restitution in the Old Testament, there are different kinds of punishments depending on the various details of what happened. Like if you confess your sin, your punishment is less. If you're caught, it's more.

So there are various kinds of punishments for sin and there are gradations of sin. Another conclusion is this, is that some sins are actually worse for others. Stabbing someone is worse than spitting on someone. And even our civil government recognizes that there really are differences in various kinds of infractions. And John 9-11 speaks of the greater sin.

Ezekiel 8-13 says you will see greater abominations. In 1st John 5-16 we read, if anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask, and God give him life, those who commit sins that do not lead to death." So there are, there definitely are different levels of seriousness of sin, and, But at the same time, there is no sin so small, but it deserves damnation. All sins deserve damnation, but All sins are not equally serious and are equally punished under the law. The Westminster Shorter Catechism, question 150, speaks of it this way. Are all transgressions of the law equally heinous in themselves and in the sight of God?

Answer, all transgressions of the law are not equally heinous, but some sins in themselves by reason of several aggravations, in other words the different things that they cause and the things that they come from, the places they come from, are more heinous in the sight of God than others. And then question 152, why does every sin deserve at the hand, what does every sin deserve at the hands of God? Every sin, even the least, being against the sovereignty of, against the sovereignty, goodness, and holiness of God, and against His righteous law, deserves His wrath and curse, both in this life and that which is to come, and cannot be expiated but by the blood of Jesus Christ." So very clearly the Westminster Catechism rejects the idea that all sins are equally bad. They are not equally bad, but all of them do require punishment from God. And what this makes very clear is that there is no sin so small, but it deserves damnation.

One sin, one broken commandment is enough to cast one into hell. One doesn't have to accumulate a lot of sin to be worthy of everlasting punishment. But on the contrary, it is the Lord Jesus Christ's work on the cross that saves people from their sins. And so we have to be very clear here that there is no sin so small, but it deserves damnation. We shouldn't think lightly about our sin.

We should recognize that one sin would have sent Jesus Christ to the cross. And so that brings us to the seriousness of it. But at the same time, sins are not equally damaging or heinous before God as well. And then in the third element of this, if you're following on the outline, there is no sin so great that it cannot be forgiven. Yet there is no sin so great that it shall bring damnation on them that repent." And, you know, some people feel that they have done such terrible things that they cannot be forgiven.

And often you find this sense in discussions that you have with people about the sin of the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. And people often find themselves asking, have I committed the unpardonable sin? Is there any hope for me at all? And you know the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is the rejection of the voice of the Holy Spirit in your life until that day when there is no hope at the end of your life. And it is rejecting God, that is the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit.

But God does sometimes save people on the very last day of their lives, just like the thief on the cross. He repented and the Lord Jesus said, today you'll be with me in paradise. So, you know, there is no sin that is so terrible that it cannot be forgiven. No one ever committed any sin that was unforgivable. And that's, I think that's why Thomas Watson speaks of repentance as this golden harvest It's a banqueting house it.

It's it's joy unspeakable because it covers Absolutely every possible sin that could even be conceived of We we see we get a glimpse of this in 1 Corinthians chapter 6, where the Apostle Paul is speaking about the fact that the unrighteous will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven. And he says that, he tells the Corinthian church not to be deceived and he says, no fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God." He says, if you've committed those sins, you will not enter the kingdom of God. But then he says, and such were some of you. In other words, they did repent. They did turn around and they did turn to God.

They changed the course of their life And Paul says to them, and such were some of you, but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of God. And so There is hope for anyone who has committed any or all of these sins that are listed or any or all of any other sins that could be thought of. Because God is merciful and He does rescue sinners. Sinners and you know the truth of the matter is that there is no sin so great that it cannot be relieved by repentance. This is the blessing of repentance.

And then the fourth element here, the fourth thing that this section teaches, it teaches a truth about sin which requires pastors to preach on repentance. And there's some interesting language here. He uses the word constant preaching, the constant preaching of repentance. Church pastors should be constantly preaching repentance, constantly. It is one of the obligations to reprove, rebuke, and exhort with great patience and humility, and to preach repentance to the people.

Why? Well because in any given time when you're in the church you always have a mixed multitude. You always have sheep and goats. You always have unbelievers. You have those sheep that you know some of their predecessors have already walked off the cliff and they're headed in the same direction.

You have children that grow up in church and they're not converted. You have people who have been in church and it's just a cultural thing for them and they're not converted. You have people who have been in church and it's just a cultural thing for them and they're not converted. You have people that have believed a false gospel that all you have to do is say that you accepted Jesus Christ into your heart. And you have people who come with friends and they need to repent of their sins and turn to Jesus Christ.

So pastors should always be preaching repentance. I've heard people say many times, you know, the church is for believers not unbelievers. That's really only half right. Because it's really only half true. Because the church is always full of unbelievers of those various classifications that I just listed.

So it's critical that pastors preach repentance unto salvation. It's also critical that they preach repentance unto refreshment to the saints. Because we fall into sin, we start thinking wrongly, we obsess about things, we experience trials, and we become bitter or angry or discouraged. We lose a sense of God and we need to repent of the direction that we've been going. We're flying against the wind and it's not going that well.

It doesn't feel very good and you're burning a lot of fuel and you're gonna get there really, really late and you know it. And everybody with you in that airplane is frustrated too, because we often, by our lack of repentance, hold one another back. And so it's critical that we preach repentance in this church. I'm not sure if we preach it enough or too much or too little. I'm not sure.

But I know that it's our responsibility. We should never be embarrassed to do such a thing. Now there are people today running around saying the pastor should not call for repentance. Some of you are familiar with the Lordship salvation controversy a long time ago that John MacArthur and Charles Ryrie were at odds over, But many of the no lordship advocates gravitated to Acts 16, verse 30 and 31 to say that repentance is not essential in the call for saving faith. And many evangelists, many of the big tent, many of the big, you know, the big stadium evangelists of today, they don't call their people to repentance.

They call them to go get the hole in their heart filled. They call them to go get their needs met. They call them to come to get happy because sin doesn't make you happy. God makes you happy. But they don't call for repentance.

And you know, the antinomians, secondly of the hyper grace movement Did have advocated, you know many of the same things, but let's let's be very clear John the Baptist Said repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. In Mark chapter 1 verse 15 Mark's summary of Jesus preaching includes these words repent and believe in the gospel. Repentance unto salvation must be preached. In Luke 13 33 Jesus says unless you repent you will all likewise perish. In Mark chapter 6 verse 12 we learn that Jesus sent his apostles out to preach and he went he specifically instructed them that they should preach that people should repent.

Both the Apostle John and Jesus preached repentance. In Acts chapter 2 verse 38, in the first gospel sermon in the New Testament after the resurrection, Peter preached these words, repent and be baptized every one of you for the remission of your sins. The Apostle Paul was speaking to the elders of the church in Ephesus in Miletus and he said that their message should be repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. In Acts chapter 17 verse 30, here are the words, God commands that all men repent everywhere. So it's an obligation that we call to repentance.

You know, you who are sharing the gospel in different contexts, on the streets or in your homes or wherever you are, recognize you must bring people to repentance. They must repent of their sins. And we ought to do such a thing because it is what Thomas Watson said. It is a golden harvest. It is a banqueting house.

It is for joy unspeakable and so we must call for repentance both in the church and outside the church in all of our work and all of our evangelism. Now just to sort of refresh our memory on what is repentance, I'm just going to close with a couple of comments and I'm going to quote the Westminster Shorter Catechism. What is repentance unto life? Repentance unto life is a saving grace, whereby a sinner, out of a true sense of his sin and apprehension of the mercy of God in Christ, does with grief and hatred of his sin turn from it unto God with full purpose of and endeavoring after new obedience." I think that's a that's a really wonderful definition of repentance. And that's why Thomas Watson had such glowing things to say about it.

So in this paragraph, number one, God preserves His people through repentance. 2. The smallest sin deserves damnation. 3. There is no sin so great that cannot be forgiven.

4. The truth about sin requires pastors to preach on repentance. Now, I want to close with a statement by Thomas Watson. God will lead his penitence from the house of mourning to the banqueting house. There will be no more sight there but of glory, no noise, but of music, no sickness, and less of love.

There shall be holiness unspotted and joy unspeakable a True turning first and then he says a true turning for sin is a divorcing of it So as to never come near it anymore When men and their sins are congealed together, the best way to separate them is by the fire of the love of God. And it's that fire that causes us to repent. We need to pray for more fire. Fire for all believers, fire in the hearts of those who are unbelievers, even here tonight. You know, if you're an unbeliever here tonight, you know it.

Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Don't wait, don't delay. You know, you keep going in that direction, you'll walk off a cliff. Don't think tomorrow I'll make a decision don't think that way at all and if if you're a believer just continue to turn to repentance for every opportunity you can you know we in our in our sanctification we we we must grow in the knowledge of our sin, and as we grow in the knowledge of our sin, we grow in our ability to repent. And I pray that God gives us a church like that of repenters.

Remember the Romanian Church during the communist days they were called the repenters because that really is the heart of the Christian life. Let's pray. Lord we thank you for the wisdom that is contained in this confession. We pray, oh Lord, that you would build us up, make us wise unto salvation through all these things. We thank you for this banqueting table.

We thank you for this blessing, this unspeakable joy to be relieved of our sin. Amen.