The sermon 'Of Repentance unto Life and Salvation' by Eric Bechler explores the concept of repentance as outlined in the Second London Baptist Confession of 1689. It begins by defining repentance through the Greek term 'metanoia,' which signifies a change of mind. True repentance involves a heartfelt regret for sin and a desire to change one's behavior. The sermon highlights the theological context, placing repentance alongside faith as a response to God's saving acts. Repentance is described as a gift from God, granted during the effectual call when a person is converted. Various biblical examples, such as Manasseh, Saul (Paul), and the Philippian jailer, illustrate the transformative power of repentance. The sermon emphasizes that repentance is not the cause of salvation but its fruit, leading to a restored relationship with God. It concludes with practical advice on expressing repentance and using scripture in prayer, particularly Psalm 51, David's prayer of repentance.

A reading this morning from the Second London Baptist Confession of 1689 comes from chapter 15 of repentance unto life and salvation. Paragraph 1. Such of the elect as are converted at riper years, having some time lived in the state of nature, and therein serve diverse lusts and pleasures, God in their effectual calling giveth them repentance unto life. We move forward into a new chapter this afternoon, repentance. Let's first understand what is meant by repentance.

Dr. Sproul explains it this way. In the original Greek, minatonia is the term that is most commonly translated as repentance in English. It comes from two Greek words, meta and nous. Meta means after or beyond, and nous means mind.

So literally a metanoia is an afterthought or a second thought. The Greeks used it especially for times when a person had second thought, an afterthought or second thought. The Greeks used it especially at times when a person had second thought, an afterthought or second thought. The Greeks used it especially at times when a person had second thoughts about something, regretting that it was too late to make any changes. This word literally means change of mind and helps us understand what repentance really means.

Fundamentally, repentance is a change of mind, a switch from an outlook that esteems sin to one that considers it abhorrent. It is important that we remember, however, that scripture understands a true change of mind to be one that includes more than just a shifting of intellectual categories. Metanoia, to have true repentance, involves feelings of regret and remorse. Repentance means we are truly sorry for something we've done, not just its consequences. And we want to change our behavior.

A repentant life is a change life, not in that perfection is ever attained, but in that the fruit of repentance, a change in action or attitude becomes discernible in a person's character. Let's next understand why this is where it is in the confession. In chapters 10 through 14, it covers the effectual call, justification, adoption, sanctification, and saving faith. These are all about God's sovereignty and His mercy towards us. These are His saving acts for us.

Then in chapters 15 through 18, covering repentance, good works, perseverance, and assurance, these are rather our responses to what God has done for us. John Murray states that repentance is the twin sister of faith. We cannot think of one without the other and so repentance would be conjoined with faith in the order of salvation. Conversion is simply another name for repentance and faith, conjoined and would therefore be enclosed in repentance and faith. Although we can see a difference between faith and repentance, we cannot separate them.

Pastor Jeremy Walker explains, Christ saves through faith and we should not give that place to repentance. Nevertheless, a faith that knows nothing of sorrow of sin with yearning for holiness and increasingly complete obedience to the will of God in Christ is not a saving faith. It is therefore both proper and helpful to have faith and repentance standing together in our confession. As we move to our paragraph this afternoon, it starts with the elect. Remember again, the elect are those chosen by the Father before the foundation of the world.

We should be holy and without blame before him in love, having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of his will." Ephesians 1, 4, and 5. Yet the elect are not regenerated at a common time in life. With each elect person it can be a different time. We go from John the Baptist still in the womb in Luke 1 41 it says when Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary the babe leaped in her womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. To the thief on the cross next to Jesus about to die in Luke 23 43 we remember when Jesus said unto him, verily I say unto thee today thou shalt be with me in paradise." For those who converted later in life or in riper years, they lived sinful lives up to that point.

They were in bondage to sin, slaves to sin throughout their life until that moment when they were regenerated and cleansed by the Holy Spirit. Paul warns Titus to speak evil of no man, but be gentle because we ourselves were in that state previous to being saved. It may be that they too may at some time or some point be saved. He also reminds us that it was by God's mercy that he saved us, not something we did or deserved. I'll read again Titus 3 verses 2 through 5.

To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers but gentle, showing all meekness unto all men. For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving diverse lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. But after that the kindness and love of God our Savior towards man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost. The second part of our paragraph stresses that it is God that gives them repentance unto life in their effectual call. Simon Wartanian states, notice also that the confession connects repentance with effectual call.

When God calls us, he not only gives us faith, but he also grants repentance which accompanies that faith. This happens at conversion when God transfers us from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of Christ. He grants us faith and repentance and cleanses us from all unrighteousness. The proof texts offer three examples for this. Manasseh, one of the kings of Judah, who was a wicked king for many years and who God exiled to Babylon.

And during his affliction there, he sought the Lord and humbled himself greatly. He eventually repented and believed. God returned him to Jerusalem and restored him as king. We read of his change casting out idols and strange gods repairing the altar of the Lord, sacrificing only to the Lord God of Israel and serving him only. From 2 Chronicles 33, 10-20.

We read also of Saul and his threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord and how much evil he had done to the saints at Jerusalem on his way to Damascus. God calls him out and blinds him, restores him for his purposes to bear his name before the Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. And we see that in Acts 9, 1 through 19. And we see the evidence of the transformation of Saul, not a Christian, into Paul, the Christian, and benefit from all he did and wrote. And finally, there's an example of the Philippian jailer who, following a great earthquake and believing all the prisoners had escaped, had concluded he must commit suicide.

Paul called out to him to reassure him that no one had escaped and that he should not kill himself. The jailer comes to Paul and Silas, trembling, asking, what must he do to be saved? They spoke unto him the words of the Lord, and he believed and rejoiced. This is in Acts 16, verses 25 through 34. They say old dogs can't learn new tricks.

Regardless of the saying, old sinners set in their ways of sinful living still need to be preached to. They still need to be told the truth to be warned of the wrath to come, the judgment and damnation. There's no one that is too set in their ways, too sinful that God cannot save. God's call may come in a dramatic fashion like the Philippian jail or with the earthquake or Paul being blinded on the road to Damascus. It may come gradually over years of sitting under a faithful preacher in the church they grew up in.

That effectual call may come early in life, it may come later in life. We should not base our hopes on our experience of some deep or emotional or spiritual crisis, but on Christ alone for our salvation. For by grace you are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, Ephesians 2, 8. And I'll close with some comments from Barry Cooper from Ligonier Ministries. It's crucial to see repentance isn't the cause of salvation.

It's the fruit of it. When the Spirit brings us faith in Christ, He can fix us of our sin and the fruit of that conviction is repentance. Repentance is a gateway on the other side of which is our loving Father. Jesus's parable of the prodigal son shows what this is like. The prodigal when he realizes how he has sinned against his father, turns back from the far country in which he's been living and heads home.

That's repentance, a turning back to God. And just like the father of the prodigal son, God runs to meet us joyfully in that moment, embracing us, kissing us, and celebrating with us. What if we ourselves have become aware that we need to repent of something? Let's waste no time and turn back from the far country. If we sin against someone else in some way with our words or with our actions, we should express our remorse to that person and ask for forgiveness.

As well as honoring Christ and restoring a deeper intimacy with the Father. That act of repentance has the power to bring healing to the person we've sinned against and also deep healing for us. Finally, we speak some times about using scripture in your prayers. Mr. Hopkins has mentioned several times or a number of times of praying through the Lord's prayer.

You can also turn to the Psalms. There's so much there that we can bring into our own prayers for our different prayer needs. Our topic today has been repentance. If there's something you need to repent of, try turning to Psalm 51. This is David's prayer of repentance and use it to pray as part of your confession of sin.

Amen.