In Eric Bechler's sermon on 'Of Repentance Unto Life and Salvation' from the 1689 London Baptist Confession, he emphasizes the necessity of continual repentance for believers. The sermon outlines three main points: no sin is too small to be undeserving of damnation, no sin is too great to damn a repentant believer, and the constant preaching of repentance is essential. It underscores that repentance is a fruit of faith, possible only for the elect, and stems from the covenant of grace through Christ's atonement. The sermon also addresses the unforgivable sin, explaining that it involves a deliberate rejection of the Holy Spirit's work. Repentance and faith must be preached together as they are vital for salvation, and believers are encouraged to maintain a contrite heart and praise God for His mercy.

Our reading this morning from the Second London Baptist Confession of 1689 comes again from chapter 15 of repentance unto life and salvation, 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. Last week We discussed repentance being continual, being something we do over and over during the entire course of our lives. It is this provision, the continual repentance of sin, that God made for the preservation of believers and the salvation. This provision is made possible by the atoning work of our Lord Jesus Christ.

It is by the covenant of grace that the elect, the predestinated, the effectually called, the regenerated have faith in Christ Jesus and are thus justified and saved. Let us not forget that it was both through Christ's living a perfect sinless life and through Christ dying on the cross for our sins that Christ's righteousness is imputed to us. Why would this need to be in the confession here at the end of our chapter on repentance? It is to remind us that repentance unto life and salvation occurs only from those who have faith in Christ, only for the elect. Repentance is a fruit of faith, and without faith there is no repentance.

So the main points of our paragraph today, there's three of them. There is no sin so small, but it deserves damnation. Two, there is no sin so great that will bring damnation on those that repent. And three, constant preaching of repentance is necessary. These points are pretty straightforward and it won't take too long to go through, but it's important to go through them and to make sure that we understand what they mean and their implications.

First, there is no sin so small, but it deserves damnation. Sin is a disobedience to God, to God's commands. Although we can get the impression from Scripture that there are varying degrees of sin, Some sins are not commented on in the scripture and might lead us to believe that they're no big deal, that they're insignificant. Some sins are considered to be an abomination to God. We read these through the Old Testament over and over.

And there's one sin that is described as unpardonable or unforgivable in Matthew 12 22 through 32. Yet a sin is a sin is a sin. Its magnitude has no relevance. The tiniest sin conceivable when committed still leaves you a sinner deserving death and eternity in hell. Stephen Nichols writes, even the slightest sin is an affront and insult to the holy God.

Furthermore, Dr. Sproul comments, we are so accustomed to our fallenness and corruption that while our moral sensibilities may be offended when we see someone involved in gross and heinous criminal activity such as a mass murder, normal everyday disobedience to God doesn't even bother us. We don't think that it's important because to err is human and to forgive is divine. Well, let's see what scripture says in James 2 verse 10, for whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. In Isaiah 59 too, but your iniquities have separated you from your God, Your sins have hidden his face from you so that he will not hear." Ezekiel 18 20, the soul who sins shall die.

Romans 6 23, for the wages of sin is death. In James 1 15, then when lust has conceived it gives birth to sin and when sin is accomplished it brings forth death. As we look at the attributes of God, our God is holy, our God is righteous, Our God is just. There's a great chasm between our holy and righteous God and ourselves, our filthy rags. He must punish all sins to be a just God.

Even the smallest sin must be punished and punished with death. The second point, there is no sin so great that it shall bring damnation on them that repent. Paul tells us, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God in Romans 3. Without Christ's atoning work, every one of us would be punished with death and would spend eternity in hell. It is what we deserve.

But God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." John 316. For there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. Acts 412. For those who believe in Christ Jesus, if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness from 1st John 1 9. There is no qualifier here in this verse as to the type of sin or its magnitude.

The psalmist tells us that as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. Psalm 10312. Well, what about that one sin that I just mentioned, the unpardonable sin in Matthew 12 22 through 32? Ligonier Ministries answers this for us in a devotional from 2008 with some comments from noted persons across history. Dr.

R.C. Sproul says, The unforgivable sin is a blaspheming against the Holy Spirit by calling Jesus a devil after being enlightened by that same Spirit. According to John Calvin, we commit such sacrilege only when we knowingly endeavor to extinguish the spirit. There can be no salvation if the work of the spirit is knowingly rejected. This act reveals a heart so hard that repentance is impossible.

Matthew Henry, he comments, those who fear they have committed this sin give a good sign that they have not. Ultimately, as Augustine says, it is unrepentance that is a blasphemy against the Spirit. Again, repentance is a fruit of a person's faith. Only those who are regenerated will repent unto life and salvation. Thus, there is no sin so great that it shall bring damnation on them that repent.

Christ has paid the full price of all your sins—those you have already committed as well as those you will commit in the future. But you must repent. It is not a one-time thing. Repentance must be continued through the whole course of our lives, which makes the constant preaching of repentance necessary. A.

A. Hodge states, repentance, like faith, is a duty as well as a grace, and ministers are commanded to preach it as essential to forgiveness. This is what we find Jesus doing with the two walking through Emmaus explaining the prophecies in Luke 24 47. In beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scripture the things concerning himself. This is what Paul did in Ephesus as he reminded the elders in his farewell statement, Acts 20 and 21, and how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have showed you and have taught you publicly and from house to house, testifying both to the Jews and also to the Greeks repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.

Simon Ortanian concludes, God has given us repentance so that we may be restored to a loving and harmonious relationship with Him. The confession deems it necessary for repentance constantly to be preached to believers and unbelievers alike because there is no sin which is so great as to hinder someone who is seeking to be saved from finding Jesus to be a perfect Savior. Therefore repentance should always be preached to people because that is how they turn to God and because unless you repent you will all likewise perish. Luke 13. Repentance and faith must be preached together because it is by the grace of God through faith and repentance that the people of God are saved.

I would like to read a portion of Psalm 51, a pretty long portion, with the first 17 verses. Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love, according to your abundant mercy, blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you only have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment.

Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean. Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. But let me hear joy and gladness.

Let the bones that you have broken rejoice. Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.

Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you. Deliver me from blood-guiltiness, O God, O God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness. O Lord, open my lips and my mouth will declare your praise, for you will not delight in sacrifice or I would give it. You will not be pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken heart and a contrite heart.

Oh God, you will not despise. So how do you to respond to your sins? Do you cry out to God for mercy like David does? Do you have godly sorrow for your sins, a broken and contrite heart? Confess your sins, repent, and know for a certainty that Christ's sacrifice is sufficient for the forgiveness of all your sins.

Praise God. But it doesn't end there. What's missing? Think about what God has done for you. What else did David do?

He cried out, my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness. Oh, Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. Are you singing out praises to God? Are you lifting your voice to heaven to praise Him? Final question.

Who knows how the book of Psalms ends? Psalm 150 verse 6, Let everything that have breath praise the Lord, praise you the Lord. It's a thought to remember, let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Amen. You you you