True Repentance - This Is for Church People Too

By Justin Edwards

I had the privilege of viewing another video by Nate Pheil today and I want to share with you again (please see the first video here: The Fire). I share this because I love you, even if I don't know you. The video is about true repentance - do you know what that is? Do you know that it is a necessary part of saving faith? Do you know the difference between worldly sorrow and godly sorrow?

I have had both sorrows. I have lived a life where I told God I was sorry for the things I was doing, but after telling Him sorry hundreds of times for the same offense against Him, I realize just how much grace and patience He had for me. I thank Him for not relenting after I showed only worldly sorrow. How much longer would He have remained patient with me before He finally hardened my heart? How much longer will He wait for you before He hardens your heart? I used to think I was saved for 20 years, but most of my life said otherwise. What does your life say?

How do you know you are saved? Is it because you said a prayer once? Is it because you "accepted Jesus into your heart"? Is it because you believe He forgives you? No matter what you do? Dear friend, do not be deceived. A life saved by God is a life changed by God. True repentance leads to a lifestyle of repentance. If you are living the same life as you did before you made this confession of faith, have you ever asked yourself why?

Do you have so much pride to think that God has forgiven you when you have not truly repented? Repentance means to change your mind in how you view sin. Instead of being insensitive to it or relishing in it, you hate it. Sin is breaking the Law of God, and by doing so you are a lawbreaker. When you agree with God that you have broken His Law and your very life is an offense against Him, you become broken. And when you become broken in your sins, when you agree with God that you are a vile sinner, this will result in a changing of the will.

Repentance is a change of the mind and a change of the will. You turn from the direction you were going and you turn toward God. Many today do not understand this principle. The modern church is so influenced by easy-believism that the Gospel it preaches does not have the power to save, therefore it does not have the power to change. This change is a supernatural act of God. If He saves you, He changes you.

Have you changed? Is your life marked by a pursuit of holiness? Or is your life marked by a lifestyle of sin? Do you love the world and the things of the world? Are you pursuing God in His Word and spending time with Him in prayer, or does entertaining yourself with worldly things consume all of your time?

My friend, my professing brother, please, take a look at yourself. Examine yourself in the mirror of God's Word. I am pleading with you to not trust your own heart that you are saved. If you have never taken the time to examine yourself with the Holy Word of God, I think you might be able to answer the question of your salvation without me having to. How do you know you're saved if you don't even know what the Bible says?

Are you relying on what people tell you about your salvation? Are you relying on what a televangelist said or what your preacher said? Did someone tell you you're saved? Nobody can do that. Only God knows your heart, and only you can be sure of your salvation if you get into the Word of God.

Some of you about to watch this video have no eternal security. You have not been sealed with the Holy Spirit because you have never been born again. Surely you think you are saved, but Jesus Christ will tell you He never knew you - that is, unless you fall on your knees before Him today and cry out from the brokenness in your sins. Some will watch this video and put this off. And these will also find their way in hell because their pride was just too great.

You refuse to repent. You refuse to let go. You refuse to deny yourself. You refuse to deny your own will. You refuse to forsake it all for Jesus Christ. You refuse to count the cost. You refuse to transfer control to God. You refuse surrender everything you are to the One who surrendered Himself on the bloody cross. You continue to love the world. You continue to satisfy the lusts of your flesh. You continue to be disobedient to this gracious King. You continue to fellowship with darkness. You continue to go down the wide road that leads to destruction.

And if you continue, you will surely die. You will never see the Kingdom, and you will only see pain, gnashing of teeth, darkness, screams, torment, and fire for all of eternity.

This is as real as it gets. Tomorrow is not promised to you - where will you be the moment you die? In the grace of the Savior, or in the furor of His wrath? How do you know?

I speak these things to you in love. I do not want you to perish. I want you to live.

Won't you? Examine yourself.