The Plan of Salvation: Confess and Repent I. Introduction A. We have been examining the plan of salvation as demonstrated in the Bible: hear, believe, confess, repent, be baptized, be obedient B. We have previously examined "hear" and "believe" 1. We saw that it is necessary to hear the Gospel in order to accept its message and be obedient, and for people to hear, there must be a presentation of the Gospel, and someone to preach it 2. We saw that we are to be the ones to preach the Gospel to others 3. We also saw that "to believe" was to give mental assent to Jesus and to trust Him, but that belief (faith) demands obedience and following the standard of the One trusted C. Let us now continue our examination with confession and repentance II. Confession: Its Necessity A. We can see from the Scriptures that the confession of Christ is necessary B. Matthew 10:32-33 1. Those who confess, or acknowledge, Christ Jesus, before men, He will do likewise before the Father 2. Likewise, those who deny Christ before men will be denied by Christ before the Father C. Acts 8:37 1. An example of a confession before a baptism 2. Many ancient manuscripts of the NT do not contain v. 37, and it is generally accepted to be a later addition to the text 3. Regardless of its authenticity in Acts, it does represent the standard confession that was made before baptism in the early Christian period D. Romans 10:9-10 1. The only explicit association between confession by mouth and salvation 2. By confessing with the mouth, and belief from the heart, one is led to salvation E. Hebrews 13:15 1. Another demonstration of confession 2. The fruit of the lips of those who confess Him are our sacrifice to God F. 1 John 4:15: those who confess Christ abide in God, as God abides in them G. On the basis of these Scriptures, then, it is manifest that we are to confess Christ 1. But what does it mean to confess Christ? 2. Let us explore confession a bit deeper III. Confession: Its Nature A. How are we to "confess" Christ? B. Confessing orally 1. Acts 8:37 demonstrates, as we have seen, an oral confession 2. Such is the type of confession that we speak of with initial obedience 3. 1 Timothy 6:12: this was probably the "good confession" Timothy made... 4. ...for it is the "good confession" of Christ to Pilate (1 Timothy 6:13, Mark 14:62)! 5. The "good confession", then, is to say (and believe) that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and to confess this before witnesses C. Contrast: Denial 1. We can also learn about confession from its opposite, denial 2. In Matthew 10:32-33, Jesus contrasts confession with denial 3. We can see a denial in the Scriptures: Peter's denial (Matthew 26:69-75, etc.) 4. Three times Peter was alleged to be with Jesus; three times he denied it 5. Matthew 26:33-35: Peter previously vowed to never forsake Him! 6. When Peter was with Jesus and the other disciples, it was easy to vow to never deny Him 7. Yet when he was alone, and faced with possible persecution and trial himself, he utterly denied knowing Him D. Part of confession, then, is not merely confessing Christ before the witness of fellow Christians, but being willing to confess Christ in the world, even risking hostility 1. Peter, at that time, denied Christ, yet later in Acts 4-5 he would stand up for Christ in front of the Sanhedrin 2. Our confession of Christ is only strong and acceptable when it is not only among saints, but also out in our daily lives 3. God is not pleased with "Sunday-only Christianity"! E. Likewise, we should take every opportunity we are given to confess Christ 1. If we are in a conversation, and spiritual things become the topic, will we present the truth? 2. If we hear people talking about God, will we demonstrate to them our faith in Christ? 3. Or do we allow social conventions, fear of rejection, or fear of rebuke, keep us from proclaiming our faith to others? 4. Do we demonstrate that we are ashamed of the Gospel or not ashamed of it (Romans 1:16)? 5. Let us strive to take every opportunity given to us to confess Christ before men! F. Is confession only a verbal matter? 1. While the explicit examples of confession in the New Testament are verbal, this by no means limits our confession to our words 2. We also can either confess or deny Christ by our deeds! 3. Just as God is not pleased if we profess Christ among saints yet deny Him before men by words, so also God is not pleased if we act one way around saints yet act differently in the world! 4. 1 Peter 2:12: our conduct among the Gentiles is to be honorable! 5. 1 Peter 2:16: our liberty is not a cover-up for evil, but the renunciation of that evil! G. We can see from 1 Peter 2:12, along with Matthew 5:13-16, that our conduct can have a positive impact on others 1. Indeed, many are less interested in what you have to say than what you are going to do! 2. By doing the work of God and helping those in need, and being a light in the world, others will be prompted to give God the glory 3. Yet, by not doing what is right and doing what is evil, we give those hostile to God reason to blaspheme! H. It should be manifest, then, that our confession of Christ is in both word and deed, and we should strive to confess Him before men and not be a hindrance to the promotion of the Gospel! I. Having examined the nature of confession, let us turn to repentance IV. Repentance: Its Necessity A. The Bible speaks widely on the need for repentance B. Luke 24:46-47 1. Repentance is to be proclaimed to all nations, beginning in Jerusalem 2. This is part of the message which was prophesied beforehand! C. Acts 2:38: when the Jews of Pentecost heard the Gospel and believed it, and asked what they were to do, the first thing Peter charged them to do was to repent D. Acts 17:30: God as commanding all people everywhere to repent E. 2 Corinthians 7:10 1. Godly grief as leading to repentance and salvation 2. Worldly grief as leading to death F. It is apparent from the Scriptures, then, that repentance is a critical part of being saved 1. But what does it mean to repent? 2. Let us explore the concept of repentance a bit deeper V. Repentance: Its Nature A. There is some confusion in the religious world over the nature of repentance, partly due to differences in meaning between English and Greek B. Repentance in English, from Webster's: Sorrow for any thing done or said; the pain or grief which a person experiences in consequence of the injury or inconvenience produced by his own conduct C. In English, then, repentance is primarily a feeling of sorrow or regret: "I'm sorry" D. While this meaning is also present in the Greek word, the Greek word goes beyond simple sorrow E. Repentance in Greek is metanoeo, defined by Thayer's as: to change one's mind, i.e. to repent; to change one's mind for better, heartily to amend with abhorrence of one's past sins F. While we are to express sorrow for our sins, the idea of repentance is that the sorrow leads us to change our minds, that we make a change for the better in our mind G. In the scheme of the plan of salvation, then, repentance represents the mental commitment to no longer walk in the past, futile ways of sin, but to serve God and work righteousness in service to God 1. 1 Peter 1:14-15: we are to no longer walk in past ways, but be holy in our conduct 2. Romans 6:20-22: you have passed from death to life, no longer a slave of sin but a slave of righteousness, aiming toward eternal life and not death H. Repentance, then, is the beginning of that change 1. In order to make the change from serving sin to serving righteousness, you must make the mental commitment to do so! 2. Without that mental commitment, that change of mind, you will not have the ability to serve righteousness, but will be tempted back into sin I. Repentance is not a one-time thing 1. We can read in Revelation, particularly in Revelation 2:5 and other places, that Jesus calls churches and others to repentance 2. Whenever there is something in our lives not in accordance with God's will and word, we must first make the mental change so that the changes will be made in our conduct J. While repentance is critical in leading to a change of behavior, repentance alone is not sufficient 1. As we have seen, repentance is the initial step in changing behavior: it does not represent the change itself 2. Acts 26:20: God charged Paul to preach the Gospel to the people, that they should repent...and have deeds in keeping with repentance! 3. Repentance must lead to a change in behavior; it is not acceptable to have a change of mind but not of behavior! K. We have seen, then, that repentance is the sorrow one feels for sin, but is also a complete change of mind 1. Repentance is the point at which we mentally determine to no longer be a slave of sin, walking in futility, but will be a slave of righteousness, gaining eternal life 2. Without the change of mind, we will not change our action 3. Nevertheless, it is not sufficient to only have a change of mind: we must also have deeds in keeping with repentance! L. Let us strive, then, to have a repentant attitude, striving to fully obey Christ VI. Conclusion A. We have seen, then, the necessity of confession and repentance B. Confession is the proclamation by word and deed that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, and the source of our authority 1. This proclamation is not merely to be done before other Christians, but ought to be done both among saints and while in the world 2. We should take every opportunity given to us to prove our confession and prove that we are not ashamed of the Gospel, speaking and acting according to the Gospel of Christ C. Repentance is the sorrow for past sin and the complete change of mind toward righteousness 1. Repentance is the point at which we mentally determine to renounce sin and strive for righteousness 2. Without this mental determination, our acts will not be in concord with God's will 3. Repentance, however, must be matched with deeds in keeping with repentance to be of any value D. Let us strive, then, to confess Christ in our lives by word and deed, and be a repentant people, no longer walking in the ways of darkness but walking in the light E. Invitation/songbook F. Where do you stand today? G. Have you confessed Christ and repented of your sin? 1. You have the opportunity today to so do 2. Obey Christ today! H. Did you once obey Christ and repent of your sins? 1. If you have not lived up to your confession and repentance, we can encourage you today 2. Or perhaps you desire encouragement to keep striving for the right I. However we can help you today, let us do so now; come to the front as we stand and sing Scripture, Meditation, and Application 1: Because if thou shalt confess with thy mouth Jesus as Lord, and shalt believe in thy heart that God raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved: for with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation (Romans 10:9-10). Belief is crucial but it is entirely internal; how can anyone else know you believe? Such is why confessing is also necessary for salvation: we must proclaim our faith in Jesus! Let us confess the name of Christ! 2: I charge thee in the sight of God, who giveth life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed the good confession (1 Timothy 6:13). While confession of sin is important in the life of a believer (1 John 1:9), at the point of belief a Christian is to confess that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, willing to bear the same reproach and shame as He did. Let us confess and not deny the Lord Jesus no matter come what may! 3: From that time began Jesus to preach, and to say, “Repent ye; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17). The essence of the Gospel of the Kingdom features repentance. Repentance goes beyond mere sorrow for past misdeeds; it demands a change of thought and feeling for the better. Let us repent so as to be saved! 4: “The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked; but now he commandeth men that they should all everywhere repent” (Acts 17:30). God is willing to forgive what has been done in the past but only when people recognize the error of their ways and turn so as to follow the path of His Son, the Lord Jesus. Let us repent of our sins and serve the Lord!