Fortify Your Repentence

• 6:1-3 READ Fortify Your Repentance
• It is possible to build something quickly with no regard for the foundation, but overtime, the lack of a solid foundation will affect the structure above. It always will///

• Your spiritual life is no different. If you do not have a solid foundation, your faith will fail. 

• The next series is a 6 week series on “Fortified Foundations”. Basic principles about Christ
• Walk with us through these next 6 weeks and you’ll fortify your faith and future. 
• Basic principles that will keep you from error, heresy and keep you grounding in basics. 
• Why? Because we can’t leave the discussion of elementary principles unless we know them

1. What are Dead works

• To understand what we’re turning away from, let just briefly touch on the ‘dead works’ that the writer of Hebrews is describing. Remember this book is a “don’t go back” book. 
• The writer is begging the Hebrew believer, you used to be right with God this way, but that’s not the way any longer. We don’t believe that anymore and we don’t live like that anymore
• What were these ways? everything required by the Mosaic Covenant to be right w God
• Old covenant – sacrifices, rituals, purity laws, shadows pointing to Christ, but unable to save
• Intertestamental dead works- prayer, fasting, almsgiving, works of righteousness not faith
• Synagogue: know scripture but reject Christ, identifying w God, but not being transformed!
• Can you see how through this lens JC was revolutionary? How he dismantled their systems?
• see why Jesus said Mat 23:25–26 Woe to you… For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. … First cleanse the inside of the cup.
• Mark 7:6–7 This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.

• So Jesus destroyed these dead works at the cross, his resurrection and ascension. 

• And the Hebrews wanted to go back to them! They’d rather go back to the old system than faith

• This truth is foundational to New Testament living because it’s not just about systems. It’s about righteousness. The How of how we are right with God is CENTRAL to what we believe. 

• What does it mean to you? Dead works are anything we do to try to save ourselves, justify ourselves, or clean our own conscience instead of trusting in the finished work of Jesus.///

• For example- we chastise the OT Synagogue goer for making study of Torah the center of their faith, while simultaneously thinking reading our Bible saves us or justifies us. Exact same

• I’ve met men who know the bible better than me who were cheaters, beaters and stealers. 

• Our application is no different than the reader of Hebrews- your actions cannot save you

• Praying can’t save you, tithing can’t save you, Bible cant save you, serving, attending, or even living a moral life. All of those things are GOOD they just don’t make you RIGHTEOUS
• The Only thing that saves is Faith in Christ’s death burial and resurrection. That’s it. 
• Romans 3:26 That He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
• Gal 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ.
• There is nothing that you can do to satisfy the wrath of God, earn forgiveness or establish your place in eternity outside of a ongoing faith in the work of Christ. Everything else is dead. 
• Its like a gift. My dad once came by with a car, asked me if I loved it and wanted it, drove me around in it and then asked me if I wanted to buy it. That’s not a gift. That’s not grace

2. Why do we need to be made righteous anyway?

• It begs the question- dead works can’t save us, only faith in Christ can save us, but why not just save all us? Why cant a loving God can’t just ‘forgive’ everyone, and we all go to heaven?
• God cant deny himself- he is loving, but also holy, righteous and true. He can’t contradict that
• Romans 3:26 to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
• If ongoing sin was ‘erased’ he wouldn’t be holy, just or true. It would violate his character. 
• Sin and its consequences are real- It destroys, it wounds, it oppresses. Its destructive. 
• Romans 6:23 the wages of sin is death 
• If sin were ignored- victims get no justice, evil is rampant, righteousness has no meaning. 
• Forgiveness without justice (punish the wicked) there is no moral order, just moral chaos

• To forgive and not transform the sinner, changes nothing in the order of life. 

• With no change- people are still in bondage, hearts are still dead, sin is still controlling, no one is holy, and if every person goes to heaven by blanket forgiveness, heaven becomes earth again. 
• Ephesians 2:1 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins.

• Relationship with God requires righteousness (he is righteous) he cant tolerate sin near him

• His presence is pure. Heaven will be holy. Sin is contrary to God’s nature its not what he does. 
• To be in relationship w God, sin must be dealt with, our guilt must be removed, and righteousness imputed upon us so we can walk with GOD! ///
• 2 Peter 3:13 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
• Love without Justice isn’t love- Real love holds evil accountable. Real justice offers mercy. 

• What does it mean to you?

• If you are under the weight of sin (wrong actions, thoughts, deeds before God) you hurt
• The emptiness of the person away from God is clear- Nothing satisfies. Nothing calms. Nothing can clear their conscience. Only filled, covered, ignored, or dismissed and never addressed. 

• Righteousness (a correct relationship w God) answers the questions of every man

• Every part of us points towards God– We’re something out of nothing. The universe is ordered. 
• We have a conscience, we have moral judgements. We LONG for love, beauty, sacrifice, heroism
• Evil bothers us! Every culture worships the divine! Everyone wants more for our world 
• Why do non-Christians still feel guilt, want justice, relationships, hope and a purpose?///
•  Ro 1:20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse
• A life without God is a life without meaning and life without meaning isn’t worth living. 
• You should want to know God intimately and have God know you. ///

• Because sin doesn’t satisfy. Loneliness doesn’t fill you up. You long for transcendence. 
• A righteous relationship with God, through Jesus brings blessings upon blessings 
• John 14:21 He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him. 
• Matt 19:29  everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life.

3. So what is repentance?

• μετάνοια (metanoia) Meaning: a change of mind, a change of heart, a turning of one’s inner disposition resulting in a changed life. The verb form is: μετανοέω (metanoeō)

• Repentance is responding to the pull of God instead of ignoring it. You realize and you repent
• Jesus said this. Matthew 9:13 I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.
• John 5:24 He who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life.Jn 11:25 I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.

• To repent is to turn from our dead works and turn towards Christ and receive righteousness

• John the Baptist said this-Matthew 4:17 Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
• And Jesus warned Luke 13:3 I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.

• The apostles –  Acts 3:19 Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out.
  We must turn from our wicked ways to receive Christ’s imputed righteousness///

• Romans 4:5 But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness.

• We hear the truth of Jesus- He lived, He preached, He died, he rose, he ascended
• And we respond– He is God. I believe him. I must follow him. I must turn from my wickedness
• So Peter says- Acts 2:38 Repent and be baptized for the remission of sins.
• Paul says repentance involves real sorrow 2 Cor 7:10 For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation
• And We confess him openly Romans 10:9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
• If you believe it- SPEAK IT-  I believe in you Lord Jesus- Save me! Forgive me! Set me free!
• And then we walk in that repentance – Col 2:6 As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him. (an ongoing saved relationship in forgiveness)

• And here’s the big step- turn away from your old ways and walk in Him. Do it his way. 

• What does it mean to you? 

• Repentance is an act of the heart- You believe and you react and do something with it. 
• Isaiah said Isaiah 55:7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts.
• You have to be involved with this process of repentance. If you don’t, you just stay the same
• To be in a righteous relationship with God, isn’t just a one time act, it’s an ongoing reality
• God has been calling all of us to relationship with him. He wants to be close to you
• As Jeremiah 3:12 Return to Me, for I am merciful. HE IS FILLED WITH NEVERENDING MERCY
• Ezekiel 18:30 Repent, and turn from all your transgressions, so that iniquity will not be your ruin. Ezekiel 33:11 Turn from your evil ways.

• But it can only be through Jesus. Only through belief in the Cross. That he forgives you

• Romans 5:8-9 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.

• We were sinners, Christ died for us. We are now justified. We are saved from his wrath. 

• And what does Jesus say about his followers?
• Matthew 3:8 Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance.

4. What are the fruits of repentance?

• It’s an honest question. We know what dead works are, why we need God, And repented
• How then shall we live? We must turn from sin. We live differently. We change direction
• Rom 6:1 says it this way- Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 Certainly not! 
• Romans 6 is actually a very powerful ‘after repentance’ chapter. After we’ve been saved, then?
• V4 “walk in newness of life” You can’t walk the way you walked before you came to Christ

• You’ve been made new, and when you’re new you don’t act like the old you

• Whats the old you? Different for everybody. Maybe clear external activities of sin- no good
• But more than likely it’s the internal sins of your heart that you don’t give yourself over to
• fornication, idolatry, adultery, homosexuality, sodomy, theft, covetous, drunkards,  revilers. Those types of things. Jealousy, anger, malice, envy, strife, unforgiveness etc. be done w it
• 7 Live like you’ve been freed from sin “reckon yourself dead to sin” (act like you’re forgiven)
• The old days people would say they “found religion” and “became straight laced” 
• Nowadays- no change. Sean from P John Church- attended a church where he was told he was saved, went in the waters of baptism- went home and rolled a joint and slept w gf to celebrate
• By his own mouth- No one taught me repentance from sin. No one taught me the full Gospel
• Don’t let sin reign in your mortal body. Don’t obey its lust. Don’t present your body to sin.
• You V15 Don’t continue in sin just because grace continues. You will be forgiven, but why? 
• I’ve never been in prison. But If I had, I wouldn’t go back to just ‘check it out again’ NO
• God will forgive all manner of Sin. Peek ahead to Heb 6:4-6. You don’t want to toy w it
• John 8:34 Jesus says-  whoever commits sin is a slave of sin
• Instead-V18 become a slave of righteousness What does that mean? Think about that persistent sin that constantly nags at you. It wants to control you. There’s also holy things in you that want you to submit to them. Let them rule you
• Every day you walk in the newness of life (I’m a new creation) you reckon yourself dead to sin (I am no longer under its power) and then submit yourself for righteousness to be your master

• And if Righteousness is your master, you do what it tells you to do all day every day. 

• Regardless of how you feel, think, decide, your plans etc do not exist. Whatever it wants you do
• Righteousness says to pray, you pray. You read you read. Love, serve, give, deal with your heart
• You let it become your ‘master’. You give up the right to self governance.
• V22 Let your ‘fruit to holiness and the end everlasting life”
• This is the the holiness of the Lord. Its not what you wear, its who you are. You walk in holiness because you’re walking in Christ. You have repented from your dead works and you walk in life

• And here’s the deal- you may slip but your slippage is not your identity. Its not your master
• Dead works couldn’t save you and neither can self deprecating fake holiness
• You bow the knee, you remind yourself once again you are saved and you walk in it. 
• John 8:36 If the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed. ( you are free and secure)
• Repentance isn’t a moment, it’s a lifestyle. You keep repenting and you walk in repentance. 
• You notice a shift in direction, you quickly self adjust and if someone else does you thank them
• Titus 2:11–12 Grace teaches us to deny ungodliness and live soberly, righteously, and godly.
• Matthew 7:24–25 A wise man builds on the rock — the foundation holds
• Build a foundation of repentance and your life will be firm.