Necessity & Nature of Fruit of Repentance

In this part of the sermon: The sermon begins by establishing repentance and faith as the 'hinge on the door of salvation,' indispensable and inseparable. Martin uses the Westminster Shorter Catechism's…

The analogy of a tree is used to visually represent the components of repentance: God's grace as the soil, conviction of sin and apprehension of God's mercy as taproots, turning from sin to God as the main trunk, and grief, self-loathing, shame, and new obedience as main branches or attendants.

In Jesus' name, amen. In this present series of studies, I have chosen to designate with this title, Repentance and Faith, the Hinge on the Door of Salvation. We have seen from the Word of God that repentance, and faith are both indispensable and inseparable if we are to have our sins forgiven and enter into the possession of the salvation procured for sinners by the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. And in attempting to set before you the biblical doctrine of repentance, and then, God willing, starting next week, the biblical doctrine of saving, I have used the Shorter Catechism as an...

5:07 - 6:37 Read in full sermon

The point: Examine yourself, asking if the fruit of repentance is growing on the tree of your professed repentance and faith.

Paul 'loaded up all of his gospel guns against any thought that our works can in any way form the foundation or even one little brick in the foundation of our acceptance with God,' illustrating his strong stance against legalism while still preaching works worthy of repentance.

As I indicated before the reading of the passage Paul is before King Agrippa he at this point is a prisoner of the Roman authorities on his way to Rome. And in this passage he gives an account of both his conversion to Christ from the life of Jesus Christ to the life of Jesus Christ from the life of a proud self-righteous Pharisee to a humble, penitent, believing Christian man and also an account of his commission to be an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ. For Paul, conversion and commission came together. They came in one complex of the risen Christ arresting him on the road to Damascus. And ...

10:43 - 12:02 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Mr. Hodge says it's especially deceptive when we're in the realm of something like repentance that involves grief and sorrow. He says at the end of the day, the only real acid test that whatever we have felt has been an …

Martin quotes Mr. Hodge, who states that the surest test of a supposed change of heart is its permanent effects, emphasizing that inward experience, joy, or sorrow profit nothing unless they bring forth fruits meet for repentance.

It's either faith or the fire. It is fruit or the fire. Listen to one servant of God who captures this very well. As however true self-knowledge is the most difficult of all attainments, and as the feelings, unless unusually strong, are hard to be detected in their true nature, the surest test of the character of any supposed change of heart is to be found.

28:02 - 28:33 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Continuing in Luke 3, Martin details John the Baptist's specific instructions to tax collectors (extort no more than appointed) and soldiers (extort no man by violence, accuse no…

The story of Zacchaeus is used as a concrete example of a publican demonstrating fruits meet for repentance by giving half his goods to the poor and restoring fourfold what he had wrongfully taken.

Lou Shorty? Zach? Lou Zach? Remember?

37:14 - 37:17 Read in full sermon

The point: At the point of your particular aggravated dominant sins, you must quit by the grace of God, and if they cling, they must become the focal point of your greatest spiritual warfare.

An example of soldiers grousing and griping about wages in the barracks is used to illustrate the sin of covetousness and discontent, which true repentance would address by cultivating contentment.

And you get in the barracks and all of the in-talk is about how unfair it is and you start trying to organize a little soldier's union and see if you can go on strike.

39:05 - 39:15 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin shifts to 2 Corinthians 7:8-11 to further define the nature of repentance's fruits, focusing on 'godly sorrow.' He explains how Paul's severe letter led to a repentance…

The analogy of a parent administering intensified discipline to a child, experiencing internal pain, is used to explain Paul's grief and pain in reproving the Corinthians, which ultimately led to their repentance and his joy.

Just like you as a parent when you must administer not just an ordinary spanking but some intensified form of discipline because of the nature of the sin and the disobedience of your child. There is genuine internal pain that you experience. Paul said I had pain. I had pain.

44:19 - 44:39 Read in full sermon

The point: While trusting in Christ, take all necessary steps to distance yourselves from the sin of which you have repented, making no provision for the flesh.

The example of continuing to sit in front of unfiltered internet service, falling into sin, and then merely 'whining' for forgiveness is used to illustrate making provision for the flesh rather than bearing fruits worthy of repentance.

culminating in the injunction of verse 13 let us walk becomingly as in the day not in reveling in drunkenness not in chambering bedding around in wantonness but in strife and jealousy put on the Lord Jesus Christ if we are to deal with sin in ongoing repentance and mortification we must trust in Christ and in the virtue of all of his saving work we must feed our souls upon passages such as Romans 6 1 to 14 our union with Christ means that sin's dominion has been broken we are to reckon on the reality that we died with him we have been raised with him while trusting in the virtue of Christ's sa...

50:32 - 52:01 Read in full sermon

The point: While trusting in Christ, take all necessary steps to distance yourselves from the sin of which you have repented, making no provision for the flesh.

The example of a regenerated person still using foul language when hitting their fingernail with a hammer is used to illustrate that some sins may take time to overcome, but the determination to fight them is a fruit of repentance.

to fulfill your lust you continue to sit in front of your unfiltered uncensored unmonitored internet service the stuff you know you shouldn't watch till your conscience troubles you oh lord forgive me I fell again my friend stop it that's not fruits need for repentance that's just whining that's not repentance that's not fruit need for repentance when the scripture says if your right hand offend you cut it off and cast it from you if your right eye offend you if your right eye trust the lord to help you no no you gouge it out and you cast it from you 1 Corinthians 6 verse I think it's verse 16...

52:01 - 53:29 Read in full sermon

The point: While trusting in Christ, take all necessary steps to distance yourselves from the sin of which you have repented, making no provision for the flesh.

The biblical imagery of gouging out an eye or cutting off a hand is used to emphasize the radical, decisive action required to distance oneself from sin as a fruit of repentance.

to fulfill your lust you continue to sit in front of your unfiltered uncensored unmonitored internet service the stuff you know you shouldn't watch till your conscience troubles you oh lord forgive me I fell again my friend stop it that's not fruits need for repentance that's just whining that's not repentance that's not fruit need for repentance when the scripture says if your right hand offend you cut it off and cast it from you if your right eye offend you if your right eye trust the lord to help you no no you gouge it out and you cast it from you 1 Corinthians 6 verse I think it's verse 16...

52:01 - 53:29 Read in full sermon

The point: While trusting in Christ, take all necessary steps to distance yourselves from the sin of which you have repented, making no provision for the flesh.

The command to 'flee fornication' and the scenario of a young couple stirring hormones are used to illustrate the need to actively run from temptation and avoid circumstances that lead to sin.

to fulfill your lust you continue to sit in front of your unfiltered uncensored unmonitored internet service the stuff you know you shouldn't watch till your conscience troubles you oh lord forgive me I fell again my friend stop it that's not fruits need for repentance that's just whining that's not repentance that's not fruit need for repentance when the scripture says if your right hand offend you cut it off and cast it from you if your right eye offend you if your right eye trust the lord to help you no no you gouge it out and you cast it from you 1 Corinthians 6 verse I think it's verse 16...

52:01 - 53:29 Read in full sermon

The point: Make all necessary horizontal confession and restitution demanded by the nature of your sin, humbling yourself and saying 'I sinned, will you forgive me?'

The example of two sisters gossiping on the phone with unstructured time is used to illustrate how repentance for a 'wagging tongue' requires breaking off friendships or changing communication patterns.

sister or sister I can't talk with you on the phone with unstructured time we end up gossiping I've asked God to forgive me I'm going to bring forth fruits need for repentance I'm going to stop it that's what it means dear people when repentance is real one major fruit will be while trusting in Christ and in the virtue of his saving work we will take all the necessary steps to distance ourselves from the sin of which we've repented secondly when repentance is real another major fruit will be the effort to make all the necessary horizontal confession and restitution demanded by the nature of th...

53:29 - 54:58 Read in full sermon