Rev. David Holwick O
First Baptist Church
West Lafayette, Ohio
April 17, 1988
Luke 19:1-10
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What does it mean to truly repent?
Jimmy Swaggart was recently caught in a sexual sin.
He went before his church, on national TV, and with tears streaming down
his cheeks he told them he had sinned.
He was sorry, and he begged for their forgiveness.
Then he left the pulpit for three months.
Do you think he has really repented?
A person writing to Newsweek magazine said it was such a great
performance, Swaggart should have gotten an Academy Award.
If you don't think he has really repented, what would he have to do to
prove his sincerity to you?
Now here's the tough question: Would you be willing to accept these standards
on yourself?
This is a major issue for Christians.
Every day people compare how you live with what you stand for.
When we mess up, we want to be able to get off by saying, "I'm sorry."
Then we want everyone to forgive and forget.
-- Especially to forget.
But is real repentance as easy as saying, "I'm sorry"?
Joseph Queenan is a writer living in Tarrytown, New York. (ill.# 00121)
Three years ago his alcoholic father called him to apologize for all the pain
he had inflicted on Joe and the family.
Joe knew what the pain had been.
For years his father had beaten the kids, terrorized his wife, and wrecked the
house.
He had gone through an endless series of menial jobs.
And like most alcoholics, he was a compulsive liar.
He was so lazy he didn't even bother to invent new lies.
At least three times a year he would tell them his wallet had been stolen
at the Philadelphia train station.
He would even use the kids.
Once, when Joe was 5, his father borrowed $20 from their Catholic priest.
He took Joe to the local bar and for the next three hours rehearsed the amount
of money - $15, $10, $5 - he was to tell his mother the priest had loaned
them.
Joe's father was a devout Christian.
As Catholics, they said the rosary as a family devotion.
His father dragged it out so it would take 40 minutes.
One day during the ritual, their dad pitched forward dead drunk and passed out
in the middle of the room.
They left him there, face down on the carpet, all night long.
In the morning, he couldn't remember any of it.
Like many alcoholics, if he didn't remember it, then it probably didn't
happen.
He couldn't remember beatings, thefts, car accidents, or lies.
So three years ago, Joe's dad called him up.
Joe's mom had left him, and he had lost his job and his pension.
But these events had convinced him to give up drinking.
He told his son, "One of the things I've learned through Alcoholics Anonymous
is that you have to admit that you've hurt people.
"And you have to let them know how sorry you are.
"Son, I'm sorry for anything I may have done to harm you."
He then shook Joe's hand.
Joe Queenan liked the part about "anything I may have done."
And the apology with a handshake seemed like just another ritual.
To many Christians, this is pretty much what repentance amounts to.
You tell God you're sorry, and assume he'll accept you.
After all, he has to - he's God, right?
Don't bet on it.
Being a Christian is never just a matter of "believing," or being "sorry" for
what you have done.
Being a Christian means you are willing to do something about it.
To see how important this is, turn in your Bibles to Mark 1:14-15 -
"Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into
Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,
and saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God
is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel."
Repenting and believing are not the same thing, but they cannot be separated.
John the Baptist had a severe problem with people who tried to duck this.
When many of the corrupt religious leaders came to John to get baptized he saw
that they were really interested in "fire" (of hell) insurance.
In Matthew 3:7 he tells them:
"O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from
the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits meet
(suitable) for repentance."
It's not enough to say you believe. It's not enough to be sorry for your
sins.
Genuine salvation is revealed when a person's life is turned around.
How does a person get to this point?
The story of Zacchaeus in Luke 19 gives some general principles.
First, a person must recognize that they have sinned.
With Zacchaeus, it was realizing he had gotten much of his wealth by
ripping off taxpayers.
(We can't relate to this, but in ancient times people felt the tax
system was very unfair and corrupt.)
A belief in sin has largely disappeared from our society.
I really believe that.
Few people believe they are perfect, but neither do they think they are doing
anything God would disapprove of in a big way.
What used to be sin is now considered emotional sickness or weakness, or is
the result of a bad environment.
If it is really bad, we call it crime.
But we don't like to call it sin anymore.
People have sex with someone after only one date.
Then they live together.
Then maybe they decide to get married.
Others blow their minds on drugs.
Do you know why so many Latin American countries are controlled by corrupt
drug lords like Noriega?
It's not because our drug enforcement agencies are failing.
It's because American consumers keep the money flowing.
As long as we buy the stuff, someone, somewhere will supply it.
And the political corruption it causes is not limited to Columbia or Panama.
It has reached all the way to Coshocton county.
But what would happen if you arrested high school students for possessing a
marijuana cigarette?
There would be a revolt.
It's just not a sin anymore, unless you have a ton stashed away in your
garage.
Drugs are worse than stupid. They are sinful.
So is sex outside of marriage.
And cheating on taxes.
And stabbing someone in the back at work.
These things may hurt your life.
-But they will definitely separate you from God, who is utterly holy and
cannot tolerate sin in his presence.
Recognizing sin is the first step of repentance.
Confessing it is the next.
Confession is a lot more than ticking off a list of bad deeds.
It involves recognizing the sin, and realizing the impact it has on us.
And on our relationship with God. And with other people.
Genuine confession produces sorrow, because you come to feel the state
sin has brought you to.
Did Joe Queenan's father really confess to his son?
He sort of said he was sorry.
But he added the phrase, "for what I may have done."
He wasn't really owning up to it.
And yet I have to give his father credit for coming as far as he did.
Many children receive far less.
And we don't give much more to God when we confess our sins.
Genuine repentance goes one step further.
It involves restitution.
This is a fancy word for paying back.
Zacchaeus is a good example.
In Luke 19:8 he tells Jesus -
"Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor;
and if I have taken any thing from any man by false
accusation (extortion), I restore him fourfold."
What is happening here?
The Jewish rabbis of that day said people should give 20% of their income
to the poor. (This was above and beyond God's tithe.)
Zacchaeus is going way above that, as a way to make up for his
selfishness.
He is also admitting that he has gotten his wealth by stealing from people,
probably in the form of extortion.
The normal penalty for stealing was to pay back the amount, plus one fifth.
Zacchaeus is paying back the amount, plus a 300% penalty.
Something very important must be remembered here.
Zacchaeus is not buying forgiveness.
(second service: added illustration of rich Texan oilman who offers
Baptist pastor $100,000 so he'll be right with God. Pastor accepts it.
But God can't be bought. [ill.# 00122])
He is making this pledge as a sign of his sincerity, and Jesus recognizes it
as such.
Sometimes saying you're sorry is not enough.
People need to see some fruit to believe you have really changed.
Over the years this Biblical principle has been abused.
Among some Roman Catholics, it becomes an automatic ritual of saying a
few "Hail Mary"s or giving a certain amount of money.
But just because something has been abused does not mean it is no good.
I think people today are looking for more evidence of repentance, not just
words.
If Joe Queenan's father is serious about making amends, it will take more to
convince his son than a handshake.
Staying sober and doing right by his family will carry much more weight.
Perhaps you need to produce some fruit that is in keeping with repentance.
Sometimes you cannot really repent until you confront sin this way.
If you have stolen something, have you thought of giving it back?
If you have hurt someone, have you tried to set it straight?
Even if it is mostly their fault, you have an obligation to do something
about it.
The payback doesn't always have to be to the particular person.
Christians who have been racists have found peace with God by working in
missions in the inner city.
The principle is the same - do something concrete to prove to God you mean it.
The change in your life is the best evidence you have accepted God's free gift
of salvation.
If you think of yourself as a Christian, but you live just like anyone else,
think again.
The Bible says that the dog returns to his vomit.
If your life is still immersed in sexual sin or drunkenness or filthiness, you
may be only fooling yourself.
The Bible clearly states that those who continue in their sin do not belong to
Jesus Christ.
He must be more than your Savior. He must be your Lord.
The great promise of God is that salvation is not something in the future you
have to work for.
If you have been sincere, you can know that you possess it right now.
Jesus said to Zacchaeus, "Today salvation has come to this house."
Continuing in sin is not the only error a Christian can make.
Wallowing in guilt can be just as bad.
Jesus wants us to be free of guilt, and happy in life.
"For the Son of man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."
Copyright © 2024 by Rev. David Holwick
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