FRUITS
OF REPENTANCE (Outline)
The churches of Christ
Greet You
(Romans
GODLY
SORROW
Produces
REPENTANCE
(Fruit of Godly Sorrow – 2 Corinthians 7:8-10)
Results in
REFORMATION
OF LIFE (Fruit of Repentance – Luke 3:8)
Summary: Repentance is
both an
effect and a cause.
It is the effect of
godly sorrow
and the cause of a reformation of life.
FRUITS OF REPENTANCE
1.
Reformation of
life
2. Restitution when
possible
3. Obedience to the command of
baptism
on the part of the alien sinner
FRUITS OF REPENTANCE (Lesson)
The churches of Christ
Greet You
(Romans
1. To the impenitent Pharisees and
Sadducees who
came to him to be baptized,
a. John
the
Baptizer said, “Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance”
(Luke 3:8).
b. In
other words
he told them to produce fruit
c. that
would be
consistent with their professed repentance.
2. John here likens repentance unto a tree,
a. and the
fruits
are the actions of a reformed life.
b. Thus,
repentance without a reformation of life is like a tree that bears no
fruit.
3. Godly sorrow and a reformation of life are
closely
related to repentance,
a.
although all
three are separate within themselves.
b. Godly
sorrow
produces repentance.
4. Paul’s first epistle to the Corinthians was
a
letter of rebuke,
a. but it
brought
forth godly sorrow in their hearts (Read 2 Cor. 7:8-10).
b. In vs.
10 the apostle says, “For godly sorrow worketh
repentance unto
salvation.”
c.
Thus we
can see that repentance is the fruit of godly sorrow.
5. But a reformation of life is the fruit of
repentance according to Luke 3:8.
a.
Therefore,
repentance stands between godly sorrow and a reformed life.
b.
Repentance is
both an effect and a cause;
c. it is
the
effect of godly sorrow and the cause of a reformation of life.
6. To the Pharisees and Sadducees John
continued to
say, “And begin not to say within
yourselves, We have Abraham to our father”
(Luke
3:8).
7. Jesus knew the boastful claims of the Jews,
a. that
simply
because they were children of Abraham in the flesh,
b. they
claimed to
be heirs of the promises and blessings of God.
8. The Jews expected an earthly Messiah who
would
supply their earthly needs,
a. and who
would
establish an earthly kingdom and reign over the Jewish nation.
b. They
expected
admittance into that kingdom,
1. and the blessings of citizenship in it,
2. simply as descendants of Abraham.
9. Thus, to Nicodemus, Jesus said, “Except a
man
be born again, he cannot see the
10. Again, in Luke 3:8, John continued to say
to the
Jews, “For I say unto you, that God
is able of these stones to raise up
children unto
Abraham.”
11. Since God could easily raise
up children unto Abraham,
a. He was,
therefore, not dependent upon those Pharisees and Sadducees
b. for a
perpetuation of Abraham’s seed.
12. Following this statement of John to the
Jews,
a. three
classes
of people there assembled asked him, “What shall we do then?”
(Luke 3:10).
b. That
is, what
shall we do to bear fruits of repentance?
13. Let us now note John’s answer to all three
groups.
a. First
to the
multitudes, John said (read vs. 11).
b. The
people of
that day under the oppression of the Romans
c. had
become
uncharitable and extortionate.
1. How, then, could they have expected mercy from God
2. if they were exceedingly uncharitable
toward each
other?
14. Personal covetousness and national
selfishness
a.
characterized
many of the Jews of that time.
b. Thus,
John was
simply saying, “If you are to be baptized acceptably,
1. then you must turn away from your
greediness,
narrowness, and pride
2. as evidence of genuine repentance.”
15. Second, to the publicans, John said (Read
vs. 13).
a. Who
were these
publicans?
b. They
were the
collectors of taxes for the Roman government.
1. They were looked upon with contempt by the Jews, and whether guilty
or not,
2. they were often accused of
extortion and of
collecting excessive taxes.
16. John did not demand that they give up
their
employment,
a. but he
did
insist that they perform their duties in honesty,
b.
collecting only
a just amount of taxes from the people.
17. Third, to the soldiers, John said (Read
vs. 14).
a. That
is, do not
resort to violence and extort unlawfully from others;
b. do not
falsely
accuse anyone;
c. and be
content
with your rations of meat, grain, and fruit.
18. John answered all three groups as he did
a. in
order to
impress upon the people the need of their repentance bearing fruit,
b. for
without it
their repentance would have been in vain.
Let Us Note Some Fruits of
Repentance
I. A reformation of life is an indispensable result of repentance.
1. The case of the Ninevites
is a good example.
a. The
facts
concerning them are very brief.
b. They
were
exceedingly wicked
c. and God
commissioned Jonah to preach to them (Jonah 1:2).
2. Even though he tried to shirk his duty and
run away
from God at first,
a. at
God’s
second command he went.
b. They
believed
what Jonah preached
c. and
were
brought to godly sorrow and repentance (Jonah 3:5-7).
3. This resulted in a reformation upon their
part, for
we read that
“God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way” (Jonah
4. The example of the prodigal son is very
timely at
this point.
a.
In that far-away country he reflected upon the folly of his mistake;
b. he
meditated
upon the imprudence of leaving his father’s house,
c. and the
foolishness of wasting his money in riotous living.
5. This serious deliberation and sorrow over
his past
sinful course
a. led him
to see
his real condition and “he came to himself” (Luke
b. This
godly
sorrow led him to resolution and repentance, for he said,
“I will arise and go to my father” (Luke
6. This resulted in a reformation, for about
the next
thing that we read of him is this:
“And he arose, and came to his father” (Luke
7. The case of the magicians at
a. is a
very
striking example of a genuine reformation as the fruits of repentance.
b. As a
result of
Paul’s preaching, Luke says, “Many also of them that had believed
came, confessing, and declaring their deeds” (Acts
8. They confessed and made known the secret
processes
a. by
which they
had been deceiving the people.
b. They
were
impressed with the fact that their practice was wrong.
9. As a result of this godly sorrow and
repentance,
Luke says further (Read Acts
10. They realized that they could not continue
their practice
of magic art
a. after
they
became believers,
b.
therefore, they
gave up their long and prosperous occupation at a great cost.
c. They
burned
their books at a great financial loss of 50,000 pieces of silver.
11. This is a very practical lesson for us
all.
a. It
shows the
sort of fruits of repentance that pleases God.
b.
So many seem to think that a reformation should be gradual.
12. But suppose that a gambler presents
himself for
baptism, and he says:
a.
“I’ll quit my gambling when I have saved enough money to pay for my
home.”
b. Would it not be the duty of any gospel preacher
to say to
him:
c. “Bring
forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance?”
II. Restitution when possible is a necessary fruit of
repentance.
1. No one can hope to genuinely repent
a. and
further
obey the gospel to procure remission of sins,
b. if he
has not righted
all wrongs insofar as it is humanly possible.
2. If one has injured another’s body,
reputation, or property,
a. it is
required
that he shall restore as far as is in his power
b. what
has been
wrongfully taken.
3. God does not expect the impossible.
a. Of
course, it
was humanly impossible for David to restore the life of Uriah,
b. or to
restore
to Uriah his wife.
4. The case of the Philippian jailer is an
example of
genuine restitution.
a. When he
asked,
“Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
b. Paul
said to
him, “Believe on the Lord Jesus, and thou shalt be saved,
thou and they house” (Acts
5. Then Luke says, “And they spake the word of
the Lord unto him,
with all that were in his house” (Acts
a. It was
necessary that he hear the word of the
Lord in order
to believe,
b. for the
Holy
Spirit says (quote Romans 10:17).
6. But in the account of this man’s
conversion,
Luke continues to say,
“And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their
stripes;
and was baptized, he and all his,
immediately”
(Acts
7. Likely this jailer had been a party
a. in
placing
those stripes on the backs of Paul and Silas.
b. At
least they
were laid upon these godly men
c. by the
government of which he was a servant.
1. So now he attempts to undo the wrong.
2. Such repentance was real.
III. Obedience to the command of baptism upon the part of an
alien
sinner
was another fruit of repentance in apostolic times.
1. Upon the Pentecost immediately following
Christ’s resurrection,
a. the
people were
convicted of their sins by the preaching of the gospel
b. (Read
Acts
2. They were told to do two things – repent
and
be baptized.
a. Thus,
baptism
follows repentance.
b. Since
repentance and baptism are joined together, one is void without the
other.
3. We must with Pentecost zeal tell inquiring
sinners,
a. who are
brought
to believe on Christ to repent and be baptized
b. in the
name of
Jesus Christ for the remission of sin, and to receive the gift of the
Holy Spirit.
4. But to bring men to repentance,
a. let us
with the
courage and fearlessness of John the Baptist
b. reprove
the
people of sin
c. that
they might
be stirred to the knowledge of and sorrow for sin.
1. Let us say to all the impenitent,
2. “Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance.”
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