Bible Truths Illustrated by J. C. Ferdinand Pittman

BIBLE TRUTHS ILLUSTRATED
REPENTANCE
726. One has said: "When a man is so thoroughly filled with
sorrow on account of his sins that his will is subdued to the
will of God, and he says, 'I will sin no more ; I will hereafter
submit to the will of God,' he has repented." "Repentance,"
says Prof. J. W. McGarvey, "fully defined, is a change of will
caused by sorrow for sin, and leading to a reformation of life."
Repentance is often denned as sorrow for sin. This is an
accompaniment, but not repentance itself. Nor can repentance
be defined as reformation of life ; that is a fruit of repentance.
(See Matt. 3:8.) There is, in genuine repentance, sorrow for
sin : a change of will, and newness of life.
The necessary change in the mind, affections, and life is produced
by the gospel. It is within the power of man to remain
unmoved. If he refuses to give an attentive hearing, or to submit
to its claims, he cannot be saved. "Except ye repent, ye
shall all likewise perish" (Luke 13:5). "Repent ye, and be
baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ unto the
remission of your sins" (Acts 2:38).
The trouble is, so many postpone repentance. Augustine
said: "God has promised forgiveness to your repentance, but He
has not promised to-morrow to your procrastination." "There
is one case of death-bed repentance recorded in the Bible—the
penitent thief—that no one should despair, and only one, that
no one should presume."
727. The results of repentance are mostly implied in the
foregoing sections, (a) We first note what may be called the
Godward side. It is "unto life" (Acts 11:18); "toward God"
(Acts 20:21); "unto salvation" (2 Cor. 7:10); "unto the
remission of sins" (Acts 2:38) ; "that your sins may be blotted
out, that so there may come seasons of refreshing from the
presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ who
hath been appointed for you, even Jesus" (Acts 3: 19, 20). (b)
On man's part, repentance is followed by his turning to God
(Acts 3: 19), and the doing of works meet for repentance (Acts
26:20; Matt. 3:8). The sinner, "out of a true sense of his
sin, and apprehension of the mercy of God in Christ, doth, with
grief and hatred of his sin, turn from it unto God, with full
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