Sermon Four - Repentance and Forgiveness: The Path to Healing
Introduction
I was not the best kid in the world. I would often get into trouble with my mom, and lying was something I was accustomed to. When I got caught, I would be punished, rightly so, but then I would say sorry. Most of the time I meant it, sometimes I did it only to keep the peace.
We are called to do the same with God. When we sin, we are going against God’s will. God loves us, but He hates sin. When we do sin, we are called to repent, or be accountable for our actions, and ask for forgiveness.
First, we’re going to explore what repentance truly is.
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What is Repentance?
Let me tell you a story, and it may seem familiar. Once there was a man with two sons. One son said to his father “give me my portion of the estate”, and so the father divided the estate and gave the son his half. The son then went off to another country and squandered that wealth on worldly things. Soon, a famine fell on that country, and being out of money, the son had to find work feeding pigs. He longed for even the slop that the pigs were being fed, and then he remembered his father’s servants, who were likely well fed.
He went back to his father, saying “I have sinned against you and against heaven, I am not worthy of being called your son”, and yet his father ran to him when seeing him, and embraced him. He killed the fattened calf and had a great celebration. The other son was angry at hearing about this, and spoke to his father about how unfair it was, when the father said “We must celebrate, for your brother was dead, but has been reborn”
That is the parable of the prodigal son. It tells us a lot about repentance, and about love. The repentance being shown is when the son realizes that he screwed up. His choices and actions against his father led him to a life of struggle and misery. He went back to his father, intending on asking for nothing more than a job as a servant, if only to get some food. The love comes from the father. In those days, people typically wore longer clothes, meaning that when the father ran to his son, he had to lift his robes, an undignified look.
Then he put a robe on his son, a ring on his son’s fingers, sandals on his feet, and killed the fattened calf for celebration. These things are all culturally significant. The ring is believed by many to be a signet ring, which often had a family’s crest on it. This was an act of showing that the son was still part of the family. The robes and sandals were symbols of status in their society, meaning that the son was not simply a servant, but a member of their class still. The fattened calf was a delicacy, saved for the most important of celebrations. The fact that it was killed for the son showed that the father was joyously celebrating his son’s return.
Here’s the really important part: the son’s return was met with love, but it was his repentance that showed his heart was truly changed. When he repented, he got up and went to his father, feeling truly bad about what he had done. That’s what repentance is, it’s not just regret, but understanding what we did wrong, and how we can do better in the future, even if all we can do is go to God.
The parable is talking about how we behave with God. We sin against God time and time again. We simply have to remember that not only have we done wrong, but that we should instead strive to follow God again, no matter how many times we fail.
The original Greek for the word repentance is metanoia, which means a change of mind. Repentance is not just feeling sad, but changing the way that we were to be better. Learning from our mistakes. Repentance isn’t about beating ourselves up over our failures, it’s about coming back home.
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Repentance is about coming back to a relationship more than anything. When the son was returning to his father, he had a speech in his head, one that said that he was not worthy of being a son, only a servant. The father, however, didn’t want to hear any of it. He picked up his robes and ran to his son.
This is important to apply to our own lives. God doesn’t want to only have behavioral correction, he wants to restore the relationship with his children. The son didn’t come back for status, he came back for a relationship. All he wanted was to be near his father again. The son didn’t ask for his inheritance back, he didn’t ask to be part of the family again, all he wanted was to be somewhere safe, close to his father again.
We don’t repent to get something, we don’t do it for a gift. We repent to restore our relationship with God, and to return to His loving embrace. God, in turn, returns that same intimacy, not interrogating us. The ring, robes, sandals, and calf all signify identity, status, and belonging. He was shown grace instead of punishment.
That is the nature of God’s grace. If we actively seek Him out, even when we fall short, we will be brought back to Him.
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Repentance also wipes away our sin. We all sin, and if God kept a score of every one of our sins, we would never make it to His kingdom. When we repent, we are forgiven.
Acts 3:19 says “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.” The sins aren’t noted and filed away, they are wiped clean. We are forgiven, completely and entirely. God refreshes us, so that we can live faithfully again. He doesn’t just forgive us — he renews us.
When we truly repent for our sins, we are forgiven by God, and are given peace instead of punishment. When we turn away from the sins that we commit, we are given grace and freedom, instead of the punishment that we rightfully earned.
That thought is exactly why repentance should never be looked at as a threat or burden, but as an invitation. Just as the father celebrated the prodigal son, God will celebrate everyone who comes to Him with repentance in their heart.
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The Heart Behind Repentance
Repentance begins in our hearts, like our faith and love. We have to understand that we are broken and are sinful. The first stage of repenting is admitting that we have done wrong.
Psalm 51:1-4 talks about repenting, saying “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight…”
When he says this, David isn’t minimizing his own sin, he is owning up to it. He is being clear and honest to God and to himself. It isn’t self-hatred, it's an honest confession.
Being broken isn’t a bad thing though. When we understand that we are broken by our sins, we are given the opportunity to invite God to fix us. We are shown mercy, not rejection.
In the psalm, David calls upon God’s unfailing love and great compassion to wipe away his sins. David doesn’t say that his own goodness will remove the sin, because only God can do that. When we repent, our hope is not to fix ourselves, but we have hope that God longs to forgive us.
Something to remember is that when we sin, it affects the world around us, but more importantly it has an effect in Heaven. Our sins may hurt our friends, or family, or others who care about us, but it violates our relationship with God more than any of those other relationships. This is why we repent: because it is about forgiveness and restoration of the intimate relationship that we have with God. We only have to stop relying on ourselves, and instead open up to God.
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God knows everything about us, including what is in our hearts. In a previous message, I explained how God prefers those who give from their hearts, not from their wallets. The same is true of those who repent.
Our repentance should be heartfelt, and from a place of true humility, not out of a place of duty or pride. In ancient Israel, people would tear their clothes to show public grief or repentance, but God doesn’t want displays, or for us to appear broken outside, he wants us to be broken before Him, so He can heal us.
Joel 2:12-13 says: ”‘Even now,’ declares the Lord, ‘return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.’ Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.”
Repentance doesn’t have a schedule of when we have to do it, it only matters what we hold in our hearts when we do. If we are willing in our hearts to turn back to God, then He will lovingly embrace us back to Him. Repentance shouldn’t be saved for a crisis, but seen for what it is: an open invitation, each and every day.
God invites us to return to Him, no matter how broken we may be. In the scripture, Joel isn’t saying “go back to God, or else”, he’s saying to go to God, because He loves us, and is compassionate. We don’t repent to avoid God’s wrath, but because of His nature: slow to anger, abounding in love.
Repentance isn’t torn clothing, but a torn heart. God wants repentance and surrender, not a performance.
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We don’t repent because we’re obligated to, but because we love God, and He loves us. It isn’t some rule that we follow, it’s not some commandment, we repent because God invites us back into His arms. When we see God clearly, as a patient, kind, merciful God, then we want to go back to Him. Romans 2:4 reminds us that it’s the kindness of God, not fear or guilt, that drives us to repentance.
Romans 2:4 says: “Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?” Legalism would tell us that we have to repent, or else. God, however, comes to us with love instead of law. Our repentance is a response to the love that God shows us. We want to go to Him when we mess up. Like the prodigal son, we’re not returning to earn love, we’re coming back because the love never left.
When we repent from a place of love for God, we truly change who we are. We will still make mistakes, because we are flawed. However, we will start to behave more like God, and try to emulate His character more. God doesn’t want us to change out of fearful obedience, He wants us to change from love based transformation. Repentance isn’t based in fear. It’s love that brings us home.
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God’s Forgiveness is Complete
I’ve had trouble in my past with forgiving people. Often, the reason for this is that I remember what they had done, and I struggle to let go of those negative emotions that I hold. However, God isn’t flawed like we are. When He forgives us, it is complete, and He wipes the slate clean.
Isaiah 1:18 says “Come now, let us settle the matter,’ says the Lord. ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.’”
There is some strong imagery here. First, like I said, our slates are wiped clean. This verse is telling us that our sins aren’t covered up, or removed partially, but they are completely dissolved. From crimson to white, a complete switch. God is making us clean again.
God also invites us to forgive with Him. The first part of the verse is an invitation to do as He does. God doesn’t avoid the conversation, or claim forgiveness as His domain, He welcomes us to forgive as He does. He isn’t waiting to punish us, He’s waiting to forgive us.
In a lot of cultures, red is seen as evil. In their culture and society, crimson or scarlet were colors that were used to stain clothes permanently, and the red symbolizes our sin. The fact that God removes that permanent stain on our souls, cleaning us completely, shows that His forgiveness is complete.
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Not only is God’s forgiveness complete, but it’s also joyful! God wants to be merciful, so when we repent, we bring Him joy by allowing Him to forgive us. That is a part of God’s character.
Micah 7:18-19 says “Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy. You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.”
Here, Micah is saying that God delights in showing us mercy, not that He does so reluctantly. God has no obligation to forgive us, but rather He chooses to do so. For this reason, we don’t have to fear that God will reject us. We can rest easy knowing that we are forgiven, and that God is happy to forgive us.
Like stated before, God’s forgiveness is complete and final. Micah says that God will tread on our sins, and hurl our iniquities into the depths of the sea. God won’t only forgive us, but He will throw our sins down at His feet and crush them. He will throw those terrible behaviors into the sea, where they can never be found again. He will bring us back to life through him.
God’s act of mercy doesn’t just wipe the slate clean, it pulls us back into His arms. He compassionately embraces us, failures and all, back into Him, to allow us to have everlasting life through Him. Mercy and forgiveness welcome us back into a relationship with God, it doesn’t just give us our status back.
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I’ve talked before about how God doesn’t change. We are faithful because of that fact, because God is faithful in action and in character. Well, similar to that, God is unchanging in His willingness to forgive.
1 John 1:9 says “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” John says that God is faithful. We can trust that God will keep His promises, and as such, we can always rely on God for forgiveness. Because He is faithful, He will not change His desire to forgive us for all of our sins; we don’t have to wonder if He will forgive us “this time”. We know that He will, because that’s part of who He is.
God’s forgiveness isn’t just an act of mercy, it’s an act of justice. When Christ died on the cross, it paid the debt of our sins fully and completely. When God forgives us, then, it satisfies the balance of things. Because the debt was paid, God can freely forgive us, because we owe nothing. Before Christ’s sacrifice, people offered animals or goods to atone for their sins: a temporary covering until the perfect sacrifice came. After Jesus, all debts were paid.
When we are forgiven, we are not just forgiven of the guilt of sin, but we are cleansed completely of all unrighteousness. It doesn’t happen overnight, and we do have to work toward it, but God uses the forgiveness that He shows us to shape who we are, to live a more godly life. Forgiveness is the gateway to renewal, not just a button to restart from where we began.
If life were a video game, then forgiveness would be more like a health potion than a “load last checkpoint” button. God doesn’t send us back to square one, He cleans us up, picks us up off the ground, and tells us to keep going. He’s there helping us along.
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As We Have Been Forgiven
One of the most well known pieces of scripture, if not the most well known, in Christianity is what is called the Lord’s Prayer. Part of that prayer includes a line that, while it does get translated differently, means about the same thing no matter how you say it. That line is: “Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us”.
Much like love and grace, we are called to share this forgiveness to everybody around us. We cannot expect forgiveness from God if we withhold forgiveness to others, and hold the anger and hatred in our hearts.
Matthew 6:14-15 says “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”
Jesus is saying here exactly what I just said. If we can’t forgive others, then we will not be forgiven. This isn’t because God’s forgiveness is conditional, it is fully unconditional. This is because an unforgiving heart does not grasp the grace of God, and therefore does not deserve forgiveness.
Forgiving someone isn’t always easy. I’ll be honest: there are still people in my life that I struggle to forgive. However, if we take the time to try, and take time to understand why we can’t forgive them yet, and pray on it, it shows that we’re trying. Forgiving others is a sign that we are transforming as people. It’s easy to hold a grudge, but difficult to let go of transgressions.
I’m not saying we have to forgive everybody immediately. That would make me a hypocrite. However, we should pray, and ask for the strength to let go of those feelings and forgive them. Forgiveness doesn’t mean we need to accept them back into our lives, only that we let go of those negative thoughts and emotions toward them. If we can’t forgive others, or even try, then we have forgotten that God forgave us for our sins.
Forgiveness isn’t excusing, forgetting, or ignoring wrongdoings. We aren’t saying that it never happened, and that we’re all back to where we were. We are simply releasing the debt that we feel is owed. When we forgive, we’re letting go of the desire for repayment, or revenge, and trusting that God will be just, and that He will then forgive us for our sins.
Forgiveness is more than letting go of that emotion. It is freeing. It allows us to lose the negativity, and gives us not only emotional, but spiritual freedom. Forgiveness also allows those that we forgive to be free from that debt, whether they know it or not. It often shows in the way we treat them afterward, whether or not they realize they’ve been forgiven.
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I spoke a minute ago about those negative feelings that we are letting go of in order to forgive someone. Not only do those include anger, or hatred, but they include bitterness, or malice.
Ephesians 4:31-32 says “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
This is Paul in a letter to the Ephesians. What he’s saying is that we have to do more than simply forgive. We have to eradicate all bitterness in our hearts, otherwise we are unable to truly forgive. Holding the resentment that we may feel is what stops us from healing.
Paul doesn’t say that we should forgive people for no reason, he gives us a clear reason: because Christ forgave us. Not only does that give us a reason, but also a place to forgive from. We can draw on God’s nature of love to forgive others. When we can see people through the same lens as God, flawed but valuable, then we can easier learn to forgive them. Compassion softens our hearts, allowing us to lean on God’s strength and nature more.
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We are all called to live as Christ lived, and to spread the gospel to others. Forgiveness is a living testimony of the gospel, and lets us share that with others without preaching through words. When people see us, hurt or broken, and see that we forgive others instead of hating them, they will see the work of God in us.
Colossians 3:13 says “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you." We are supposed to forgive as God forgave us. When we do, we are supposed to let go of any pain that they have caused us and instead turn to God. God didn’t have to forgive our sins, but because of His love for us, He did.
The standard that was set for us is God’s forgiveness, which was unwarranted, unconditional, and unending. We’re not letting someone off the hook or keeping tally. We are doing as God did: showing them grace for their transgressions. Every act of forgiveness is a sermon which tells the world of God’s grace, mercy, and love.
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Walking in the Freedom of Grace
When we choose a life in Christ, we are choosing to live in freedom, not in ongoing guilt. The records of our sins have been wiped clean, and as such we are given freedom. Paul puts this excellently in his letter to the Romans.
Romans 8:1-2 says “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death."
What Paul is saying here is that those who live in Jesus are free from their sins. This is because the Holy Spirit gives us life everlasting and replaces our broken lives of sin and death. Because we choose to live with Christ, we are forgiven our sins, and we are not condemned.
Condemnation is a very legalistic word, meaning a guilty verdict has been passed. What the scripture is saying here is that we are no longer held guilty for our sins, as Christ Jesus died in order to pay that debt.
The old law would say that because we sin, we are marked for death, an afterlife away from God. However, because Christ died for our sins and to wipe away that debt, we are forgiven, given new life, and restored into the kingdom of Heaven. The Spirit replaces the old law, giving us a new way of life and a new standing before God. Where we once stood guilty, we now stand free.
We are not kept in a place of probation for our sins. We are truly free, in every meaning of the word. We are free to live joyfully, purposefully, and spiritually; we do not have to live in the shadow of our sins. Freedom through Christ means that we don’t walk before God as repeat offenders, but as new people. If we live in Christ, we are no longer guilty. Our verdict is freedom.
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Jesus talked a lot about forgiveness, and there are lots of great examples to choose from. One such example is when a woman was caught in adultery and is brought before Jesus by the Pharisees. They asked Jesus what he would do, and Jesus famously replies “"Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her." After that, the accusers leave.
John 8:10-11 follows this immediately, saying “Jesus straightened up and asked her,
'Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?'
'No one, sir,' she said.
'Then neither do I condemn you,' Jesus declared. 'Go now and leave your life of sin.'"
This is incredible. In the time, adulterers would be stoned for their sins. However, Jesus challenged the Pharisees and then told the woman that she was forgiven. Forgiveness for that was unheard of at the time, a truly radical idea.
Jesus doesn’t just free the woman, though. He tells her to go and leave her life of sin behind her. The grace that he shows her is not permission to go and sin again, it is a call to live differently. This is the same grace that we have been shown, and as such we should not continue to sin when forgiven but live for Christ.
The order of events is also important in this scripture. Jesus forgives the woman and then instructs her. He doesn’t say “do this and then you will be forgiven.” Jesus tells the woman that she is forgiven and then instructs her to live her life free of sin. That is the order of God’s grace: forgiveness and then instruction. God’s love will always meet us where we are, and it will never leave us there.
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We’ve already established that when we are forgiven by God, we are given a new identity in Him. With this in mind, we must begin to live differently; we must live with our new identity and being. Our new identity is not that of a “cleaned-up sinner”, but that of a redeemed son or daughter. Regardless of what others may think of us as, we are God’s children, redeemed of our sins and welcomed into His kingdom.
2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!" This scripture passage is saying that because we live in Christ, we are new. We are to leave our old lives behind and follow Christ. It’s not to gain Christ’s love that we do this; we do this to better reflect Christ’s love, and to spread it to others around us.
We don’t have to see a transformation right away. Often, it will take an entire lifetime to learn and live as Christ calls us to. However, we are saved immediately. Christ saves us, and then we begin a transformation in our lives that lasts a lifetime. We continue to grow and learn as the Holy Spirit molds us into what we are meant to be, what God has planned for us. A redeemed life is not just forgiven, it’s transformed.
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Living a Life of Continual Repentance
When we first repent, we are saved. However, we will continue to sin, because we are flawed. While we are still saved, we have to continue repenting throughout our lives. Repentance is a way of asking forgiveness of God, acknowledging our sins, and acknowledging that we need God’s strength to overcome that sin. James teaches us that repentance is an ongoing part of Christian life.
This is said in James 5:16: “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective." Sin isolates us not only from God, but from our community. When we repent, we should do so to God, and to our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, if we are comfortable. God will put people in our lives who can walk alongside us in our struggles.
The healing that is brought by confession is not only spiritual, but emotional as well. When we can find other trustworthy believers around us, we can find a group to join in prayer, encouragement, and accountability. This helps us to live more closely to God. Prayer and confession work together. When we pray, we ask God to help us, bringing Him close to the problem, and allowing for healing to take place.
This is why having a community of like-minded people is essential to our lives. If we can find others who believe as we do, then we can more easily live in Christ. We have people who support us, so we don’t have to go through the struggles of life alone. It also allows us to confess to others who may have gone through something similar, or the same thing. Continual confession, whether to God or our community, keeps our hearts open to God’s healing work.
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In order to live in a state of continual repentance, we must recognize our own shortcomings and failures. This isn’t a practice made to demean ourselves or break us down. Rather, it’s meant to be a practice of honesty and humility. Paul talks about this in his first letter to the Corinthians.
1 Corinthians 11:28 says “Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup." This isn’t saying that everyone ought to examine and fix themselves before eating and drinking of the body and blood of Christ. Instead, he’s saying that we should walk in humility and understanding that we are flawed and broken, and that we should partake of the body and blood asking for forgiveness and renewal.
Examining ourselves can also lead to missing things in our own examinations. I know I can get drawn down one line of thought, and suddenly I forget where I started. That’s where the Holy Spirit can come in and help us. The Spirit illuminates the darkness in our souls and assists us when we try to fix those areas. The Spirit doesn’t do this to shame us, rather to build us up more than we already were.
When we are able to acknowledge our own failures and shortcomings, it allows us to find a closer relationship with God. It not only leads us to experience God’s forgiveness, but it also allows us to prevent sinning more than we already will. If we pay attention to how we act, we can see the patterns coming about from sin. A repentant heart is a reflective heart; one that regularly checks its direction and adjusts to follow Christ.
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When we watch ourselves sin, it can be difficult to keep a positive outlook about how we are as people. Seeing ourselves fail over and over again can be heartbreaking and discouraging. As we become more hardened, it can be harder to hear the voice of God, and we start to feel less need to repent.
Hebrews 3:13 talks about this, saying “But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called 'Today,' so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness." Keeping our heart open to repentance and quick to obey and listen brings us closer to God. A soft heart will respond to conviction, rather than refuse it. God will call us to live better, and in His light. We can retain a soft heart through prayer, scripture, and worshiping God.
Being surrounded by like-minded people will keep us grounded in our ways. If we stay with others who also repent, we can find ourselves more open to the change that God calls us to. Encouragement and community guard our hearts from the hardening of sin and keep them soft and open to the word of truth. A soft heart remains open to God’s love and correction, while a hard heart refuses it.
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Conclusion
God’s call to repentance isn’t a demand; it’s an offer of love and grace. Every call that is made to repent is an invitation to come closer to God. It is motivated not by resentment or condemnation, but by love and a desire to help.
Revelation 3:19-20 says “Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me."
God doesn’t tell us we’re wrong because he wants to tear us down, but because He wants to see us succeed. It’s the same as a parent making sure their child doesn’t burn themselves on a hot stove. God is telling us not to do something because He cares about us. God isn’t just letting us look for Him, He’s actively reaching out for us; He’s inviting us into His embrace. Repentance is unlocking the door and letting Him in.
This is the same heart we saw in the father of the prodigal son: running to embrace his child, restoring him, and celebrating his return. Repentance isn’t about beating ourselves up, it’s about coming home. When we repent, we don’t just lose sin’s consequences; we gain Christ’s presence. Jesus meets us where we are, walks with us on the journey, and never leaves us behind. Repentance is not a punishment; it’s an invitation to intimacy with God. Every act of forgiveness is a sermon, and every moment of repentance is an open door to God’s embrace. The invitation is open.