Repentance

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Repentance RestorationA look at how God
restores broken and sinful people

• Philip G. Monroe, PsyD
• Biblical Seminary
• pmonroe_at_biblical.edu

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The problem

• There are two common responses to significant and
  public sins (abuse, addictions, moral failings,
  etc.)
• Eternal punishment
• Premature offerings of reconciliation and
  restoration
• Is there a better way?

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Where were going this hour

• Well explore
• The heart of the problem desire
• The gift of repentance Gods mercy to broken,
  deceived, and sinful people
• Well ask
• What is true repentance?
• What about restoration?
• What are some steps towards both?

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A Biblical View of Desire

• We are made to desire God and his creation
• God cares about and fulfills desire
• PS 1017 You hear, O LORD, the desire of the
  afflicted you encourage them, and you listen to
  their cry
• PS 374 Delight yourself in the LORD and he will
  give you the desires of your heart.
• PS 1035 who satisfies your desires with good
  things so that your youth is renewed like the
  eagle's
• Mt 711 If you, then, though you are evil, know
  how to give good gifts to your children, how much
  more will your Father in heaven give good gifts
  to those who ask him!

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The Scriptures on Desire

• Fulfilled desires are sweet
• PR 1312 Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but
  a longing fulfilled is a tree of life
• PR 1319 A longing fulfilled is sweet to the soul
• PR 917 Stolen water is sweet food eaten in
  secret is delicious! But little do they know
• PS 9014 Satisfy us in the morning with your
  unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be
  glad all our days.

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But

• But since sin entered the world
• We long for things that are out of reach
• These unfulfilled longings are painful
• We often turn good desires into demands
• We desire too little rather than too much
• We often want behavior management rather than
  transformation
• We often overlook Gods gifts as did the
  Israelites!

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Evil Desires leads to Deception

• Evil desires and the process of becoming deceived
  (and then dead)
• The setup
• Adversities (e.g., Num. 111-5)
• Blessings (Deut. 6-8)
• JER 57-8 Why should I forgive you? Your children
  have forsaken me and sworn by gods that are not
  gods. I supplied all their needs, yet they
  committed adultery and thronged to the houses of
  prostitutes. They are well-fed, lusty stallions,
  each neighing for another man's wife.

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Becoming dead

• After the set-up
• Giving in to initial cravings (foolishness)
• Being given over by God to them AND giving
  ourselves over to them
• Rom. 118-28, Eph. 417-22, 1 Pet 43
• Ps. 78, Micah 614, Isa 920
• The effect? (Eze. 2024 23)
• Waking up dead (Eze. 69)
• Dead emotions, defensiveness, inability to hurt
  for others, etc.

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Biblical Imagery of Repentance

• The bible links future blessings (not present
  blessings!) with covenant faithfulness (and
  punishment with rebellion)
• 2 Chron 713, Isa 59f, Eze 1832, Luke 13 and 17,
  Rev.
• Gods kindness, sacrifice, and forgiveness lead
  us to repentance
• Isa 5915f-, Rom 24, Heb 1012f, Eph
• But, there is a fruit in keeping with repentance,
  including Godly sorrow
• Matt 38f, 2 Cor 79

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What is Godly repentance?

• Honest admission of fault
• e.g., Moses, Isaiah, Paul, but NOT Saul, or Adam
  Eve
• Does x openly acknowledge the behavior and seek
  to understand its impact on others?
• Does x accept consequences without excuse or
  demand for trust and immediate forgiveness?
• Sacrificial efforts to repair the problem
• e.g., Zacchaeus
• If abuse, does x give emotional/physical space
  for healing?
• Does x offer economic and material help for
  healing?

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What is Godly Repentance?

• Accepts and flourishes under discipline
• Willingness to seek maturity through time and
  cultivation doesnt demand limits to discipline
  but seeks discipleship and ownership
• Does x accept discipline and the microscope with
  joy?
• Does x see fruit change as a life-time project?

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What hinders Godly repentance?

• Deception
• Pride
• Habits of spiritualistic language
• Blameshifting
• Church leaders who are
• Unwilling to get down in the mud and deal with
  the anger, hurt, fear, etc. without a time-table
• Seeking cover-up for the sake of the church
• Demand recompense or reconciliation NOW
• Unable to see past the façade of those involved

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So, what can we do?

• Remember Gal 61 restore gently
• Keep pointing to the bigger picture
• Connect them with wise folk who have been there
• Gently uncover deceptions blameshifting
• Give them community and times unrelated to sin
  focus

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What about restoration, reconciliation?

• Whats our picture?
• One day, there will be no more
• Even here, we seek forgiveness and restoration
  (even in excommunication!)
• Yet we recognize not all can be made right here.
  Christ still bears the nail scars
• We prepare hearts and attitudes for healing. We
  pray for Gods power to be made evident. We
  participate in the transition from this world to
  the next (Volf, The End of Memory)

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Some questions

• Does forgiveness and restoration
  reconciliation? Does saying I forgive you mean I
  have to be vulnerable with you? Live with you?
• Restoration to what?
• Restoration to the body? Restoration to the
  position?
• Who sets the agenda? The offender or the victim?
  Whom do you side with? What to do when the victim
  refuses restoration?

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