Repentance is a two part act of faith. First, it turns from sin, and second, it pursues after God. First, it mortifies, second, it vivifies. First, it sees how vile, wicked, and deadly sin is, second, it flees to God, to enjoy the light of His glory. First, it reviles the sin, second, it hungers and thirsts for righteousness.
Repentance is incomplete if it only sees sin as bad, turns from it, and sits there. Many times, we want to turn our back to sin, but not budge an inch away from it…after all, sin gives the best back rubs. But true, evangelical repentance, after seeing how bad sin is, turns away from it in godly fear, and seeks after God. It turns from vice, to seek after virtue.
Halfway repentance sees that the table of sin is spread with moldy jams, rotten roasts, bread made from sawdust, with maggots and cockroaches crawling over all of it. Halfway repentance will turn away from this putrid “feast,†but it sticks around for the company. Full repentance is revolted by sin’s feast, turns away from it, and runs––full-tilt––to this table.
You must not only feel bad for your sin, you must savor Christ. You must not only flee from the death which your sin deserves, but you must cling to the life which is found in Jesus. You must forsake your sin, and feed your faith upon the Lamb of God. Have you despised your sin? Have you grieved over how it offends a holy God? Well and good. Repentance must not stop there. True repentance will always make its way to this meal; to the body and blood of our Lord Jesus.
So come in faith, and welcome to Jesus…
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