Wanda would you take God's Word today and would you open please to the book of 2nd Corinthians we're going to continue our study in 2nd Corinthians chapter 7 and today we're going to be looking at verses 2 down to 1 down through the end of the chapter would you stand for the reading of God's Word I want to read a few of these verses with you here today we'll start at verse number 8 of 2nd Corinthians chapter 7 for though I made you sorry with the letter I do not repent Though I did repent, for I perceived that the same epistle hath made you sorry, though it were before a season. Now I rejoice not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance. For ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation, not to be repented of, but the sorrow of the world worketh death. Thank you so very much. You may be seated. This is God's eternal word. May God help us to hear it today and to give it due reverence. Will you pray with me, please? Heavenly Father, we come before you today because we admit our absolute need of you to help us. Although we may have reasonable intellect and the ability to think and discern, if that's all that we use in our engaging of the scripture, Lord, we will fall short of understanding it. We need the Holy Spirit to guide us. We need you to open our eyes, enlighten us through your spirit so that we can see wonderful things out of your word. So, Father, help us today and help me to make your word clear, because we know that the power is in the message itself. And we pray in Jesus' name. Amen. In 1937, a famous preacher by the name of H.A. Ironside wrote a book. The title of the book was Except Ye Repent. And in that book, he basically said that the doctrine of repentance is missing in otherwise orthodox and fundamentally sound churches today. Now that was back in 1937, and basically what he said was, in churches that are pretty solid and fundamental, the doctrine of repentance is missing. Now if that were true back in 1937, it is no less true today. We could say the same thing, that there's not a lot of preaching about repentance today. And part of the reason for that is because initially there was a large seminary here in the U.S. where the entire organization teaches that repentance has no part in the gospel. They said that repentance undermines the doctrine of justification by faith. And following that one well-known, rather well-known seminary, other seminaries have followed that example, and even Bible colleges. And so, in certain circles, there are people that when they share the gospel, they basically say repentance is really not a part of the gospel message. That's ironic to me, especially since John the Baptist, the great Baptist preacher, that Jesus said was the greatest preacher born among women. The Bible says he came preaching repentance. In Matthew chapter three, verse one, the Bible says, in those days, John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying, repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. And another thing to consider is this, Jesus, when he began his earthly ministry, one could argue that the very first sermon that he preached, the first word of that sermon, is the word repent. Because listen to what Matthew 4.17 says, and from that time, Jesus began to preach saying, repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Jesus began his earthly ministry by preaching repentance. Jesus ended his earthly ministry by emphasizing the need for the message of repentance because after Jesus resurrected, he met with his disciples. You remember on Sunday morning, he met with the disciples on the road to Damascus and revealed himself to them. Sunday night, he met with the disciples, Sunday evening service, and he said in, the Bible tells us in Luke chapter 24, he said unto them, thus it is written, and thus it behoove Christ to suffer, to rise from the dead, the third day, and verse 47, and that repentance and remission of sin should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. Jesus said to his disciples that the gospel message needs to get out now, It needs to start here in Jerusalem and it needs to go to all nations. And how did Jesus summarize that gospel message? He said, you need to preach repentance. Repentance is a summary of the whole message of the gospel. When Jesus sent his disciples out in Mark 6, verse 12, it says, and they went out and preached that men should repent. And another thing to consider in this idea of repentance is that when a person is said to be saved in scripture, the word that they use to talk about their salvation experience is they received repentance. They got repentance. For example, you know what the Bible says, those in heaven, when they see someone on earth coming to salvation, to knowing Jesus Christ, you remember what the Bible says, there's joy in heaven? There's joy in heaven. Listen to what it says. I say unto you that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth. And there Jesus again is summarizing the whole message of the gospel and a person's response to that message with one word, and it's summarized with the word repentance. They've repented. That is, they're saved. And so to be saved is equated or a synonymous term is the word repent or repentance. This word repent is used over 50 times in the New Testament. It's used by Paul and the other writers. And so it's mystifying to me that a seminary would come along and teach that repentance is not part of the gospel message. It would mystify me that preachers would stand up and say, you know, you can get saved without repenting of your sin. because I don't see that in scripture anywhere. This doctrine is the very core of the gospel. A.W. Tozer said this, I think there is little doubt that the teaching of salvation without repentance has lowered the moral standards of the church and produced a multitude of deceived religious professors who erroneously believe themselves to be saved when in fact they are still in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity. And I think that he's right there. And so this is a very important understanding that we have, we need to have, is that repentance is the sum and substance of the whole gospel message. Now, the reason I say that is because this is the theme in this section here of 2 Corinthians chapter 7. Paul is going to, I think in this passage here, give the clearest definition or understanding of repentance anywhere in scripture. That's why this passage is so very valuable. Now, again, let me remind you that in 2 Corinthians, the context of it, Paul is writing to the church at Corinth because he had problems with the church. Remember, Paul started the church. Later on, he heard about problems, and so he wrote a letter to try to address some of those things that didn't seem to help. He followed up with another letter, which was 1 Corinthians, where he addressed some questions that they had. Still, things didn't clear up there at the church, and so Paul made a personal visit to the church at Corinth, and that visit did not go well. Paul called it his painful visit. Because evidently what happened when Paul went to the church there to try to correct some of the issues, Paul was basically rebuked by one of the people there in the church. Someone stood up and they basically questioned Paul. They insulted him openly. This was perhaps one of the false apostles that had invaded the church there at Coloranth. And Paul was grieved because there was no one in the church that stood up for Paul. There was no one that took his defense. And it seemed as if the whole church was being swayed away from the gospel and Paul was worried about whether the message he had preached would be in vain there at the church. And so he was very, very broken over what had happened. And so later Paul writes what he calls a severe letter to the church at Corinth. A severe letter, and in that letter he takes them to task on many of the things that were going on there. We don't know where this severe letter is. It was not inspired scripture. Paul actually wrote four letters to the church at Corinth. Two we have 1st and 2nd Corinthians. These are obviously inspired since God preserved them. The others were not. And when Paul wrote this severe letter, he was waiting to get a response from the church. So Paul sent Titus to Troas hoping to meet up with Titus and Troas. Titus first of all was sent to Corinth because Paul wanted to see what their response was to his letter. The idea was Titus go to Corinth find out what's going on there meet me at Troas and then tell me what the response to the letter was. Go back in chapter two, verse number 12, and notice what it says there in chapter two, verse 12. Furthermore, when I came to Troas to preach Christ's gospel, and a door was opened unto me of the Lord, verse 13, I had no rest in my spirit, because I found not Titus my brother, but taking my leave of them, I went from thence into Macedonia. Paul got to Troas, he was looking for Titus, Titus wasn't there. There was a door of opportunity opened to Paul there at Troas, where he could preach the gospel A wonderful door opened, but Paul was so broken over this matter with the church at Corinth that he had no heart to preach the gospel there. And so rather than stay there and preach at Troas, he went on to Macedonia, hoping to meet up with Titus there to find out, again, the response of the church to Paul's severe letter. And then the story picks up here in chapter 7. where Paul does finally meet up with Titus. And look what it says, look in 2 Corinthians 7, look down in verse number five. It says, for when we were coming to Macedonia, our flesh had no rest. We were troubled on every side. Without, we're fighting. Within, we're fierce. So Paul gets to Macedonia. He's still very broken and concerned over what's going on in the church. And finally, look at verse 6 of chapter 7. Nevertheless, God, that comforted those that are cast down, comforted us by the coming of Titus. Finally, he meets up with Titus there in Troas, and just Titus being there comforted Paul. Just having Titus there was a source of comfort. but it went beyond that, because look in verse seven. And not by his coming only, but by the consolation wherewith he was comforted in you, when he told us of your earnest desire, your mourning, your fervent mind toward me, so that I rejoice the more. And so finally, here's a good report. Paul meets up with Titus, and Titus gives Paul the good report that the church in Corinth had repented of their previous sins, that they had repented of how Paul was treated. And so Paul gets this good news and he is filled with joy and rejoicing. And so in this section of the letter here, he then writes, he wants reconciliation with the church because they had been alienated from him because of what the false apostles had done. So back up to verse number two, receive us. Paul says, he's pleading, you almost hear him plead. Receive us, we have wronged no man, we have corrupted no man, we have defrauded no man. I speak not this to condemn you, for I have said before that you're in our hearts to die and to live with you. Paul said, now, I want you to receive us. I want there to be reconciliation. I'm not saying this to make you look bad or make you feel bad. Because in verse four, great is my boldness of speech towards you, great is my glorying of you, I'm filled with comfort, I'm exceedingly joyful in all our tribulation. Paul said, I'm so thrilled, my heart is overflowing with joy to know how you responded to that letter, and now we can have fellowship again. And so I'm telling everyone about what God has done in your heart. And so Paul's filled with joy. Now what follows in the rest of these verses here in chapter seven is Paul is going to explain their repentance and how he rejoices that their repentance was true repentance. Look down in verse number eight, notice what he says, for though I made you sorry with a letter, I do not repent, though I did repent. You say, he sounds pretty confused there. What does he mean by that? Well, did you ever write a letter, a harsh letter to someone that maybe they needed to have this said? So you wrote down a harsh letter to them. My wife always tells me, Jerry, sleep on that letter before you send it. You know, give it 24 hours, you know, don't write it in, you know, anger, you know, think about it, you know, and then you send the letter and you wonder, was I too harsh? Oh, I shouldn't have sent that letter. And maybe you go to the post office, say, did you all send that letter yet? I need to get it back. And we're sorry, that letter's already gone, sir. And you're wondering, man, was I too harsh in that letter? Did I say too much? And this is what Paul was feeling. When Paul wrote that severe letter, he was wondering, was I too harsh in it? He was afraid that that letter might actually make things worse rather than make things better. But after they received the letter and he finds out their response, he says, though I he said I made you sorry with a letter I do not repent though I did repent before I was sorry that I sent the letter I was really concerned about how you respond but now I'm not sorry I wrote it I'm glad I wrote that letter because it did the job it got the response that I wanted It says this, I perceive the same epistle hath made you sorry for though it were for a season. And so Paul again now is gonna rejoice over the true repentance that the Corinthians were demonstrating as a result of that severe letter. And so what we need to do is just look at the qualities of true repentance here and ask ourself this question, is my repentance real? We must evaluate our repentance in light of how Paul describes true repentance here, because let me just tell you again, it's the desire of my heart more than any other thing in this life. that everyone here under the sound of my voice, under whatever influence I may have, that you truly know Jesus Christ as your Savior and as your Lord, that you understand what repentance is, that you know that your repentance is real, that you know Jesus Christ. That means more to me than anything else, that you truly know that. And so what I have here is nine marks of true repentance, and some of you went, nine? You got nine points to this sermon. Normally you have three points. That's right. How much time do you have today? No, I'm kidding. What we'll do is we'll kind of go through this rather quickly, these nine points and just touch on these things. But I want you to look and just examine your own heart on this. Here's the first mark of true repentance. It produces a godly sorrow, which leads to repentance or change, we could say. Look at verse number nine. Now I rejoice that you were made sorry. but that ye sorrowed to repentance, for you were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing." In other words, This sorrow that they had was a godly sorrow, and this sorrow led them to make changes in their life. It starts out with a godly sorrow. We're confronted with the word of God about sin in our life, and then there is a godly sorrow. You know, there's some sorrow that's not a godly sorrow. It's a sorrow of the world, or kind of a worldly repentance. Paul mentions that. Look at verse 10. For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation. not to be repented of, but the sorrow of the world worketh death. It's not a worldly sorrow. There are some people that they're sorry, but their sorrow is not a godly sorrow. It's more of a worldly sorrow. It's more of a pride. Maybe they're sorry that they got caught in something, or the sorrow is more for their own selfish benefit. I'm sorry for the damage this is gonna cause me personally as a result of this, but it's not a godly sorrow. It's not a sorrow towards God that we have offended a holy God. But true repentance includes this godly sorrow. I've said before that repentance has really three elements to it. First, it's the mind. The word repentance comes from two words, meta, which is after, noia, to think or to understand. It's when you first understand in your mind that you've done something wrong. There's a change in the mind which leads to the heart. It doesn't include the mind only, but the mind and the heart, for with the heart you feel genuine sorrow over your sin. That's all a part of true repentance. when Jesus pronounced woe upon the unrepentant cities of Galilee, this is what he said. Woe unto you, Chorazin, woe unto you, Bethsaida, for if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. You hear what Jesus said? Real repentance includes sorrow. They would be sitting in sackcloth and ashes. That was a sign of genuine mourning. If Tyre and Sidon had seen and heard what you saw and heard, they would have repented with great sorrow in their hearts. So according to Jesus, true repentance involves deep sorrow, a sorrow over your sin, an anguish of soul. Sackcloth and ashes is a deep sorrow that people experienced back then. There were people in scripture that were sorry for their sins, yet it wasn't on the salvation. Judas Iscariot felt remorse for betraying Jesus, but he didn't get saved. He had a sorrow, but it was a worldly sorrow. It wasn't a sorrow that brought salvation. Esau found no place of repentance, though he sought it with tears. Esau cried, but he was more broken over the fact that he had lost his birthright than that he had sinned against God. It wasn't a genuine repentance there. But this sorrow, which is godly, leads to the third element of true repentance is a forsaking of sin and a turning to Christ. It's a redirecting of the will. Again in verse nine, for you were made sorry after a godly manner. It brought a genuine change in your life. The Corinthians didn't get defensive about their sin. They did not view themselves as victims. They did not seek to justify their sins in any way. They felt a godly sorrow over their sin that caused them to turn from their sin and to turn to God for forgiveness, true forgiveness. So number one, it produces a godly sorrow, which leads to repentance. Number two, it produces a repentance without regret. Look in verse number 10. For a godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of. What does that mean? It's a repentance that doesn't repent of the previous repentance. Are you confused? It's, you see, when you repent and come to Christ, you make a U-turn. Here am I, I'm headed towards the world. What did Jesus say? There's a broad road that leads to destruction. I'm on that road. I'm headed with the rest of the world. I'm going to perdition, I'm going to hell, but on this road, God in his grace gives me the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ, how I need to turn from my sin and turn to Christ, put my faith in the finished work of Christ. And so I make a U-turn, which is exactly what repentance is. I make a U-turn and I turn to Christ and now I'm going in the opposite direction. Remember Jesus said there's a narrow road that leads to life. I'm headed on the broad road. Now I'm turning and I'm going back against the grain. I'm going down the street, the opposite direction of the world. Some people think when you get saved, all your problems are over. No, some of your problems are just starting because now you're meeting the world head on and you're going the opposite way the world, but if a person turns to Christ and then suddenly something happens and they turn back into the world, that's a repentance that was repented of. You with me? They repented of their previous Repentance, this is a person that might come to church. They hear the gospel. They repent of their sins. They get saved It looks like for a while they're committed to Christ But something happens along the way where they turn away from that previous decision to follow Jesus Christ And now they're going right back into the world where they started with and that repentance wasn't real and It wasn't genuine. Take a moment, go to 2 Peter 2, look down at verse number 20. There's an illustration of this in 2 Peter 2, verse number 20. Notice what it says here. For if after they, 2 Peter 2.20, for if after they have escaped the pollution of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, here's a person that looks like they've been saved, they've left the pollution of the world through the knowledge of Jesus, they are again entangled therein and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than after they had known it to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. Verse 22, but it happened unto them according to the true proverb, the dog is turned to his own vomit again, and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire. Peter says it would be better for a person to have never known about Jesus Christ in the gospel than to have known it, seemingly turned to Christ, but after a while turned back into the corruption of the world. You've been better off not to ever hear it to begin with, because at the latter end, it's worse than the first. This is someone, you say, they lost their salvation. No, beloved, once you're truly saved, you can't lose it. This is someone who never had it to begin with. This is someone whose repentance was not real to start with. And Peter gives a disgusting, rather disgusting illustration of this in verse 22. But it's happened to them according to the true proverb, the dog is turned again to his own vomit. and the sow or the pig that was washed or her wallowing in the mire, a dog, and I don't wanna elaborate on it too much, because I know we're close to lunchtime, but it's, here's a dog that heaves up what's in its stomach and then turns back, and you say, that's disgusting. Peter means for it to be, I'm just expounding the scripture, beloved. Peter means for it to be disgusting because that is the illustration of a sinner who has turned from the corruption of the world and then turned back into it. And then he uses the illustration of a pig. Here's a pig that's been taken out of the pig pen, that's been washed, cleaned, you know, totally bathed. And what does the pig do as soon as you let him out? He goes right back into the mud. Now, this is an illustration of some people when it seems like they turn to Christ, you know, they say, well, I feel better. You know, the dog felt better and the pig looked better. But the dog was still a dog and the pig was still a pig and their nature had not been changed. And so there was no real genuine repentance there. But Paul says, look, the repentance that is real is a repentance that you don't turn back into the world. As a believer, you may stumble on the road. We all struggle against sin in our life. We all have this war against our own flesh, the devil, and the world. We're constantly warring against sin in our life, but a true believer doesn't turn back headlong into the world. And that's the whole point that what Paul is saying here. Go back to 2 Corinthians, where it says again in verse number 10, it's a repentance to salvation not to be repented of, It produces a repentance without regret. But here's number three, it produces earnestness and righteousness. Look at verse 11. For behold, this self-sacrificing thing that ye sought after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you. The word carefulness here, spude, what an earnestness, a diligence. It's an earnestness in accomplishing something. I like what one, Translation says, it says, for see what earnestness this godly grief has produced in you, but also what earnestness to clear yourselves. It is a zeal to do what is right. It's an earnestness and righteousness. Someone who's truly repented has turned to Christ, and now there's an earnestness to live a godly life in their walk. But here's number four. It produces the desire to show your repentance is real. Look at verse number 11. Again, what carefulness it wrought in you, what clearing of yourselves. Notice that expression, apologia, where we get the word apologetics, it means the defense of something. And this simply means it's a strong desire to clear your name of the wrongs that you had committed. When you truly repent, you wanna get your name back. You wanna clear your name of wrongdoing of the past. One time someone came to Spurgeon and said, you know, will God ever use me? I've sinned against the Lord. Will God ever use me again? And Spurgeon said this, he said, when your repentance becomes as notorious as your sin, God will be able to use you again. And that's true, that's the idea here. It's a desire to make your repentance as notorious as your sin. But here's number five. It produces an anger over sin. Look at verse 11 where it says, yea, what indignation. And that word indignation, anger. Well, what are you angry about? You're angry about that sin. And the idea is now you hate the sin that you previously loved or coddled or took pleasure in. Now you hate it. and it produces an indignation, a holy hatred for sin. But here's number six. It produces a reverence for God. Notice again in verse 11, what fear, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, and the word fear here, phobos, we get the word phobia, this speaks about a reverential fear of God. You see, whereas the Corinthians were bold in their sinning, now they were concerned that they not sin against God, they had a new reverence, they had a new fear of God. I wonder sometimes that some people who call themselves Christians, that they have no fear of, seems like they have no fear of God in their life. Let me tell you something, beloved, I fear God. I fear God. I don't wanna do anything to offend his name or bring shame to his name. And so with this real repentance as a reverence and a fear of the Lord, we fear sinning against this holy God. But then number seven, it produces a desire to have the relationship restored. Look again in verse 11 where it says, what vehement desire. This was a longing to see their relationship to Paul restored. Now, Paul had written this severe letter, and their sin had caused him pain, and there was a separation in the relationship. There was a breach, but now they wanted that relationship restored with Paul. And Paul, as we read here, wanted the same thing. And if you have true repentance, it'll cause you to want to go to people that perhaps you never dreamed of going to before, and restoring any broken relationship that your sin may have caused. If it's true repentance, you're gonna want to do that. And then here's number eight. It produces a zeal for holiness. Again, look in verse 11. What vehement desire, yea, what zeal? And this is a, this zeal here is a desire, again, to live a holy life. You now have a zeal in this area of holiness, of striving against sin, of confessing sin and forsaking sin in your life. And then finally, the last thing, it produces a desire for restitution. Look in verse 11, where it says, what revenge. Now that word revenge is not the way we would think of it. A better way to say this would be, what avenging of wrong. In other words, this is a desire for restitution. Truly repentant people have a strong desire to see whatever they did made right. And if they have to do restitution, if they have whatever they have to do to make it right, they're going to be willing to do that. God's truly convicted you, and you've repented. Now you have to go and make that right. I heard of a person who wrote a letter to the IRS, and it said, in close, you'll find a check for $150. I cheated on my income tax return last year. I've not been able to sleep since. If I still have trouble sleeping, I will send you the rest. That's not true repentance, beloved. You're gonna wanna make restitution. You're gonna clear that matter up. Remember, talking about the IRS, remember Zacchaeus? He was a member of the IRS, the Israeli Revenue Service. He was a tax collector. And when he repented, you know, tax collectors weren't thought of very well in Jesus' day because they basically had the power to cheat people out of money however they wanted to. They had authority from Rome. And a lot of them did that. And when Zacchaeus heard the message of Christ, He said this, he said to the Lord Jesus, behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor, and if I have taken anything from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold. He was convicted, he repented, and he said, Jesus, whoever I have stolen from, I'm gonna restore it back fourfold. And you know what Jesus said? This day salvation has come to your house because you have revealed true repentance there. And so those are the nine marks. Now Paul closes out this letter again by giving his reasons why he wrote the letter in the first place in verse 12. Wherefore that I wrote unto you, I did it not for this his cause that had done that wrong, nor for his cause that suffered wrong, but that our care for you and in the sight of God might appear unto you. That is Paul was saying, look, the reason I wrote this letter was not to discipline the sinning member. It was not for my own personal benefit, it was for your benefit. I wanted you to be right with God. I don't want you to lose any blessing that you have received already as a result of what you heard from my preaching. I want you to be fully blessed. I don't want you to lose anything. I want everything to be right with you. And so repentance then, is this mighty change in mind and heart and life that is by the Spirit of God working mightily in you. And the question I, again, wanna ask you, beloved, is have you experienced in your life true repentance from sin, turning from sin, turning towards Christ? And by the way, as believers, we don't just repent one time. Our life is a life of continual repentance before God. Where, you know, once we make that turn on the narrow road, we stay on that narrow road. You know, I find in my Christian life, as I'm dealing with sin in my life, I'm constantly, constantly coming to the Lord saying, God, help me. Give me the spirit of repentance, Lord, to turn from sin. I'm dealing constantly with that. But the thing I want you to know here, folks, is that in your heart, you have manifested true repentance before God. Anything short of what Paul's talking about here is not genuine repentance. And I would hate for anyone to think that your account is fine, but there hasn't been true repentance in your life. And so this is a serious matter. for you to make sure of your own soul before God. Shall we bow in prayer? We're out of time this morning. Shall we bow for prayer? And I want you to just evaluate your own heart with your heads bowed and eyes closed. Just take a minute with me, beloved. And would you just evaluate your own heart. Have I had a godly sorrow? over my sin. Have I demonstrated a repentance that doesn't repent of my repentance? I've turned to God. I'm not turning back into the world. There's no turning back. I have a desire in my heart to live a righteous life and an anger over sin that seems to pull me down and a reverence for God. and the desire to make right any wrongs that I've committed. Repentance is this heartfelt sorrow for sin, renouncing it, making a commitment to forsake it and to walk in obedience to Jesus Christ. Is that what you have? And if you're here today and you're not absolutely sure of that, would you just be willing to pray this one prayer? Just pray this to our merciful Savior. Just say, Lord, would you please give me a genuinely repentant heart? I want to have that genuine repentance in my heart. And Lord, as a sinner, I find it hard sometimes. Lord, would you please give me this genuine brokenness and repentance towards you? You know, the Bible says it commands all men everywhere to repent, but it also says repentance is something that God gives us. Ask God for that. Make sure of your own soul today, beloved. Make sure. Father, thank you for these precious people that you have entrusted to me on this day, that I may speak the word of God clearly to their heart. I pray for every soul in this room, Lord, Lord, that you would please do that work of genuine repentance, that we would know without any doubt that we belong to you, Lord, that we're your children, that we've turned to you, and we're not turning back into sin in the world, and we're not using your grace as a license to live any way we want, but in holy fear of you and reverence of you and gratefulness of what you have done for us, We have a zeal to live righteously, holy. As Paul said in this epistle, perfecting holiness in the fear of the Lord. Lord, let that be the motto of our heart. Bless this word to every hearing heart today, Father, and we pray in Jesus' name.