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Catechetical sermons preached in PCC Evening Worship Services, Feb 2013 to Dec 2017

WSC 87 of 107

…¹⁷ And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! ¹⁸ I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, ¹⁹ And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. ²⁰ And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. ²¹ And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son…

Luke 15:17-21

WSC 87. What is Repentance unto Life?

A. Repentance unto Life is a saving grace,¹ whereby a sinner,—out of a true sense of his sin,² and apprehension of the mercy of God in Christ,³—doth, with grief and hatred of his sin, turn from it unto god,⁴ with full purpose of, and endeavour after, new obedience.⁵

¹Acts 11:18; ²Acts 2:37–38; ³Joel 2:12; Jer 3:22; ⁴Jer 31:18–19; Ezk 36:31; ⁵2 Cor 7:11.

As we begin, let me share a simple poem that the Lost Son in our Lord’s parable could have written:

I want my freedom.
    I hate ploughing; I loathe sowing.
Give me my inheritance.
    To the city, I shall wing.

 Now, I have my freedom.
    Wealth to splurge and none to nag
Life’s exciting: gone’s the boredom.
    Gone are the stern eyes of Dad.

 But where is my freedom?
    Where is my money gone?
Where are my friends so firm?
    Why feel I so forlorn?

And what really is freedom?
    Leave to eat swine’s slops?
Liberty my life to deaden?
    Rue washes not in sobs.

Oh, I want my freedom.
    None to blame but me alone.
My selfishness, I bemoan.
    Oh, how shall I my sin atone?

Yeah, I can have my freedom!
    My father surely still loves me.
Make me, I’ll cry, thy servant.
    I’ve sinned against heaven and thee.

Pray, I shall have my freedom!
    What if father’s anger burns still?
Yet shall I go to seek pardon.
No other way shall I be healed.

Thank God I have my freedom!
    Lost I everything but love.
My Father’s tears, his love affirmed.
    Nev’r again will I spurn his love.

This is the story of the Lost Son. It is a story we have visited repeatedly yet cannot exhaust, for it is our story. At least, it is the story of many of us. Many of us, I believe, will be able to write our own stories like that.

Why do I say “many of us” and not all of us? Because it is a fact, I believe some of us have not lived the story yet. Some of us are living as the elder brother. We have yet to walk the path of the younger brother.

But we must all walk that path, or we will not reach our heavenly home. You will never come to the great supper as the elder brother.

What is the difference between the elder brother and the younger brother? One word: Repentance. The elder brother appears to have faith. He stayed on with his father. But he had no repentance. His relationship with his father was superficial. The younger brother appears to have no faith. But he was brought to repentance and faith. His relationship with his father became genuine.

In this sermon, with the Lord helping us, we must consider the one thing distinguishing the younger brother from the elder brother: repentance. What is repentance? Our shorter catechism, question 87, asks more precisely, “What is repentance unto life?”

Answer:

Repentance unto life is a saving grace, whereby a 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,⁴ with full purpose of, and endeavour after, new obedience.

If you cannot catch or absorb the definition, don’t worry about it. We will unpack it phrase by phrase. It comprises five ideas:

Think of these five elements in this way: First, it involves the gift of sight; second, it involves seeing and feeling the darkness; third, it involves seeing the light; fourth, it involves turning towards the light and taking the first step; and fifthly, it involves a resolution to continue walking in the light.

Let’s see how the Lost Son took these five steps.

1.    Gift of Sight

Our Lord tells us that the Lost Son “came to himself.”

After living a life of selfish indulgence away from home, he suddenly came to himself. How did he come to himself?

A sinner dead in sin and trespasses cannot come to himself. A dead person cannot see. So, the Lost Son’s coming to himself points to inner work in his heart. This is the Spirit’s work of effectual calling or the new birth. It is through this work that faith and repentance are given to the elect sinner.

We know faith is a gift from Ephesians 2:8. What about repentance? Repentance is also a gift, for the apostles and brethren acknowledge that “God [hath] also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life” (Acts 11:18).

The sinner represented by the Lost Son comes to himself because he is granted the gift of faith and repentance through the new birth. Yes, in the parable, the son is driven to a corner before he comes to himself. But no, without the Holy Spirit’s work, no amount of hardship and swine’s husk will bring true repentance.

Our catechism uses the term “repentance unto life” not only because only those who genuinely repent will have eternal life, but also because there is repentance not unto life. Some have so-called “legal repentance,” which indicates a temporary change due to a fear of God’s wrath. Some have hypocritical repentance, which is a pretended change in the outward man, but is not borne out of effectual calling or the new birth. All these are false or spurious repentance. These are repentances which are to be repented of.

True repentance or repentance unto life is a saving grace. It is borne out of effectual calling or the new birth. It is a gift of the Holy Spirit. It is not something that a sinner can generate. The famine and hardship did not cause the change. They are but incidental instruments. The gift of repentance is sovereignly bestowed.

Nevertheless, we must remember that repentance is commanded of the Lord. Therefore, every one of us has a duty to repent. None of us can excuse ourselves for a lack of repentance by saying we lack effectual calling. None of us can blame God for our refusal to repent.

Had the Lost Son not repented, His blood would still be upon His own head. He would perish in sin.

2.    Horror of Darkness

When the Lost Son came to himself, “he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!” (v, 17).

It was as if his eyes were suddenly opened as to how miserable his estate was. He had been miserable for a while, but it did not occur to him how bad his situation was. But now He sees it and feels it. And most importantly, he recognises that his present condition is brought about by his sin! I “will say unto him,” he says: “Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, ¹⁹ And am no more worthy to be called thy son” (v. 18, 19). The Lost Son has come to see and feel his sin. He realises that he has not only hurt himself through his bad choices, but he has offended God and brought much pain to his father. He has come to realise how irresponsible he is and how unworthy of his father’s love he is.

As our Catechism puts it, repentance unto life involves “a true sense of sin” and “grief and hatred” for one’s sin. The repentant sinner represented by the Lost Son is not only aware that he is a sinner but also feels sorrow for his sin and how he has sinned against God and brought pain and sorrow to those who love him. Sin is always destructive and hurtful, regardless of whether it is sin before conversion or sin after conversion. Repentance unto life is needed before conversion as well as after the point of conversion.

The Lost Son could represent one who was hitherto unconverted, so his effectual calling happened when he came to himself. Or, he could represent one who was converted but backslided and walked in sin, in which case, His effectual calling could have occurred before He left His father’s house.

King David provides us with such an example. Remember how He committed adultery with Bathsheba and then murdered her husband? For a year, he lived in denial. He tried to hide his sin and to hold down all feelings of guilt. But when Nathan confronted him, it was as if the springs burst forth. He cried out in Psalm 51:

¹ Have mercy upon me,… ³ For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. ⁴ Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.

David was grieved not merely because his sin was discovered or because of the consequence of his sin. He was grieved because he had done evil in the sight of God. He saw the darkness and wickedness of his heart.

True repentance sees and feels the grievousness of sin. As Watson puts it, “Where there is no sight of sin, there can be no repentance,” and “Either sin must drown in the tears of repentance—or the soul must burn in hell.”

If you want to know whether you have true repentance, you must ask yourself: Do I “grieve over and hate my sin,” or am I just sorry or even angry that I was discovered? Do I regret what I did because it offended God, or is it merely because it damaged my own good name?

But there is more. True repentance involves a glimpse of light.

3. Glimpse of Light

When the Lost Son came to himself, he did not only see his misery and how he had sinned against God and his father. He saw in his memory’s eyes the love of his father. He saw hope in his father out of his dire situation. “How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! ¹⁸ I will arise and go to my father,” he says (v. 17-18).

No doubt, the Lost Son came to a conviction that his father would not turn him away. Before he came to himself, he did not think of his father. Or if he did, he might have thought of how disapproving his father was, or how angry his father would be if he knew his present state, or how he would never meet with his approval. Pride prevented him from even considering going back to his father.

But now, his eyes have been opened. He sees mercy in his father. He sees that there is hope in Him.

The repentant sinner represented by the Lost Son sees the same thing. As our catechism puts it, he finds in his heart an “apprehension of the mercy of God in Christ.” In the appointment of God, we are to see mercy in Him through Christ, who came to lay down His life for us. This motivates us to turn away from our sins and seek forgiveness and salvation in Christ.

This is why many theologians speak of faith coming before repentance, even though repentance is a turning away from sin, whereas faith is a looking unto Christ.

But repentance is not just looking to Christ; it involves turning to him. First, repentance involves a gift of sight; second, it involves seeing and feeling the darkness; third, it involves catching a glimpse of the light; and fourth, it involves turning towards the light.

4.    Turning to the Light and Taking the First Step

The Lost Son did not only say, “I will arise and go to my father” (v. 8). We are told in verse 20 that “he arose, and came to his father.” This is the essence of true repentance! If the Lost Son had thought about the father, or even decided to turn to the father, but take no steps to turn from his sinful life to take the first step towards the father, then he would not have repented!

The repentant sinner represented by the Lost Son, “Turn from [sin] unto God.” The essence of repentance is right here in the turning. All the steps before are essential, but this is the decisive step.

It is like the essence of a wedding is the exchange of vows. All the proceedings of a wedding are necessary, but until and unless the vows are exchanged, the couple is not married.

It is like the goal in a soccer game. The team can manoeuvre the ball through the defences, but unless the ball is kicked into the net, there is no goal. All the steps before are essential, but unless the ball goes in, all the steps before amount to nothing.

Remember that you have not truly repented unless and until you actually turn from your sin and turn to the Lord. You may weep for your sin and lament that you had sinned, but unless you turn from it unto God, you have not repented.

And that is not all. There is a final step. First, repentance involves a gift of sight; second, it involves seeing and feeling the darkness; third, it involves catching a glimpse of the light; fourth, it involves turning towards the light; and finally, it involves a resolution to continue walking in the light.

5.    Resolving to continue walking in the Light

The Lost Son not only turned from his sin and started walking home, but he was also determined to live a different life. This is indicated in his determination to tell his father, “I am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants” (v. 19).

Whatever may be said about the Lost Son wanting to be employed as a hired servant, one thing is clear: His attitude has changed. He no longer takes his position in the home for granted. He would no longer serve grudgingly. He would now be an obedient child out of love and gratitude. He would no longer feel proud and entitled. He would now walk as one who does not insist on his rights.

So, too, the repentant sinner represented by the Lost Son. He not only turns from his sin unto God, but he does so “with full purpose of, and endeavour after, new obedience.” No longer will it be a legal, unwilling obedience. Instead, it will be a new obedience of a child unto a beloved father.

Conclusion

Here are the five steps involved in repentance unto life or true repentance. First, it involves a gift of sight; second, it involves seeing and feeling the grievousness of sin; third, it involves catching a glimpse of the mercy of God in Christ; fourth, it involves turning from sin toward God; and fifth, it involves a resolution to continue walking in gratitude and love of God.

Or, as our catechism puts it:

Repentance unto life is a saving grace,whereby a 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 purpose of, and endeavour after, new obedience.

What shall we do with this doctrine? Let me suggest three simple applications.

a. First, ask yourself: “Am I a repentant sinner like the lost son?”

This question is easy to ask and answer if you are half asleep or simply apathetic. Indeed, I would say that if your immediate answer is a confident “Yes, I am a repentant sinner!” then it is very probable that you don’t know what you are saying or you are still dead in sin.

For those who understand its implications, this question is very humbling and difficult to answer. But let us break it down into three sub-questions so that we may answer it more honestly.

(1) Let us ask: “Have I experienced repentance?” Remember that repentance, unlike the new birth, can be experienced. The Lord says: “The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit” (Jn 3:8). But where the wind blows, the trees rustle. Repentance is like the rustling of the trees when the wind blows through. Has there been a rustling in your soul so that you can identify with the Lost Son when he came to himself?

And do remember that repentance is needed every day since we all fall short of God’s glory. Make no mistake: repentance is not only needed when we fall into serious sin or into a crisis. In fact, it is your day-to-day repentance that says most about you.

(2) Let us ask: “Is my repentance genuine?” Every believer will think that he or she is a repentant sinner. But let us make no mistake: True repentance is not merely feeling sorry. True repentance is not merely praying, “Lord, please forgive me.” The apostle Paul says: “For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death” (2 Cor 7:10). The essence of true repentance is a turning away from sin and turning towards God. It involves actual change. It involves notable steps like those taken by the Lost Son. Yes, sometimes, one who is genuinely repentant may, under temptation, still return to the same sin like a dog returning to its vomit. But those who truly repent take steps to turn from sin and are deeply grieved when they fall again. You know your besetting sin. You know whether you are putting up a fight. If you are truly repentant, you will fight with grief and tears.

(3) Let us ask: “Am I living as one who has repented?” Genuine repentance results in new obedience with a new attitude. Those who have genuinely repented will no longer treat sin lightly. If you feel no guilt when you fall into sin, get angry when your sin is discovered, or feel no need to guard your soul against sin, then it is evident that you are not living as one who has repented.

Am I a repentant sinner? Have I experienced repentance? Is my repentance genuine? Am I living as one who has repented? If your answer is no, you must know that you are still living in sin. You may be living in sin due to apathy. Or, you may be living in sin due to hypocrisy. Some of you youths may be here. Or, you may be living in sin due to backsliding. Whatever the case, you must know that you will perish unless you repent.

b. So our second application is “Repent or perish.” The Lord Jesus says repeatedly, “Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish” (Lk 13:3, 5).

Now, let us make no mistake. “Repentance unto life is a saving grace.” It is not something we can generate ourselves. But let us not forget that it is a duty as well. If you look at our catechism, you will see that Questions 4-38 are about what man is to believe concerning God, and Questions 39-107 are about what duty God requires of man. What does the first half of this second part deal with? It deals with the Ten Commandments. We must keep the Law of God under the covenant of works. But what are we taught immediately after that? We are taught that none of us can keep God’s commandment, and we all deserve God’s wrath. What follows? We are taught what God requires of us so that we may be saved. What are they? Faith, repentance and means of grace, comprising word, sacrament and prayer.

Now, this is remarkable, isn’t it? When we study the Shorter Catechism, we expect faith and repentance to be covered in the first half of the Catechism, where the doctrine of salvation is dealt with, but instead, we find them here at the end. Why? Because faith and repentance are duties required of us if we are to be saved. Both faith and repentance are gifts of grace, but we are not to wait for them. We are simply to obey.

The secret things belong to God. You can’t tell when God regenerates your heart. But when you exercise faith and repentance, you will have the assurance that God has regenerated your heart. It is like stepping into a doorway that says: You have found the door; step in, but when you step in, you see the sign written above. You have not found me. I have found you.

c. Our third application is to pray for repentance. We don’t have time to elaborate on this point, but suffice it to say that we must pray for the Holy Spirit to enable us to repent. Pray that you may know the power of the resurrection of Christ. Pray that you may not only have a form of godliness, but also know the power of the gospel. Pray that Christ may be magnified as you are brought to repent of your unbelief, your prayerlessness, your lack of love for Christ and His church, your lack of interest in spiritual things, your pride, your selfishness, your self-righteousness, your deceits, your inconsistencies, your idolatries and secret atheism.

May Christ be lifted up as you turn to Him for life so rich and free. Amen.

—JJ Lim