6/15/26

Imagine a man has pled guilty in court for robbing a bank. He threw himself on the mercy of the court and spoke to the judge before sentencing. I was completely wrong. I should never have done it. I will accept whatever punishment you see fit, and please know that I am sorry for what I did. I will never steal again. The judge recessed the court until the next day for sentencing. The man who has been free on bond goes home. During the night he drives to his local convenience store and robs it. As he is coming out of the store he is confronted by the police and arrested. The next day he is taken to court and the judge says, "I thought you were sorry for stealing." The man replies I am. I wish I had never done it and I won't do it again.

Is the man truly sorry for stealing? The answer is no. Anyone can see this. So should the judge show mercy on the man because he says he is sorry when it is evident that he is not?

He has shown that he will continue to steal.

Yet so many people come to Jesus and say something like. I am sorry I am a sinner. I want you to be my Lord and Savior and I will try not to sin anymore. Then they get up go out and sin. When God convicts them they say no Lord I didn't mean that I would stop this sin just others. Then when they sin in another way and their brothers and sisters in Christ call them out they say You are judging me.

When they die they will say Jesus I came and told you I didn't want to sin no more and I wanted you to be my Lord. He will respond. You lied about not wanting to sin and about wanting me to be your Lord.

We will all fail and sin again, but there must be conviction, repentance, and a reliance on the Lord to be your master and help you keep from sinning. Because if there is not then there was no true salvation. There must be true regret, remorse, sorrow, and repentance (turning away and striving not to return to sin) for there to be salvation.

Scripture says, Luke 3:3 NASB95 And he came into all the district around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

Baptism means complete immersion. John's Baptism was a symbol of completely washing away the sin. John came first to show that as the Holy Spirit convicts, you must have true repentance of your sin when you seek God. Not that you won't sin but a true desire not to sin. Then you come to Christ for His strength to help you not to sin.

If you come to him with no desire to be free from your sin then you really don't want Jesus as Lord. Because as your Lord, He will guide you away from sin.

He won't be your Savior if He isn't your Lord.

Acts 2:38 NASB95 Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 3:19 NASB95 “Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord;

Jesus said in Luke 13:3 NASB95 “I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.

And again in Luke 13:5 NASB95 “I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”

You must repent to have Jesus as Lord and He must be your Lord for salvation.

John came to prepare the way. Luke 3:3 NASB95 And he came into all the district around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

Love Bro. Scott