Wednesday, May 17, 2006
The doctrine of repentance by Thomas Watson
Confession must be voluntary
It must come as water out of a spring, freely. The confession of the wicked is extorted, like the confession upon a rack. When the spark of God's wrath flies into their conscience, or they fear death, then they will fall to their confessions. Balaam, when he saw the angel's naked sword, could say, 'I have sinned'(Numbers 22:34). But true confession drops from the lips as myrrh from the tree or honey from the comb, freely. 'I have sinned against heaven, and before thee'(Luke 15:18): the prodigal charged himself with sin before his father charged him with it.
Confession must be with compunction
The heart must deeply resent it. A natural man's confessions run through him as water runs through a pipe. They do not affect him. But true confession leaves heartwounding impressions on a man. David's soul was burdened in the confession of his sins: 'as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me' (Psalm 38:4). It is one thing to confess sin and another thing to feel sin.
p 29
Repentance is one word that is not used in the church like it used to be. Today people want to say sins are just faults. But sin was hated by God that for us to be able to be freed from the debt of sin, Jesus had to die for us. The church needs to get back to the teaching on the need of repentance.
It must come as water out of a spring, freely. The confession of the wicked is extorted, like the confession upon a rack. When the spark of God's wrath flies into their conscience, or they fear death, then they will fall to their confessions. Balaam, when he saw the angel's naked sword, could say, 'I have sinned'(Numbers 22:34). But true confession drops from the lips as myrrh from the tree or honey from the comb, freely. 'I have sinned against heaven, and before thee'(Luke 15:18): the prodigal charged himself with sin before his father charged him with it.
Confession must be with compunction
The heart must deeply resent it. A natural man's confessions run through him as water runs through a pipe. They do not affect him. But true confession leaves heartwounding impressions on a man. David's soul was burdened in the confession of his sins: 'as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me' (Psalm 38:4). It is one thing to confess sin and another thing to feel sin.
p 29
Repentance is one word that is not used in the church like it used to be. Today people want to say sins are just faults. But sin was hated by God that for us to be able to be freed from the debt of sin, Jesus had to die for us. The church needs to get back to the teaching on the need of repentance.
