Fruit of Repentance God’s Attitude Toward the Repentant

 

Fruit of Repentance

God’s Attitude Toward the Repentant

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”   John 3:16-17

God sacrificed His own Son

What greater sign is there for us of His loving kindness

If we anger God and we repent

 God will show us mercy and loving kindness 

 

God’s Attitude Toward the Repentant

  

Being a parent is not easy.

 

There are emotional extremes

that come with parenting.

 

There is a love that is almost inescapable.

 

There are times when it seems all that love

is forgotten when a son or daughter breaks

your heart by an act of rebellion.

 

For the son or daughter to do something

that breaks a parent’s heart…

 

It is an emotion of fear that leads to hiding

or covering up the wrong doing.

 

Good parents can get very angry and

full of hate, but never lose their love.

 

It is a place of emotional

extremes for the parent.

 

These emotional extremes are

also true of the son or daughter.

 

Our God has emotional extremes over us…

 

In a surge of anger I hid my face from you for a moment,

but with everlasting kindness I will have compassion on you,"

says the LORD your Redeemer.

Isaiah 54:8

 

Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God:

sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you,

provided that you continue in his kindness.

Otherwise, you also will be cut off.

Romans 11:22

 

It is God’s loving kindness that gives us hope.

 

A son or daughter who goes astray will

have a hard time returning to their parents…

 

Unless they know there is loving

kindness in the parent’s heart.

 

Look at God’s heart toward the sinner.

 

God’s Kindness…

 

Or do you show contempt for the riches

of his kindness, tolerance and patience,

not realizing that God's kindness

leads you toward repentance?

Romans 2:4

 

God’s Patience…

 

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise,

as some understand slowness.

He is patient with you,

not wanting anyone to perish,

but everyone to come to repentance.

2 Peter 3:9

 

God’s Loving Kindness…

 

Thy mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens;

 and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds.

Thy righteousness is like the great mountains;

thy judgments are a great deep:

O LORD, thou preservest man and beast.

How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God!

 therefore the children of men put their

trust under the shadow of thy wings.

Psalms 36:5-7 KJV

 

God’s “checed” the Hebrew word

meaning kindness, favor, merciful.

 

O give thanks unto the LORD;

for he is good:

for his mercy endureth forever.

Psalms 136:1 KJV

 

These words…

 

 “His checed endures forever”

is repeated 26 times in Psalms 136.

 

No matter how grievous your sin

might be, God’s mercy endures forever.

 

Because of the LORD's great love,

 mercies we are not consumed,

for his compassions never fail.

They are new every morning;

great is your faithfulness.

 Lamentations 3:22

 

You and I have hope because our God

is full of mercy to those who

cry out in repentance for mercy.

 

We, in the same way, must find

it in ourselves to have mercy…

 

Loving kindness to those who cry

out in repentance for mercy.

 

We do not know if the repentant will continue
on the path of repentance, yet we are to forgive…

 

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked,

 "Lord, how many times shall I forgive

my brother when he sins against me?

Up to seven times?"

Jesus answered,

"I tell you, not seven times,

but seventy-seven times.

Matthew 18:21-22

 

Our God would not ask us to

do what He is not willing to do…

  

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise,

as some understand slowness.

He is patient with you,

 not wanting anyone to perish,

but everyone to come to repentance.

2 Peter 3:9

 

John 3 gives us great hope…

 

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,

that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,

but to save the world through him.”

 John 3:16-17

 

God sacrificed His own Son.

 

What greater sign is there

for us of His loving kindness.

 

If we anger God and we repent…

 

 God will show us mercy

and loving kindness. 

 

 

Scripture Reading

 

John 3:16-21 NIV

 

16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.   19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God."