Text: "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God," (I Corinthians 6:9,10)

If you believe they are Christians and are soundly converted who continue to live in utter disregard of God’s will, you believe a lie! All who continue to root after carnality abide with a heart that remains unchanged. Such people have no place in the kingdom of God. They many have struggled on the side of Right, and may have in part reformed their conduct. They may now appear to be moral, and respectable. They may even be held in high repute by the Christian community, and yet they may never have repented of sins.

They may have blotted their sins from memory, and perhaps they are no longer conscious of their lingering guiltiness before God. Yet their danger is imminent, and "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God."

The Lord Jesus Christ warned, "Repent, or perish," but there are several kinds of Repentance. When a person begins to practice sin, before his conscience is "seared with a hot iron" by his frequent sinning, he may "feel bad" for having committed such deeds, yet he returns to sin again and again. King Herod "was sorry" when he rashly uttered his oath promising to give Salome the dancer the desire of her heart, and she requested the head of John the Baptist. Nevertheless, he granted her wish. Natural Repentance is not Godly Repentance; neither does it evidence the saving work of God.

A person may blubber "I am sorry" when he is fearful of punishment. King Ahab turned his head while Naboth was murdered, but when Elijah exposed his guiltiness, Ahab tore his clothes, fasted, lay in sackcloth, and "went softly," but still he continued his sinful course. God said, "Rend your hearts and not your garments." (Joel 2:13) And Pharaoh confessed "I have sinned" but he continued to curse God and menace Moses. How many people there are who in order to please their pastor, their family, their friend, have "walked the aisle," and "asked Jesus to come into their heart." Yet they return to their sinful course as before. Legal Repentance is born in adversity, and is the product of the fear of punishment, but it too is selfish and not Godly in nature.

Godly Repentance is mixed with faith in the completed sacrifice of Christ on the cross. It produces changes in emotions, in the mind and in the desires. It results in the individual being "born again," and makes him a "new creature." Before Godly Repentance a person is rebellious to God and to His Law: afterwards the person is filled with sorrow and shame. His rebellion is displaced with a love for and a submission to the will of God. Now he senses he was utterly helpless and his condition was terminally hopeless unless the Lord did all for him.

His mind is changed; and as it is "God which worketh in (him) both to will and to do of His good pleasure", so he prays thanking Him for taking away his heart of stone, and for giving to him a heart of flesh.

His desires are changed. Instead of continuing his rebellion before God, the Christian man is made teachable. He "ceases to do evil: and he "learns to do well." He now sorrows he ever committed sin, and with Tertullian he exclaims, ""I was born for nothing but Repentance."

Godly Repentance always results in walking a different way.

A profession of faith which lacks remorse for sin is only a mental decision; so a profession of faith which results in no change of life is only n emotional decision.

Reader, has God ever stilled the sea of rebellion in your heart? Has He ever humbled your arrogance, and given you sorrow in place of rebellion? Has He ever caused you to sense such hopelessness that your cried out "Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me and I shall be saved?" Has God ever wrought in you a changed life? Or do you continue to work iniquity? Has God ever given you a desire to be saved? Then look to Him --He is the Saviour --and be saved.

Godly Repentance consists of ceasing to practice evil, and learning to practice what is good and right. No one repents in the Biblical sense who fails in either the negative or in the positive part. Such a person is at best "almost persuaded" to be a Christian.

A person refuses to repent and is finally damned because he never "ceases to do evil." Instead, of confessing and forsaking his sins for the love of the Lord Jesus Christ, he excuses them by reducing their wickedness. Like the whorish woman he wipes his mouth and says. "I have done no wickedness."

Some people excuse their sins on account of the universality of evil: "Everyone else is doing it;" and others attempt to excuse themselves with the fact they are born in sin and are the sin-ridden children of sinful parents. They never bring a contrite heart to the Lord. The Scripture declares, however, "The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and sayeth such as be of a contrite spirit." (Psalm 34:18)

Still other people excuse their sins by blaming their constitution. "I am just weak." or, "It’s only natural." Thus they do not repent. Others lay the blame of their sins on their circumstances. "You haven’t been through what I’ve been through." or, "When you are as old as I am ..." And with such excuses as these, people attempt to cover their villainy.

Such people are far from repenting of their sins, by their excuses they are only pleading for more time to sin. They may attempt to cut down on them but they want more time to indulge them. They have not fled to the Saviour for deliverance from them. Instead they may have actually closed their eyes and stopped their ears to warnings. By now they may call evil "good" and good "evil."

The Word of God may now appear to them to be "old-fashioned", and they may now accuse the people of God of being "hypocrites." Who could catalog the various and sundry names the ungodly have affixed to faithful preachers of righteousness! Do they think that by casting such detracting slurs against them who have confessed and forsaken their sins that they can justify themselves before the All-Wise God?

Such people still cherish their sins. They embrace them because they love them. Until Almighty God is pleased to awaken them to His grace they will remain in the stupor of death, on the brink of Hell.

Reader, has God been pleased to reveal to you your filthiness? Has He pointed out to you your birthplace in the dunghill of Adam’s sin? Then "Awake, thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light." (Ephesians 5:14)

Have you ever learned to do well? Have you learned to assemble yourself with them of like precious faith? Is public worship a delight to you? Do you have a Saviour to adore? Do you have brethren to encourage? Do you gladly undertake the service of the Lord? Is Heaven familiar with your voice in prayer? Does your voice ring out in praise and thanksgiving to God? Do you delight yourself in the Book of God? Do you hunger and thirst after righteousness? Do you truly believe God dwelled here to suffer, bleed and die to wash away your filth and pollution? And, if you have not believed, can you now cry out with the centurion of old, "Lord, I believe!"

The world system writhes in hatred at the mere mention of the doctrine of Repentance. In its zeal to deify man it has humanized God. The gospel of Humanism allows no Repentance, but offers Legislation, Rehabilitation, Education, and if all else fails, Persecution as alternatives.

Legislation is offered as a means to change a man’s principles. Through legislation sin may be "legitimized" and thus, it is argued, the guilt associated with it will be removed. By changing the social stigma associated with sin, people will not feel the need to repent. Yet the God of Heaven and earth warns that unless a person repents, he will perish. Either He or they are correct.

Rehabilitation is offered in an attempt to change a person’s will, or desires. Yet while the wolf may be "re-clothed" in sheepskin, the heart of a wolf is within. What good is it ultimately to alter a man’s will while leaving his heart depraved, and still impenitent?

Humanism offers education as a third alternative to Repentance. Through education, which amounts to "re-education," the world system would alter a man’s understanding. If children are taught all about sex, we are told they will be more prone to avoid it outside the lawful bounds of marriage. Psychologists, void of the knowledge of God, tell us young people commit fornication because they are forbidden the bed until marriage. At the heart of such outrageous reasoning is the belief in the inherent goodness of man. Socrates taught man was basically good, that if he knew right and wrong, he would naturally do right. The Word of God entertains no such notion, but teaches the total depravity of man.

When a person fails to respond to legislation, allowing man-made laws to change his principles; when he fails to respond to rehabilitation, allowing his will to be changed; and when he spurns such education as would alter his understanding, Humanism offers its "trump card" --Persecution, the purpose of which is to change a man’s conscience.

Nevertheless, the Word of God "standeth fast" that "except ye repent, ye shall perish." "Repent, therefore, of this thy wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee." (Acts 8:22) The eternal God has commanded all men everywhere to repent. Therefore, no society can remove the need for Repentance. The most it can attempt is to harden a person in his depravity and muffle his guilty conscience.

The Apostle Paul names seven fruits of Repentance in II Corinthians 7:9-11. First, the man who has truly repented of sins will evidence carefulness on account of his soul. The Holy Spirit works in the hearts of all who are truly the sons of God and makes sin loathsome to them. The penitent comes to see the "exceeding sinfulness" of sin, and is therefore full of care to avoid contamination by this "plague of plagues."

Second, Godly Repentance is evidenced by a "clearing" of himself, making restitution where possible. Restitution is an attempt to rectify wrong, and is a necessary result of Biblical Repentance. No thief can rest in the knowledge of God’s forgiveness so long as he retains stolen property.

A third fruit of Godly Repentance is indignation toward sin, Satan and toward ourselves on account of our folly. This attitude is an indication God is at work in the heart.

Holy Fear issues from the heart of the true penitent. He fears himself, so puts no confidence in his heart. He is better taught than to trust his own ability. He fears sin because he fears his Heavenly Father. This "holy fear" results in watchfulness over the state of his soul.

Godly Repentance such as attests to salvation of the soul results in the thirst for sin being changed into a thirst for that which is right! There is an insatiable desire to satisfy this thirst. It results in a vehement desire sin had never been committed.

A Christian man is full of revenge against sin seeing it made necessary the suffering of the Lord of Glory of he was ever to have hole of entering Heaven. Is it any wonder then, the Christian man is zealous for his Lord?

Reader, have you ever repented of your sins? Or, Are you still numbered with the transgressors? Are you yet dwelling with them who are trying to rationalize their guilt and shame? Do you have a new heart? Do you sing a new song? Do you talk any differently? If not, then "Repent and be converted that your sins may he blotted out."

Text: "My kingdom is not of this world: if My kingdom were of this world, then would My servants fight, that I should not he delivered to the Jews: but now is My kingdom not from hence." (John 18:36)

In this chapter, the Apostle John gives account of the illegal arrest and the illegal trial of our Lord Jesus Christ. Yet while His followers were armed, they did not resist. We have no account they buried their weapons in caches waiting for the right time to revolt. We do not read they attempted to resist taxation, or that they attempted to lobby for legislation in Rome. Our Lord here explains their lack of action as He tells Pilate, "My kingdom is not of this world: if My kingdom were of this world, then would My servants fight."

The Kingdom of God is a spiritual and not a carnal or temporary kingdom. It is not of this world. If it were secular in nature, the servants of Christ would employ secular methods and would resist with force. It is, however, a Divine kingdom. Christ is the King: yet it is not such a kingdom that is any way threatening to the governments of earth. Secular methods are employed by secular institutions.

The Kingdom of God is a Heavenly kingdom that Jesus said is "within you." It is not made up by elections, or successions. It is not maintained or advanced by war. It is made up of them who "hear" or harken unto the voice of the Son of God. They are the citizens of Heaven. This kingdom is not "meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost." (Romans 14:17)Even the riches of this kingdom are spiritual.

The Kingdom of God is not of this world. Therefore, its nature is not worldly. Its weapons are not carnal, but "mighty through God to the pulling down of strong-holds; casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ." It does not need, nor can it use secular measures. Its designs are not of this world. The Lord Jesus did not allow His disciples to aim at the splendor and power of the lords of earth but told them, "Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; and whosoever will be chief among you, let him he your servant: even as the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a Ransom for many." (Matthew 20:25, 26)

The subjects of this kingdom are not of this world. They are called and chosen out of the world. They are born from and bound for another world. Matthew Henry summed it up well when he said, "They are not the world’s pupils, nor its darlings, neither governed by its wisdom, nor enriched with its wealth."