I’m not an erudite [educated] man, but I only have one message. Repent. That’s it. Now I can sit down.
– Ray Greenley –
Repentance
Price of Revival – Roy Hession
We sometimes talk about the price of revival, and we need to be very careful as to what we mean when we speak like this. We may place that price so high that we put revival right beyond the reach of the ordinary run of mortals. Maybe that is our way of attempting to justify God, that He has not yet, apparently, given the revival His people need. … There is without doubt a price to be paid for revival, but it is not of necessity the long nights of prayer or excruciating sacrifices, but of simply humbling pride to repent of sin.
– Roy Hession –
Revival of Spiritual Life – Andrew Murray
There is need of a great revival of spiritual life, of truly fervent devotion to our Lord Jesus, of entire consecration to His service. It is only in a church in which this spirit of revival has at least begun, that there is any hope of radical change …
– Andrew Murray –
God be merciful to me – William Tiptaft
Have you ever stood on the same plot of ground with the publican, crying — God be merciful to me a sinner?
– William Tiptaft –
Do you mourn over or repent of your sin? – Matthew Henry
Many mourn for their sins that do not truly repent of them, weep bitterly for them, and yet continue in love and league with them.
– Matthew Henry –
Nature of True Repentance – JC Ryle
The nature of true repentance is clearly and unmistakably laid down in holy Scripture. It begins with knowledge of sin. It goes on to work sorrow for sin. It leads to confession of sin before God. It shows itself before man by a thorough breaking off from sin. It results in producing a habit of deep hatred for all sin. Above all, it is inseparably connected with lively faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Repentance like this is the characteristic of all true Christians.
– JC Ryle –
from Expository Thoughts on the Gospels, 1856
The Foundation to Christianity – JC Ryle
“Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.” Luke 13:5
The truth here asserted, is one of the foundations of Christianity. “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). All of us are born in sin. We are fond of sin, and are naturally unfit for friendship with God. Two things are absolutely necessary to the salvation of every one of us. We must repent, and we must believe the Gospel. Without repentance towards God, and faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ, no one can be saved.
– JC Ryle –
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels, 1856
Repentance Needs Sorrow – Thomas Watson
A woman may as well expect to have a child without pangs as one can have repentance without sorrow. He that can believe without doubting, suspect his faith; and he that can repent without sorrowing, suspect his repentance.
– Thomas Watson –
from The Doctrine of Repentance, 1668
Repenting and Humbling Ourselves – JC Ryle
If we have already repented in time past, let us go on repenting to the end of our lives. There will always be sins to confess and infirmities to deplore, so long as we are in the body. Let us repent more deeply, and humble ourselves more thoroughly, every year. Let every returning birthday find us hating sin more, and loving Christ more. He was a wise old saint who said, “I hope to carry my repentance to the very gate of heaven.”
– JC Ryle –
from Expository Thoughts on the Gospels (Luke 13:1-5)