True Repentance - Sermon Blog
Let’s be honest, we all love grace. We all need grace.
But if we’re not careful, we can misunderstand grace in ways that are spiritually dangerous. So today, let’s talk about grace, sorrow, and repentance and how they actually work together in the life of a follower of Jesus.
What Grace Really Is (and Isn’t)
Grace is one of the most powerful truths in the Bible. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 12:9:
“My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.”
Grace is unearned favor. You can’t work for it. You don’t deserve it. It’s a gift of God through Jesus. Without it, none of us would have access to God.
But here’s the problem: many people misunderstand grace.
Some treat grace like hellfire insurance, a “get out of hell free card” that requires no change. Others treat it like a leash dragging God along into sinful patterns and expecting Him to just “cover it.”
Both are distortions of biblical grace.
Grace is not fragile. It’s not cheap. And it’s not permission to stay the same. Grace is powerful enough to cover every sin—but it also empowers us to turn from sin.
Grace and Repentance Go Together
Here’s where we get confused:
Sorrow is the feeling of regret or sadness when we sin.
Repentance is not just saying “I’m sorry.” It’s making an intentional choice to change direction.
Repentance literally means to turn around. To recognize, “I’m walking the wrong way,” and then to turn and walk toward God.
That’s why Paul says in Romans 6:1–2:
“Should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it?”
True grace doesn’t just forgive sin, it empowers us to walk away from it.
The Danger of False Grace
We live in a world where two extremes exist:
Hellfire and brimstone: where everything was sin and there was little grace.
False grace: where everything is grace and nothing requires change.
Both are wrong.
False grace is dangerous because it gives people a false assurance of salvation. It says, “God loves me, so I don’t need to change.” But the Bible is clear: when you truly encounter Jesus, your life cannot stay the same.
Grace isn’t a leash to drag God into your lifestyle. It’s a lifeline God throws to pull you out of the water.
Godly Sorrow vs. Worldly Sorrow
Paul explains the difference in 2 Corinthians 7:10:
“Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.”
Worldly sorrow says, “I feel bad, but I’m not changing.”
Godly sorrow says, “I feel the weight of my sin and I’m turning from it.”
Repentance isn’t crying in church. It’s not an apology without action. True repentance is sorrow plus a changed life.
Throwing Off the Old and Putting On the New
Ephesians 4:22–24 makes it practical:
Throw off your old sinful nature.
Put on your new nature, created to be like God truly righteous and holy.
It’s not just about removing sin it’s about replacing it with godly habits. Stop lying, start telling the truth. Stop tearing people down, start encouraging. Stop practicing sin, start practicing Christlikeness.
Grace doesn’t just cover your past. It empowers your present.
Grace Is a Lifeline, Not a Leash
Here’s the illustration I gave in church:
Imagine falling overboard into the middle of the ocean. You’re drowning, with no way to save yourself. Then someone throws you a lifeline. That rope saves your life.
That’s what grace does.
But too many people treat grace like a leash, dragging God around wherever they want to go. “God, bless my life the way it is. Don’t expect me to change.”
That’s not grace. That’s deception.
Grace is not God following me into sin. Grace is God rescuing me out of it.
The Call of Jesus
Remember the woman caught in adultery (John 8)? Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Now go and sin no more.”
Grace and repentance side by side. Forgiveness and transformation together.
Jesus saves you as you are but He doesn’t leave you as you are.
Final Word
True grace is powerful. True grace saves. True grace transforms.
Grace without repentance is false grace.
Sorrow without change is empty.
Repentance without grace is impossible.
But together, grace, godly sorrow, and repentance, lead to freedom.
So here’s the invitation: stop treating grace like a leash. Grab hold of it as the lifeline it is. And let Jesus pull you into the life He’s always had for you.
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