The Pursuit of Genuine Repentance

"As the men go, so the local church goes."

God has put in every Christian a desire to change, a desire to grow in holiness, a desire to mature in character, a desire to be ever increasingly conformed to the image of Jesus Christ.  Yet, many men are asking, "Why am I not growing in the battle against lust, anger, laziness, greed, pride, selfishness? One reason we make minimal change and lack enduring change is because oftentimes our repentance is superficial.

A genuine and authentic repentance is an internal change of heart motivated by the grace of God, where the gospel grips our soul and changes our desires from the inside.  Then we begin to act in a different manner because we are different on the inside.

"Christ, and Christ alone, is the source and strength of genuine repentance.  Without coming to him, and without viewing him as our mediator, high priest, deliverer and substitute, our repentance and our change will be short-lived."

Craig Cabaniss has served as a pastor with Sovereign Grace Ministries for many years in California.  He presently serves as the senior pastor of the newly-planted Grace Church in the Dallas metroplex area.  This message was delivered at the November 2007 Western Regional Men's Conference of Sovereign Grace Ministries.