Chapter Ii: The Causes Of Repentance
repentance for all sins. While God requires repentance for known sins, He also accepts a general repentance for those sins that may be unknown.
To proceed further, the conversion of a sinner through repentance consists of three parts. Firstly, there is a purpose and determination in the mind. Secondly, there is a change in the will and affections, inclining towards righteousness. Thirdly, there is a practical effort in one's life and conduct to forsake and abandon all former sins, while actively engaging in obedience to God's commandments.
Lastly, it is essential for this repentance to produce fruits that demonstrate a genuine change in one's life. It is through these fruits that the sincerity of repentance is made evident. Repentant sinners are like trees of righteousness, planted by God Himself. They are nourished by the waters that flow from the sanctuary, and therefore, they are expected to bear fruit that can provide sustenance and leaves that can bring healing. Otherwise, the judgment of God's axe will be aimed at their roots, ready to uproot them entirely.
CHAPTER II:
THE CAUSES OF REPENTANCE
The primary cause of repentance is the Spirit of God, as stated by Paul, who instructs those who are opposed, with gentleness, in the hope that God may grant them repentance. Jeremiah also expresses this when he says, "Turn me, and I shall be turned."
The instrument used by the Holy Spirit in working repentance is solely the ministry of the Gospel, not the Law. Here are the reasons for this assertion: Firstly, faith is generated through the preaching of
the Gospel, not the Law. As Paul states, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes." Therefore, since repentance follows faith as its fruit, it must necessarily come through the preaching of the Gospel alone.
Secondly, the Law serves as the ministry of death and condemnation.
While it reveals a person's wretched condition, it does not offer a remedy. Thus, it cannot be an instrumental cause of repentance that leads to salvation. Thirdly, the doctrine of repentance is a part of the Gospel. This is evident in the fact that the preaching of repentance and the preaching of the Gospel are used interchangeably. Moreover, our Savior Jesus Christ divides the Gospel into two parts: the preaching of repentance and the forgiveness of sins in His name.
Fourthly, the part of the Word that produces repentance must reveal its nature and present the promise of life that accompanies it.
However, the Law does not reveal faith or repentance; these are distinct works of the Gospel. If it is argued that the Law serves as a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ, the response is that it brings people to Christ not by teaching the way or enticing them, but by compelling and urging them.
We do not abolish the Law by attributing the work of repentance solely to the Gospel. Although the Law is not a cause, it does serve as an occasion for true repentance. It reveals to the soul's eye our condemned state and strikes the conscience with sorrowful terrors and fears. While these terrors and fears are not signs of grace themselves (as they are, by nature, the very gates and descent into the pit of hell), they do provide certain opportunities for receiving grace. Sometimes, a physician is compelled to restore a patient's health by subjecting them to bouts of fever. Similarly, because humanity is gravely ill with the disease of sin, individuals must experience episodes of legal terrors through the ministry of the Law.
This is done so that they may regain their former state and attain eternal life.
Furthermore, repentance is often facilitated by calamities. When Joseph's brothers were in distress in Egypt, they acknowledged their