#truefruit

True repentance demands hatred of sin, confession to God, and restitution where possible. When Zacchaeus was converted to Christ, he vowed, "If I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold" (Luke 19:18).

A young man who had for years attended a Sunday school class in Pennsylvania yielded to a sudden temptation and stole the offering. Soon after this his family moved to the west coast, where he came to trust in Christ as his Savior. The first thing he did was return the money he had taken, with an apology and a plea for forgiveness. This was evidence of true repentance. An example of false repentance is found in the soliloquy of King Claudius in Hamlet. He is guilty of murdering his brother, the king of Denmark, in order to get the crown and his brother's wife for himself. His conscience plagues him, but he is unwilling to give up those things for which he committed the murder.

"My fault is past. But, O what form of prayer Can serve my turn? "Forgive me my foul murder"? That cannot be; since I am still possess'd Of those effects for which I did the murder - My crown, mine own ambition, and my queen. May one be pardon'd and retain the offence?"

"If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened," said the psalmist (Ps. 66:18). Here are a few questions it would do us all a world of good to ask ourselves: "Have I cheated my neighbor in any way? Is there restitution I should make that I have not made? Do I need to apologize and ask for forgiveness? Lord, teach me what I do not see."

True repentance has another fruit - a longing for victory over sin, a recognition of its ugliness, and a turning from sin to God "with full purpose of, and endeavor after, new obedience" (Westminster Shorter Catechism, Q. 87). But one absolutely essential fruit of true repentance is the knowledge that God is gracious; that we are saved by faith, not by works. Unless we determine to make a clean break with evil, we are not repenting. But unless our repentance is based on faith, we are trusting in self, not in God, to achieve the obedience God requires. On what are you basing your repentance today?