Sermon Handout
- Acts 26:20
- Luke 17:3
True repentance is more than regret. It is a God-centered turning that produces fruit. False repentance wants relief from consequences without surrender to God.
Primary Texts
Text | KJV | NLT |
Acts 26:20 | “…that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.” | Repent; turn to God; prove repentance by the way you live. |
Luke 17:3 | “Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him.” | If another believer sins, rebuke; if there is repentance, forgive. |
Many apologies are not repentance. Some people regret getting caught, regret losing comfort, or regret consequences. Scripture calls for repentance that turns to God and bears fruit.
True Repentance Turns to God (Acts 26:20)
Paul summarized gospel preaching as repent, turn to God, and do works fitting repentance. The works do not save; they prove the turning is real. Compare Acts 3:19; Acts 20:21; 1 Thessalonians 1:9.
True Repentance Repairs Relationships (Luke 17:3)
When a brother sins, love does not ignore it. Jesus commands rebuke. When he repents, love does not keep punishing him. Jesus commands forgiveness. Compare Matthew
18:15; Ephesians 4:32; Colossians 3:13.
Key Definitions
Repent / repentance: Greek: metanoeō / metanoia. A change of mind, heart, judgment, and direction about sin and God that results in turning and fruit. Hebrew background:
shuv, to turn or return.
Turn / conversion: Greek: epistrephō. To turn back, return, or turn toward God. Acts 3:19 KJV =“beconverted”; ESV = “turn back”; NLT = “turn to God.”
Works meet for repentance: Acts 26:20. Works suitable to repentance; conduct that fits the claim. Fruit does not earn forgiveness; it confirms the root is real.
Rebuke: Luke 17:3. Greek: epitimaō. A direct, loving, Bible-based confrontation of sin with restoration as the goal.
Forgive: Greek: aphiēmi. To release, send away, cancel the personal debt.
Biblical forgiveness does not erase wisdom, consequences, restitution, or boundaries.
Walking Points
• False repentance says,“Iam sorry this hurt you.”
• True repentance says,“I have sinned, I am wrong, I turn from it, and I will work on not doing this again.”
• Acts 26:20 gives the gospel pattern: repent, turn to God, and do works fitting repentance. Luke 17:3 gives the relationship pattern: rebuke real sin; forgive when repentance occurs.