Today I will cover the Promises to the Penitent as I have already looked at the Duty of the Penitent and To the Penitent. This is Penitent is not the same as the first one covered which we will soon see. But first things first a look at Pastor Hoekstra's writing on Grace and Spiritual Fruit. And has become my norm I will again use from my e-Sword program the ESV translation.
"Once More on Grace and Spiritual Fruit"
"He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit . . . the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering . . . .Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ," (John 15:5, Galatians 5:22-23 and Philippians 1:11)
As the Holy Spirit works the Grace of GOD in our hearts, the various aspects of spiritual fruit are manifested through us. "The Fruit of the Spirit is . . . kindness." Kindness is moral goodness and integrity conveyed toward others. It includes showing concern and consideration to people, desiring not to offend them. "Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another" (Ephesians 4:31-32).
"The Fruit of the Spirit is . . . goodness." Goodness is quite similar to the preceding term, kindness. The additional perspectives contained in goodness would be acts of generosity and beneficence. This somewhat repetitious concept indicates the high priority that GOD places upon our treatment of others.
"The Fruit of the Spirit is . . . faithfulness." Faithfulness embodies responsibility and loyalty. It also comprises reliability and consistency. "Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful" (1Corinthians 4:2).
"The Fruit of the Spirit is . . . gentleness." Gentleness is explained by such terms as meekness and lowliness. Such quality of character takes on special significance when we recall these words of Jesus. "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls" (Matthew 11:29).
"The Fruit of the Spirit is . . . self-control." Self-control is a fascinating subject, because it is not what it seems to be at first. Natural human thinking would assume it refers to self keeping self under control. Such a description would have to be listed under the previous verses pertaining to "the works of the flesh" (Galatians 5:19). Here, it describes the Spirit of GOD maintaining control over our lives.
When we reflect upon the Fruit of the Spirit, the character of Christ typically comes to mind. This is appropriate, since Godly Fruit comes to us through the presence of Christ Jesus in our lives. "Being filled with the Fruits of Righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of GOD." When we depend upon the Holy Spirit, He imparts the very Life of Jesus, our true Vine, into and through our experience. The character of Christ is then seen in us. Consequently, all glory and praise goes to GOD!"
To the true Penitent come these Promises:
1Samuel 7:3-4 "Samuel said to all the house of Israel, "If you are returning to the LORD with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you and direct your heart to the LORD and serve Him only, and He Will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines." So the people of Israel put away the Baals and the Ashtaroth, and they served the LORD only."
Answer to Prayer:
2Chronicles 7:12-18 and Nehemiah 1:9 "Then the LORD appeared to Solomon in the night and said to him: "I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice. When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people, if My people who are called by My name humble themselves, and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I Will hear from heaven and Will forgive their sin and heal their land. Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to the prayer that is made in this place. For now I have chosen and consecrated this house that My name may be there forever. My eyes and My heart will be there for all time. And as for you, if you will walk before Me as David your father walked, doing according to all that I have commanded you and keeping My statutes and My rules, then I Will establish your royal throne, as I covenanted with David your father, saying, 'You shall not lack a man to rule Israel.'
Nehemiah 1:4-10 "As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the GOD of Heaven. And I said, "O LORD GOD of Heaven, the great and awesome GOD Who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love HIM and keep His commandments, let Your ear be attentive and Your eyes open, to hear the prayer of Your servant that I now pray before You day and night for the people of Israel Your servants, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against You. Even I and my father's house have sinned. We have acted very corruptly against You and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, and the rules that You commanded Your servant Moses. Remember the word that You commanded Your servant Moses, saying, 'If you are unfaithful, I Will scatter you among the peoples, but if you Return to Me and keep My commandments and do them, though your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there I will gather them and bring them to the place that I have chosen, to make My name dwell there.' They are Your servants and Your people, whom You have Redeemed by Your great power and by Your strong hand."
Pardon, for Sin:
Isaiah 55:6-13 and Jeremiah 3;12, 31:9 "Seek the LORD while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him Return to the LORD, that He may have compassion on him, and to our GOD, for HE will abundantly pardon. For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts. "For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall My word be that goes out from My mouth; it shall not return to Me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. "For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress; instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle; and it shall make a name for the LORD, an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off."
Jeremiah 3:11-14, 31:7-9 "The LORD said to me, "Faithless Israel has shown herself more righteous than treacherous Judah. Go, and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, "'Return, faithless Israel, declares the LORD. I Will not look on you in anger, for I am merciful, declares the LORD; I Will not be angry forever. Only acknowledge your guilt, that you rebelled against the LORD your GOD and scattered your favors among foreigners under every green tree, and that you have not obeyed My voice, declares the LORD. Return, O faithless children, declares the LORD; for I am your Master; I Will take you, one from a city and two from a family, and I Will bring you to Zion.".............31:7-9 "For thus says the LORD: "Sing aloud with gladness for Jacob, and raise shouts for the chief of the nations; proclaim, give praise, and say, 'O LORD, save Your people, the remnant of Israel.' Behold, I will bring them from the north country and gather them from the farthest parts of the earth, among them the blind and the lame, the pregnant woman and she who is in labor, together; a great company, they shall return here. With weeping they shall come, and with pleas for mercy I Will lead them back, I Will make them walk by brooks of water, in a straight path in which they shall not stumble, for I am a Father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn."
Life:
Ezekiel 18:21-23, Zechariah 1:3 "But if a wicked person turns away from all his sins that he has committed and keeps all My statutes and does what is just and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die. None of the transgressions that he has committed shall be remembered against him; for the righteousness that he has done he shall live. Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the LORD GOD, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live?"
Zechariah 1:1-6 "In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came to the prophet Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, son of Iddo, saying, "The LORD was very angry with your fathers. Therefore say to them, Thus declares the LORD of Hosts: Return to Me, says the LORD of Hosts, and I Will return to you, says the LORD of Hosts. Do not be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets cried out, 'Thus says the LORD of Hosts, Return from your evil ways and from your evil deeds.' But they did not hear or pay attention to Me, declares the LORD. Your fathers, where are they? And the prophets, do they live forever? But My words and My statutes, which I commanded My servants the prophets, did they not overtake your fathers? So they repented and said, 'As the LORD of Hosts purposed to deal with us for our ways and deeds, so has He dealt with us.'"
Comfort:
Matthew 5:4, Luke 15:7 "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted."
Luke 15:3-7 "So Jesus told them this parable: "What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.' Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance."
The Gift of the Holy Spirit:
Acts 2:36, 37-42 "Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that GOD has made Him both LORD and Christ, this Jesus Whom you crucified."
Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?" And Peter said to them, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the Promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the LORD our GOD calls to Himself." And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, "Save yourselves from this crooked generation." So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls. And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers."
For the rest of the Promises relating to Penitence look at January 20th teaching.
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