The Lord Is Gracious To me

The gracious to us in Christ and through Christ, because He wills it in His will.  The Lord is full of compassion, gracious, long-suffering and plenteous in mercy and truth.  He is graciousness itself according to His tender mercies. (Psalm 86:15, But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, long suffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth).

The Lord's Faithfulness

The Triune Lord is faithful to His people:

Psalm 36:5
Thy mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens; and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds.
 

Psalm 40:10
I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the great congregation.
 

Psalm 88:11
Shall thy lovingkindness be declared in the grave? or thy faithfulness in destruction?
 

Psalm 89:1
I will sing of the mercies of the LORD for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations.

Psalm 89:2
For I have said, Mercy shall be built up for ever: thy faithfulness shalt thou establish in the very heavens.

Psalm 89:5
And the heavens shall praise thy wonders, O LORD: thy faithfulness also in the congregation of the saints.

Psalm 89:8
O LORD God of hosts, who is a strong LORD like unto thee? or to thy faithfulness round about thee?
 

Psalm 89:24
But my faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him: and in my name shall his horn be exalted.
 

Psalm 89:33
Nevertheless my lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail.
 

Psalm 92:2
To shew forth thy lovingkindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night,
 

Psalm 119:75
I know, O LORD, that thy judgments are right, and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me.
 

Psalm 119:90
Thy faithfulness is unto all generations: thou hast established the earth, and it abideth.

Psalm 143:1
Hear my prayer, O LORD, give ear to my supplications: in thy faithfulness answer me, and in thy righteousness.
 

Isaiah 25:1
O Lord, thou art my God; I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things; thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth.

Lamentations 3:23
They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

We Are Called to Repentance

(Psalm 51:1, “Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions”).

We must repent of our sins because God calls us to repentance.  The born again person has the gift of faithful repentance.  In our own prison of life we must learn our failures and sins so we can repent.  Life fades away like a vapor but God’s faithfulness is a foundation of a hope and care.  He is faithful to forgive us of our sins.  Is it your testimony this evening that you have repented of your sins?  I hope in God’s providence He has given you the light to behold His awesome lovingkindnesses.  No matter what you have done God can forgive His people, and He surely does forgive.  He is filled with kindness and compassion.  Will you not turn to the living Triune Godhead and ask for forgiveness of your daily sins?  No matter how often you offend Him He is ready to forgive, but we must use His moral law as a way to live good lives of obedience.  I pray this evening you will turn to God in faithful repentance and continue to learn about His wonderful truth.  Best wishes to you.

God is faithful (Deuteronomy 7:9, “Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations”). 

God is a God who forgives our sins, (1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness”). 

Redeem the time:

Matthew 3:8
Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:

We ought to repent everyday:

Matthew 3:11
I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance. but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:

Sinners are called to repentance: 

Matthew 9:13
But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

We must preach repentance:

Mark 1:4
John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.

God does not call the righteous but sinners to a confession of sin:

Mark 2:17
When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Repentance is unto remission:

Luke 3:3
And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins;

We ought to have deeds worthy of the Gospel:

Luke 3:8
Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.

We must repent rebelliously:

Luke 5:32
I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Repentance is joy in heaven:

Luke 15:7
I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.

Repentance is to be proclaimed throughout the whole world:

Luke 24:47
And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

Repentance is for God’s people:

Acts 5:31
Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.

All elect sinners are granted repentance unto life:

Acts 11:18
When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.

Our baptism means we have repentance and seek to live worthy of the Gospel:

Acts 13:24
When John had first preached before his coming the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.

Repentance is to Christ Himself:

Acts 19:4
Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.

Repentance is for forgiveness of sin in spiritual salvation:

Acts 20:21
Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.
 

We must turn to God for repentance:

Acts 26:20
But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.

God’s goodness leads us to repentance:

Romans 2:4
Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

God forgives without repenting of His forgiveness of us:

Romans 11:29
For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.
 

There is a godly sorrow that leads to repentance: 

2 Corinthians 7:9
Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing.

Godly sorrow is a good thing unto repentance:

2 Corinthians 7:10
For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.

Let no one tell you that you are without forgiveness if you repent:

2 Timothy 2:25
In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;

Once we repent it is done:

Hebrews 6:1
Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,
 

We must repent of intentional sin if we continue in the race:

Hebrews 6:6
If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.

The non-elect cannot repent, but it means an offense against God:

Hebrews 12:17
For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.

All the elect will repent of their sins:

2 Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

(Psalm 40:10, “I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the great congregation”).

A Short Refutation of Harold Camping

We call Family Radio to a faithful repentance and submission to the Lord Most High; that is, the teaching of the end of the church age is false.  (Hebrews 10:25, ”not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near”).
 
We call them to repent on the teaching of Modalism denies the distinctions within the Godhead; that is, the Bible teaches Three distinct Persons in one essence.  (Matthew 28:19-20, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen”).

We call them to repent on the teaching of May 21 as Judgment Day, because no man knows the day or hour of this event.  (Matthew 24:36, “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only).

We say these things in a loving grace to see our brothers and sisters restored to fellowship in the repentance of Mr. Harold Camping’s teachings.  (1 Corinthians 1:9, “God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord”).

(Revelation 18:4, "And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues").

Sincerely in Christ,

Michael Petillo ThD