7.25.2016 Finney's DIRECTIONS TO SINNERS

WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED? acts 16.30

264  it is generally safe to tell a sinner to repent. generally. sometimes the Spirit of God seems not so much to direct the sinner's attention to his own sins as to some other thing. in the days of the apostles, people seem to have been agitated mainly be the question of whether Jesus was the true Messiah. the apostles therefore directed most of their instruction to proving that He was the Christ. whenever anxious sinners asked what they had to do, the apostles usually exhorted them to 'believe on the Lord Jesus Christ (acts 16.31)
they emphasized this point because this was where the Spirit of God was striving and this was the subject that especially stirred up the minds of the people. consequently, this would probably be the first thing a person would accept when he submitted to God. the big issue in those days was whether or not the Jew and the Gentile believed Jesus was the Son of God.

at other times, the Spirit of God deals with sinners regarding their own sins. sometimes He deals with them in regard to a particular duty, perhaps family prayer. the sinner will often argue the point with God, whether it is right for him to pray or whether he ought to pray in his family. i have known striking cases where the individual was struggling on this point and, as soon as he fell to his knees to
265  pray, he yielded his heart. this showed that the Spirit of God knew exactly where the hinge to his sinner's conversion was hidden.
words that used to be plain and easily understood have now become so perverted that they need to be explained to sinners or they will often convey a wrong impression to their minds. this is the case with the word repentance. many suppose that remorse or a sense of guilt is repentance. they hell is full of repentance because it is full of unutterable and eternal remorse.
others feel regret that they have sinned and they call that repenting. but they only regret their sin because of the consequences, not because they abhor sin. this is not repentance. others suppose that conviction of sin and strong fears of hell are repentance. others consider the regret of conscience as repentance. they say, 'i never do anything wrong without repenting and feeling sorry i did it'.

sinners must learn that all these things are not repentance. they are not only consistent with the utmost wickedness, but the Devil could also experience them all and still remain a devil. REPENTANCE IS A CHANGE OF MIND TOWARD GOD AND SIN. it is not only a change of views, but A CHANGE OF THE ULTIMATE PREFERENCE OR CHOICE OF THE SOUL AND OF ACTION.  it is a voluntary change and, consequently, involves a change of feeling and action toward God and sin. this is the same type of mind-change as when one changes interests. if we hear that a man has changed his mind in politics, everyone understands that he has changed his mind in politics, everyone understands that he has undergone a change in his views, feelings, and conduct. this is repentance on that subject. it is a change of mind, but not toward God. evangelical repentance is A CHANGE OF WILL, FEELING AND LIFE IN RESPECT TO GOD.

repentance always implies abhorrence of sin. it involves, of course, the love of God and the forsaking of sin. the sinner who truly repents does not feel the way sinners think they would feel when giving up their sins. impenitent sinners see religion this way: that if

266  they become christian they would have to stay away from pornography, drunkenness, gambling or other things they now enjoy. they think they could never enjoy themselves if they stopped doing all those things.
this is far from the truth. christianity does not make the believer unhappy by keeping him away from the sinful things he loved, because the believer has changed his opinion of those things. the unsaved do not seem to realize that the person who has repented has no desire for these things. he has given them up and turned his mind away from them. sinners feel it would be a continual sacrifice that would always make them unhappy. this is a great mistake.
i know there are some christians who would be very glad to return to their former practices. however, they feel constrained by the fear of losing their reputation. they can feel this way because they have not completely repented of their sins or perhaps they do not even hate sin. repentance always consists of a change of views and feelings.
if a person was truly converted, instead of choosing these things, he would turn away from them with loathing. instead of lusting after the luxuries of egypt and desiring to go into their former circles, parties and the like, they would find their highest pleasure in obeying God.

another must for sinners is to CONFESS AND FORSAKE  their SINS.  they must confess to God their sins against God and confess to men their sins against men. forsake them all. a man has NOT FORSAKEN  his sins UNTIL  HE HAS MADE AS MUCH REPARATION FOR THEM AS IS IN HIS POWER.
if he has stolen money or defrauded his neighbor of property, he does not forsake his sins by merely resolving not to steal anymore or to cheat again; HE MUST MAKE RESTITUTION TO THE EXTENT OF HIS POWER.
267  if he has slandered anyone, he does not forsake his sin by merely saying he will not do so again; he must make reparation. in like manner, if he has robbed od, as all sinners have, he must make restitution  as much as he can.
suppose a man made money while living in rebellion against God. he withheld his time, talents and service from God, lived and indulged in the bounties of God's providence. he has robbed God. if he were to die (thinking the money was only his) and leave his total fortune to his heirs, he would certainly be condemned to hell as a robber.
he has never made any satisfaction to God. with all his whining and pious talk, he has never confessed his sin to God, forsaken his sin or acknowledged himself as God's steward. if he refuses to hold the property in his possession as the steward of God, considering it as his won and as such giving it to his children, he says to God in effect, 'that property is not Yours; it is mine and i will give it to my children'.  he has continued in his sin because he does not relinquish the ownership of what he has stolen from God.
what would a merchant think if his clerk took the capital, set up a store of his won and died with it in his hands? would this man go to heaven? 'no, you say. 'God would prove Himself unjust to let such a character go unpunished'. what, then, do we say of the man who robbed God all of his life?

God sent this man to be His clerk and to manage some of His affairs. but this man has stolen all the money, claiming it as his. at his death he left it to his children, as if it were all his won lawful property. has that man forsaken sin? no! IF HE HAS NOT SURRENDERED HIMSELF AND ALL HE HAS TO GOD, HE HAS NOT EVEN TAKEN THE FIRST STEP ON THE WAY TO HEAVEN.

sometimes sinners imagine they must wait for different feelings before they submit to God. they say, 'I do not think I feel right enough yet to accept Christ'. they need to be told that God requires them to will right.  if they obey and submit with the will, the feelings will adjust themselves in due time. it is not a question of feeling, but of willing and acting.
feelings are involuntary and have no moral character except what they derive from the action of the will, with which action they sympathize. therefore, correct feelings only follow correction in the will.

the sinner should come to Christ by accepting Him immediately. he must not do this in obedience to his feelings, but in obedience to his conscience. OBEY, SUBMIT, TRUST.  give up all instantly and yoiur feelings will follow correctly. do not wait for better feelings, but COMMIT YOUR WHOLE BEING TO GOD AT ONCE.  this will soon result in the feelings for which you are waiting. od requiers the present act of your mind, turning form sin to holiness and feom the service of satan to the service of the living God.