Matthew 4:17 “From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Luke 5:31 “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” Luke 13:3,5 “…except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish.” These verses are ample enough evidence in scripture to say that it is necessary for conversion for one to repent. When was the last time you heard the gospel presented from the pulpit about repentance in terms that our Lord Jesus used? Today’s gospel is filled with secular language about self-help methods and being a better you, i.e. getting wealthy. Romans 7:18 says, “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing…” To try to produce some good apart from Christ cannot be accomplished. You can’t “will” yourself to be good by having a positive mind and just naming or claiming it. Churches today are being built off a corporate, business like model. That’s great if your building a company, but it is not a biblical way to formulate a church.
Repentance is missing from the pulpit today in gross fashions. In 1937 Dr. H.A. Ironside said, “The doctrine of repentance is the missing note in many otherwise orthodox and fundamentally sound circles today.” Luke 24:27 “And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.” Thus the theme of Jesus’ ministry was repentance. How dare we as believers stray from such preaching? What gives us the right to determine what is most effective from the pulpit? But what is repentance?
Repentance is a critical element of conversion, but do not dismiss it as simply another word for believing. Berkhof writes, “True repentance never exists except in conjunction with faith, while, on the other hand, wherever there is true faith, there is also real repentance.” The Greek word for repentance is metanoia, from meta, “after,” and noea, “to understand.” Literally is means a “change of mind,” but biblically its meaning does not stop there. In the New Testament it speaks of a change or purpose, and specifically a turning from sin.
It demands a radical conversion, a transformation of nature, a definitive turning from evil, a resolute turning to God in total obedience…is a proclamation of unconditional turning to God, of unconditional turning from all that is against God. One example we have is in I Thessalonians 1:9 where Paul described the repentance of the Thessalonians, “For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned from to God from idols to serve the living and true God.” Their repentance was not just in a certain area of their life. It was a lifestyle of turning from everything they did.
In today’s church when you speak of this kind of biblical repentance it destroys the whole ideology that leaders are building seeker friendly churches on. Once you start preaching biblical repentance that affects worship, lifestyle, and all areas of your life, it presents a problem for most modern day churches, which are built upon weak preaching and entertainment. There are three elements of repentance: a turning to God, a turning from evil, and the intent to serve God.
Repentance is not just shame and sorrow for your sin. Now, true repentance does involve shame and sorrow but it is not the only key indicator of true repentance. Is it a redirection of the human will? Is it a purposeful decision to forsake all unrighteousness and pursue righteousness?
Repentance is not merely a human work. It is like every element of redemption, it is a sovereignly bestowed gift of God. Acts 11:18 “…then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.” Only God grants repentance unto eternal life. If someone asks you to forgive them you can grant forgiveness to them humanly, but God grants repentance eternally and spiritually. In 2 Timothy 2:25 “In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth.” In this passage the Apostle Paul instructs Timothy to gently correct those that oppose the truth. Thus we see only God grants repentance.
Repentance is not a presalvation attempt to get one’s life in order. How many times has someone said they need “to get things right” before they come to church. That is just not a possible thing to do. Repentance is to recognize one’s lawlessness and hate it and turn one’s back on it and turn to God. Acts 20:21 “…repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.” There are some areas where repentance affects us. It is not just a mental activity but it does affect the intellect, emotions and will.
Intellectually, repentance begins with recognition of sin, the understanding that we are sinners and that our sin is an affront to a holy God. Now I am not saying you have to evaluate all the educational material and then come to a conclusion intellectually. However, one must make a recognition of who Christ is along with some understanding of His right to govern people’s lives.
Emotionally, genuine repentance often accompanies an overwhelming sense of sorrow. Now, sorrow itself does not bring repentance. Many people can be sorry for what they have done but not truly repent. In parenting I try to bring my children to a place of repentance when they do something wrong. I don’t want them to be sorry just because they got caught but to truly turn away from doing that again.
Judas felt remorse for his sin but never repented, Matthew 27:3 “Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself…” He was sorry for what he did but his repentance was towards man or himself and not God. The rich young ruler was sorrowful, Matthew 19:22 “But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.” He went away sad because he was not truly repentant.
Sorrow does play a part in repentance. I am not saying you cannot be sorry for what you have done in violation of God’s law and not be repentant. Godly sorrow does bring about repentance. II Corinthians 7:10 “For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.” Thus we can assume and ask a critical question here. Does repentance, genuine repentance show signs or fruits? The answer is obvious, yes. There is going to be some observable fruits in a person’s life that has repented. It’s not the “I will do better” repentance but the one that produces a change of life.
So what are the fruits of repentance? In Luke 3 the Pharisees came to him and asked the question as well. In vs. 13 Jesus tells them “And he said unto them, Exact no more than that which is appointed you.” In vs. 14 he tells the soldiers to not take anyone by force or accuse anyone falsely and be content with your wages. In other words, he did not say to them to not do their job but to do it with honesty.
There is going to be a sincere change in a person’s lifestyle. Along with a change of mind and attitude, true repentance will begin to produce a change in conduct. A person who has genuinely repented will see a development in their walk with God that begins to correct things as they go along. Those who have not will give in and quit trying because they have not truly repented.
As we close I want to look at the gospel and repentance. Repentance has always been the foundation of the New Testament call to salvation. As John McArthur says in his book The Gospel According to Jesus, “No message that eliminates repentance can properly be called the gospel, for sinners cannot come to Jesus Christ apart from a radical change of heart, mind and will.” In Matthew 21:28-31 our Lord describes two types of people “But what think ye? A [certain] man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard. He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went.
And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I [go], sir: and went not. Whether of them twain did the will of [his] father? They say unto him, the first, Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, that the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.” This illustrates only two types of people. The ones who are rebels and repent and the other who pretends to be obedient but actually rebels.
It is amazing how Jesus used a simple parable and by asking a question the Pharisees condemned themselves. They admitted the one who repented did the will of their father. While they themselves say they will do something but do not ever do it. Our Lord then says that harlots and tax collectors will get into heaven before you. The problem with the Pharisees is that what they were doing was only a show. The claim they loved God and kept His law amounted to nothing. Unless they repent they will perish. Today, many go to church, lead classes and even pastor churches that have never repented. They have never been born again. The gospel has never been proclaimed clearly in many churches today. Today many hear the truth but their positive response will not save them. The fruit of their lives show they have never truly repented.
B.L. Horton, Oct 2009
