We mentioned that hardly anyone is talking about sin these
days. Here is another word not many are using as well – Repentance.
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"But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came
to the first and said, 'Son, go, work today in my vineyard.' He answered and
said, 'I will not,' but afterward he regretted it and went. Then he came to the
second and said likewise. And he answered and said, 'I go, sir,' but he did not
go. Which of the two did the will of his father?" They said to Him,
"The first." [i]
God, it seems, is not interested in lip service.
Most Christian speakers or writers don’t hesitate to talk
about faith. That’s good; because faith is of utmost importance. Through faith
in Jesus Christ, we are made righteous in God’s eyes apart from any deed of
good works. Praise God!
Nowadays however, many will never broach the subject of repentance, but it’s a subject that often
goes hand in hand with faith.[ii]
The prophets of the Old Testament
preached repentance, often using the word, “turn.” John the Baptist, Jesus’ forerunner,
preached repentance and lost his head. I guess it wasn’t very popular then
either. Jesus preached it from the very beginning of his ministry and warned of
impending doom for its neglect. It was the message of Peter to Israel on the
day of Pentecost.
Repentance means: “…to have another mind, to change the
opinion or purpose with regard to sin.” [iii]
The Old Testament prophet, Ezekiel said, “Thus says the Lord GOD: "Repent,
turn away from your idols, and turn your faces away from all your abominations.”
[iv]
He also implored, “Repent, and turn from all your transgressions, so that iniquity
will not be your ruin.” [v]
God is not discretionary with his command to repent. The
subject went out to both the believer and to the unbeliever. According to
scripture, God “commands all men everywhere to repent.”[vi]
Faith never happens without repentance. One cannot cling to
sin and still embrace the Savior. Our lives apart from Jesus are bent toward
wickedness. Only as we turn our back on sin will we turn to Jesus. This does
not mean that we are saved by the act of repentance. There is no deed we can do
to merit God’s good graces. It simply involves turning our face away from the
old life as we turn in faith to the Lord.
The Apostle Paul shows the correspondence of faith and
repentance, writing of the church at Thessalonica: “they … declare … how you
turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God,”[vii]
Easton says:
The true penitent is conscious of
guilt, of pollution and of helplessness. Thus he apprehends himself to be just
what God has always seen him to be and declares him to be. But repentance
comprehends not only such a sense of sin, but also an apprehension of mercy.
This is true. Without such mercy there would be no motivation
to repent. We leave our idols and we turn to God.
But repentance is not actually a human act. Unless God affects
it within us, repentance cannot be had. He is the one who turns us from our
sins, not we ourselves. He works it within us by his grace.
The fact that we have placed our trust in Jesus and are now
saved doesn’t mean that repentance is no longer needed. As God convicts us of
sin in our lives, (and, yes, Christians do sin) let us turn away from these
sins and turn to the God who loved us and gave his Son for us.
“Repent;” it’s a message of warning and it’s the kind and
loving thing to say.
