Repentance and Faith -- 9/10/06 (Eternal Realities)

Sunday, September 10, 2006

REPENTANCE AND FAITH

For some time we have been considering some of the great eternal realities. God is holy, as is His Son Jesus. He is set apart, one of a kind, in a class by Himself. The condition of man is expressed by the prophet Isaiah, who said, "Woe is me, for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips. For mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts" (Is. 6:5). From the time we entered into this world, we were dead in our trespasses and sins, cut off from God. And if something isn’t done about that barrier between man and God, about that death in man, the ultimate end will be eternal punishment in hell. But praise God that He reveals there is another possible destiny for man. No man or woman has to end up in the lake of fire, which was prepared for the devil and his angels. There is heaven, which will be inhabited by all those whose names are written in the book of life. And whose book is it? Yes, it is the Lamb’s book of life, that Lamb to whom John the Baptist pointed and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world" (Jn. 1:29).

Three weeks ago we were reminded in a powerful way why it is the Lamb’s book of life. It is because that Lamb, the Lord Jesus, submitted Himself to the will of the Father…. (Is. 53:6-7)
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.

Yes, we read further that "it pleased the Lord to bruise him" (vs. 10). God the Father put Jesus to grief and made His soul an offering for sin. Praise God for the results of that sacrifice, as related in Is. 53:11-12…
He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. 12. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

Is it any wonder that Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh to the Father but by me" (Jn. 14:6). To even suggest that there might be some way other than Jesus is to blaspheme God and His Son. Jesus gave everything that we might be rescued from death and hell and have eternal life with Him. No wonder it is "the Lamb’s book of life." Jesus earned it.
Now comes the big question. We have been leading up to it. It is the question we cannot avoid, the question we must not avoid. You know what it is: How can a person be sure His name is in the Lamb’s book of life? Let’s look at the scripture again in Rev. 20:10-15…
And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. 11. And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 12. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 14. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

You will notice that this passage (as well as others) speak in a negative manner. Those whose names are not in the book of life will be cast into the lake of fire. However, the implication is clear that those whose names are written in the book will not be cast into the lake of fire. In the context of Revelation, we see that they will enter into the Lord’s presence forever, for there are only two options.

So how does a person make sure his name is written in the book of life? First of all, let’s lay out a clear biblical principle. Only perfect people can live with a perfect God. This exact statement is borrowed from John Cross and his book, The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus. This principle comes out of the truth that God is holy. He can have nothing to do with sin. If an imperfect person enters heaven, God will no longer be holy. Let’s read again Rev. 21:27, "And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life." From that scripture, it is clear that those whose names are in the book of life will not be those who defile or who lie. They must be perfect people. Only perfect people can live with a perfect God.

So now the question becomes: So how can a person attain that kind of perfection? It seems impossible. Any person who is honest discovers that he can’t attain that perfection, no matter how hard he tries. This is because we are sinners to the core. We come into this world as sinners by nature. The natural thing for a sinner to do is sin, and that is exactly what happens.
So let’s come straight to the truth. I want to take you to the simplest gospel message Jesus preached. It is found right at the very beginning of His ministry. Let’s read it Mark 1:9-15…
And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan. 10. And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him: 11. And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. 12. And immediately the Spirit driveth him into the wilderness. 13. And he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto him. 14. Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, 15. And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.

After Jesus was baptized and affirmed by the voice from heaven, He came forth preaching a simple but powerful message: "The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand (near). Repent and believe the gospel." Reduced to its simplest terms: "Repent and believe."

Notice what Jesus did not say. He didn’t say, "Clean up your life. Quit your lying and cheating. Cease from your evil deeds and thoughts. If you want to follow me, then straighten up and fly right." There is none of that. Jesus simply said, "Repent and believe."

Now with that mini-sermon in mind, let’s read a couple of other well-known scriptures…
John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Acts 16:31 "And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
Rom 10:9-10,13 "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation….13. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

You will notice that the term "repent" does not occur in any of these passages. In John 3:16, what must a person do to have eternal life? Believe. In Acts 16:31, what must a person do to be saved? Believe. In Romans 10:9-13, what must a person do to be saved? Believe and confess. And then in verse 13, call upon the name of the Lord.

Let me muddy the waters a bit more by calling attention to the gospel of John. John is sometimes called "The Gospel of Belief," because the word "believe" is used about 100 times in John. Isn’t that amazing! No wonder it is called "The Gospel of Belief." That is almost twice as many times as in the rest of the gospels put together. We could read many passages which stress the importance of belief. John 5:24, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life." John 7:37-38, "In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. 38. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water." What could be clearer than John 6:47, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life"?

But Jesus said, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; Repent and believe the gospel." In other words, "Here is your opportunity. If you want to be a part of the kingdom of God, repent and believe." So let me ask you a question. Consider it a little test. How many times is the word "repent" (or the word "repentance") used in the gospel of John? Would you like to take a guess? This is not a trick question. You cannot find "repent" or "repentance" a single time in John. It is entirely absent. How can we account for that? Jesus said "Repent and believe," and yet the Gospel of Belief doesn’t include the term "repent" a single time. Repeatedly we are told in John’s gospel that the requirement for receiving everlasting life is simply belief. There isn’t a word about repentance.

This has caused Bible students to do a great deal of thinking. Some highly-respected Christians and Bible teachers have concluded that repentance is not necessary for salvation. They strongly emphasize that the only requirement is belief. And they can certainly call upon dozens of scripture passages to support their conclusion, such as John 3:16 and John 6:47, Acts 16:31, and Romans 10.

But what about repentance? Doesn’t the New Testament say a great deal about repentance? Indeed it does. The terms "repent" and "repentance" are used some 52 times in the New Testament. Not only is the term used a great deal, but listen to the strong words of Jesus in Luke 13:1-5…
There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2. And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things? 3. I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. 4. Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? 5. I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

Twice in this context Jesus said, "Unless you repent, you will perish." When Jesus sent out the twelve apostles to preach in His name, we read in Mark 6:12, "And they went out, and preached that men should repent." And what about Jesus’ statement in Luke 5:31-32? "And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick. 32. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."

How do we reconcile what seems to be a conflict? What is necessary for salvation – repentance and belief? Or just belief? Many of those who contend that there is salvation apart from repentance teach that repentance is for the believer. After we come to Christ, then we are to lead a life of repentance. While it is certainly true that Christians are called to live a life of repentance, it is difficult to understand Jesus’ words as being addressed to believers, when He said, "Repent and believe." It seems quite clear that He was explaining how a person could enter the kingdom of God. And as we read in Luke 5:32, Jesus said, "I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." In the context, the sinners who were coming to Jesus and responding to His call were the tax collectors like Levi, who were notorious sinners.

Now we need to stop and take a look at the concept of repentance. Why is repentance so important? I often hear the term "repent" defined like this: "To repent is to turn around. It speaks of doing a 180. You were going north. Now you turn to go south." That’s a nice definition, but it does not really define repentance. It is a better definition for conversion, which speaks of such a turning around. The original word translated "repent" literally means "to change your mind." That is the definition of the word itself.

But what does that mean? What does it mean to have a change of mind? Unfortunately, some people have treated repentance very lightly. Since it is just a change of mind, it’s not really that big a deal. It is often treated something like this: "I thought I would buy an Almond Joy, but I changed my mind and decided to get a Butterfinger instead. No big deal." While that may describe a certain kind of change of mind, it is not consistent with biblical repentance.

Please listen to the words of Martin Lloyd-Jones, a godly English preacher of a half-century ago. In his large volume dealing with the Sermon on the Mount, he speaks about repentance…
In the same way it does not emphasize repentance in any real sense. It has a very wide gate leading to salvation and a very broad way leading to heaven. You need not feel much of your own sinfulness; you need not be aware of the blackness of your own heart. You just ‘decide for Christ’ and you rush in with the crowd… It is entirely unlike the evangelism of the Puritans and of John Wesley, George Whitefield and others, which led men to be terrified of the judgment of God, and to have an agony of soul sometimes for days and weeks and months. John Bunyan tells us in his Grace Abounding that he endured an agony of repentance for eighteen months. There does not seem to be much room for t hat today. Repentance means that you realize that you are a guilty, vile sinner in the presence of God, that you deserve the wrath and punishment of God, that you are hell-bound. It means that you being to realize that this thing called sin is in you, that you long to get rid of it, and that you turn your back on it in every shape and form. You renounce the world whatever the cost, the world in its mind and outlook as well as its practice, and you deny yourself, and take up the cross and go after Christ. Your nearest and dearest, and the whole world, may call you a fool, or say you have religious mania. You may have to suffer financially, but it makes no difference. That is repentance. (Sermon on the Mount, p. 247-48)

Do you see? Repentance is a drastic change of mind. Before repentance, though you may acknowledge you are a sinner, your sin isn’t so bad that you can’t live with it. After all, your sin isn’t nearly as bad as the sin of many others. You believe in God and in His Son Jesus. You even believe that He died on the cross, but you can’t believe that God would send anyone to hell. He is a God of love, not a God of wrath. You certainly want the Lord in your life, but you don’t believe you have to be radical about it. Everything in moderation. After all, God is calling you to be a Christian, not some kind of preacher and missionary. But listen to me. When you truly repent, all that changes. You realize how wrong you were about all of those things. Yes, you change your mind and now you see that God’s Word is right, that all of the righteous deeds you have ever done are filthy rags, that there is nothing good in you, that hell is exactly what you deserve. Yes, that’s repentance.

Suppose the Lord grips me with the truth of what Jesus did for me. How can I not respond to such amazing love? So I choose to believe. I choose to put my trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, who bore all my sins on the cross. So there it is – I believed in Jesus, and I didn’t need to repent.
But let’s examine it more closely. Can I put my trust in Jesus without letting go of my trust in myself? This is a very important question. I have always been self-sufficient, relying on myself. That self-sufficiency is a trademark of our sin. Can I truly put my trust in Christ, while still trusting myself? I want to suggest to you that the answer is "No." It isn’t possible.

This is the problem with what we might call "no-repentance salvation." When we try to add trust in Jesus to the self-sufficient life, what do we get? We get exactly what Paul talks about in 1 Cor 2:4-5, "And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: 5. That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God." An "add-on Jesus" kind of faith will not prove genuine. Those who seem to believe in Jesus but have never repented are some of those to whom Jesus will have to say, "I never knew you. Depart from me, ye that work iniquity" (Matt. 7:23).

Let me put it to you like this. ________, in my hand I have a picture of George Washington. Would you like to have this picture of George Washington? Monetarily, it’s worth 25 cents. Maybe the sentimental value is even greater. So, do you want it? I’m willing to give it to you. It’s not a trick. Okay, come on up and take it. (Give it to him). As you can see, what I am giving _________ is a quarter, which has on it a picture of George Washington. _______, when you took that picture of George Washington, do you know what else you took? You took a picture, a likeness of the American eagle. You may not have known that, but you did indeed take it. What if you had said, "I want the picture of George Washington, but I would rather not receive the eagle?" You know the answer -- you can’t take one without the other. It is impossible to take one side of the coin and leave the other.

So it is in receiving God’s salvation. There are two sides – repentance and faith. Though a person may not totally understand that, it is still true. It is impossible to truly put your faith in Jesus Christ and not repent. You can’t trust the Lord and trust yourself. Jesus demands an exclusive trust. Which of you wives would tolerate a husband who said, "Yes, I want to be married to you. I will always be loyal to you, but I will still have another woman on the side"? A wife won’t put up with that. Neither will our Lord. True trust in Him occurs only as we relinquish trust in self.

Let’s put it still another way. You decide to go hiking high up in the mountains. You are on a narrow mountain trail when your footing gives way and you begin to slide downward. At the very last moment you are able to grab a slender vine. So there you are hanging on for dear life. If that vine gives way, you will fall 200 feet onto a bed of solid rock. You don’t dare try to move, because that vine is not very big and it could break at any time. After about 15 minutes a couple of hikers come along. They have a rope, which they secure higher up above the trail. Then one of the hikers carefully maneuvers himself down along the rope and extends his hand to you. He says to you, "Okay, just take my hand." That certainly sounds like a good idea. However, there is one thing you have to do in order to take that hand – you have to let go of the vine. It is impossible to continue to cling to the vine and grasp that helping hand. Do you see it? It is impossible to reach out to Jesus in genuine faith until you let go of trust in self.

Now with that in mind, we can understand why in the gospel of John we find the term "believe" a hundred times and yet there is no mention of repentance. The helping hiker didn’t specifically tell you to let go of the vine, but it was obvious that you must let go before grasping his hand. In the same way, John never mentions that we must change our mind about trusting self, but it is obvious that we can’t trust Jesus until we let go of trust in self.

Now there are other passages that speak of repentance and make no mention of belief. We have already read a couple. Mark 6:12, "And they went out, and preached that men should repent." There is no mention of belief. We find the same thing in Luke 5:31-32, "And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick. 32. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." Let’s read Luke 24:45-47, "Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, 46. And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: 47. And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem." Jesus links repentance very closely with forgiveness of sins, but he does not mention belief. Does that mean that a person can receive forgiveness of sins without putting his trust in Jesus? No. When a person changes his mind about trusting self, he does so with the intent of trusting Jesus. We find the same thing in Acts 2:38, "Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." More literally, "All of you repent (and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ)… repent for the forgiveness of your sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." The command is to repent, with no mention of belief. In the larger context of scripture, belief is understood to be the other side of the repentance coin.

In John 6:44, Jesus says, "No man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him…" Most of us are quite familiar with that truth. No one simply decides to come to Jesus; the Father must draw him. Most of us would be very comfortable in saying that though a man chooses to believe, it is God who gives him the capacity to believe. In order for a man to believe, the Lord must do a prior work in his life. We know well Eph 2:8-9, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9. Not of works, lest any man should boast." The faith that we exercise in Christ is not of ourselves; it is a gift from God. Even as we read in Rom. 10:17, "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God."

Now hang on to that idea that God must create faith within us. Let me remind you of another great truth. Just as faith is a gift from God, so repentance also is a gift from God. We find this truth on three separate occasions in the New Testament…
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."
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."
2 Tim 2:24-25… "And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, 25. In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;"

The scripture speaks of repentance being given to Israel, and then to the Gentiles, and finally even to those who have opposed the gospel. Yes, like belief, repentance is a gift from God.
Conclusion

So who is it whose name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life? It is the person who has become a child of God, the person in whom the Holy Spirit dwells. Yes, but what is our part? How do we get our name in the book? Our part is repentance and faith. A person must change his mind about himself and about trusting himself. A person must give up completely on himself and cast himself upon the Lord Jesus Christ, trusting Jesus and what He did on the cross. As Jesus put it, "Repent and believe the gospel." That is our part in the process.

You may wonder why so much emphasis on repentance this morning. Let me tell you why. It is because of the great deception that is sweeping our religious society. People are taught that all they have to do is believe in Jesus. There is nothing wrong with that, if we truly understand what it means to believe. The trouble is that we are entertaining the idea that we can just add belief in Jesus on to whatever else we cling to. We call Him Lord, but Jesus says, "Why do you call me Lord, and do not the things which I say?" (Lk. 6:46).

I emphasize repentance because an understanding of repentance will guard against a false belief. We must understand that there is no salvation apart from a forsaking of trust in self. That is exactly why Jesus said, "Repent and believe."

Now I must say that we have only begun to answer the question, "How can I be sure that my name is in the book of life?" We could say, "Well, if I have repented and believed, then my name is in the book." That’s fine, but how do you know that you have truly repented and believed? I remind you that in the last day many (not a few, but many) will cry out to Jesus, "Lord, Lord," but He will say to them, "I never knew you; depart from me, ye that work iniquity." How do you know that you are not a part of that group that is deceived and will be turned away by the Lord Himself?

That is a very serious question. Lord willing, we will begin to deal with it next week. I encourage you to be reading and meditating on Matthew 7 and I John.