Sunday, March 11, 2012
CONSIDERING REPENTANCE
Fred, repent! I’m telling you, Fred Bundy, repent! Now when I said those words to Fred, what went through your mind? Such a blunt command raises a few questions, doesn’t it? Some of you may be thinking, “Is that any way to talk to someone? Surely no godly man will talk like that to someone he cares about.” Or I might ask you: When I said, “Repent,” what was I asking Fred to do?”
Perhaps some of you are wondering, “Ron, where did that come from? What does it have to do with anything?” That too is a good question. Job did not receive a command to repent, but in Job 42:6 we hear Job say, “I repent in dust and ashes.” Now I ask you, “Where did that come from?” I have to tell you that it is a rather unusual statement.
In the King James Version, the English word “repent” (in its various forms) is found 46 times. That isn’t too many over the span of the entire Old Testament. But 37 of the 46 are not used of man, but of God. For example, Gen. 6:6, “And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.” Of the nine remaining, six speak of people repenting in the sense of despising sin. Five of the six come much later than the time of Job -- one during the reign of Solomon, two in the writings of Jeremiah, and two in the words of Ezekiel. That leaves us with Job 42:6. In relation to chronology, this is the first time we read specifically of any man repenting.
Before you decide that repentance is an ancient practice of the Old Testament that has little relevance for us today, I must tell you that the concept of repentance is much more prevalent in the New Testament than in the Old. Furthermore, there is no indication that God intended repentance to cease after biblical times. So before we dive into Job’s response to God in chapter 42, let’s spend some time this morning looking at the biblical concept of repentance.
I. A Familiar Term in the New Testament
First of all, let me reinforce the truth that the terms “repent” and “repentance” are not foreign to the New Testament. Rather than looking at all of them, let me focus on the fact that repentance comes to the forefront in the very beginning of the New Testament. You young people, whom did God send to prepare the way for Jesus? That’s right, John the Baptist.
When we come to the book of Mark, we don’t have to go far at all before we encounter repentance, and that encounter comes through John the Baptist. Let’s just start at the beginning and read Mark 1:1-4…. (NKJV)
The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 2 As it is written in the Prophets: " Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You." 3 " The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ' Prepare the way of the LORD; Make His paths straight.' " 4 John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.
When Mark wanted to summarize the ministry of John, he said that John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. The baptizing that John did could not be separated from his message of repentance. Matthew gives us the very words that John spoke: “In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, 2 and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” (Matt. 3:1-2). Now go on down to Hatt. 3:7-9,
But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, "Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, 9 and do not think to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.
John recognized the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and Saducees. He told them in no uncertain terms that they needed to show evidence of true repentance in their lives.
But that was John the Baptist. He was kind of a strange character anyway. What can you say about a man who lived in the desert, dressed himself in camel hair, and ate locusts? We might expect that kind of man to preach a strange message. Remember that it was John who introduced Jesus, saying, “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). It would seem that Jesus wasn’t like John. We have no record that He wore camel hair and ate locusts. He doesn’t seem as harsh as John. Nevertheless, go back to Mark 1 and come down to verse 14. Let’s read Mark 1:14-15, 14 “Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to 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, and believe in the gospel.’" Notice that Jesus said the same thing John said, with great emphasis on repentance.
Jesus didn’t just tell those particular people to repent and believe, but He later made it clear that the message of repentance was central in His purpose. After Jesus called Levi (Matthew), the hated tax collector, to follow Him, that same Levi threw a big party for Jesus, the apostles, and his tax collector friends. You can imagine the kind of people that showed up. The Pharisees certainly noticed, and they were dumbfounded. They said, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners like this?” (Lk. 5:30). That’s when Jesus responded with the words we know well: "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance" (Luke 5:31-32). Later Jesus said, “The Son of man has come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). That is a beautiful description from His own lips of why He came. But notice that within that purpose of salvation is repentance. Jesus came to call on sinners to repent.
Let me read you another little story from Luke 13:1-5…
There were present at that season some who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2 And Jesus answered and said to them, "Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? 3 I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. 4 Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish."
Jesus made it clear that it is a dangerous thing to look at others and conclude that their misfortunes prove their sin is worse than yours. Listen to the Lord Jesus: “Unless you repent, you yourselves will perish.”
We all know that Jesus had disciples. Among those disciples, there were twelve whom Jesus designated as His apostles -- Peter, James, John, Andrew, and the rest. These twelve traveled with Jesus and were in special training. The time came when Jesus sent out the twelve to do what He was doing. We know that they preached, healed the sick, and cast out demons. Now I want you to notice something else in Mark’s account. We see in 6:7-8 that Jesus sent them out. Now read Mark 6:12, “And they went out and preached that men should repent.” Not only was this the message of Jesus, but it was also the message of His apostles.
We could read other words from Jesus (such as the joy in heaven over one sinner who repents), but let’s come to the end of Jesus’ life on earth in Luke 24. This is after He rose from the dead. These are the very last words of Jesus that are recorded in the gospel accounts. Let’s read them in Luke 24:46-49…
Then He said to them, "Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the 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 to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 And you are witnesses of these things. 49 Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high."
Jesus said just as it was necessary for Him to suffer and be raised from the dead, so it is necessary that repentance and forgiveness of sins be preached in His name to all nations. Wow! Jesus certainly stressed repentance.
We could look through other New Testament passages, but I believe this illustrates the importance of repentance and how vital it is to the message of the gospel. Praise God for the words we find in II Peter 3. In the context of what he says about the awful judgment that is to come on the world, Peter then gives us this encouragement in II Pet. 3:8-9, “But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”
II. Repentance and Faith
We have seen that repentance was a vital part of the message of Jesus Himself but before we go any further, surely it would be a good idea to ask the obvious questions: “What is the meaning of repentance? What does it mean when we say that a person repents?” While those are crucial questions, I think it will be wise for us to look at the meaning of repentance in its relation to faith (or belief). Remember Jesus’ command very early in His ministry: “”Repent and believe the gospel” (Mark 1:15). We also see repentance and faith tied closely together in Acts 20. Paul was meeting with the elders of the church at Ehpesus. As he reviewed his ministry there, we read these words in Acts 20:20-21, “… how I kept back nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it to you, and taught you publicly and from house to house, 21 testifying to Jews, and also to Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.” So exactly what is repentance and how is it related to belief?
Through an extended portion of church history repentance was largely equated with penance. Webster’s Dictionary defines “penance” as “an act of self-abasement, mortification, or devotion performed to show sorrow or repentance from sin.” It is a work performed by man in order to satisfy God. Through the time when church history was dominated by Roman Catholicism, the concept of repentance generally got lost in the huge emphasis on penance. In other words, repentance was seen as a work that helped a person earn or maintain his salvation.
The Reformers, especially John Calvin, recaptured the root idea of the term “repent.” The Greek word which is most commonly translated “repent” in the New Testament literally means “to change the mind.” Some are quick to point out that it is a change of mind that leads to a change of life. That is true, but it doesn’t begin with a change of life; it begins with a change of mind.
Now here is the big question that has been debated quite a bit in recent years. If “repent,” means to change your mind, then change your mind about what? About God? About Jesus? About sin? About self? One school of interpreters teaches that repentance is a change of mind about Jesus and nothing more. It does not include a change of mind about sin and self.
Before we pursue that any further, now let’s ask another question: How does repentance relate to faith? In that context, let’s ask still another: Is repentance necessary for a person to be converted? If so, what kind of repentance? Here is what I am getting at: Can a person be converted without changing his mind about sin and self? Is a change of mind about Jesus the only change of mind that occurs at conversion? These are important questions.
Charles Ryrie answers those questions by saying that repentance is necessary for salvation, but repentance must be defined as changing one’s mind about Jesus. Changing the mind about sin and self is something that may take place later, but it is not necessary at conversion. Rather, a person must come to believe that Jesus is indeed God in the flesh and has died for his sins. But isn’t that a part of what faith is?
Ryrie and others see repentance and faith as virtually synonymous, and there is a reason for that. I pointed out that repentance and faith are linked closely together in Mark 1:15 and in Acts 20:21, but outside of perhaps one other New Testament passage, they are never put together in a single verse. For example, after preaching the powerful sermon of Acts 2, Peter concludes by commanding his hearers to repent (Acts 2:38). He says nothing about believing. However, in verse 41 the author speaks of those who received his word being baptized, which seems to imply believing. There are other places in Acts where we see repentance without belief being specifically mentioned. On the other hand, Paul and Silas said to the Philippian jailer, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved” (Acts 16:31). There is no mention of repentance.
The most striking example in the New Testament of the occurrence of one without the other is in the Gospel according to John. It is sometimes called “the gospel of belief,” because the word “believe” is found roughly a hundred times in its pages. And how many times do we find the word “repent”? Not a single time. John 3:16 does not include a reference to repentance. Jesus says in John 6:47, “He who believes on me has everlasting life,” with nothing at all about repentance.
So do “repent” and “believe” mean the same thing? No. On the other hand, they are so closely related that they can’t be separated. I like to think of repentance and faith as being two sides of the same coin. Let me put it concisely: If a person repents, he also believes. If a person believes, he also repents. While they are linked closely together, they are not the same thing.
Charles Ryrie agrees that they are linked together, saying that “the two are inseparable, though each focuses on a facet of the single requirement for salvation.” It is what he says next that is interesting: “Repentance focuses on one changing one’s mind about his former conception of God and disbelief in God and Christ; while faith in Christ, of course, focuses on receiving Him as personal Savior” (Charles Ryrie, So Great Salvation, p. 98). That does indeed make repentance and faith mean virtually the same thing. He has so included the concept of faith within his definition of repentance that he then has to give a new meaning for faith, which is (of course) receiving Him as personal Savior. That last phrase is lifted from our religious culture, not from the scriptures.
Let me suggest another way to put repentance and faith together. Repentance is not only a change of mind about Jesus, but it is also a change of mind about self and sin. “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way” (Is. 53:6). Though it may take many different forms, that is the mindset of every unbeliever, and it is the very essence of sin. To repent is to change the mind from approving such a life to hating it. The one who repents despises his sin. That is exactly what we are going to see in Job. Job didn’t just change his mind about God; he changed his mind about the way he had treated God and the things he had said about Him and to Him. Job repented of his sins. But repentance is just one side of the coin. When a person despises his own sin and self, he then desperately needs a Savior and cries out to the Lord Jesus, putting his complete trust in Him.
I am not trying to pick on Charles Ryrie. The truth is that he expresses in a very clear and concise way this position that has been adopted by many in our day. So why this modern definition of repentance that divorces it from sin? I believe it is because of the power of our modern religious culture. How can we account for the fact that millions have professed Christ and have not turned from sin? Maybe it is because becoming a Christian does not necessarily mean that there will be a significant change of life, only that the person believes in Jesus. Many, like Charles Ryrie, who teach that repentance is only a change of mind about Jesus also teach that you can be a Christian without being a disciple of Jesus. A Christian should be a disciple, but it isn’t necessary to go to heaven. That thinking opens the way for the millions who profess Christ but whose lives have not significantly changed to be included among those who will be in heaven. The alternative is to come to the conclusion that there are millions who profess Christ but who have not been truly saved. While that may seem harsh, Jesus more than hints at this conclusion when He says, “Not everyone who says Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name? and in your name cast out demons? and in your name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you; depart from me, you who work iniquity” (Matt. 7:21-23).
I believe there is another reason for taking the position that repentance does not include a change of mind about sin. I think it is a reaction against making repentance a work of man. There are those who would say, “You cannot become a Christian until you quit getting drunk, until you quit using drugs, until you quit cussing, etc.” They make repentance a work. We too can be in danger of that very thing. Brothers and sisters, we do not need to help people clean up their lives so that they can come to Jesus. No one can earn God’s salvation in any way. To say that repentance doesn’t focus on sin but on Jesus helps us steer clear of that error, but such an over-reaction leads us into error on the other side.
I remind us this morning that repentance is as much a gift of God as is faith. “For by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast” (Eph. 2:8-9). It’s all a gift, and that is true of repentance. Peter said in Acts 5:30-31, “The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you murdered by hanging on a tree. Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.” Later, speaking of the Gentile Cornelius and those who were gathered in his house to hear the gospel, Peter recounted his experience to the leaders of the Jerusalem church: “‘If therefore God gave them the same gift as He gave us when they believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could withstand God?’ When they heard these things, they became silent; and they glorified God, saying, ‘Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life” (Acts 11:17-18). No one can repent unless God enables him to do so, just as no one can believe unless he is enabled by God.
Repentance is a hatred of sin that is enabled by the Spirit of God. Yes, it is a change of mind about sin. Whereas a person thought he could handle sin against God, in repentance he comes to a place where he realizes he cannot. Sin is such a heavy burden that he can’t stand it any more. The other side of the coin is to put his faith in Jesus Christ, who died and rose for him. Praise God that Christ delivers us from the burden of sin. Jesus said, “Come unto me, all you who labor and are heavyladen, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28).
III. Repentance Is a Way of Life for the Believer
When we think about repentance, we may have a tendency to think about the sinner who needs to be converted. We stress that repentance is absolutely necessary for a person to be converted. While a person must put his trust in Christ, no one will do that apart from conviction of sin and a hatred of that sin. But what about a person has been genuinely converted and has become a new creation in Christ? Is he done with repentance? Absolutely not. His initial repentance in coming to Christ is only the beginning.
As it is with faith, so it is with repentance. When a person puts his trust in Christ for salvation (justification, to be more exact), is he done with faith? No. Let’s take a moment to read I Pet. 1:3-5…
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
We know from Eph. 2:8-9 that we were saved by grace through faith, but how are we kept? What is it that keeps us saved? Peter tells us that we are kept by the power of God through faith. It is God who does the keeping, but it isn’t some kind of automatic magical operation. By His power, we keep on trusting in Jesus. Now let’s read Col. 2:6, “As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him.” And how did we receive Christ Jesus the Lord? Through repentance and faith. We might say simply “faith,” but remember that we can’t separate faith and repentance. The way we began the Christian life is the way we continue it. Repentance and faith are the ABC’s of following Christ.
Suppose we look at it another way. Before we came to Christ, why was repentance necessary? Because of sin. Sin had our number. We were slaves to sin. Because of God’s work in us, we came to hate sin. We repented of our sins. Now the big question: When we came to Christ, when we were converted, did we get rid of sin? No. Our relationship with sin did change. According to Romans 6, we were delivered from the power of sin. That’s why Paul says in Rom. 6:14, “For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.” Though we are no longer slaves to sin, sin is still a problem, is it not? If you feel you have come to the place where sin is no problem, I suggest that you are kidding yourself. There will be a day when sin will no longer be a problem, but not on this side of death. To the degree that sin is problem in our lives, to the same degree repentance must be a way of life.
First of all repentance is an attitude. It is a settled hatred of sin and a desire to be rid of it. And yes, it is a changing of the mind. When I sin, I have somehow convinced myself that it is okay. When I repent, I see that it is not okay and I hate the sin. I want to get as far from it as I can.
That raises another question: As I grow in Christ, won’t I sin less and less? Therefore, I will need to repent less and less. Does anyone find it to be that way in life? Instead, what we find is that sin has deep roots in us. We get one thing under control, and then the Spirit of God reveals another area of sin. Praise God that the Spirit doesn’t open our eyes to all the sin in our lives; we couldn’t handle that. Until Jesus comes, more sin will continually be revealed in our lives. Perfection will not be attained until we meet Christ face to face. “When he shall appear, we shall be like him” (I John 3:2), but not before.
At this point, some of us may have a question that goes something like this: Is there a difference between confession and repentance? Most of us know I John 1:9. Please say it with me: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” When I confess my sins, does that mean that I have repented of my sins? While the two are related, surely there is a difference. The Greek word translated “confess” literally means “to say the same thing.” When we confess our sin to God, we say the same thing about the sin that God says. There is no “But God…” Rather, it is “Yes, Lord, you call it sin and I must agree. I have sinned against you.” When we do that from the heart, God is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us. He is faithful in that He said He would do it. He is just because Jesus paid for our sins. Remember, God doesn’t overlook any sin. He can forgive us because the sin was punished in Jesus, as He took our sins on Himself at the cross.
But what about repentance? While confession is a genuine acknowledgment of sin, repentance is the attitude that hates sin and longs to be done with it. Surely both are important in our lives. Confession is the starting place, as there can be no repentance until we say the same thing about sin that God says about it. Then in repentance, we agree with more than the fact that we have sinned. We agree with God that sin hinders the glory of God and our being conformed to the image of Christ, causing us to despise it and turn from it.
Let me ask you this: Does repentance involve sorrow? Or to put it another way, when we sin, is it necessary to be sorry for that sin in order to receive God’s forgiveness? There are those who teach that sorrow is not necessarily involved in true repentance. Again, I believe this is an over-reaction against emotionalism. Sometimes we can give the impression that repentance is the most real in the person who sheds the most tears. That is wrong. While there is nothing wrong with an emotional response, that emotional response may be conditioned by other factors, such as personality. There are those who want to guard against equating true repentance with the degree of emotional response. While that is healthy, we cannot remove true godly sorrow from genuine repentance.
In his letters to the Corinthians Paul was dealing with a case of sexual sin that was well-known in the congregation. He not only rebuked the man who was guilty, but also the church for not dealing with it quickly and decisively. With that background, he writes to the church in II Cor. 7:9-10…
Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing. 10 For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.
The sorrow of the world can produce lots of tears, but that kind of sorrow may only be the result of getting caught. Godly sorrow, on the other hand, leads to repentance.
Think it about it. If I sin against the God who created me, who also sent His Son to bear my sins, against the Christ who loved me and gave Himself for me, how can I not be sorry? Let’s suppose you speak to your wife in an ugly tone of voice. Later, as you are hurriedly headed out the door, you say to her, “Forgive me for that ugly tone of voice. That was wrong” [said in a matter-of-fact manner]. Surely your wife wants to know that you truly have sorrow for the way you have treated her. Without this aspect of godly sorrow, confession and repentance become mechanical and are treated like some kind of magic button that will fix everything with little or no pain.
I know something about this because of my own personal experience. If I am not careful, I can confess my sin because I know it’s the right thing to do and because God promises that He will forgive and cleanse. But am I truly sorry that I have sinned against my Lord? I’m not talking about outward emotion; I’m speaking of godly sorrow. Am I truly repentant? Do I hate my sin and desire to turn from it? For me, that sometimes takes time for reflection. I have to ask the Lord to search my heart and evaluate my motives. Repentance is not a light thing.
Conclusion
May the Lord give us Christians grace to keep on repenting and believing. As we cling to Christ, we will experience genuine repentance. And may the Lord grant to you who are not yet believers the gift of repentance and faith. Someone might draw this conclusion: “If repentance is a gift from God, then all I can do is wait for Him to strike me with it.” No, that is not true. While repentance is a gift, it is also a command. We have the responsibility to repent. We might also note that Paul says much about the gifts of the Spirit in I Corinthians 12-14. However, he also gives this command to Christians: “But earnestly desire the best gifts…” (I Cor. 12:31). May we truly desire hearts of repentance.
Don’t conclude that repentance is a dark, gloomy subject. “Oh no, we have to repent.” The fruits of repentance are glorious. When we live a life of repentance, our lives are continually transformed in a way that gives glory to God. We are blessed with a proper attitude toward sin. More and more it is the attitude of God Himself.
I point you again to those words of Paul in Acts 20:21, where he reminds them that he testified of “repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.” While repentance speaks of a hatred of sin, it is also a turning toward God. The two go together. When we turn toward God, we despise our sin. When we hate our sin, we are turning toward God. Is that not what we desire with all our hearts? Life is found in Him and nowhere else. Genuine repentance gives us the proper mindset toward God and toward sin.
Lord willing, we will see the practical application of sin in the life of Job, as we look at the first six verses of Job 42. I encourage you to be reading it this week.
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