True Repentance, part 4: What is it?

In Sinclair Ferguson's helpful book The Christian Life, he defines repentance as: 1) inseparable from faith. 2) It is a turning from sin to God, which is 3) rendered in the heart and produces outward effects. 4) Repentance takes place not just at conversion, but is a life-long process of reconciliation to God. To understand repentance more fully, one must look at each of these in turn. First, repentance is inseparable from faith. If our faith is genuine, it will be truly penitent. If our repentance is genuine, it will be truly believing. Bruce Demarest says that “repentance and faith are related to one another as two sides of a coin. They are interdependent responses, each incomplete without the other.” Jesus said in Mark 1:15: “repent and believe in the gospel.” In addition, Paul said to the elders at Ephesus, “I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable…testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 20:20-21). Repentance is only truly evangelical when it is based upon faith in Jesus Christ.

Second, repentance is described as a turning from sin to God. In order to turn from sin to God, one must first comprehend his sin in light of God’s revelation of himself. He must confess his sin by acknowledging it to God and agree with God regarding its nature. And he must choose not to pursue that sin any longer but to pursue Christ. Paul affirmed the Thessalonians repentance to be genuine because they “turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come” (1 Thes. 1:9-10). This turning includes living no longer for self, but for Christ. “For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised” (2 Cor. 5:14-15). One must turn away from sin and toward Christ. Both of these must be in place. To simply turn away from sin is placing trust in one’s own ability to mortify sin which will inevitably fail. One must also pursue Christ if this turning away from sin is to be complete.

Third, repentance is an inward change that produces outward effects. Repentance must begin within. In Joel 2:13, God says to Israel, “rend to me your hearts, not your garments.” Psalm 34:18 says “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” Those whose hearts are plagued by godly grief will respond in confession and then bear fruit in keeping with repentance (Luke 3:8). This inward change that produces outward fruit can be seen in Psalm 51. In verses 1-12, David humbly confessed his sin to God and asked for forgiveness. David acknowledged that it is God who cleanses and renews hearts. All the sacrifices of men are insufficient if God does not restore those who are truly broken (v. 16-17). In response to God’s forgiveness and the occurrence of this inward change, David then promised to teach transgressors God’s ways, declare God’s praise, and offer right sacrifices (v. 13-15, 18-19).

Fourth, repentance takes place not just at conversion, but is a life-long process of reconciliation to God. Martin Luther said: “When the Lord and Master Jesus Christ said, “Repent,” he intended that the entire life of believers should be repentance. This word repentance cannot be understood to mean the sacrament of penance, or the act of confession and satisfaction administered by the priests. Yet it does not mean inward repentance only, as there is no inward repentance that does not manifest itself outwardly through various mortifications of the flesh. The penalty of sin, therefore, continues so long as hatred of self, or true inward repentance, continues, and it continues until our entrance into the kingdom of heaven." Just as faith is continual trust in Christ throughout life, so also repentance is a constant part of Christian living. Paul spoke of the continual need for Christians to walk in the Spirit in order to not gratify the desires of the flesh (Gal. 5:16-25). Although Christians are justified upon faith and repentance at conversion, life is a process of sanctification whereby they are dying to the flesh (mortification) and made alive in Christ through the Spirit (vivification). Because Christians still battle with their remaining sin nature, they must continue to identify and repent of sin in their lives.

Unfortunately, churches often make little of this fact. Richard Lovelace stated that: "It is therefore not surprising that many congregations which are full of regenerate people are nevertheless not very alive spiritually, since spiritual life demands metanoia, a new mind of repentance, and this requires more than an initial setting of the heart against the shallow expressions of sin which the believer is aware of at the time of conversion . .. Most congregations of professing Christians today are saturated with a kind of dead goodness . . . surface righteousness which does not spring from faith and the Spirit’s renewing action, but from religious pride and conditioned conformity to tradition." Rather than gambling as lukewarm Christians (Rev. 3:15-16), believers must put to death the deeds of the body, through the Spirit, by repenting of and forsaking sin and living to Christ (Rom 8:12-13).

In faith-filled obedience may we continually turn our hearts from sin and seek the Lord with all that we are: heart, mind, soul, and strength. Next up in the True Repentance series, the finale: The Fruit of Repentance.

Open Hands

It's funny what the Lord brings to mind. In my quiet time today I was meditating on the ever-present, all-sufficient, powerful grace God gives his people, enabling them to carry out his will. As I read passage after passage, I was both awed and humbled by the immediacy and availability of God's provision for every aspect of my life. First Corinthians 15:10 says: "
But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me." In 2 Corinthians 9:8 Paul says: "And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work." What a great and glorious promise! God is continually giving me the grace I need to do his will!

By now you are probably thinking to yourself, "Duh Chet, that is neither new nor funny," but bear with me. I'm in a season of life in which I need to make BIG decisions. We are at the end of seminary and questions regarding our future are a daily and immediate reality. As I was praying today about where the Lord is leading us I was becoming very anxious. What obstacles will we encounter? How will I provide for my family? Am I cut out for this? Should I take the safe route and be wise and prudent, or should I risk heavily for Christ? I was worried. I was fearful. I was loosing sight of grace. Though I have heard this message time and again, I needed to hear the promise of God's ever-present power. This truth fell on me like a waterfall, washing away the burden of my anxiety. God's grace is not just his unmerited favor to pardon me from my sin, but is present with me right now, and will be with me, making me adequate, strengthening me to be sufficient for the task that he has given me, as long as I remain needy, bankrupt, and utterly dependent upon him. What peace, what joy I experienced in that moment.

Now to the "funny" part (interesting, ironic, not ha-ha). As I finished praying, the first thing that caught my attention was my hands: they were palms up. With eyes fixed upon my right hand, I slowly turned it to a handshake ready position. It was in that moment that I realized something that was profound. This was the way I was holding my hand toward the will of God! A vertical, outstretched, open hand seems inviting, receptive, ready to embrace what is placed within it. It appears enthusiastic, willing, welcoming, but it is conditional. In order to truly receive, the object must first be placed and held within my hand and then I have to decide to wrap my fingers around it. I can receive it only if it placed and remains in the position where I have set my hand IF I should so choose to grasp it. It might seem eager, it might appear willing, but it is no way to receive anything from God.

If I am to obtain anything from above my palms must face upward. If I am to embrace God's will for my life and His grace to walk in it my hands must be open, outstretched, and up. God's grace raining down from above cannot be collected by a vertical hand. It will slip right off the palm. Open hands with palms toward the heavens are ready to receive whatever the Lord should give, willing to receive blessing or to be bound for the sake of Christ. This is the position my hand needs to be in that I might receive grace upon grace to fulfill his will for me. These are hands truly open to God.

What position are your hands in? Are your palms up? If not, where are they? In your pockets, hiding from God? Are your fists clinched in rebellion against him? Are you pointing your finger at God to accuse him of some unjust deed or to make demands of him? Are your hands in that handshake ready position, appearing to be willing to embrace what he will give, but in reality you are willing to let his grace slip by? Or will you turn your palms to heaven, and like St. Augustine say: "Give what you command, and command what you will." God's grace is sufficient. God's grace is our great reward.

True Repentance, part 2: Godly Grief versus Worldly Grief

If we are to know whether or not our repentance is genuine, we must first examine the nature of our sorrow. Is our grief godly or carnal? The passage which gives the clearest demarcation of true remorse and worldly sorrow is 2 Corinthians 7:8-10:

8 For even if I made you grieve with my letter, I do not regret it- though I did regret it, for I see that that letter grieved you, though only for a while. 9 As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us. 10 For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.

Grief goes beyond mere emotions. It is not uncommon to feel guilt, shame, or regret when caught in a sin. Yet true grief is identified by one’s response to it. If one is godly, the shame that he experienced will lead him to humble himself before God. He will recognize that he has disgraced God and will earnestly desire to be restored to him. Mourning loss of communion between himself, God and others, he will grow to hate his sin. As William Cowper said “I hate the sin that made thee mourn and drove thee from my breast.” His grief will lead to repentance, which will result in salvation without regret. This occurs because the godly man turns away from his sin and focuses on the pardoning grace of God. He will recognize that he has received God’s mercy and forgiveness of his sin. John Calvin puts it this way:

“The sorrow of the world is, when men despond in consequence of earthly afflictions, and are overwhelmed with grief; while sorrow according to God is that which has an eye to God, while they reckon it the one misery — to have lost the favor of God; when, impressed with fear of His judgment, they mourn over their sins. This sorrow Paul makes the cause and origin of repentance. This is carefully to be observed, for unless the sinner be dissatisfied with himself, detest his manner of life, and be thoroughly grieved from an apprehension of sin, he will never betake himself to the Lord.”

Therefore godly grief is that remorse or sorrow which leads one to humbly repent to God. In the previous example of Peter in part 1, John 21 portrays his intimate restoration to Christ. Peter’s godly grief over denying him three times results in his humble triadic affirmation to shepherd Jesus’ flock.

Conversely, Paul describes worldly grief as leading to death. All emotions of shame and regret do not result in a humble repentance for those who experience ungodly sorrow. Instead, worldly grief leads to death because there is no restoration to God. Stuart Scott says that:

“Shallow remorse can involve: 1) sorrow over getting caught and being found out, 2) sorrow over the consequences in or of getting caught, 3) sorrow over the response of others. 4) The offering of an apology saying, “I’m sorry” without any mention of repentance or change and without asking forgiveness. 5) Trying to do penance by doing unrelated good things to make the consequences go away, to try to cancel out one’s wrong-doing, or to appease God. 6) Making at least some justification for the sin committed. 7) Complaining about the expectation of real change.”

In short, they do not hate their sin or desire to do what is necessary to truly reconcile severed relationships. Therefore, worldly grief is sorrow over the consequences of sin, yet without any remorse over dishonoring God. It leads to a focus on self and away from God. Judas felt great sorrow over his sin, but he never sought reconciliation to God. His grief was not from the recognition of the evil of his sin but from the punishment he would receive as a result of betraying innocent blood.

Another biblical example of worldly grief is King Saul. In 1 Samuel 15, God commanded Saul to go to battle against the Amalekites and to devote all of them to destruction. Saul was not to leave a single man or animal alive. After mustering his troops, Saul went to war with the Amalekites and God granted him victory over them. But Saul failed to keep his vow to God by sparing Agag, king of the Amalekites, and the best of the animals. As Samuel approached Saul, the king lied to Samuel saying that he had fulfilled God’s command. Samuel rebuked him for his disobedience. Saul then attempted to respond with false piety as he said that he saved the choicest animals to offer them as a sacrifice to God (rather than taking away from his own personal flock). Samuel was not convinced and told Saul that God had rejected him as king.

Overwhelmed with grief, Saul confessed his true motive – the people took the spoil rather than destroying it, and Saul feared them (v. 24). His desire to please man was greater than his desire to please God. Saul pleaded with Samuel to pardon his sin and return with him so that he could worship the Lord. Yet he was not truly interested in worshipping God, but being honored by Samuel before the eyes of men. When Samuel refused, Saul seized his robe and it tore. Again Saul begged Samuel to go with him before the people, this time Samuel agreed. His compliance was probably due to the fact that even though Saul was a sinful king, he was still anointed by God. Until another king took his place, he would serve as the spiritual representative of the people. Samuel’s allowance would protect the nation from following Saul’s example further. Saul was able to save face before the people, yet he was not allowed to carry out God’s command to destroy Agag and the remaining flocks. Samuel fulfilled this task.

Unlike his successor, David, he never truly humbled himself and repented to God. As a result of Saul’s worldly grief he was rejected by God and given an evil spirit to torment him. He eventually lost both his throne and his life because he feared man more than God (1 Chr. 10:13-14). This should lead us to ask a few questions of ourselves. Why do you feel sorrow over your sin? Is it because you fear man or consequences? Or is it because you are grieved by knowing that you have offended God? Do you really hate your sin? Are you willing to do what is necessary to be reconciled to God and those whom you have sinned against? In part 3, we'll look at biblical instruction for how we are to repent, but in the mean time may we all be grieved over our sin, leading us to repent and place our trust in the only one who can restore without regret.

True Repentance, part 1

Most Christians know who Simon Peter and Judas Iscariot were. Both were apostles of Christ. Both walked with him and were taught by him for years. Both were given authority by Jesus to heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, and cast out demons (Mt. 10:5-15). Both appeared outwardly in every respect to be loyal to Christ. Peter, after all was the one who professed Jesus as the Messiah (Mt. 16-13-20), and Judas was given charge over the money bag (Jn. 13:29). Yet both turned their backs on him. Judas betrayed him and Peter denied him. Upon recognition of their unfaithfulness, both showed remorse. Judas, when he saw that Jesus was condemned, “changed his mind” and attempted to return the thirty pieces of silver saying “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood” (Mt. 27:3-4). Peter, after denying Christ three times, ran away weeping bitterly (Mt. 26:65). Yet only one was truly penitent. Judas threw down the silver and went out and hanged himself. Peter, on the other hand, returned to the disciples and afterward was restored to Christ (John 21).

How can it be that both were regretful and yet only one response led to reconciliation? How could Judas, being anguished by his sin to the point of suicide, not have received mercy from God? And if his sorrow did not lead to salvation, how can one be sure of the validity of his repentance?

I wish I could say that questions like these were common, but unfortunately there seems to be much confusion regarding the nature of repentance. Often it is viewed as a one time event of sorrow over sin and confession, but repentance goes far beyond grief and acknowledgment of transgression. Therefore, I thought it might be helpful to pass on a little insight I've been given on the nature of repentance in the hope that it may bolster our understanding and draw us to our knees as we endeavor to "keep to Christ in repentance and faith." To do this, we must first examine the distinction between worldly and godly grief. Second, we must explore the differentiation between penance and repentance. This will become increasingly clear as we identify the fruit of true repentance and then make a few personal points of application. I pray that we may truly mourn over our sin as we look upon the him whom we have pierced (Zech 12:10; John 19:37)and respond as Peter did, in an obedient and continual trust in the only true Savior, Jesus Christ.