Repentance

Last week I spoke to you about faith. It seems only right that this week I follow that up by talking to you about repentance. These two are so closely tied together that you really can’t have the one without also having the other. This morning we’re going to explore some of what the Scriptures have to say about repentance. And we’ll do that by considering some questions.

We’ll start with this. What is repentance? Once again, I begin with a definition. I’ll present this definition in three parts.

First, repentance is an honest admission of sin. Listen to how David did this.

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. ​Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. ​Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment. Psalm 51.1-4

David was very clear. He talks about his transgressions, his iniquity, his sin, with each of those words stressing a different aspect of his disobedience. He also labels what he did as evil. And he acknowledges that God would be blameless if He were to condemn him.

David offers no excuses, no defenses. There is no softening of the evil of what he did. He offers a very straightforward admission of his sin. That is where repentance must start.

Now, hearing this some people might say, ‘Well, of course, he’s blunt about his sin. Consider what he did. He stole a man’s wife and then had him killed to cover it up. It only makes sense that he would be very clear about those kinds of sins.’ Sounds reasonable, no? However, anyone thinking in that way is assuming something: some sins are really horrible while other sins aren’t quite so bad. These ‘lesser sins’ don’t require such bluntness. Really? To be sure, some sins have a greater effect on the person sinning and those around him, but does God actually think that some sins are not as bad, not as sinful, as others? How could anyone think that? When it comes to repenting, what David wrote here is a guide to us all, regardless of the kind of sin we commit.

So, the first part of the definition: Repentance is an honest admission of sin.

Now, for the next part of the definition listen to something Paul wrote to some young Christians.

For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God…  1 Thessalonians 1.9

Real repentance includes a turning away from and a turning toward. Simply admitting the sin and asking for forgiveness isn’t enough. It isn’t real repentance. When someone repents, part of that repentance includes an expressed desire not to sin like that anymore. There needs to be a turning away from sin. 

But then, there also needs to be a turning toward. But you need to be careful here. What are we to turn toward? It is too easy to assume that we are to turn toward right behavior. ‘I don’t want to sin like that anymore. Instead, I want to do what is right in that situation.’ Well, that is close, but it misses something important, something that those young Christians that Paul wrote to understood. They

turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God…

When one repents, he is to turn not just to right behavior but to God. Listen to Peter.

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God… 1 Peter 3.18

Being a Christian is not first of all about behaving in certain ways. It’s about knowing and serving and enjoying the living and true God. When you sin you move away from your God. So, repentance is turning again toward Him. Or to say that differently, repentance is wanting God more than you want your sin.

Now we’re ready for the third part of the definition. This admission of sin and its turning from sin and toward God will always result in a change of behavior. Repentance, real repentance, always leads to a changed life. And that’s why John the Baptist said this.

Bear fruits in keeping with repentance. Luke 3.8

Real repentance always bears fruit, the fruit of a changed life. That means that repentance will lead to your efforts to replace that sin with Godly living.

And this is why understanding that second part, turning to God, is so important. How can there be change in your life apart from the power that God alone provides? There is work to be done so that there will be change. But the only reason we can expect such change is the grace of God granted to us through our prayers.

So, three parts to our definition of repentance: honest admission, turning from sin and to God, working at a changed life.

Next question. Why should someone repent?

There are several answers to this question. Let’s start with this one. One reason to repent is the threat of judgment. Listen to Jesus.

There were some present at that very time who told [Jesus] about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And He answered them, ‘Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish’. Luke 13.1-3

Now, bear in mind that Jesus wasn’t talking to a bunch of Gentile pagans when He said those words. He was talking to some church folk, members of God’s covenant community. And His warning is quite clear. Their failure to repent would result in death. He was urging them to repent by reminding them of the threat that was hanging over them. If you read your Bibles carefully, you will see this theme quite frequently. God has threatened His people. And that is something that He still does. He does this to move us to real repentance. If you need more Scripture for this you should read what Jesus says to some churches at the beginning of Revelation. One reason to repent: God’s threats.

Here’s another reason why someone should repent: a sense of shame. Paul writes this to some Christians about their former pagan lives.

But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? Romans 6.21

Shame is a feeling of guilt, regret, sadness. Christians don’t talk much about shame these days. And that’s unfortunate. It is a response to sin that needs to be felt more.

Have you ever felt shame because of what you had done? I hope that you have. We all should be ashamed of some things that we have done. But I want to be clear. A person who has sinned should be ashamed of what he has done but not of who he is. No one should ever tell himself that he is a worthless piece of garbage or anything like that because of some sin. That’s not the idea of shame that you will find in the Bible. But there really ought to be feelings of guilt, regret and sadness because of your sin. Read through Psalm 51 that I quoted from earlier. It’s clear that David is ashamed of what he did. And it is, in part, that sense of shame that moved him to repent.

And that gets us to this next reason to repent. You should repent because of God’s amazing promises of forgiveness to all who repent. Here’s one of those promises.

I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins. Isaiah 43.25

Here God promises to obliterate your sin when you repent of it. That’s what ‘blot out’ means. And when something is obliterated there is no trace of it left. That’s why God can say that He will not remember those sins. He has obliterated them. And if God doesn’t remember your sins then neither should you. And when that happens any sense of shame is gone. This is what is promised to all who repent. It’s the Gospel. And it is a great reason to repent.

That leads to this reason to repent of your sin, again from David.

Restore to me the joy of your salvation… Psalm 51.12

When someone repents, one result is joy. The threat is gone. The sense of shame is gone. And even the oppressive memory of sin is gone. All that was an obstacle to glorifying and enjoying God is gone. And in its place the Spirit blesses with joy, the joy of being rescued from sin.

In light of glorious promises like these, it makes absolutely no sense for anyone to refuse to repent, no sense at all.

We’ve dealt with two questions. What is repentance? Why repent? Here’s our next question. How do you repent? There are two aspects to the answer.

First, there’s this.

When they heard these things they fell silent. And they glorified God, saying, “Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life.” Acts 11.18

The same theme is repeated here.

And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth…  2 Timothy 2.24-25

Repentance is something that God grants. It is a gift of His grace. You really need to get this. Without this as a clear foundation for your understanding of how to repent, you will run into trouble. Without this firmly in mind, you will see repentance as something you need to make happen. To say that more bluntly, you will try to save yourself from that sin. Repentance will become a work that you must perform. And that will make any such ‘repentance’ evil and sinful. Remember, we are saved by grace. That is the basis for all that we do. God acts first in His grace. And then, we respond to that grace. And that’s what happens when it comes to repentance. God grants the grace of repentance to which we respond.

And how is it that we are to respond to His grace so that we will repent? Listen again to David.

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. Psalm 51.17

Paul talks about the same thing.

For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation… 2 Corinthians 7.10

Because of Jesus, God’s forgiveness is a free gift. That is something to relish. But the freeness of His gift does not mean that we can adopt a cavalier attitude about it. Repentance is not a quick, ‘Oops, I’m sorry’, and it’s all good. No, there is to be a sense of grief over your sin. Think about what you did. You sinned. You wandered from God’s ways. You rebelled against Him. How awful! When you see it that way you will have a sense of remorse. That’s what a contrite heart is about. That’s godly grief. If you think about it, this is an expression of shame. And it’s a necessary part of repentance.

But be careful. Your forgiveness is not earned by being appropriately contrite and full of grief. Forgiveness is a free gift of grace because of Jesus. But sadness at what happened will reveal that there really is an understanding of how bad it was to disobey.

It needs to be said that there are those who go overboard, and their grief drags them down into the depths of dejection. I suspect that one reason for this just might be their belief that God will forgive only if they show that they are really, really sorry. But isn’t that again hoping in what we do to make things right instead of placing our hope in God’s grace?

Then, there are those who are barely touched by any sadness. They understand that feeling this remorse is important, but it doesn’t happen, and they don’t know what to do. This is where understanding the role of God’s grace is so helpful. This is where you pray, ‘Father, I want to repent of this sin. I desire that broken and contrite heart, that godly grief. Be gracious to me in this, Father. Grant me these things so that I will truly repent.’ Will He ignore a prayer like that?

We’ve dealt with three questions. What is repentance? Why repent? How to repent? That leaves one more question. Why is this important? We need to grapple with this question lest repentance become just another doctrine that we’re supposed to believe. When that happens, we may go through the motions of repenting, but we’re not really repenting. Part of really getting this teaching of the Bible, and any teaching of the Bible, is understanding why it’s important. And the answer is clear. Repentance is important because holiness is important.

I am the Lord your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy. Leviticus 11.44

God said that to Israel in the desert after the Exodus. That was when He was establishing many of the basic notions of what it means to be the people of God. And one basic notion is holiness, imitating this quality of God.

Peter not only quotes that in his first letter but adds a comment to it.

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation… 

This is who we are, a holy nation. This is what the Gospel has done to us. Jesus did not come so that a bunch of individuals could live happily ever after in some really nice place instead of suffering in a really bad place. Jesus has come to restore what was lost in the Garden. And one thing that was lost was a holy people, a people whose lives were a reflection of God’s own holy life.

And why would this be the point of the Gospel? Why is becoming a holy people so important? Peter goes on to explain.

…that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 1 Peter 2:9

It always gets back to God. Jesus has come to re-create this holy people so that together, by our holy lives, we could reveal to men and to angels the glorious virtues of our God. But that will never happen without repentance and its mate, faith. It is as we repent of our sins and then come again to Jesus in faith that we are changed. That is how we are sanctified. That is how we come closer and closer to the goal of being a holy people.

It is a sad fact that repentance is not considered very important these days. And one reason why that’s true is that holiness is not considered very important these days. And what is the result of that? The God who is the point of this creation is not honored but despised and scorned and mocked.

That will change. But it will change only when the Church has once again taken up the call to repent and believe the Gospel.