In previous lessons, we have seen the wonderful provision that God has made for us through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We have seen that this work of God for us was designed to reverse all the effects of man's rebellion against God. All the bad things that we deserve were put on Jesus at the cross, while all the blessings of the Kingdom that belong to Jesus we share in through the cross and the resurrection.
We have also begun to consider the fact that salvation is by grace and what this means. It is by the grace of God that we can be fully accepted by Him as our Father, and live the kind of life that pleases Him. For more information on the multi-faceted Grace of God, see the corresponding lesson.
No amount of religious work or obedience to God's commandments on our part can BUY God's blessings. JESUS bought these blessings for us at the cross. We can never say that through our works we merit any part of God's salvation. God's salvation is freely available. We are "justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" (Rom. 3:24). "For by grace you have been saved, through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." (Eph 2:8-9).
However, no one can receive full peace with God who still wants to fight against God and rebel against His Will. God's will is that we be reconciled to Him. The repentance that we need to have is that turning away from self to God where we want God to fill us, free us, change us and work in us.
Jesus told us that "repentance and the remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations" (Lk. 24:47). Although salvation is a gift, only those who repent and believe the gospel receive that gift. This is not to imply that only those fully blameless in heart have access to God. However, the Scripture is full of warnings against turning back to a lifestyle of sin and rebellion after receiving a knowledge of the truth. (Heb. 10:26-31; 2 Peter 2:20-21). Therefore our repentance from dead works does not make us deserve God's forgiveness, but it is one of the two conditions for receiving that forgiveness. You cannot have Jesus as Saviour but reject Him as Lord and Master. Jesus is a gracious and patient master but there are times when He makes it very clear that we cannot go on with Him unless we let go of certain things.
Also, know that is by God's grace that we can be willing to repent. It is a dangerous thing to refuse God's grace when it comes to us. It usually comes when, by one means or another, we have Jesus Christ and his sacrificial death on the cross painted before the eyes of our heart. God never wants us to forget Jesus, nor his sacrifice. Instead, we need to keep looking to Him. That is the key to overcoming sin.
We will look at this important doctrine of repentance more closely now.
What is Repentance?
1. Repentance is not a way of dressing, or a way of speaking. It is not women putting a covering on their head. Nor is it going to an evangelical church. Nor is it using religious words like "brother, sister". You can do all these things and still not repent.
2. Repentance is not merely feeling sorry that you sinned or did wrong. It is not an emotion. Emotion and sorrow for sin normally accompany repentance, but it is possible to feel sorry, remorseful and even weep without truly repenting.
Repentance is a serious change of mind leading to a change of direction. The Greek word (metanoia) means "to change ones mind" while the Hebrew word implies a change of direction. Dead works are any works which are not of faith, since whatever is not of faith is sin (Romans 14:23). In fact, unbelief is at the root of all sin. It is only through faith in Christ - knowing who He is and what He has promised us - that we can overcome sin. Dead works are works contrary to the Word of God. They include the works of the flesh - "adultery, fornication, uncleanness, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like" (Gal. 5:19-21). God says that those who practise such things shall not inherit the Kingdom of God. Anything not done in love is a "dead work" (1 Cor. 16:14). Any religious work done in the power of man alone is a "dead work" because it has not the life of God in it. The heartless observances of religious tradition that men perform are all "dead works". Even prayer, sacrifice and church attendance can be in the class of dead works when the heart turns away from God and His Word (Pr. 28:9).
The fundamental repentance necessary to be right with God is the recognition that we need not only Jesus' sacrifice to deal with our sin, but we also Jesus Christ in our lives every day. Everyone is either moving towards Jesus or away from Him. When we wilfully move away from Him, for any reason, and do not reverse this trend through seeking Him, we cannot have true biblical assurance of salvation. "The Lord knows who are His, and let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity."
As we move on with the Lord we will come across further areas where we need to repent. God gives us time to repent. He said of Jezebel, "I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, but she did not repent." (Revelation 2:21). If we fail to repent in time, there will come judgments in increasing severity. Ultimately, if sin is serious enough and persistent enough, it will take you to eternal hell, even if you once truly believed in Christ. Therefore take heed to yourself.
Repentance from dead works means to realise that works without the faith, life and love of God in them are wrong, and to turn away from them from the heart. It involves renouncing all religious pride, all independence from God and all unclean or dishonest practises. It involves a change of heart and a change of lifestyle. It is done by putting total faith in Christ - who He is and what His Word tells us. Repentance happens as we yield to the conviction of the Spirit of God.
John the Baptist and Paul both taught that men and women who repent must "produce fruit in keeping with repentance" (Luke 3:8). This means not only to feel sorry or say that you have sinned but to change behaviour and seek to make restitution where needed for past sins against others. Often it involves also humbling yourself before those you have wronged. It means living a new life according to the will of God. Paul taught everywhere that men should "repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance." (Acts 26:20).
For example, if you have hurt someone - contact them and apologize. If you have stolen from someone, confess it, return the goods or give back the money with interest. If you just don't have anything to give back still confess it and recognise your debt to that person or institution. If you have any complaints about others, forgive them as Christ has forgiven you (Col. 3:13; Mk 11:25). If you have been sinning, stop sinning. Stop being selfish. Give your life to God and seek to please Him.
"Truly these times of ignorance God has overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent." (Acts 17:30)
This is a very important issue which is not well explained even in many protestant churches. The kind of repentance we are talking about is not often presented as a condition of salvation. Much modern evangelism plays down the importance of repentance for fear that people will be unwilling to receive Jesus if it is presented like this. The result is that many people who have been "led to Christ" are not changed! The dominion of sin in their life is left substantially unchallenged. People become half-hearted, lukewarm, ungrateful "Christians" who are still bound to sin more than they are to Christ. Never being deeply convinced of sin, righteousness and judgment, they view the gospel as a kind of offer to be tried out. Most "converts", becoming disappointed with the results they experience or, being tempted, never stay long enough in the church to find out what God's Word says about repentance. Those converts who do stay many times settle down into the commonly accepted and practised idea that we don't have to really go after God and get rid of sin. Yet the Bible tells us to lay aside not only the sin which most easily entangles us, but ALSO any weights, things in our life that reduce our effectiveness as Christians (Hebrews 12:1,2).
The word of God must be our authority on this question of the need for repentance. What did Jesus and the apostles say?
From the Teaching of Jesus:
"Repent, and believe in the gospel." (Mk. 1:15)
"... Unless you repent you will perish." (Luke 13:3) This clearly refers to more than physical death, since all the apostles died physically, yet we can be sure than all except Judas Iscariot were repentant men. Jesus here is saying, "Unless you turn from your sin you will go to hell."
"And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell." (Mt. 5.30). Does this sound like Jesus is encouraging a casual attitude to any problems we might have with sin in our life? He is saying that we must get rid of anything that causes us to sin no matter how much it costs us, or we will go to hell.
Even God's servants must repent or they may be condemned. "And that SERVANT who knew His master's will and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be BEATEN with MANY STRIPES." (Lk. 12:47)
Christians are said to be branches in the vine of Jesus. Yet "Every branch IN ME (Jesus) that does not bear fruit He (the Father) takes away" (John 15:2). Jesus said, "If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned." (John 15:6)
"But HE WHO ENDURES TO THE END shall be saved." (Mt. 24:13)
Repentance is not just a one-time event which guarantees our future relationship with God. Repentance is a lifestyle. While we have forgiveness in Christ even though we fall short of perfection, we walk on dangerously thin ice if we let ourselves grow lukewarm towards the Lord by letting "little" sins in that we think the Lord will tolerate. All such things need to be confessed, renounced and put away. We deceive ourselves if we justify these things by comparing ourselves with anyone else - even church leadership.
"He who overcomes shall be clothed in white, and I will not blot his name out of the Book of Life." (Rev. 3:5). This promise is for those who overcome sin, not for those who are overcome by sin.
"But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven." (Mt. 10:33)
It has been stated that either you are a missionary or a mission field.
"But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." (Mt. 6:15)
Don't allow the poison of bitterness or resentment towards another to poison your heart. It could cost you not only your happiness now, but also even your eternal relationship with God.
"Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way which leads to destruction, and there are many who go by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it." (Mt. 7:13,14)
And finally,
"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but HE WHO DOES THE WILL OF MY FATHER IN HEAVEN." (Mt 7.21). Jesus will say to many, "Depart from Me, you who practise lawlessness."
Its wiser to base our practise on what Jesus said, not on what a preacher may say in his desire to please people and have a bigger budget.
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