The Scriptures have much to say about repentance and particularly the need of sinners to repent of their sins. We also read of God repenting, but divine repentance, as we shall see, is completely different from human repentance. The first challenge that lies ahead of us is to distinguish carefully between the two, otherwise we can become hopelessly confused and risk the danger of having wrong thoughts about God. A second challenge is to reconcile and understand Scriptures that would seem to be contradictory. For example, "The Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for he is not a man, that he should repent" (1 Sam 15.29); just a few verses later we read, "The Lord repented that he had made Saul king over Israel" (1 Sam 15.35).
Human Repentance
Repentance is said to be a change of mind that leads to a change of heart and ultimately a change in direction. A call to repentance is a vital component in fully declaring the gospel. It was prominent in the ministry of the prophets in Old Testament times (Ezek 14.6; 18.30). It formed the basis of John the Baptist’s plea to the nation of Israel as he prepared the way for the coming Messiah (Mt 3.2). The Lord Himself warned of the need to repent rather than perish (Mt 4.17; Lk 13.3,5). Peter, Paul, and many others have preached the very same message down through the centuries (Acts 2.38; 17.30).
Even today, in the language of the letters to the seven churches of Asia, there is an ongoing challenge to individual believers and churches to repent of their departure from the truth (Rev 2.5,16,21,22; 3.3,19). Sad to say, in a future day there will be many who will refuse to repent of their evil deeds even though they will be suffering under the righteous judgment of God (Rev 9.20; 16.9,11).
Repentance implies a complete turnaround. Simply put, it begins with a change in mind in a sinner’s thoughts about God, about his own sinful condition, and about Christ. This change of mind brings conviction and confession. A change in direction follows: a turning around to forsake the paths of sin. A start is made in the right direction, and the new-born believer begins to walk the pathway of seeking to live for God and His glory.
Regarding God
Before coming to repentance many people exist in a fog of delusion. They think that if there is a God at all He must be very distant and not overly concerned about them as individuals. To many it seems that natural disasters, wars, famine, floods and the like indicate that God is either indifferent to the human condition or powerless to do anything to alleviate the suffering and injustice in the world.
Repentance means that one acknowledges the existence of an eternal and almighty God who is vitally interested in the affairs of men and in the welfare of the individual sinner. The sinner comes to realise that God is holy and cannot overlook sin. He must judge it and He will do so comprehensively and righteously.
Regarding Personal Sin
There is a common and popular viewpoint that everybody sins and so there is no need to make such a fuss about it. Surely God will overlook such things? Sins are conveniently graded and classified into major and minor, and many will argue that they themselves are not gross sinners at all but, in fact, quite respectable people. They consider that their own good deeds will be enough to tip the balance and guarantee their own entry into heaven. God must surely receive them to Himself: Haven’t they been good attenders at church? Haven’t they been kind to their neighbours? Haven’t they been upright and law-abiding citizens?
What a seismic shift in understanding is needed for a person to see that he is unclean and guilty before God. Furthermore, he comes to realise with alarm that he is in danger of perishing and being lost in hell forever. Two events, both certain as to their occurrence but unpredictable as to their timing, could spell the end of the day of grace and opportunity to get right with God. One event is death itself and the other is the return of the Lord Jesus Christ to the air for His Church. These solemn realities dispel any air of casualness the sinner might have had. Nothing becomes more important or more urgent than the matter of personal salvation.
Regarding Christ
Men and women of our generation have reinvented Christ in a way that suits their own philosophy of life. Many view the Lord Jesus, the Son of God, as no more than a great historical figure who set a good example and exemplified the "Golden Rule". The whole trend in current thinking is to question His deity and also to deny that He is the only Saviour of sinners.
By the grace of God, when the Holy Spirit convicts a person of God’s greatness and holiness and their own personal sin and danger, the heart is ready to receive the Good News which is the best news of all. Christ did not come to be a great leader or teacher or healer; He came to be the Saviour! This necessitated His death on the cross of Calvary. It was there that He offered Himself without spot to God and laid down His life as the perfect sacrifice. He paid the ransom price with His own blood and cleared the debt. He bore the wrath and judgment that should have been ours. Through faith in Him alone there is full forgiveness and pardon and much more besides.
In conclusion, human repentance is a necessity because of personal sin. There is a confession of guilt and an admission of wrongdoing before God. David wrote, "Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight" (Ps 51.4). The prodigal too had truly repented and confessed, "Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son" (Lk 15.21). There is also a complete turnaround in forsaking a former path of sin and an all important step of trusting in Christ, the only Saviour. That was exactly what Paul preached: "Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ" (Acts 20.21). We should not forget the wonder of it all: the repentance of one sinner sets heaven ringing with joy!
To be continued.
