Recently, I've been thinking about repentance; you know...how we (people) are supposed to repent of our wickedness according to the Bible.
This begs the question, "Have we changed the gospel?" Are we any better than the Judaizers that were plaguing the Galatian churches with additions to faith in Christ? Are we of lesser offense if we somehow diminish the gospel or water down its truth? Paul came quickly in defense of the true gospel in the letter to the Galatian churches. It was with a sense of urgency that he wrote, even taking care to pen the final paragraph (or at least a part of it) in his own hand. Some maintain that he did this to show the authenticity of the letter, because there were forgerys floating around. Unfortunately, we fail to be gripped by his passion today; we do not lay hold of the real experience as he meant it.
Do you do this? If you believe in Jesus, might you have added something to the gospel message that doesn't belong? Perhaps it is telling the "unchurched" that they need to go to church without specifying that if they don't go to church they can still be saved. Do you say what you believe, or have our morals and passive judgments become a part of today's gospel message. Wouldn't that be a severe tragedy?
Matthew 3:11
"I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire."
This is an interesting verse. John claims a baptism of repentance with water. He states "one coming after him" who baptizes with the Holy Spirit and with fire. What should we take from this? Let's look at some more verses for help...
Mark 6:7-13
Then Jesus went around teaching from village to village. Calling the Twelve to him, he sent them out two by two and gave them authority over evil spirits. These were his instructions: "Take nothing for the journey except a staff--no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. Wear sandals but not an extra tunic. Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town. And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave as a testimony against them." Then they went out and preached that people should repent. They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.
Luke 15:3-7
Then Jesus told them this parable: "Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.' I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent."
Acts 2:38
Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."
Acts 5:31
God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel.
Acts 8:22
Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps he will forgive you for having such a thought in your heart.
Acts 17:29-31
Therefore since we are God's offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone - an image made by man's design and skill. In the past, God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead.
Romans 2:4
Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance?
Revelation 2:5
Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.
Ok, that's a good amount of verses. There's more. But reviewing these verses helps us see the word repent in a few different uses. Throughout the bible, repent seems to imply 2 distinct types of turning away from sin and towards God.
- Repentance of wicked ways (past). This would be synonymous to the apostles telling everyone to repent when they were sent by Jesus. This implies a turning away from past wickedness and at the same time turning towards God in order to receive the Holy Spirit / want to be baptized, etc. I find it important to note that included in this type of repentance is turning away from the idea that following laws will justify you before God. This truth seems almost worthy of an entirely separate use for repent, but it is a kind of wickedness people are to turn from. It's an incorrect paradigm, that could and will cost you your freedom in Christ.
- Repentance of wicked ways (recurring). Those of us who are Christians know all too well that we continue to have to repent of things after we receive the Holy Spirit, are baptized, etc. We continue for some reason, to sin against God. Even though we receive salvation and we in part turn toward Him, we in part work out a process through our lives where we again and again need to repent. Christians refer to this process as "sanctification."
This idea blows a 1-time repentance paradigm out of the water. To repent then, is not a 1-time occurence. Though from some of the verses we looked at, it seems like the first time you realize you have to repent is paramount. This event is somehow different than future times you will need to continue to turn from wickedness present in your heart (sin / iniquity).
So we return to the initial question. Do I have to repent to be saved? Has the gospel message changed?
I live in a more urban setting. I live in proximity to other houses where I can hear conversations happening on others porches when I leave my house (whether I want to or not). There is a particular house where I overheard conversations (more like yelling directly at others) coming from the house. Just about every other word was profanity which, one could argue, is something that after coming to Jesus would be up for pruning (or correcting). It's one of those things that biblically is hard to support continuing. This is, at the very least, the stance that the western church has taken. Anyway, hearing something like that, does give me a feeling that there's something that might be broken. I do not see or hear remorse or correction after this. The point is, lots of profanity.
The next day, a car pulls up to the house with really loud southern gospel music playing. I hear from inside the same house the same voice scream, "Turn it up! Praise the Lord! Say it Loud, Amen!"
This is all kind of "sake of argument" stuff. I would say though, that this person believes in Jesus Christ. At the very least, believes in God. (Here comes the statement that matters) Yet, like every other believer in Jesus that I know, this person has something left in their hearts that the Holy Spirit has yet to purge from their life. At some point, I pray according to the will of the Spirit, this person will need to "repent" of this in their life. This will partially be an action step on their part...however without being empowered and supported by the work of the Holy Spirit in their life will not stand for long. It is partially an action step, but even more than that it is a partnership. It is a process that is played out in working with the Spirit of God. An openness if you would like to call it that, to letting the Holy Spirit change your life, your actions, letting the Holy Spirit change you.
But, does the fact that at present, this person has no remorse whatsoever about profanity impact their salvation? Could you argue that they are not saved because they show no remorse? Do you think they might be saved if they said stuff like that, but then catch themselves and ask forgiveness of God in a recurring fashion?
Do you believe that you go through a day and do nothing against God?
Do you believe that you ask forgiveness of God for every sin you commit?
What about the ones in your heart? What about the ones in your heart that you don't even know are there but God knows are there?
This line of questioning brings me to my problem with the standard message of "You need to repent to believe in Jesus." See, I just don't think this statement gives us enough detail and information to be the truth. It's not that it is not the truth, but I think stated as such is a misleading truth. It is a truth that leads me (and I believe many others) down a path that says, "I need to get my stuff straight in order to come to Jesus." While what we really should be thinking is "I can't get my stuff straight on my own, I need to let Jesus invade my life yesterday to help me get right!"
Because to me the truth, the power, the magnificent, gracious, merciful core of the gospel is that "while we were still sinners...Christ died for us." The whole idea that I was dead in my transgressions means that I was dead. I could do nothing of my own, including repent! This brings me again to the idea that there is a partnership going on. That it isn't so cut and dry. The bible states that God is in all and through all. This makes sense to me, because if God was not in me before I believed in Jesus I do not think I could have believed in Jesus or realized that I needed Jesus! There was a partnership that was created in my heart that I did no help to manifest--that I could not have done anything about!
Which brings me to one last verse...
Genesis 15:12-19 (God's covenant with Abram)
As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him. Then the Lord said to him, "Know for certain that your decendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years. But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions. You, however, will go to your fathers in peace and be buried at a good old age. In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure."
When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking firepot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces. On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram and said, "To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euprates - the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites and Jebusites."
To catch up those of you who do not know. Abram (later called Abraham), is the father of the Christian faith. God appears to Abraham and makes a covenant that takes God's people (Israel) all the way through to Moses (10 commandments and the law) through to David (God establishing a kingdom) and beyond through many other godly leaders and prophets to Jesus, the Son of God. My apologies for the extreme summary there, but I thought it important.
The Genesis verses are God concluding words about a covenant with Abram -- Abram questioning him at ever step. Abram says "but Lord, how...but Lord, how..." This man's faith was later reckoned to him as righteousness. If Abram, a man who is clearly not perfect would have been part of the fulfillment of this covenant, then I would be able to believe that we would need to do something in order for Jesus to save us (like repent). However, I am struck by the fact that Abram is asleep when "a smoking firepot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces." This was God, passing between the pieces signifying that He was going to accomplish the covenant Himself. He does this, through Jesus. God passes through alone to signify that he will accomplish the covenant promised to Abram alone. (and through him Jesus, the seed -- see Galatians).
Praise God that He had the wisdom to walk through and seal the covenant Himself and not let someone like me, or any one of us be a part of that. He knew better! We don't know better, unless we are led by the Holy Spirit into understanding and vision beyond our own ability.
So what's the final verdict? I can't be sure. I know this much, it is not for me to judge hearts I do not know fully. It is for me to seek the counsel of the Holy Spirit in humility and remembering the grace and loving mercy that was shown to me; because I was a sinner when I was saved, and am still a saved sinner. Personally, I would not have repented without the help of God...the first time or any time after that. He is sovereign, in all and through all. I do not believe that people will repent on their own, they need to be led to repentance by the truth of the gospel, and I would stand firm and believe that they cannot be led to repentance by anything but the loving mercy and great abounding grace granted through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
May the truth and integrity of the gospel be protected at all costs and be put on display for all people.
Finally, I'd like to remind the audience that I don't have a degree in bible or anything of the like. I didn't go through great training and read pages of supplemental material to help me make this decision. I believe men are qualified by God to share, teach, and preach the Word. What I write, I write at the leading of what I believe to be the Holy Spirit breathing truth through me. Praise God that He sees fit to use me, the broken instrument I am. My prayer for myself is that God would continue uncovering the hidden ways of my heart, the wickedness I know not of and hit it with refining fire and great mercy that leads me to repentance; so that my life could be poured out as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God. This is my prayer for all of you as well.
