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Repentance

The crux of the message of John the Baptist was, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 3:2)  Literally, to repent is to change direction.  John’s purpose was to wake up the ordinary people who had drifted into complacency in response to the excuses of the Sadducees, the legalistic demands of the Pharisees, and the corruption of the High Priest’s family.  Good people even today are in the same situation.  The wake-up call is embodied in the goodness of God and the character of Jesus, preparing us to seek that same kingdom.

A significant part of Jesus’ message was, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 4:17).  In that context, repentance caused a shift from darkness and the shadow of death to light.  Only people who already cared about God showed up for these speeches; the others didn’t bother.  Jesus did not harangue them, but showed them light at the end of a long dark tunnel haunted by the chaos of life and the specter of death.  The situation is the same today.  The faithful must demonstrate the power to overcome self-deception and the world.

“Then He began to chide the cities in which most of His mighty works had been done, because they did not repent.” (Matthew 11:20)  Jesus gave overwhelming evidence that He was someone to be heeded.  Yet, after the initial excitement wore off, they fell back into their old ways of thinking.  People of every age have been the same.  Despite irrefutable proof of its accuracy, the Bible is largely ignored.  Nevertheless, Jesus kept trying to reach people, to effect change.  The faithful today must realize that only a few will abandon comfortable norms.

“The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it because they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and indeed something greater than Jonah is here.” (Matthew 12:41)  Jonah’s message contained no hope, only destruction.  Jonah did no miracle.  Yet, the Ninevites believed him and changed, and God relented.  Jesus brought a message of hope accompanied by abundant proof, yet few changed their direction.  Perhaps a renewed emphasis on the importance of evidence and logic would increase the yield.

“I have not come to call the righteous but sinners into repentance.” (Luke 5:32)  Jesus often associated with people who had problems.  The fact that He was nice to them prompted repentance.  The gospel accounts do not suggest that those on the fringes of religious society thought that they were thereby acceptable as they were, but that the gracious nature of Jesus gave them hope that change was possible.  Condemnation often is self-fulfilling.  Graciously offering hope is, too.

“I say to you that in the same way, there will be joy in heaven over one sinner repenting rather than over ninety-nine righteous persons who have no need of repentance.” (Luke 15:7 and 10)  The parable of the prodigal son follows as an illustration, ending with the older son being miffed by the celebration over the return of his profligate brother.  Only the self-centered fail to appreciate the joy of recovery.

“No, Father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.” (Luke 16:30)  In the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, the deceased rich man in torment begged that Lazarus be permitted to return to the land of the living for the purpose of appealing to the rich man’s brothers.  But, in the parable, Abraham said that they had sufficient evidence; more would make no difference.  The same is true today.  One more sign, one more miracle, one more prophet will make no difference.  Our evidence is already overwhelming.

“If he sins against you seven times a day and seven times a day returns saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.” (Luke 17:4)  The apostles’ reaction was, “Increase our faith.”  They thought such behavior impossible.  So Jesus reminded them of the servant’s place; just do it.  This was not one of those situations in which the indwelling Spirit is required so as to overcome oneself.  We expect those who do us wrong to apologize.  When they do, the faithful are required to push aside the hurt and distrust and re-establish the relationship.  Just do it.

“Repentance into remission of sins should be preached upon His name into all nations.” (Luke 24:47)  Jesus charged the eleven to take a message of repentance into the whole world.  Repentance, of course, includes forsaking evil behaviors, but, more importantly, this repentance is to turn from the thinking of the world, even if ethical and moral, into a lifestyle founded on the fact that Jesus paid off the debts of all, and could do so because of the quality of His character and virtue.  The message hasn’t changed and bears repeating.

“Repent and let each of you be baptized upon the name of Jesus Christ into the remission of your sins and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:38)  Peter addressed a huge crowd of religious Jewish people and convinced them that they had missed the long-awaited Messiah.  The crowd, knowing the history of God’s reactions to past national embarrassments, wanted to know what to do.  Peter replied “Turn from what your leaders have told you and, based on the quality of Jesus, illustrate that you accept that the debt had been paid.  When you do, you will get help with patching up your flawed character.”

“Repent therefore and turn back for the blotting out of your sins so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.” (Acts 3:19)  Peter healed a lame man, so a crowd quickly gathered.  Peter seized the opportunity to prove once again that Jesus was the Messiah.  The individuals in the crowd were not personally responsible for Jesus’ death, but apparently had bought the misinformation from their religious leaders.  Peter called on them to re-evaluate the evidence and turn back to common sense and thereby be free.  So are we.

“Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and the forgiveness of sins.” (Acts 5:31)  Israel was in a difficult situation, suffering under a corrupt High Priest and largely corrupt council of elders.  Jesus gave them Someone to whom to turn and promised to trust them again after the debacle of the previous century.  The faithful are in much the same condition, and have the same offer.  Repentance often includes leaving undesirable behaviors, but has more to do with a re-alignment of priorities and leadership.

“Repent of this wickedness of yours and pray the Lord that, if possible, the intention of your heart be forgiven you.” (Acts 8:22)  Simon the Sorcerer, although initially believing, was swept away by the opportunities for wealth and power through control of the works of the Spirit.  Peter admonished him to re-evaluate that which attracted him and therefore controlled him.  We are called by the goodness of God to a life of mutual trust and selfless concern.  Fleeting creature comforts and short-lived dominion still distract.

“God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance into life.”  (Acts 11:18)  The first Christians were all Jewish, so appreciating the non-Jews as potential people of faith was culturally challenging.  Cornelius, a Roman army officer, was known as an honest and God-fearing man.  He had few overtly bad behaviors to overcome.  His repentance was almost entirely a re-orientation from “good person” to “follower of Jesus,” the difference between a good but unsatisfying life and a fulfilling life.

“All everywhere should repent because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world.” (Acts 17:30)  Paul was addressing a group of philosophers in Athens, generally very ethical people.  Paul’s conclusion was to re-orient to a manner of thinking supported by evidence (the resurrection of Jesus) as opposed to philosophies for life with unanswerable conundrums.  Some ridiculed the concept of resurrection; some evaluated the evidence.  People have not changed much.

“Earnestly testifying to both Jews and Greeks of repentance into God and faith into our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Acts 20:21)  Paul met with the elders of Ephesus on his way to Jerusalem for the last time, knowing that he would not see them again.  He reviewed his 3.5-year stay in which his preaching centered on re-aligning to become one with God and on trusting God to transform the faithful into the likeness of the character of Jesus.  The message has not changed.

“…I kept declaring to repent and return upon God, performing deeds appropriate to repentance”. (Acts 26:20)  When presenting his defense before the Roman governor of Judea and the Herodian king of Galilee, Paul summarized his activities as persuading people to refocus upon what they already knew, the One True God, and to act consistently with that understanding.  Today, the vast majority of people know what is right, plus they already understand that God is.  The message is simple: get back to doing what you know would make that God happy.

“The goodness of God leads you to repentance.” (Romans 2:4)  Life on earth has been on a downhill spiral since shortly after creation.  Finding a good place to stand from which to make a change, improve things, or just bring a little order to one corner of the chaos can be daunting if not depressing.  But the God of the Bible is the composite of everything good.  That goodness prompts the faithful to reestablish their base of operations upon that character.

“Godly sorrow produces repentance into salvation, not to be regretted.  The sorrow of the world produces death.” (2 Corinthians 7:10)  When we fail, we know it.  Well-meaning friends and family, trying to soften the blow or sooth the pain, contribute to the temporary comfort of self-deception by shifting blame or supporting excuses.  But these illusions are never satisfactory.  God, however, deals in reality, not delusion.  Sorrow is not to be disposed but used to teach us and to push us into a different place, God’s place, where we may find rescue.

“In gentleness training those in opposition if perhaps God may give them repentance into a knowledge of the truth.” (2 Timothy 2:25)  In Paul’s instructions to Timothy, the method of leadership in the church was not to be by authority but by gentle teaching, as one would receive in primary school.  The students were presumed to be the immature, sometimes mistaken faithful, not the outside world.  So, Timothy could confidently expect each hearer to have been given the indwelling Spirit, who would re-focus them into understanding.  Still works that way.

“Leaving the starting point of the Word of Christ, upon consistency we should go, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith upon God, of the teachings on baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.”  (Hebrews 6:1 – 2)  Although repentance characterized the early careers of both John the Baptist and Jesus and the apostles, and several other topics dominated the landscape of the early church, we must move on to the crucial concept of consistency between thought and action.

“It is impossible for those once having been enlightened, having tasted of the heavenly, and having become partakers of the Holy Spirit, having tasted the words of God, also the power of the coming age, and then having fallen away, to restore again into repentance.” (Hebrews 6:4 – 6)  Biblical faith requires a choice, free will.  Once faith is established, free will must continue for that faith to be real.  So, it is possible for a faithful person to walk away.  The author reminds us that, once gone, with what can God appeal that has not already been rejected?

“He found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears.” (Hebrews 12:17)  Esau foolishly traded his birthright for a bowl of soup not because he was about to die of starvation, but because he failed to take seriously his word and his position.  The story is a reminder that we can burn our bridges by losing track of ethics and serendipitous opportunity.  Certainly, we often have trouble putting what we know to be right into practice.  From that, Jesus redeems us.  Just don’t dispose of understanding the nature of responsibility.

“The Lord…is longsuffering into you, not willing that any should perish but for all to come into repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)  God puts up with a lot while waiting for people to come around.  Unfortunately, although God’s will is for all to re-orient during their time on earth, most go another way.  God’s objective is neither flawless behavior nor large returns but development of those character traits necessary for a big family that will last: mutual trust and selfless concern.

“Remember from where you have fallen and repent, and do the first works.  If not, I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place, if you do not repent.” (Revelation 2:5)  The church at Ephesus, started by Paul, had lost its enthusiasm.  The faithful maintained their good works and good teaching, but the spark was gone.  They had fallen from exciting to ordinary.  The same happens today.  The faithful constantly must find new ways to grow and exercise faith, or Jesus will remove us as lights to the world.

“Repent or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth.” (Revelation 2:16)  The church at Pergamos did many things well under fearsome conditions.  But, some of their members were casting a pall over the reputation of the gospel with prophecy for hire, partnering with idolatry, and endorsing the immorality of the day.  Making bad choices is one thing; giving the gospel a bad name is quite another.  The faithful even today need to know which is which, and take action, or Jesus will and it won’t be pretty.

“I have given her time that she might repent, and she is not willing to repent out of her immorality.” (Revelation 2:21)  The church at Thyatira was growing markedly in faith, patience, and service.  But, they tolerated one who was enticing the faithful to incorporate contemporary culture into their belief system.  Jesus threatened to visit great tribulation on those so misled.  The authoritarian leadership style of the later church had not yet arisen to squash personal responsibility, and has had even less success with such problems.

“I know your works, that name you have that you are alive, yet you are dead.  Be watching and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works having been completed in the sight of My God.  Remember therefore what you have received and heard; guard and repent.” (Revelation 3:1 – 3)  The church at Sardis had a wonderful reputation, but their efforts languished and stalled.  Many today fit this description.  The cure is a radical re-orientation, reverting to the excitement when we first believed.

“As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten.  Therefore, be zealous and repent.” (Revelation 3:19)  The church at Laodicea became complacent because they were prosperous, which made Jesus sick.  He advised them to invest in developing understanding, promoting the Kingdom, and pursuing purity despite the culture.  All of these absorb financial resources, but have long-term benefits.  The parallels between the church in Laodicea and that in America is remarkable.

“But the rest of mankind, who were not killed in these plagues, did not repent out of the works of their hands.” (Revelation 9:20)  In John’s vision, a third of mankind died in terrible disasters.  Yet, the survivors failed to make a connection between their lifestyles and their plights.  Of course, the faithful endure hardship as well, but they are granted the power to overcome themselves and return to joy despite the calamity.  Throughout history, outsiders have repeatedly failed to see that the faithful know how to really live on this chaotic earth.

“They blasphemed the God of heaven out of their pains and out of their sores, and did not repent out of their deeds.” (Revelation 16:11)  In this vision, John described the plight of those who worshipped the power of Rome and its idols.  That in which they trusted failed them, so they cursed the only one who could have rescued them.  This same response has characterized people for millennia.  They cling to corrupt systems and illusions of power while rejecting reality and the goodness of God.  There is nothing new under the sun.