Repentance in the Bible

 

“Repentance in the Bible”

Luke 24:47 & 2 Pet. 3:9

SUBJECT: REPENTANCE

THEME: An Appreciation of the Doctrine of Repentance Help to Ensure a Genuine Salvation Presentation, and Provides a Vital Step in Christ-centered Living!

RELEVANCE: the neglect of a biblical teaching does not eliminate its significance. Repentance has become a lost doctrine in fundamental circles in this positive thinking, high self-esteem generation. Unfortunately, churches and Christians have adopted a weak gospel presentation to avoid offending people. Not even the average preacher has a sound biblical understanding of this great doctrine anymore. 

INTRODUCTION:   

SO, HOW PROMINENT IS REPENTANCE IN THE BIBLE?

The prominence given to the Doctrine of Repentance in the Scriptures can hardly be overestimated and we downplay this teaching to our own determent.

The Word correctly conveys the just nature of God issuing in His holy decision to hold mankind accountable for their failures to live up to His standards and man’s unrepentant sinfulness. The justice of God can be seen in his judgment of Noah’s Flood, the destruction of the Sodom communities, and the removal of Israel from the Land of Promise. He is a just God who holds people accountable for their unrepentant hearts.

Repentance is witnessed as God changed his direction with mankind deeply pained in his heart for the destruction he must visit upon them (Gen. 6:5-7). There was God’s deeply felt grief over king Saul’s failures and incomplete obedience to the requirement to kill all the Amalekites (1 Sam. 15:11, 35). We also witness God’s repentance in David’s sin of pridefully numbering the armies of Israel and God stopping His angel from plaguing and destroying Jerusalem (2Sam. 24:15-17). In all these instances we see God repenting which involved a change of mind, heart, and will! Repentance, biblically speaking, should be the same for us except in our case we are guilty!

 MESSAGE:

John the Baptist began his public ministry preaching a message of repentance. Jesus Christ was also a preacher of repentance and He sent out His Apostles to preach repentance not only to Israel but to every nation. Luke 24:47, And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. Some have the idea that the preaching of repentance ended with the Jews, but it was preached throughout the Apostolic Age, and the same message was to be preached around the world!

The genuine burden of the heart of God is that all men come to repentance; he does not cherish the idea of anyone being lost to the Lake of Fire. 2 Pet 3:9, The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. This is significant because a sinner can never be saved without repentance. And more generally speaking, a believer can never please God by experiencing victory in their life without repentance.

A. GOD PLACED ETERNAL SIGNIFICANCE UPON REPENTANCE IN THE SCRIPTURES

Acts 17:29-31, Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device. ³⁰ And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: ³¹ Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.

Because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the appointed day of judgment is coming, all people in every part of the planet must repent or face these consequences. God previously tolerated humanity’s ignorance but now firmly commands everyone to repent because of their sins. Jesus Christ provides the proof of this because God has raised him from among the dead. We can only be saved by trusting Christ while abandoning a lifestyle of sin and rebellion against God choosing a life of submission and cooperation with God’s plan. It is true some people don’t understand the holy and just nature of God, accountability to anyone is foreign to them, and owning up to one’s sins seems strange, but none of this changes God’s just expectations. People must repent or face a holy God with their sin.

B. A REVIEW OF GOD’S HOLINESS IS APPROPRIATE

Revelation 15:4, says, “Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.”

Leviticus 19:1-2, And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, ² Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I the LORD your God am holy.^[a]

Isaiah 6:2-3, Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. ³ And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. ^[b]

God is utterly pure, morally perfect, and completely set apart from sin and creation, distinct in His being and worthy of awe and inspiring our worship. This holiness encompasses His intrinsic nature—His absolute separation from evil—and His moral guiltlessness, establishing a foundation that fills all His properties and demands a distinct astonishment from us. 

John 20:27-28, Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. ²⁸ And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.

This declaration of the Apostle Thomas affirms the resurrection of Jesus the Messiah, and his belief in Jesus’ divinity and resurrection. This exclamation is a profound confession of faith, acknowledging Jesus as both his sovereign Lord and his personal God, signifying submission and worship. 

Repeatedly God is portrayed as sacred, holy, the holy One, and set apart! Then the Lord Jesus is clearly revealed to be that same God, not a denial of the Trinity. God is holy in His very essence/nature and so is the Lord Jesus and this fact demands a unique reverence for Him! It helps us to remember this fundamental concept of God when declaring the gospel. Essentially, “God is holy” His unparalleled nature and absolute moral integrity set Him apart from everything else. 

C.  THE OLD TESTAMENT PROPHETS REQUIRED REPENTANCE

The book of Judges records a pattern of disobedience, rebellion, and repentance of the Nation of Israel. We have a record of Israel’s failures to live up to God’s high moral standards delineated by Moses. After each phase of spiritual apostacy, idolatry, and finally repentance, God would mercifully answer their cries for deliverance through a judge. A call to repentance was often issued by God’s prophets.

       1. The Preaching of Jonah Brought About Genuine Repentance in Nineveh - Jonah 3.

Luke 11:32, The men of Nineve shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.

Our Lord’s generation, despite witnessing His power and ministry, was more accountable than the Ninevites who repented at Jonah's preaching. They will therefore face more severe judgment for rejecting the Savior, “a greater than Jonah,” who was literally in their presence. This condemnation of those who demand signs but reject God’s message can be contrasted with Israel’s greater privileges and greater condemnation with those who received less revelation.  But please do not miss the fact that “they repented at the preaching of Jonah”!

       2. The Preaching of Jeremiah Leveled this Requirement to Repent.

Jeremiah 18:8, If that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them.

The prophet required Israel to change their minds about sin evidenced by a change in their activities. God’s willingness to withhold judgment and offer forgiveness when a nation repents from its evil actions, illustrates that true repentance can change a divinely planned outcome. God’s power to judge and his future for a nation are dependent upon their actions of repentance.

       3. The Preaching of Ezekiel Called the Jews to Repentance During the Captivity.

Ezek 14:6, Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Repent, and turn yourselves from your idols; and turn away your faces from all your abominations.

Ezekiel’s message from the Lord to the elders was God commanding the people of Israel to abandon their false gods and detestable practices, which were a stumbling block separating them from Him. God instructed them to actively turn away from all their idolatrous practices. God was again calling Israel to make a choice: to either continue in their rebelliousness or to fully return their allegiance to Him. 

These hypocritical elders came to the true God for answers while having another “god” in their hearts. God asked Ezekiel, Should I let them inquire of Me at all? God was not obligated to answer them when they refused to acknowledge His sovereignty. So instead of giving these elders the information they desired, God instructed Ezekiel to give them the information they needed—God’s attitude toward their idolatry.

God informed the elders that when any Israelite came to God while harboring idolatry in his heart, God would deal with the idolatry. God would do this for the ultimate benefit of the nation, to recapture the hearts of the people. The message Israel needed to hear was not some oracle about Jerusalem or the Captivity. The urgent message was, Repent! Turn from your idols and renounce all your detestable practices!^[c]

Beloved, this emphasizes how genuine faith and repentance requires a wholehearted (concerning our love, worship, and service), internal shift away from anything that occupies the place of God in our hearts and lives. True repentance, not just outward actions, requires separation from destructive idolatry seeking a sincere relationship with God. Are there unchecked desires occupying our hearts in the form of pleasures, power, or worldly success? Are we approaching God with divided hearts or loyalties like a mere fortune teller? God is still calling individuals, households, churches, cultures, and nations to identify and renounce counterfeit gods that can take the form of materialism, careers, or other pursuits, and to find life and security in Him alone. 

D.  REPENTANCE IS A PART OF THE GOSPEL MESSAGE

Lk. 13:3, 5, I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

Again, it may be necessary to spell out exactly what repentance is for some, but generally when we are confronted with the guilty weight of our sin, we naturally repent of our sin to trust Christ as our personal Savior. Sometimes people don’t feel guilt for their sin, they may be ignorant of God’s requirements in the 10 Commandments, they may have never accepted accountability for their actions, or they may have a twisted way of perceiving repentance. May God help us to know enough about the subject of repentance so we can help them repent of their sin and live victoriously after trusting Christ as Savior.

      1. Repentance is the heart of the Great Commission (Lk 24:47). 

Luke 24:46-48, And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: ⁴⁷ And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. ⁴⁸ And ye are witnesses of these things.

Christ’s suffering and resurrection coupled with the message of repentance and forgiveness in His name are to be preached to all nations. We are commissioned to be witnesses to these truths. The gospel message cannot be complete without a call for genuine repentance. This is implied when it is not explicitly stated in the text. It makes no sense to call people to God without those individuals first acknowledging their sin, failures, guilt, responsibility, or faults. God has never changed, and he does hold people accountable for their sin against Him. In the modern ‘easy-believism’ movement there is little if any stress on this aspect or even respect for the holy nature of God. Thus, we end up with so called casual ‘Christians’ whose lives never really change and who treat God extremely nonchalantly. 

      2. Many Preachers and Evangelistic Programs Carefully Avoid Dealing with the Fact That Men Are Sinners Who Must Turn from Their Sin of Unbelief to a holy God.

ILLUSTRATION: During our pre-field ministry years ago, we visited a ‘church’ in Gary, Indiana who held to and taught ‘easy believism.’ The ‘pastor’ showed me his method of soul winning, and since I received his name and location from a ‘reliable’ publication, I tried to pay close attention. What was described to me was nothing more than easy believism’ salvation on steroids. I even went out in the community with the pastor as he demonstrated his method and message. I was shocked, appalled, surprised, disappointed, and confused! “You just simply have them repeat a prayer, don’t deal with man’s sin problem, just simply ask Jesus to come into your heart” …without the heart of the sinner being prepared to truly receive Him as Savior. The idea was “don’t worry about informing the sinner that he has greatly offended and extremely holy God. Just have them repeat a prayer and ask Jesus into their heart.” Beloved, this is a spiritual lie! This is not the Gospel of Christ, the good news of the grace of God proclaimed in our New Testament.

                a. John the Baptist Preached Repentance—Matt. 3:1, 2, and 8.

                b. Jesus Christ Preached Repentance—Matt. 4:17

                c. The Apostles preached Repentance—Mk 6:12, Acts 2:38; 26:20

         3.  From Theses Verses We Understand That Repentance Belongs to the Human Side of Salvation and That it Is Man’s Response to the Preaching of the Word of God.  Repentance is the negative aspect of that response while faith is the positive response!

In our day we don’t like it when the preacher deals with the negative, we want him to accent the positive!  But God has always used negative messages to bring about positive results just ask the people of Nineveh and the 3,000 Believers on the Day of Pentecost. The Ten Commandments are filled with “Thou Shalt Nots” but they work a positive work in the heart of the sinner showing him he is a sinner that he may be saved by Jesus Christ! 

QUOTE: “There are some people who do not like the negative. “Give us positive doctrines!” they say.  “Forget about negative warnings and admonitions!” But the negative warnings and commands grow out of positive truths of Christian doctrine. No amount of positive talk about health will cure a ruptured appendix.  The doctor will have to ‘get negative’ and take out the appendix. No amount of lecturing on beauty will produce a garden. The gardener has to pull weeds! The positive and the negative go together, and one without the other leads to imbalance.” -W. W. Wiersbe

We need to balance our teaching of Faith in Christ’s finish work on the cross for salvation with the truth concerning repentance from sin. We need to get back to addressing our sinfulness.

CONCLUSION:

Mark 1:14-15, Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, [15] And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.

For a person to be saved they must repent of their sin and turn unto God in faith for salvation. In the life of the believer, there should be a healthy understanding of the Doctrine of Repentance and when sin is in our lives God expects us to turn from it and have victory over it. If believers refuse to repent, then we have automatically invited the chastening of God upon our lives to correct such folly.                                                                                                          

If John the Baptist preached a message of repentance, then we should be also. Easy Believism has no place in God’s economy. We need to get back to real Biblical teaching and Biblical living if we are going to have God’s blessings on our lives!

“GIVING UP FOLLIES”

“Well, Jack, old fellow” said a man to his recently converted friend.  “I hear you have given up all your pleasures.”  “No! No!” said the friend, “the fact lies all the other way.  I have just found all my pleasures and have given up all my follies.”

1) Are you saved? Really? How do you know for sure?  

2) Has your life changed since you professed Christ? In what ways?

3) Is your life consistently changing and becoming more pleasing to God?

4) Is God trying to correct you?  Are you being chastened by God?

5) Is repentance a part of your everyday life?

6) Do you by the power of Jesus Christ forsake sin and refuse to live in it anymore?

7) Are you comfortable doing your own thing?

8) Are you accountable to God? To his Word?

9) Do you treasure executing God’s will for you?

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^[a] The Holy Bible: King James Version., electronic ed. of the 1769 edition of the 1611 Authorized Version. (Bellingham WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1995), Le 19:1–2.

^[b] The Holy Bible: King James Version., electronic ed. of the 1769 edition of the 1611 Authorized Version. (Bellingham WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1995), Is 6:2–3.

^[c] Charles H. Dyer, “Ezekiel,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 1253.