Monday, September 28

Mark 1:15  - “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!”

Mark 6:12 - They went out and preached that people should repent.

Luke 3:3 - He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

Luke 3:8 - Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.

Luke 5:32 - I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

What do you think of when you hear the word “repent”? Does it sound like an old fashioned church word to you? Do you immediately think of an angry preacher pounding the pulpit and shouting for people to repent of their sin? Maybe you have no idea at all what this word is supposed to mean. I think that most people (even Christians) simply don’t understand the nature of true repentance. 

Martin Luther once said that “most stare blinking at the doctrine of repentance like a cow stares at a new gate.”

Whatever it is, repentance seems to be pretty important to Jesus! Most of us think it means being really, really sorry for the wrong things we have done, or feeling really guilty all of the time, or living with a vague sense of general self-loathing. While it is true that the Bible teaches that we are all sinners, it also teaches that we are created in the image of God and loved with an everlasting love through Christ! The biblical concept of repentance is not just about the first half of that message.

Take the often quoted verse Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”. Do you realize that the very next verse (which is actually a continuation of the same thought) says, “and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus”? Too many Christians think that repentance is only dealing with the first verse (3:23), but true repentance means to live in light of both verses (sin-3:23 & grace-3:24)! The Gospel is supposed to be the “Good News”, but the announcement that “all have sinned” is not really very good news (it is not even news) without also telling them that their sin can be forgiven and wiped clean by the free grace of God in Christ!

True repentance does not mean we must go through life beating ourselves up spiritually for being sinners. It means that while we cannot rationalize, ignore or justify our sin, we can be lifted out of it by the one who gives us divine grace!

The apostle Paul tells us that it is the kindness of God leads us toward repentance. Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you toward repentance? -Romans 2:4

Sin, guilt, judgment and death are in the Bible, but they are only half of the story and these words will not bring anyone to true repentance without the second half of the story. The second is the part about grace, forgiveness, mercy, joy, hope and freedom!

It is only when we can truly acknowledge the first half (our sin and guilt) that we begin to experience the power of the second half (God’s forgiveness and grace). When you put these two together in the human heart, you get true repentance!

Oh Lord God you are high and exalted. You are the Holy One and the Lord of all creation. We are weak and corrupt and undeserving creatures. Yet you have poured out your love on us through Jesus. Teach us the meaning of true repentance that we might become humble and joyful servants – Amen. 


Jeff Frazier