There are lots of popular words in our current culture, but repentance isn’t one of them.
If you talk about totes, woke, bandwidth, rona, swag and the ‘cloud’, most people on social media know what you are talking about and probably approve. But mention the word ‘repentance’ and you are about as popular as General Sherman at a Georgia picnic, or a pork chop at an SDA potluck (that actually might be a good opportunity for repentance).
We often talk past each other in our culture, eager to speak and slow to hear (the opposite of the biblical model—James 1:19). I believe we could use some more listening and more honest questions. So in the interest of improving our communication, let's ask (and answer) some basic questions.
1) Do you believe that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God? (I do.)
2) Do you believe that God is able to forgive those who accept Jesus Christ and His saving Gospel? (I do.)
3) Do you believe that some people will choose to be lost, preferring sin and rebellion over the Plan of Salvation? (I do.)
4) Do you believe that repentance is to change your mind regarding sin and Jesus Christ? (I do.)
5) Do you believe that repentance is possible because of God’s grace (Acts 5:31; 11:18)? (I do.)
6) Do you believe that repentance is necessary for salvation? (I do.)
7) Do you believe that any sin can be overcome in a life given to God upon condition of surrender? (I do.)
8) Do you believe that everyone will be saved? (I don’t.)
Repentance
No one can repent unless God grants repentance.
All of salvation, including repentance and faith, is a result of God drawing us, opening our eyes, and changing our hearts. God’s longsuffering leads us to repentance (2 Peter 3:9), as does His kindness (Romans 2:4).
While repentance is not a work that earns salvation, repentance unto salvation does result in works. It is impossible to truly change your mind without that causing a change in action.
In the Bible, repentance results in a change in behavior. That is why John the Baptist called people to “produce fruit in keeping with repentance” (Matthew 3:8).
A person who has truly repented of his sin and exercised faith in Christ will give evidence of a changed life (2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 5:19–23; James 2:14–26).
To see what repentance looks like in real life, all we need to do is turn to the story of Zacchaeus. Here was a man who cheated and stole and lived lavishly on his ill-gotten gains—until he met Jesus. At that point he had a radical change of heart. Jesus joyfully proclaimed that salvation had come to Zacchaeus’s house, and that even the tax collector was now “a son of Abraham” (verse 9)—a reference to Zacchaeus’s faith. The cheat became a philanthropist; the thief made restitution. That’s repentance, coupled to faith in Christ.
Repentance, properly defined, is necessary for salvation. Oh, you don’t need to repent of anything? Congratulations, you must be a perfect person, the second one to walk the earth (tic).
Biblical repentance is changing your mind about your sin—no longer is sin something to toy with; it is something to be forsaken as we “flee from the coming wrath” (Matthew 3:7).
It is also changing your mind about Jesus Christ—no longer is He to be mocked, discounted, or ignored; He is the Savior to be clung to; He is the Lord to be worshiped and adored. Praise Him!
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“In that day they will say, "Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the LORD, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation” (Isaiah 25:9).