REPENTANCE: THE LOST CHORD IN PREACHING

Part II--The Difference Between True and False Repentance

Text: "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? BE NOT DECEIVED: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God."--I Corinthians 6:9

John Colquhoun in his work on Repentance identifies three kinds of repentance: first, NATURAL REPENTANCE is experienced by a person when at first he begins to practice a sin, and before his conscience becomes hardened by its frequent exercise. It is expresses as a "feeling bad" the sin was ever committed. But this is not saving repentance, because the person will return to it again. Its root is merely a tender conscience as is seen in Herod who when he had rashly given his oath to Salome to grant her the desire of her heart even to the half of his kingdom, she consulted with her mother who convinced her to ask the head of John the Baptist. "And the king was SORRY, NEVERTHELESS..." he granted it to her. This feeling "SORRY" is not to be understood as Saving Repentance.

LEGAL REPENTANCE is experienced by a person when he is fearful of being punished. "I am sorry" is often cried out by those whose only sorrow is that they are caught! Its root grows out merely from a fear of punishment. I believe it was Thomas Watson who has observed of King Ahab, that after catering to the murder of Naboth to gain possession of his vineyard, and after having been warned by the prophet Elijah the curse of God lay upon his whole house he "rent his clothes, fasted, lay in sackcloth and even that he went softly," but for all this, Ahab did not truly repent. God says in Joel 2:13--"Rend your hearts, and not your garments."

In his sermon of Seven Confessions, Charles Spurgeon notes the legal repentance of Balaam who cried, "I have sinned" and yet went on with his sin. As his greed was his principal master, his legal repentance sprang from a double-mind. And Saul cried, "I have sinned" but excused it adding, "because I feared the people." One time we find him among the prophets, while at another time he is in the company of a witch.

Saul was the type of person who is always in agreement with you. And how many multitudes have sought to make an outward display of being saved in order to please their pastor, their family, or their girl friend! Yet like Saul, they remain as before. Theirs is the repentance of insincerity.

Achan is like so many on their deathbeds who say they repent, but we cannot be sure. There is no proof of it except their words. How sad! An eternal soul hovering between the abode of the damned and the Home of the Redeemed and no one knows to which the departed will go!

Pharaoh confessed, "I have sinned", but continued to curse God and menace Moses. Repentance born in adversity dies when peace returns.

And Judas confessed, "I have sinned", but went out and hanged himself. This is the repentance of despair often exercised by those who see Death staring them in the face.

How different is True or Saving Repentance in contrast! It stems from a combination of a change in EMOTION, a change of MIND, and consequently, a change in the WILL. Man’s entire personality being so changed; he is known as having been "born again" and become a "new creature."

Prior to the Fall, Adam and Eve had unblemished emotion, for "they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed."--Genesis 2:25

So, the mind of unfallen man was untarnished, for "the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. And Adam gave names to every beast of the field."--Genesis 2:19,20a

And the will of unfallen man was upright, for in the beauty of holiness he worshipped and had fellowship with God.

But with the Fall, man fell! Now his unblemished emotion became fearful of God. "And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, ‘Where art thou?’ And he said, ’I heard Thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.’"—Genesis 3:9,10. Fear was something they had not before experienced.

And their minds became corrupt with their intellects becoming clouded. They actually thought they could hide from the God Who is ever-present! And they thought they could rationalize the truth to justify themselves before the eyes of the All-Wise God!

Lastly, their wills which had been righteous and holy, willfully choosing to worship their Creator, now shared in their corrupt and fallen state for they are now unwilling to repent, choosing rather to remain in this state of sin. They now preferred this state of sin to that of the former.

Their understanding had become ignorant, their will had become rebellious, and their mind had become enmity against God. All of man is contaminated, but strange, as it may seem, many preachers believe man is "altogether" corrupt except his will: that is pretty good.

Saving Repentance results in a change of emotion; instead of rebellion and pride; Godly sorrow, shamefacedness, a sense of hopelessness and a spirit of teachability is its root. The Apostle Paul wrote, "Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye SORROWED TO REPENTANCE: for we made you sorry AFTER A GODLY MANNER, that ye might receive damage in nothing."--II Corinthians 7:9

The mind of the true penitent is also changed. Instead of being contrary to the righteous God, being corrupt and spiritually ignorant, the mind is conscious of a decision to turn to Christ--a God-given ability since God has begun a good work in his heart. Before that time, his mind was under the bondage of sin.

SAVING REPENTANCE results in a change of will. The life is different. He "ceases to do evil, and learns to do well." --Isaiah 1:16c, 17a. The saved man has a different purpose to live.

True Repentance involves Godly sorrow for having insulted a good God through the rebellion of sin.

True Repentance involves a faith, which makes a personal application in what Christ has completed on the cross. "He died for ME!" cries the true penitent.

And True Repentance ALWAYS results in CONVERSION--in "walking a different way."

A "decision" which lacks Godly sorrow is merely a mental decision; and a "decision" resulting in no change of life is merely an emotional decision.

NEXT EDITION: Part III--The Command to Repent

Also, the Continuation of the Life of Augustine