Too often today, in an earnest desire to see people “following Jesus”, there is a tendency to emphasise the importance of faith without highlighting the gospel's demand for repentance. This trend isn’t new; it was present even in the Lord's day. Speaking to people who had an outward show of religion and would have claimed to be followers of God, Jesus clearly stated, "Unless you repent, you shall all . . . perish" (Luke 13:3).
The Meaning of Repentance
So, what do we mean by repentance? Simply defined, it is a change of mind—about self, God, salvation, and everything else. Far from being born with spiritual insight, the Bible describes humanity as born in sin and “brought forth in iniquity” (Psalm 51:5). Part of this sin is the blindness of our hearts, which are “deceitful” and “desperately wicked” (Jeremiah 17:9). Our hearts lie to us, telling us we are not as bad as we might think. We justify our actions by blaming circumstances, other people (Genesis 3:12), or even claiming it’s due to an illness.
Today, many behaviours once deemed deviant and blatantly wrong are now classified as diseases. Psychologists have redefined these disorders in their Bible of psychiatry, the ICD (International Classification of Diseases). Now, it’s not only medical issues like dementia or autism but also behaviours like gaming disorder that are included. (Interestingly, issues like transgenderism, once considered an abnormality, have been removed from such classifications as our culture seeks to normalise sin.) The shift to redefine medical issues, influenced by psychological classifications and the desire to absolve individuals of responsibility, has contributed to the downplaying of sin and repentance in presenting the gospel.
Acknowledging Sin
Repentance is acknowledging that humanity, at its core, is sinful. An individual must change their mind and come to accept God's verdict of themselves. A person may believe the truth about God, the deity of Jesus Christ, and His essential work on the cross, but failing to accept personal responsibility as a sinner renders these beliefs inconsequential. The individual remains lost in their sin,
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us” (1 John 1:9-10 ESV).
Repentance acknowledges our sins—not just that we are sinners in a broad sense, but that our specific thoughts, words, and actions have offended God (Isaiah 59:2). We must recognise that God is entirely justified in condemning us to eternal suffering. Repentance also involves understanding that we cannot save ourselves. We depend on the work of Jesus Christ on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins. Our own works are “like filthy rags” in His sight (Isaiah 64:6) and cannot atone for our sins. We need a righteousness from outside of ourselves to be right with God (Romans 4:3). Repentance is changing our mind about ourselves, God and salvation. We forsake our efforts and cling to the cross of Jesus Christ for forgiveness.
The Fruit of Repentance
Repentance may seem purely intellectual, but the Bible says we are to “Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins” (Matthew 3:8 NLT), meaning our life choices and behaviours will be consistent with a change of mind. There is a subtle difference between works and repentance. Works involve relying on our efforts to gain acceptance with God. Repentance is about doing the right thing not to gain merit but as a result of a changed heart.
A good example is Zacchaeus, a treacherous Jewish man working for the Romans as a tax collector. He was also unjust, collecting more than was due. Despite his riches, he had no peace until he encountered the Lord Jesus. Though the account in Luke 19 doesn’t detail everything the Lord Jesus said to Zacchaeus, we understand that Zacchaeus moved from unbelief to belief, from being lost to being saved, as he trusted in Jesus Christ as his Messiah and Saviour. Jesus declared that salvation had come to his house that day (Luke 19:9).
Zacchaeus' Transformation
Zacchaeus' salvation, like that of everyone else in the Bible, was based on faith (Romans 1:16). His repentance was shown by a change in his life. Previously focused on gaining wealth, Zacchaeus now recognised the emptiness of such a lifestyle. He acknowledged his covetousness as sinful and, in a demonstration of his new perspective, gave away half of his goods to the poor and gave back four times as much to anyone he had cheated (Luke 19:8), adhering to Levitical law (Exodus 22:1).
Zacchaeus did this not to earn merit but because he was a changed person, saved by faith. His choices and mindset were different, reflecting a change in behaviour. Repentance involves a change of mind, evidenced by a change in behaviour.
Conclusion
The application of repentance is crucial in declaring the gospel. When preaching, we should look for more than simply a profession of faith or a sense of guilt over sin. Genuine repentance may not be immediately visible, as illustrated in the parable of the wheat and tares (Matthew 13:24-43). The true nature of a person's faith becomes evident over time through their actions.
In the next article we shall see how this truth applies to Christians . . .
