Is Repentance a Dirty Word? Part 1
Luke 24:45-48
Richard Tow 7/17/16
In the late 1800’s and early 1900’s the Salvation Army was a powerhouse of evangelism. It’s founder and leader was William Booth. I want to begin this morning by reading to you a warning handed down by him that will introduce the message today.
“The chief danger that confronts the coming century will be religion without the Holy Ghost, Christianity without Christ, forgiveness without repentance, salvation without regeneration, politics without God, heaven without hell.”1
I will expound briefly on each danger and then focus the rest of the message on one of these in particular.
1. Religion without the Holy Ghost. More current translations would say Religion without the Holy Spirit. Millions of Americans attend church every week, even with the rise in secularism. But the danger Booth is talking about is people going to church, having their services, but having little or no real interaction with the Holy Spirit. It is possible for people, under the name of Christianity, to gather together every week; sing some songs; listen to sermons; enjoy social interaction with friends. Yet never be changed by the influence of the Holy Spirit. The great danger we face today is that church simply becomes good clean entertainment. And it can easily keep a Christian veneer while doing that. How does that work? Well it’s been a hard work week; I’m tired and it’s hot outside. But I can sit comfortably in a nice air conditioned building; lean back passively and let the two hours go by. Having put in my time and done my duty, I can now go do what I really enjoy. How much of the church would continue right on today without God being there at all? Maybe a better question is how much of church is going on right now without God being there? Religion without the Holy Spirit. “Having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof” as Paul put it in 2 Tim. 3:5.2 What was the driving force of the New Testament Church? Was it exciting programs? Impressive buildings? State of the art sound equipment? No, they had none of that. It was the activity of the Holy Spirit. Can you discern the difference between human excitement and the presence of the Holy Spirit? Most people can’t. Human activities don’t change people’s hearts; only the Holy Spirit can do that. Only the Holy Spirit can transform a selfish creature into a giving, loving person. Church is to be a place of transformation.
2. Christianity without Christ—without the Christ of the Bible. Maybe with “another Jesus” concocted in their own minds. But not the one with a cross.3 Not the one who said "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me” (Luke 9:23). Perhaps a more positive Christ than that. Maybe one who helps me indulge the flesh, rather than deny it. Christianity without the Anointed One—just a nice group of people who do not disturb my self-centered life.
3. Forgiveness without Repentance. Yes, this is very nice. I have many sins that need to be forgiven. I intend to continue indulging myself in those sins. But I want them forgiven because I don’t want the consequences of that behavior. So a religion where I can keep doing whatever I want to do; yet, get the slate wiped clean by a quick confession or two. Forgiveness without Repentance. Repentance means a change of mind, metanoia4 a change of mind that results in a change of behavior. Across America people are being offered forgiveness without repentance. They are not told that God’s forgiveness is linked with their repentance. To turn to God, one must turn from sin. Dietrich Bonhoffer called it cheap grace. In his book, The Cost of Discipleship, he wrote “Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession, absolution without personal confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.” Forgiveness without Repentance. Prov. 28:13 “He who covers his sins will not prosper, But whoever confesses” (that’s part of it; but listen to the rest of the sentence) “and forsakes them will have mercy.”
4. Salvation without Regeneration. No real internal change. The person simply said some words and joined a group. That’s what Nicodemus had before he met Jesus. (Plenty of religion and a salvation based on his good works). Jesus told him that to really be saved something supernatural must happen within. “You must be born again.” 2 Cor 5:17,
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” Salvation without Regeneration.
5. Politics without God. Nations leaving God out of their decisions. Nations talking about everything but God. Careful not to offend the atheist or secularist. Taking separation of church and state to a level never intended by the forefathers. Interpreting that as a way to protect government from religion rather than the intended protection of freedom of religion from a tyrannical government. Politics without God.
6. Heaven without Hell. As a practical matter we already have that in almost all the churches. People are presented with a God who would send very few people, if any, to hell. Even though Jesus said, “…wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. 14 Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Matt 7:13-14). I’m amazed at the people who dismiss what Jesus actually said simply because it doesn’t sound like what they think He should have said. Shouldn’t we let Jesus’ actual words shape our understanding of Him, rather than forcing our preconceived ideas on Him? Heaven without Hell. Eighty-five percent of Americans think they will go to heaven.5 Of those who believe there is a hell, only about 6% think they’re going there.6
85% think they’re going to heaven; only 6% think they’re going to hell. Yet Jesus said “broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. 14 …narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it” Somebody is in for a big shock.7
I think Booth’s warning was profoundly prophetic. These are exactly the issues we’re dealing with today. It’s not good marketing to talk about negative things like hell. People might get offended if we imply they need to change or in biblical terms, repent.
But, what is the message that we’re supposed to be preaching? Some preachers are more influenced by the culture and political correctness than what Jesus told us to preach. They know what seems right to them and the people they talk with. They know what the crowd wants to hear. But do they really know and understand what Jesus told us to preach.
Take for instance, the message of love. Is that our message? Yes, if you define love using biblical revelation rather than society’s definition. “God is love.”8 To understand that simple statement, we have to know what God has revealed Himself to be through Scripture. We can’t just take our own idea of what love is and ascribe it to God. Would a God of love ever judge a nation? Would a God of love ever judge an individual? Would a God of love send anyone to hell? The God of the Bible would! And He is still a loving God. Unfortunately many equate love with tolerance. So they think their message is tolerance. “Just accept people the way they are. Your opinion is no better than their opinions. Your preference is no better than their preference.”9 True, but God’s preference and God’s opinion is what will really matter in the final analysis. And He has revealed that to us in His Word.
What does Jesus tell us to preach? Is it tolerance? Turn with me to Luke 24:45-48. Before his ascension, Jesus appeared to His disciples and told them what He wanted them to preach. We begin reading in verse 45 “And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.” That in itself would be an important pre-requisite for preaching. Verse 46 “Then He said to them, ‘Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the 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 to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.” Remission is synonym of forgiveness. What is to be preached in His name? “repentance and remission of sins.”
Notice particularly the link He makes between repentance and forgiveness of sins. To preach forgiveness without the accompanying repentance is erroneous; and it is happening a lot. Evangelistic numbers can sound real good when you’re simply inviting people to receive something free. “Jesus loves you; come and receive the free gift of eternal life.” Both statements are true; but in the receiving process you are turning from sin to God.
There is no forgiveness if there is no repentance. Do I earn salvation by my repentance? No, not at all. But repentance is my response to grace if I am sincere. Of course, we should tell people God loves them. We should help them understand that salvation is a free gift—something they could never earn. But they also need to understand that to receive the gift you turn from sin to God. So this is the directive of Jesus Himself: Luke 24:47, “and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations,”
Four biblical facts about repentance:
1. Repentance is essential to our message.
We have read Jesus’ command in Luke 24 to preach repentance and remission of sins to all nations. Now let me read Matthew’s account (Matt. 28:18-20). “And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’ Amen.” So Jesus tells us to (1) make disciples (2) baptizing them (3) teaching them to observe all things I have commanded you. A disciple is a learner. A disciple is a follower of Jesus. Water baptism is an act of commitment to put away the old life and live in newness of life. All of this implies repentance. We’re not just asking people if they would like to go to heaven instead of hell. That is part of it. But we’re asking them if they want to turn over their lives to Christ, die to self, live in newness of life, and obey all that He has commanded us to do. We’re not just inviting people to receive forgiveness of sin apart from repentance. Our message is one of repentance. Do you want to turn from your sin and follow Christ? You can’t do that in your own strength; but if you choose that path, He will empower you to do it.
One reason the church is so weak is that people were led to believe that there was very little commitment called for on their part. So they signed up to receive the goodies; but they didn’t sign up for the journey. The crowds were gathering around Jesus in Luke 14:25. Here is His altar call in verse 26, "If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. 27 And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.” The Great Commission in Matt. 28:19 is to “Go therefore and make disciples….teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you….”(NIV).
What was Jesus message from the beginning of His ministry? Matt 4:17 tells us. “From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’" Repent! That’s almost the opposite of the politically correct message of tolerance. Tolerance puts no demand for change on the part of the sinner. It affirms their right to snub God’s commandments and do whatever they want to do. That message may make the preacher popular; it may make the church grow in numbers; but it will send many people down the road of destruction. God is not obligated to tolerate our sin. He commands people everywhere to repent.
In Acts 17 Paul stood on Mars’ Hill in Athens and confronted their idolatry. In verse 30 he said, “Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent.” He’s not asking them to repent; God is commanding them to repent. Then Paul talks about the judgement that will come through Jesus Christ. I’ve heard whole sermons on Paul’s cultural sensitivity and how he began well by talking about their “unknown God.” But I doubt his message was any more politically correct then than if we were to issue that same command today: “but now commands all men everywhere to repent.” Paul’s message was a message of repentance. Later in Acts 26, he stood before King Agrippa giving his own personal testimony. In verse 19 he said, "Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, 20 but declared first to those in Damascus and in Jerusalem, and throughout all the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance.”
Repentance is essential to our message. That is the first fact we must understand. Repentance is not a dirty word; it is a biblical word. It is a word the preacher should use with authority under the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Next time we will talk more about the essential nature of repentance. The opportunity to repent is something that should be cherished; not rejected. What a marvelous expression of grace, that God would grant us the chance to turn from something destructive and receive His goodness in its place. Perhaps there is something in your life that is robbing you of God’s best. You can be set free from that today. You can turn from that to God and receive both forgiveness and strength to walk in newness of life.
Pray
Notes:
1 William Booth. Retrieved 7-15-16 at http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/291048-the-chief-danger-that-confronts-the-coming-century-will-be
2 All Scripture quotes are from the New King James Version unless indicated otherwise.
3 2Cor. 11:2-4; Gal. 1:8-12; 1Cor. 1:18-24.
4 NT:3341 (from Thayer's Greek Lexicon, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 2000 by Biblesoft).
5 Dalia Sussman, “Poll: Elbow Room No Problem in Heaven by Analysis,” Dec. 20, 2005. Retrieved 7/15/16 at http://abcnews.go.com/US/Beliefs/story?id=1422658.
6 Albert L. Winseman, “Eternal Destinations: Americans Believe in Heaven, Hell,” May 25, 2004. Retrieved 7/15/16 at http://www.gallup.com/poll/11770/Eternal-Destinations-Americans-Believe-Heaven-Hell.aspx.
7 Peter uses the incident of the flood to point this out in 1 Peter 3:20. See also 1 Peter 4:18 and Luke 13:24.
8 1 John 4:16
9 Of course, the harsh way the Scribes and Pharisees rejected people is unacceptable as well (Matt. 23:13). God is compassionate, longsuffering, and not willing that any would perish (2 Pet. 3:9). But the salvation that He offers us is one that changes us; not one that leaves us in the bondage of sin. Notice the alternative to perishing in 2 Pet. 3:9 is repentance.
