REPENTANCE

Repentance is misunderstood. Some think repentance is regret. Some think repentance is a confession of wrong. Some think repentance is reformation of life. Of itself, none of these is repentance. Paul wrote, “For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.” (II Cor. 7:10.)

Repentance is not regret. The King James Version says, “For godly sorrow worketh repentance….” Herod regretted the vow that he had made to Herodias’ daughter, but he did not repent. John the Baptist was still beheaded. And Judas regretted having betrayed the Lord, but he did not repent. The root word for “repented” in Matthew 27:3 is a different word in the Greek (metamevlomai) from the root word “repent” (metanoevw) in other places in the New Testament. The former word means “regret” as used in the New King James Version at II Corinthians 7:10; the latter word, means repent, a change of mind or attitude.

Repentance is not confessing wrong. A man might confess that he has stolen someone’s car, but that does not mean he has repented. Walking down the aisle to confess wrong might be an indication that one has repented, but it might not be the case, as well. Many prisoners have confessed wrong, but they are not sorry for what they did. They are just sorry they got caught.

There’s not much difference between the Catholics’ using the confessional booth and some church members’ traipsing down the aisle and confessing their sins. Why should one’s private sins be confessed to a priest, or to the preacher and the public? If it be commanded that each of us confesses his private sins to all, then everybody should come forward and confess, even for a sinful thought that he has had, to all. There would not be room on the front pew for all the members, including the preacher and elders. We would spend all day and into the night hearing and confessing our sins to each other. The whole membership would have to be listed in the bulletin each week as having confessed sins, if such were required.

Just changing one’s life is not repentance if one is not sorry for his sins. Note: Godly sorrow leads to repentance. If the only reason one gets out of his sinful state is expediency, then he has not truly repented. He has just done what is convenient. If a man quit working at a liquor store just because the preacher got onto him, not out of sorrow for having worked there, he has not repented. If godly sorrow did not lead him to repent, then he has not repented. John the Baptist demanded of the Pharisees to, “Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance.” (Matt. 3:8.)

Suppose, like the prodigal son while in the pig pen, a man determines that he is going to change his life. Imagine, if you will, that he becomes disgusted with his low-down job of slopping the hogs; and, with great will power and determination, he begins to make changes in his life. He gets a break, and moves up the corporate ladder, so to speak. And suppose he becomes a good business man over time and reforms his life. Would repentance have taken place in his life? No. He would have just changed his life. Certainly his life, and perhaps the lives of others would have been better because he had made a change, but repentance could not have been found in his life. Reformation of life is not repentance; it is the fruit, or sign, of repentance. What about the prodigal son’s having hurt his father? Did he not do his father wrong? Did he still not have an obligation to reconcile with his father by sorrowfully admitting his sin?

Wayward members of the church, having been away for years, will sometimes come through the back door and slip into the back pew. Did they confess wrong for their having been out of duty for so long? Suppose the prodigal son had simply returned home and slipped back into his place at the dinner table. Would the father have accepted such? Would reconciliation have taken place? Friends, repentance leads to reconciliation.

Repentance is a change of heart brought about by godly sorrow which leads to a change of life. The devout Jews on the day of Pentecost were pierced with sorrow for their sins and cried out, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” (Acts 2:37.) Peter said unto them, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” (Acts 2:38.) Thus, though they were pierced with sorrow, they were still told to repent. Godly sorrow leads to repentance, but godly sorrow alone is not repentance.

Though restitution is not repentance, repentance requires making restitution as far as is possible. In the Old Testament, a penalty for property stolen was also to be added to the replacement of the property. Moses wrote, “If a man shall steal an ox, or a sheep, and kill it, or sell it; he shall restore five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep.” (Ex. 22:1.) When Samuel, the prophet and judge, came to the end of his illustrious career he said to all Israel, “Behold, here I am: witness against me before the LORD, and before his anointed: whose ox have I taken? or whose ass have I taken? or whom have I defrauded? whom have I oppressed? or of whose hand have I received any bribe to blind mine eyes therewith? and I will restore it you.” (I Sam. 12:3.) David told Nathan that the rich man was to restore the poor man’s lamb fourfold (II Sam. 12:6). Rich Zacchaeus, the chief among the publicans, who had heard the murmuring of the people because Jesus was eating with him, said unto Jesus, “ Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.” (Luke 19: 8.) If one steals and truly repents, he will do all within his power to pay the debt. He will go without any luxuries in this life until his debt is paid.

I knew of a brother in Christ who had gotten a van from another brother, but did not pay the brother for it. The brother who had borrowed the van “went forward” at church and confessed wrong; however, he continued to drive the van which did not belong to him! Friends, that is not repentance. If a man takes another man’s wife and confesses wrong, can he keep the other man’s wife? No. Has he repented? No.

Brethren and friends, let us get right with God by truly repenting of any and all sins. Peter wrote, “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” (II Peter 3:9.)