REPENTANCE is not an idea, it is an action of the mind. The mind thinks again, or differently. It sees something anew or in a fresh light. And so, there is a marked change in understanding.
Through the ages God's people have wondered why He has not yet handily dealt with evil once and for all. It can get pretty awful down here but where is He? Why hasn't He come and straightened this mess out? Peter knew exactly how Christians might think. And so he wrote as follows: "But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:8,9). In other words, Peter was saying the way you question God's timing and cast doubts on God's ways needs to be understood more accurately because you are reasoning like mere men and must see things as God sees them.
REPENTANCE principally has to do with a CHANGE OF MIND. When it comes to the salvation of my soul, whereas I have long considered the cross of Jesus merely a religious symbol, I now ponder it and realize that on that cross Jesus the Christ bore my sin, paid for it in full and now, believing in Him, I am set free from the guilt and penalty of that sin, past, present and future. He prolongs His second triumphant return in order that more will be saved. Of course in all this it is the Holy Spirit, who enables us always to think with a godly perspective.
In other words, when I truly understand God's salvational intent in sending His Son to buy redemption for sinners, I see it and seeing it in a new light, I repent, believe in Jesus' death for me (He was my substitute on the cross) and am saved from my sin.
We sinners either repent NOW or we will repent FOREVER in hell. In hell the true meaning of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ will be abundantly clear. But, it will be too late. C.H. Spurgeon declared, "Sin and hell are married unless repentance proclaims the divorce."
In the book of Acts the Apostle Paul characterized his ministry as "solemnly testifying to both Jews and Greeks of repentance and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ." And that is our commission too. Not just belief in Jesus, but repentance and faith. They are the two sides of the same coin.
Repentance and faith (the twin sisters) are necessary in order to become a Christian, and, as seen in the text above, repentance often must be exercised by Christians in order to put away erroneous thoughts and think God's thoughts on any given subject. Paul said the Corinthians would acknowledge their sin if "God peradventure would give them repentance to the acknowleging of the truth." And so, we pray for erring brothers to repent and return to the Lord (James 5:19.20).
- Dr. Dick Christen
