Repent and believe
We have heard many stories of proposals of love in varied forms. Our friend Colin took his fiancée to the mountain hill near the city. While on top of the hill together and in the very quiet and calm environment, he went down on his knees, and slipped a love proposal ring on the middle finger of the girl he loves, saying some very lovely words. He paused and expected a response from his lover!
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What we have in the preaching of the Gospel is an incomparable, eternal biblical love offer: “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16 NIV).
In sharing the biblical gospel, the Rev. Dr.John Stott, the internationally respected Bible Preacher and Teacher, writes: “we spread the Good News that Jesus Christ died for our sins and was raised from the dead according to the Bible. And that as ruling King and Lord, He now offers the forgiveness of sins and the true freedom gift of the Holy Spirit to all who repent and believe.” When the faithful preaching of the Biblical Gospel meets the response of repentance and faith, it produces spiritual transformation and expression of godly living with integrity.
Yes, “we love the Good News in a world of bad news. We love the story of the historical events of Christ’s death on the cross and His triumphant resurrection from the dead on the third day; and His exaltation above all names and all powers. We love the assurance and the great offers that the Gospel brings. We love the transformation the Gospel produces.
“The Gospel is God’s life transforming power at work in the world.” Indeed, the Gospel “is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes.” (See Romans 1:16).
But when God’s message and offer of the Good News reaches people, it necessarily demands a response. Rev. Dr Chris Wright says, “the Bible has shown ever since the Garden of Eden that human beings cannot encounter God without responding… The response to the Gospel is the twin response of repentance and faith. They are the demands that come along with what the Biblical Gospel offers and promises!”
Here is a beautiful narrative of a presentation of the Gospel and response by those who heard the Good News: “God raised Jesus from the dead, and we are all witnesses of this. Now He is exalted to the place of highest honour in heaven, at God’s right hand. And the Father, as He had promised, gave Him the Holy Spirit to pour out upon us, just as you see and hear today.
So let everyone in Israel know for certain that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, to be both Lord and Messiah! Peter’s words pierced their hearts, and they said to him and to the other Apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?” Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2: 32-33,36, 37-38 NLT).
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The Apostle Peter called for repentance and faith as the proper response to the Good News, that: “Jesus was handed over to die because of our sins, and He was raised to life to make us right with God.” (Romans 4:25 NLT).
But what is biblical repentance? Biblical repentance has its roots in the Old Testament. Repentance involves a “turning away from the idolatries and the evils of lifestyles lived in rebellion against God and His word; and a turning back to God in a radically changed life and behaviour.
Repentance is a change of mind, most importantly about who the Biblical Jesus really is and a change of mind about sin and reality. This change of mind is produced by the Holy Spirit, leading to belief in God. Repentance is an inward act that results in outward expression. So, John the Baptist would say, “live lifestyles worthy of your repentance.”
Psalm 51 records a classic example of true biblical repentance. Is it that David, a whole King, doesn’t know that sleeping with Bathsheba, someone else’s wife, is wrong and sinful? Of course, David is conscious of doing wrong and the consequence of being exposed.
So, he goes on to do further wrong by arranging for Uriah, Bathsheba’s husband to be eliminated and killed in battle. In this David only deepened God’s anger and severe judgement against him. We cannot hide from God any evil we do. It was when the Prophet Nathan came to speak to David about God’s standard in His word, compare to David’s behaviour, that the sinfulness of his wrongdoing properly dawned on him; and he turned to God in genuine repentance.
David’s prayer in Psalm 51 remains a classic example of what is genuine repentance: “Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins.
Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. For I recognise my rebellion; it haunts me day and night. Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight. You will be proved right in what you say, and your judgement against me is just. Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.”
“Oh, give me back my joy again; you have broken me—now let me rejoice. Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you. Then I will teach your ways to rebels, and they will return to you.” (Psalm 51:1-4,7-8,10, 12-13 NLT).
When was it in your own personal life story that it really hit you that you are a miserable sinner; and you turned to God to seek His forgiveness. Indeed, you truly know, you don’t deserve forgiveness and you humbly request Christ to take away from you, your great burden of guilt, and shame, and God’s coming punishment hugging over you? That is, at what time in your life, did you experience conviction of sin and you agreed with God that you are a sinner, and that you have sinned against God and people. You have repented and believed in Jesus as your sin bearer and Saviour.
You see, every sin is first rebellion and disobedience against God and His word. David experienced this after the Prophet Nathan “preached” to him. Repentance and believing in Christ is God’s guaranteed path to joy, peace, forgiveness and the blessing of a new life in Christ.
(The author is a consultant in authentic Christian Spirituality and Discipleship and former CEO of Scripture Union)