Repentance

We have many perceptions about "repentance" and what it means. The first idea that most people come up with is a sorrow over sin. Other "more learned" folks will tell you that it's a turning away from sin. Okay, fine ... but what is it really?

In Hebrews 12, the author talks about Esau selling his birthright: "For you know that even afterwards, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears" (Heb. 12:17). Tears, you see, and repentance are not necessarily linked (2 Cor. 7:10).

Well, anyone with children would likely know this. Catch a kid with his hand in the cookie jar, for instance, and he'll likely cry. It isn't repentance he's exhibiting; it's fear of punishment. He is not weeping over the fact that he transgressed the rules. He's crying because he got caught and it's likely going to be unpleasant for him.

This illustrates the problem of repentance. Are we so upset for transgressing God's command and falling short of His glory that it demands in us a change of direction, or is it something else? It seems like there are lots of options for that "something else". Maybe we're afraid of punishment. Maybe we're afraid of embarrassment. Maybe pointing out sin makes it more difficult to continue doing what we want to continue doing. There are lots of reasons to cry (in whatever form that might take) when confronted with our sin, but I fear that it is too rarely because we so dearly love God that we are grieved for His loss due to our failures.

Repentance comes about when we are faced with our sin. It is a necessary component of salvation. No one gets saved without repentance. Repentance, unfortunately, can be too often mimicked, a false form that looks a lot like the real thing but isn't. I am quite certain that many people think they have repented but haven't. Repentance occurs because of God's goodness (Rom. 2:4), not our fear of loss or hope for gain. It is a product of love for God. And it isn't as hard to verify as some might think. True repentance is a gift (Acts 5:31; 11:18; 2 Tim. 2:25) that produces a changed life (Matt. 3:8; Eph. 4:1; Col. 1:10).

It would be wise for us to each examine ourselves. Sorrow for sin that is not based on a love for God is not repentance, and without repentance we cannot be among the saved. It's not a trivial matter.