What Repentance Is Not

The crux of the message which Lord Jesus preached was, “Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt 4:17). What does it mean to repent? A word so familiar, yet so often misunderstood. Sometimes the easier way to understand certain things is when they are explained to us in the negative. 

1. Repentance is not living in rebellion 

Cain murdered his own brother (Gen 4:1-16). When asked about the whereabouts of his brother, Cain said unto God, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” Instead of repenting of his sin, he “went out from the presence of the Lord.” He knew his sin, but didn’t want to deal with it. Instead, he wanted to live outside the sphere of where his sin would be judged. He permanently lived his life in rebellion against God. To such obstinate hearts, the scriptures warn, “Woe unto them! For they have gone in the way of Cain” (Jude 11)

2. Repentance is not living in refusal 

Esau disregarded his birthright (Gen 27:30-38; Heb 12:16-17). He traded it for one morsel of bread. But when the birthright was eventually given to his brother, he started demanding for what he traded away with. He shed tears for it, but not for his sin. He refused to accept his failure, but would rather want amends to be made for him. He found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears. 

3. Repentance is not living in resemblance 

Prior to the Lord’s ministry, we read of John the Baptist, who came preaching the very same message of repentance (Matt 3:1-10). As a result of his preaching, many of the common people repented of their sins. But some of the priestly class joined that crowd in pretence. They were in resemblance seekers, but in heart a self-righteous group of people who never felt the need of repentance. John reprimanded them saying, “Bring forth fruits worthy of repentance.” 

4. Repentance is not living in religiosity

Lord Jesus contrasted the prayers of two people – a Pharisee and a publican (Luke 18:9-14). The former, from the priestly class, and the latter, a despicable sinner. The Pharisee in his prayer said, “God, I thank thee that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.” The Lord would contrast this resume of self-righteousness and religious adherence to the publican’s heartbroken cry, “God be merciful to me a sinner.” Thus he made it evident that God does not delight in a religious man as he does in a repentant sinner. 

5. Repentance is not living in relativity 

The priestly class were not all to blame for their self-righteousness. There were some common people who died a heinous death and some others an untimely death (Luke 13:1-5). Those who escaped, judged that these who perished were sinners above the rest, and therefore were met with divine judgment. But the Lord rebuked this thought by saying, “Nay: but except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.” The judgment of God upon sin doesn’t discriminate based on one’s goodness. The scriptures say, “The wages of sin is death” (Rom 6:23). By being better than the rest does not exclude us from the judgment or from the need of repentance. 

6. Repentance is not living in ritualism 

There was a certain sorcerer named Simon (Acts 8:9-24). When he heard the preaching of the gospel, he believed and got baptized. He adhered ritualistically to the faith. But his main motive was to gain a new power which he couldn’t have got otherwise. When he saw that power working wonderfully through Peter, he offered him money in exchange for that power. Peter rebuked him saying, “Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money... Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee. For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity.” A faith without repentance is not a genuine faith.

7. Repentance is not living in regret 

Judas Iscariot is infamously known as the one who betrayed the Lord. He, after committing the very act of betrayal, later pondered on his actions and realised he had committed a terrible mistake (Matt 27:3-10). He regretted his actions and sought to undo them. Having got no success, he threw the blood money and went and hanged himself. His regret only lead him to end his life, but not to repentance. He didn’t seek to have his sin forgiven. The guilt of his actions consumed him to death. 

All these examples solemnly point to us of the wickedness in our heart, and the deceivableness of it. Sin needs to be dealt with, and repented of; not cloaked or brushed under the carpet. The Lord came to this earth, to heal our heart from the plague of sin. In his death and resurrection, he is able to take away the guilt of our sin and forgive us. But unless we come humbly to him in faith and repentance, we cannot truly appropriate the work he has done for us, nor enjoy the forgiveness of sins. 

David, in his psalm, said, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise” (Ps 51:7). The heart is where matters pertaining to sin and repentance have to be dealt with. Let us examine our hearts, and like David say, 

“Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me” (Ps 51:1-3).