RESURRECTION WITHOUT REPENTANCE?
It is recorded in Luke
13:3-5 that Jesus plainly explained that without repentance people perish.
John 10:9-10; 11:25-26
I [Jesus] am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall
go in and out, and find pasture. The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to
kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might
have it more abundantly. … Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the
life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And
whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
Romans 12:1-3 I [Apostle Paul] beseech you therefore, brethren, by the
mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy,
acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to
this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may
prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. For I say,
through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think
of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according
as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
2Corinthians [GW] 12:6-9 If I [Apostle Paul] ever wanted
to brag, I wouldn't be a fool. Instead, I would be telling the truth. But I'm
going to spare you so that no one may think more of me than what he sees or
hears about me, especially because of the excessive number of revelations that
I've had. Therefore, to keep me from becoming conceited, I am forced to deal
with a recurring problem. That problem, Satan's messenger, torments me to keep
me from being conceited. I begged the Lord three times to take it away from me.
But he told me: "My kindness is all you need. My power is strongest when
you are weak." So I will brag even more about my weaknesses in order that
Christ's power will live in me.
As well they should,
special times of Christian celebration raises questions in the minds of many
people. Some even are courageous enough to verbalize their questions. I commend
them, answer them, pray and hope for their edification, but do know rejection
may be their response.
Easter is one of those
times, with one question having been raised being “Which is more important,
resurrection or repentance?”
I answer with
illustration by personal testimony: In the first paragraph I mentioned
rejection, that which has been my paramount emotional bugaboo of personal
feelings of rejection for many years much interfering with my desire for
maturation; at one time distracting largely, now a beneficial reminder of
stumbling. How so? Only as I live in the power of his resurrection have I been
able, will I continue to be able to live in repentance of this detrimental
hindering product of my pride. The point being that without Christ’s
resurrection, neither I nor anyone else may be saved. (Jn.11:26-27) And without
His resurrection we cannot truly worship in and through repentance and realize
abundant life in the power of His resurrection (Jn.10:9-10; Rom.12:1-3;
Phil.3:10).
But what is this
repentance that the Word living and written speaks of?
EBB4
+++
From International
Standard Bible Encyclopedia:
Repentance; rḗ-pen´tans:
To get an accurate idea of the precise New
Testament meaning of this highly important word it is necessary to consider its
approximate synonyms in the original Hebrew and Greek The psychological
elements of repentance should be considered in the light of the general
teaching of Scripture.
I. Old Testament Terms.
1. To Repent - “To Pant,”
“To Sigh”:
The Hebrew word נחם, nāḥam, is an onomatopoetic term which implies difficulty in
breathing, hence, “to pant,” “to sigh,” “to groan.” Naturally it came to
signify “to lament” or “to grieve,” and when the emotion was produced by the
desire of good for others, it merged into compassion and sympathy, and when
incited by a consideration of one's own character and deeds it means “to rue,”
“to repent.” To adapt language to our understanding, God is represented as
repenting when delayed penalties are at last to be inflicted, or when
threatened evils have been averted by genuine reformation (Gen_6:6; Jon_3:10).
This word is translated “repent” about 40 times in the Old Testament, and in
nearly all cases it refers to God. The principal idea is not personal relation
to sin, either in its experience of grief or in turning from an evil course.
Yet the results of sin are manifest in its use. God's heart is grieved at man's
iniquity, and in love He bestows His grace, or in justice He terminates His
mercy. It indicates the aroused emotions of God which prompt Him to a different
course of dealing with the people. Similarly when used with reference to man,
only in this case the consciousness of personal transgression is evident. This
distinction in the application of the word is intended by such declarations as
God “is not a man, that he should repent” (1Sa_15:29;
Job_42:6; Jer_8:6).
2.
To Repent - “To Turn” or “Return”:
The
term שׁוּב, shūbh, is
most generally employed to express the Scriptural idea of genuine repentance.
It is used extensively by the prophets, and makes prominent the idea of a
radical change in one's attitude toward sin and God. It implies a conscious,
moral separation, and a personal decision to forsake sin and to enter into
fellowship with God. It is employed extensively with reference to man's turning
away from sin to righteousness (Deu_4:30;
Neh_1:9; Psa_7:12;
Jer_3:14). It quite often refers to God
in His relation to man (Exo_32:12; Jos_7:26). It is employed to indicate the
thorough spiritual change which God alone can effect (Psa_85:4). When the term is translated by
“return” it has reference either to man, to God, or to God and man (1Sa_7:3; Psa_90:13
(both terms, nāḥam and
shūbh; Isa_21:12; Isa_55:7).
Both terms are also sometimes employed when the twofold idea of grief and
altered relation is expressed, and are translated by “repent” and “return” (Eze_14:6; Hos_12:6;
Jon_3:8).
II.
New Testament Terms.
1.
Repent - “To Care,” “Be Concerned”:
The
term μεταμέλομαι, metamélomai, literally
signifies to have a feeling or care, concern or regret; like nāḥam, it expresses the
emotional aspect of repentance. The feeling indicated by the word may issue in
genuine repentance, or it may degenerate into mere remorse (Mat_21:29, Mat_21:32;
Mat_27:3). Judas repented only in the
sense of regret, remorse, and not in the sense of the abandonment of sin. The
word is used with reference to Paul's feeling concerning a certain course of
conduct, and with reference to God in His attitude toward His purposes of grace
(2Co_7:8 the King James Version; Heb_7:21).
2.
Repent - “To Change the Mind”:
The
word μετανοέω, metanoéō,
expresses the true New Testament idea of the spiritual change implied in a
sinner's return to God. The term signifies “to have another mind,” to change
the opinion or purpose with regard to sin. It is equivalent to the Old
Testament word “turn.” Thus, it is employed by John the Baptist, Jesus, and the
apostles (Mat_3:2; Mar_1:15; Act_2:38).
The idea expressed by the word is intimately associated with different aspects
of spiritual transformation and of Christian life, with the process in which
the agency of man is prominent, as faith (Act_20:21),
and as conversion (Act_3:19); also with
those experiences and blessings of which God alone is the author, as remission
and forgiveness of sin (Luk_24:47; Act_5:31). It is sometimes conjoined with
baptism, which as an overt public act proclaims a changed relation to sin and
God (Mar_1:4; Luk_3:3; Act_13:24;
Act_19:4). As a vital experience,
repentance is to manifest its reality by producing good fruits appropriate to
the new spiritual life (Mat_3:8).
3.
Repent - “To Turn over,” “To Turn upon,” “To Turn Unto”:
The
word έπιστρέφω, epistréphō, is
used to bring out more clearly the distinct change wrought in repentance. It is
employed quite frequently in Acts to express the positive side of a change
involved in New Testament repentance, or to indicate the return to God of which
the turning from sin is the negative aspect. The two conceptions are
inseparable and complementary. The word is used to express the spiritual
transition from sin to God (Act_9:35; 1Th_1:9); to strengthen the idea of faith (Act_11:21); and to complete and emphasize the
change required by New Testament repentance (Act_26:20).
There
is great difficulty in expressing the true idea of a change of thought with
reference to sin when we translate the New Testament “repentance” into other
languages. The Latin version renders it “exercise penitence” (poenitentiam
agere). But “penitence” etymologically signifies pain, grief, distress,
rather than a change of thought and purpose. Thus Latin Christianity has been
corrupted by the pernicious error of presenting grief over sin rather than
abandonment of sin as the primary idea of New Testament repentance. It was easy
to make the transition from penitence to penance, consequently the Romanists
represent Jesus and the apostles as urging people to do penance (poenitentiam
agite). The English word “repent” is derived from the Latin repoenitere,
and inherits the fault of the Latin, making grief the principal idea and
keeping it in the background, if not altogether out of sight, the fundamental
New Testament conception of a change of mind with reference to sin. But the
exhortations of the ancient prophets, of Jesus, and of the apostles show that
the change of mind is the dominant idea of the words employed, while the
accompanying grief and consequent reformation enter into one's experience from
the very nature of the case.
III.
The Psychological Elements.
1.
The Intellectual Element:
Repentance
is that change of a sinner's mind which leads him to turn from his evil ways
and live. The change wrought in repentance is so deep and radical as to affect
the whole spiritual nature and to involve the entire personality. The intellect
must function, the emotions must be aroused, and the will must act. Psychology
shows repentance to be profound, personal and all-pervasive. The intellectual element
is manifest from the nature of man as an intelligent being, and from the
demands of God who desires only rational service. Man must apprehend sin as
unutterably heinous, the divine law as perfect and inexorable, and himself as
coming short or falling below the requirements of a holy God (Job_42:5, Job_42:6;
Psa_51:3; Rom_3:20).
2.
The Emotional Element:
There
may be a knowledge of sin without turning from it as an awful thing which
dishonors God and ruins man. The change of view may lead only to a dread of
punishment and not to the hatred and abandonment of sin (Exo_9:27; Num_22:34;
Jos_7:20; 1Sa_15:24;
Mat_27:4). An emotional element is
necessarily involved in repentance. While feeling is not the equivalent of
repentance, it nevertheless may be a powerful impulse to a genuine turning from
sin. A penitent cannot from the nature of the case be stolid and indifferent.
The emotional attitude must be altered if New Testament repentance be
experienced. There is a type of grief that issues in repentance and another
which plunges into remorse. There is a godly sorrow and also a sorrow of the
world. The former brings life; the latter, death (Mat_27:3;
Luk_18:23; 2Co_7:9,
2Co_7:10). There must be a
consciousness of sin in its effect on man and in its relation to God before
there can be a hearty turning away from unrighteousness. The feeling naturally
accompanying repentance implies a conviction of personal sin and sinfulness and
an earnest appeal to God to forgive according to His mercy (Psa_51:1, Psa_51:2,
Psa_51:10-14).
3.
The Volitional Element:
The
most prominent element in the psychology of repentance is the voluntary, or
volitional. This aspect of the penitent's experience is expressed in the Old
Testament by “turn”, or “return,” and in the New Testament by “repent” or
“turn.” The words employed in the Hebrew and Greek place chief emphasis on the
will, the change of mind, or of purpose, because a complete and sincere turning
to God involves both the apprehension of the nature of sin and the
consciousness of personal guilt (Jer_25:5;
Mar_1:15; Act_2:38;
2Co_7:9, 2Co_7:10).
The demand for repentance implies free will and individual responsibility. That
men are called upon to repent there can be no doubt, and that God is
represented as taking the initiative in repentance is equally clear. The
solution of the problem belongs to the spiritual sphere. The psychical
phenomena have their origin in the mysterious relations of the human and the
divine personalities. There can be no external substitute for the internal change.
Sackcloth for the body and remorse for the soul are not to be confused with a
determined abandonment of sin and return to God. Not material sacrifice, but a
spiritual change, is the inexorable demand of God in both dispensations (Psa_51:17; Isa_1:11;
Jer_6:20; Hos_6:6).
Repentance
is only a condition of salvation and not its meritorious ground. The motives
for repentance are chiefly found in the goodness of God, in divine love, in the
pleading desire to have sinners saved, in the inevitable consequences of sin,
in the universal demands of the gospel, and in the hope of spiritual life and
membership in the kingdom of heaven (Eze_33:11;
Mar_1:15; Luk_13:1-5;
Joh_3:16; Act_17:30;
Rom_2:4; 1Ti_2:4).
The first four beatitudes (Mat_5:3-6)
form a heavenly ladder by which penitent souls pass from the dominion of Satan
into the Kingdom of God. A consciousness of spiritual poverty dethroning pride,
a sense of personal unworthiness producing grief, a willingness to surrender to
God in genuine humility, and a strong spiritual desire developing into hunger
and thirst, enter into the experience of one who wholly abandons sin and
heartily turns to Him who grants repentance unto life.
Literature.
Various theological works
and commentaries Note especially Strong, Systematic Theology, III,
832-36; Broadus on Mat_3:2, American
Comm.; article “Busse” (Penance). Hauck-Herzog, Realencyklopadie fur
protestantische Theologie und Kirche.
