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The Contents Of This Chapter
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Sin
is so heinous and spreads so quickly that not even
its slightest occurrence can be allowed, tolerated, overlooked, or
excused
without opening the floodgate of human destruction – a
destruction so ferocious
it annihilates everything in its path. And though this destruction may
seem
distant or insignificant at the moment of sin, it will, inevitably,
overwhelm
both sinner and their victims like a gigantic wall of rushing water.
This
is not new news, however. God, using different
words, said the same thing to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. He
used a
flood to convey this message to the people of Noah’s day.
Fire and brimstone
were His means of confirming this message when He destroyed Sodom and
Gomorrah.
In giving the Law to Israel, He clearly communicated this same message
through
His commandments, His promises of blessing for obedience, and His
threats of
punishment for disobedience. And, He brought this message home to the
New
Testament church when He struck down Ananias and Sapphira for lying.
Indeed,
there isn’t a culture, nation, people group, community, or
family who doesn’t
know something about the destructive power of evil on both the
practitioners
and victims of evil.
But
who among us wants to admit he is an intentional
sinner deliberately doing what he knows is wrong? Who is humble enough
to
openly admit he has intentionally, and often repeatedly, sought his own
good at
the expense of others? Who is contrite enough to confess to those he
has
wronged exactly how he has wronged them and that he is without excuse
for the
wrong he has done? Who conscientiously strives to identify and then
take
appropriate action to correct his own specific acts of sin (single
occurrences) and long-standing practices of sin (repeated
occurrences)?
And who has enough personal integrity to acknowledge specific ways and
instances where his self-centeredness has contributed to the practice
of sin in
others and the ultimate destruction of this world?
We
prefer to see ourselves as good people with good
intentions. So we claim to be good, and even godly, in spite of the
fact that
we are not as zealous about living up to what we know as we are about
expecting
others (spouse, children, extended family members, friends,
co-workers,
neighbors, public officials) to live up to what they know.
We
judge ourselves by what we wish to be instead of what
our daily choices and repetitive behaviors irrefutably proclaim we are.
And of
course, we are not inclined to ask a family member or friend, and
especially
not an enemy, to tell us what self-centered, inconsiderate,
inconsistent,
unkind, and otherwise sinful behavior they see in us. Why? Because we
don’t
really believe we are that evil, and if we are, we don’t want
to know.
Wanting
to be seen by others as good people with good
intentions, we blame people and circumstances – anything but
ourselves – when
caught or criticized for doing something wrong. When the criticism
stings or
cuts too deep, we attack back with equal or greater force –
endeavoring to end
the confrontation without honestly evaluating the criticism or
resolving the
difference between ourselves and the confronter. And should our critics
continue to tell us what they see, we push them out of our
life –
protecting ourselves from their words by avoiding them as much as
possible.
It
isn’t that we are afraid to admit we are sinners. Most
of us will admit to that in a general, vague kind of way any and every
day of
the week. But we do not want to admit we are deliberate
sinners intentionally
committing specific sins or willfully
and repeatedly doing
what we know is wrong at the expense of
others. We do not want to
admit we selfishly seek our own good, and in so doing, unnecessarily
harm
others. We do not want to admit we employ a double standard whereby we
justify
doing to others what we do not want done to us. We do not want to admit
we
distrust God in certain areas and are therefore unwilling to live
according to
His Word in those areas. And for sure we don’t want to admit
we have chosen to
go our own way in open disobedience to God’s way, so that we
can do for
ourselves what we think He can’t or won’t do for
us.
Yet
not only do we resist admitting to a specific and
deliberate involvement in sin, we resist admitting that the sins we
commit are
vile. According to our own estimation, the sins we commit may be bad,
but they
are not vile, abominable, detestable, repugnant, or as evil as the sins
of some
sinners we know. And here again, it isn’t that we are
unwilling to admit sin is
evil. We zealously affirm that sin is so heinous not even its slightest
occurrence can be allowed, tolerated, overlooked, or excused. But what
we are
really affirming is that other people’s sin is
heinous - sins like
murder, rape, homosexuality, abortion, adultery, sexual and physical
abuse of
children, alcoholism, drug addiction, breaking and entering, car theft,
job
discrimination, oppressive injustice, extreme bigotry, and other
people’s
actions which make our lives needlessly unpleasant. And of course,
we’ve never
done, nor would we ever do, such heinous things.
Yet
we are just as self-centered, just as committed to
doing what we know is wrong, just as willing to treat others as we do
not want
to be treated, just as openly rebellious against God, and just as
disobedient
to God’s Word as the murderer, rapist, homosexual,
abortionist, adulterer,
abuser, alcoholic, drug addict, thief, oppressor, bigot, and the person
whose
selfishness makes our life more difficult. We may not be guilty of
committing
the atrocities of the aforementioned sinners, but we are just as guilty
of
voluntarily and deliberately doing what we know is wrong.
Though
we do not commit the supposed big sins, we
deliberately and cheerfully commit sin – sins like discreet
greed (the
selfish use of money and possessions at a level approved by most
American
Christians), shrewd business practices (the unloving
things a business
person believes he must do to stay in business), lustful
thoughts (hidden
adultery, silent immorality), over-eating, workaholism,
financial hoarding
(making money the god we depend on to give us immediate
happiness and a
secure future), self-esteem-building pride, self-indulging
consumerism,
spousal disrespect, denial (refusal to admit or deal with
relationship-destructive behavior and/or conflicts),
double-standard
parenting (making
our children do what we do not do), control over others (forcing
others
to do what pleases us), impatience, unkind words (to
control,
manipulate, hurt, or joke at another’s expense),
gossip (passing
information which needlessly damages someone’s reputation),
unforgiveness,
and revenge (getting even, returning evil for evil).
Like
the murderer, we cut people out of our life after
judging them worthless, or at least of less value than those in our
little
clique. Like the abuser and oppressor, we try to control others in an
effort to
make life better for ourselves. Like the abortionist, we terminate
relationships that make our lives more difficult, or get in the way of
what we
want. Like the homosexual and adulterer, we use people for our own
gratification, and we hurt those closest to us in our selfish pursuit
of
happiness. Like the drug addict and alcoholic, we numb ourselves
against
stress, discouragement, depression, the pain of hurtful relationships,
and fear
of failure with television, sports, over-eating, shopping, and other
such
things that numb our mind and dull our senses. Like the thief, we take
what
doesn’t belong to us (copying computer software,
illegally copying and downloacing music,
photo-copying choir music, taking work supplies for home use, cheating
on our
taxes, etc.). Like the bigot, we are thoughtlessly prejudiced
against those
who do not agree with us on issues we deem important. And like all of
them, we
excuse our own sinfulness by putting the blame elsewhere, or by
claiming we are
less sinful than most people.
Though
we know these things are wrong, we avoid calling
them sin through re-labelling. We label them as necessary, practical,
harmless,
or circumstantially justifiable. We take comfort in our re-labelling
because,
deep inside, we think God is wrong for calling many of the
aforementioned sins,
sin. We are not convinced that things so useful and necessary to our
well-being, our personal happiness, and our future security could be
sinful. We
are not convinced these things really hurt others. And if they do, we
are
convinced the harm done when we do them is negligible compared to the
irreversible hurt of murder or rape or adultery. Thus, we conclude that
if they
are wrong, it’s not because they are evil, but only because
God says they are
wrong.
How
is it that people who clearly know what is wrong when
being mistreated, find it so hard to discern right from wrong in
regards to
their own behavior? Could it be because they look in the wrong place
for the
answer to the following three questions?
1.
How
do we determine what sin is?
2.
How
do we decide when we are sinning?
3.
How
do we ascertain when we have sinned?
Too
many of us rely on the accepted practices of society
to provide the basis for answering these questions. This means we make
the
prevailing attitude of society toward a particular behavior, or
category of
behaviors, the basis of deciding the what and when of sin. In other
words, what
they accept as wise or necessary, even though the Bible condemns it as
sin, we
accept as wise or necessary. What they condemn, we condemn.
Now
for Christians, this method of deciding the what and
when of sin is heretical. Yet it has been, and continues to be, a
popular
method in our society, even among the churched. We only need to examine
issues
like slavery, homosexuality, prejudice and white-flight, consumerism,
popular
yet dishonest business practices, taking cash for work rendered so we
don’t
have to pay taxes on it, fashion, bitterness, anger, derogatory words,
unresolved conflict within supposedly committed relationships, divorce,
and
getting even, to see how often this method is employed. And it does not
require
extensive research to know that many of those who attend church, claim
to
believe in God, and read the Bible behave much like unbelievers as
regards this
list of sins.
Truly,
deciding the what and when of sin according to the
popular, society-based view of right and wrong turns moral issues into
best
option issues. It unleashes untold suffering and destruction by
perverting
reason as regards good and evil. It is at best an unreliable method of
defining
sin. And, it confirms its unreliability through its failure to protect
the good
of each individual and the greater good of all.
Well
then, how do we decide what sin is, when we are
sinning, or when we have sinned? Many decide these matters on the basis
of
benefits received from a specific action or behavior pattern.
However,
one problem with this method is that we tend to
magnify the benefits and trivialize the harm done to those affected by
our
favorite, most trusted, regularly relied-on sins. In fact, we often
ignore the
destructive effects of sin on ourselves and others. The drug abuser,
alcoholic,
spouse abuser, adulterer, domineering spouse, absurdly strict parent,
aggressive controller, and passive appeaser, are a few examples of
this.
Another
problem with this method is that we want the sole
right to decide if the benefits of certain behaviors outweigh the harm
done. In
other words, we don’t want those hurt by our sinful deeds to
be part of
deciding how bad we’ve hurt them. We don’t want
anyone’s opinions but our own
to tip the scales of justice. Therefore, deciding right and wrong on
the basis
of benefits received is not a reliable method. It too easily turns
wrong into
right by obscuring the destructive consequences and highlighting the
benefits - especially to self.
So
how do we come to a definition of sin which puts and
keeps sin’s “what and when” in its proper
perspective? The only rational,
reasonable, protect-the-good-of-everyone way to come to such a
definition is
to go to the source of wisdom, righteousness, and love itself. We must
go to
God.
God,
speaking to us through His Word, says sin is
lawlessness. This lawlessness is the result of our choice to be lawless
in
response to His rightful position of authority over us. (Note: I John
3:4,
5:17)
As
the Creator and Sovereign Lord of the universe, God
has made laws by which we are to live. As God’s created
beings, as ones under
His authority, as children in the home of their Father, we are under
obligation
to obey His commands. Therefore, sin is willful, conscious rebellion
against
God and His laws. It is the refusal to come under God’s
authority and live
according to His commandments and principles. It is believing that we
know more
about what is best for us than God so as to feel justified in doing
what God
says is wrong.
To
further clarify this point, put it in the context of
the family. Good parents create rules for the family which promote and
protect
the good of everyone. Such rules are based on love – love
which seeks the good
of the child by protecting him from his own foolish, self-centered, and
self-destructive predilections. These same rules are intended to set
boundaries
for the child which protect the good of those who are in any way
affected by
the choices and behavior of the child. And finally, these rules are
intended to
create an environment which nurtures caring, meaningful, satisfying
relationships
within the family, and when possible, between the child and anyone
outside the
home who abides by these rules.
To
the child, these rules may seem unreasonable or
restrictive at times. To the parent, these rules provide hope for a
loving
home, an emotionally and mentally healthy process of child development,
and a
stable future for the family. Whatever restrictions are placed on the
child,
they are placed there for the purpose of promoting and protecting the
good
of the
child and those affected by the child’s words and deeds.
Therefore, sin is when
a child willfully refuses to obey one or more of his parent’s
rules, and in so
doing, self-centeredly goes his own way, deliberately does what he has
been
taught is wrong, and willfully hurts others in the process.
Like
a good parent, God created rules, based on love,
by which all humanity is to live. His rules protect us from ourselves
– from
the self-destructive consequences of our own foolish and selfish
inclinations.
His rules protect the good of everyone who in any way are affected by
our
choices and behavior. Finally, His rules create an environment where
mutually
caring and deeply satisfying relationships are the natural reward of
love – a
reward which infallibly and unfailingly promotes and protects the good
of all.
Therefore,
when we disobey God, we are challenging God’s
authority by behaving as if we are the rightful and final authority
over
ourselves. We are showing contempt for God’s wisdom by
intentionally rejecting
what He says is right so we can do what we think is right for
ourselves. We are
abandoning love for selfishness and forsaking community-centeredness
for
self-centeredness. And not only do we neglect the good of others in our
pursuit
of self-interest, we willfully inflict unnecessary suffering on others
in the
fulfillment of our self-interest. In fact, we carelessly and uncaringly
make
life more difficult and painful for everyone affected in any way by our
disobedience to God. Truly, sin is lawlessness.
Now
when law and love are united, as God has united them,
lawlessness is always linked to selfishness. Therefore, sin is
selfishness. It
is voluntarily and deliberately breaking God’s laws in order
to place our own
interests, happiness, gratification, protection, and future security
before the
good of God and the well-being of our fellowman. In other words, sin is
law-breaking for the purpose of doing to God and others what we do not
want
them to do to us. It is refusing to submit to the authority of God so
we can
look out for our interests and our good without equal regard for the
interests
of God and the good of others. It is willfully doing what God says is
wrong for
the sole purpose of pleasing ourselves (or some special
interest group of
which we are a part). And, we are guilty of committing sin
when we
carelessly neglect to do, or willfully choose not to do, what we know
is the
right thing to do.
Therefore,
the only just and fitting penalty for sin (for
deliberately doing what we know is wrong, and willingly doing it at the
expense
of others), is banishment. The Bible speaks of this
banishment as death –
not physical death, but removal forever from God's presence and kingdom
and all
who love as God loves. The place of banishment is hell. This removal
from God,
His kingdom, and all who love as He loves, to hell, is a just and
fitting
penalty because it perfectly fulfills two requirements. First, it
satisfies the
requirement of punishment for those who willingly and deliberately
inflict
unnecessary suffering on others through acts of sin. Second, it
protects those
who live according to God’s rules – loving as God
loves – from any further
unnecessary suffering at the hands of sinners. (Note: I John 3:4-10;
James
4:17)
However,
though sinners deserve such a harsh penalty for
sinning, the penalty presents God with an unwanted problem. Every man
and woman
who has ever lived or will live (with one
exception - Jesus)
has sinned. We have all voluntarily and deliberately done what we know
is
wrong, and we’ve done it at the unjust expense of others.
Therefore, all
humanity, past, present, and future, stands condemned to eternal
banishment in
hell. And just as no amount of prior or future goodness on the part of
the
murderer can restore the murder victim’s life, so no amount
of personal
goodness can make it as if we never sinned. No amount of personal
goodness can
remove the fact we did to another what we would not want done to
ourselves. So
the only way we can satisfy the penalty for sins we’ve
committed is to pay it.
And the only way to pay it is to be banished to hell for eternity. For
this
reason, God, the one who judges sinners worthy of eternal damnation,
has made a
way for us to be freed from the penalty of our sin so that we can live
with Him
forever.
God’s
solution to our sin problem cost Him dearly. It
cost Him the torturous death and hell-bound soul of His irreproachable
and only
son, Jesus. And though we cannot purchase, earn, or trade anything for
God’s
solution to our sin problem, we can only receive it at great cost to
our
self-life (our selfish, self-centered, self-interested,
self-focused life).
Now
God makes His great salvation (His solution to our
sin problem) available to everyone. Yet we will not be of the
right mind to
receive this great gift for the purpose it is given without seeing
ourselves as
willful sinners whose sinful behavior has alienated us from God and
needs
putting away (at least all known sinful behavior) if
the broken
relationship is to be restored. To see ourselves aright, that is, as
willful
sinners in need of repentance, we need to come to a rational and
accurate
understanding of sin. But how can we, who are selfishly-minded from
birth, come
to a rational and accurate understanding of sin? Consider the following
three
means by which the truth about sin can be understood. The first two
means are
available to everyone, everywhere. The third has been, and continues to
be
available to most, but not all.
As
one of his premier tasks, the Spirit of God
relentlessly works to convince sinners to think sensibly about sin,
righteousness, and God’s unavoidable judgment of sinners. The
Spirit of God
performs this task with unrelenting persistence – fighting to
bring the light of
God’s truth into sin-blinded eyes and minds darkened by
self-centeredness. He
tirelessly works to bring each one of us to a rational and accurate
understanding of sin’s universality, insidiousness,
foolishness, and
destructiveness. He tenaciously toils to convince us of the wisdom of
righteousness (that which is right and just) and the
intelligence of
doing what we know is right. He relentlessly works in and with our
conscience
to produce an appropriate and keen sensitivity to sin so that we can
know when
we are doing something we know is wrong. And, he unswervingly calls our
attention to the final judgment when God will banish all unrepentant
sinners
to hell.
This
work by God’s Spirit is universal.
He works with everyone, regardless of
location, nationality, gender, cultural influences, religious
background,
social status, and economic position. No one, absolutely no one, goes
through
life without experiencing the illuminating and convicting work of the
Holy
Spirit regarding sin, righteousness, and the final judgment.
Therefore, this
is the first and foremost means of coming to a rational and accurate
understanding of sin. (Note: John 16:8-11)
The
second means by which the truth about sin can be
rationally and accurately understood is as universal as the first. This means is our
intellect. It leads us to
the truth through our dealings with two common sources of information
–
creation and criticism. The
understanding gained through this means may be elementary or unrefined,
but it
is rational and accurate enough to convince us of what we need to know.
God,
as the creator, set us apart from all other living
species by creating us with an intellect. Our intellect provides us
with the
ability to think, reason, conceptualize, and remember. This ability
makes it
possible for us to come to an understanding of sin from two
directions
–
creation and criticism. (Note:
Romans
2:5-16)
All
creation reveals inspiring, life-affecting truths
about God, His personality, His limitless power, and His divine nature.
Through
the right use of our intellect, we are able to examine the stars,
planets, sun
and moon, the earth, plants, animals, and mankind. In so doing, we can
discern
many things about God’s character and His intentions for
humanity. As we use
our intellect to further contemplate what we have discovered about God
in
creation, we gain insight into His supremacy, His worthiness of
adoration and
praise, His reason for creating our world, His reason for creating
humanity in
His own image, His primary character traits, and His intentions for
mankind. This
knowledge, when applied to
the issues of life, enables us to form an accurate understanding about
right
and wrong, and our responsibility in choosing right over wrong. (Note:
Romans
1:18-20)
Besides
creation, we all have the intellectual ability to
criticize others - especially in relation to their
treatment of us.
Our criticism reveals our expectations of others - as
to how we want
them to treat us. In other words, we know how we want to be treated,
and it is
on that basis that we criticize others for not living up to our
expectations.
When we unite our knowledge of how we want to be treated with the right
use of
our intellect (ability to think, reason, conceptualize,
remember) we are
able to figure out how we ought to treat others. Of course, being able
to
critique the behavior of others means we can critique our own behavior.
So, we
are equipped with the ability to know when we are acting out of love or
self-centeredness; when we are doing what we know is right or what we
know is
wrong; and if we are treating others as we want to be treated.
Therefore,
failure to know right from wrong (simply treating others as we
want to be
treated) is not due to some disability or malfunction of our
intellect. It
is due to the misuse of our intellect.
It
has been said that when someone else does something
wrong, we most often see it as the result of a moral weakness or defect
in that
person's character. Yet
when we do
something wrong, we most often see it as the result of an
uncontrollable
weakness in ourselves, or a defect in our circumstances, or good
intentions
gone awry. This is the misuse of intellect perverting criticism for
selfish
purposes. When others mistreat us, we condemn them and expect them to
take full
responsibility for their behavior. Yet when we mistreat others, we
blame them
and/or the circumstances, and expect them to understand why we are only
partially responsible, if at all. This is the misuse of intellect
re-interpreting reality for selfish purposes.
God’s
Word tells us we will be judged according to the
severity with which we judge others. The reason for this is, the level
of
intelligence used to discern right and wrong in others is the level of
intelligence available for discerning right and wrong in ourselves. To
use our
intellect to critique the behavior of others and not our own behavior,
leaves
us without excuse for choosing to do what we know is wrong. Criticism
of others'
treatment of us shows we know what is right, and how to identify wrong
behavior. Therefore, it is reasonable for God to hold us accountable to
the
same degree we hold others accountable.
(Note: Romans 2:1-4; Matthew 7:1-5; Jeremiah 17:9-10;
Ezekiel 18:30-32;
Matthew 7:21-23, 13:40-43; II Corinthians 5:10; Galatians 6:7-8;
Revelation
20:12-15)
Every
adult who lives on this earth is capable of having
a rational and accurate understanding of sin so that they know the
difference
between right and wrong. God ensures this through the activity of His
Spirit
and the intellectual ability He’s given us for discovering
truth from creation
and criticism. To continue in sin when we can know the difference
between right
and wrong leaves each and every one of us without a justifiable excuse
for
doing what we know, or could know, is wrong.
The
third means of coming to a rational and accurate
understanding of sin is just as much God’s doing as the first
two. This means
brings us into direct contact with explicit truth. Yet it relies
heavily on the
work of the Spirit of God and the right use of our intellect.
God
has intentionally and graciously provided these three
means of making it possible for everyone to come to a rational and
accurate
understanding of sin through: [1] the Holy Spirit, [2] right use of
intellect
as regards creation and criticism, [3] direct
contact with the truth
through the Bible, God’s messengers, and Christians
everywhere.
The
only reasonable, appropriate, sensible, acceptable,
worthy response to truth is to turn from our self-centeredness (the
way of
sin) and live according to the truth we know (the
way of love). This
turning and living begins with repentance and conversion.
Every
one of us is born into a community of communities.
Our first, most obvious community, is the family. It can be two parents
with
one or more children, or a single-parent with one or more children. The
second
community is the extended family, made up of grandparents, aunts,
uncles, and
cousins. Then, we are part of the neighborhood community, the state we
live in,
the country our state is in, the continent our country is part of, and
the
world community. By the time we are six years old we have become part
of the
school community and the special-friends community. As we grow into
adulthood,
many of us join the workplace community, and most of us start another
family
community through marriage. Finally, there is God’s community
which, from the
human perspective, began with Adam and Eve and will last throughout
eternity.
In
any community, the emotional, physical, mental,
spiritual, and relational well-being, present safety, and future
security of
everyone depends on each individual doing what he knows is right.
Therefore,
the amount of knowledge an individual has of right and wrong is the
degree to
which the rest of the community can rightly hold him accountable to
promote and
protect the good of all by living according to what he knows.
When
an individual within a community deliberately does
something which he knows is wrong, he demonstrates that, in at least
that
situation, he values his own happiness more than the well-being of the
community at large and any individual directly harmed by his selfish
behavior.
Such an individual has elevated self-centeredness above
community-centeredness,
and he has done it at the expense of others.
When
an individual repetitively does what he knows is
wrong, he demonstrates a commitment to the belief that a self-centered
approach
to life is better than a community-centered approach. In essence, he
believes
promoting and protecting his own interests, first and foremost, is more
important than ensuring the good of everyone. In fact, he believes his
own
happiness is so important that, in his mind, it becomes rationally
defensible
to harm others in the process of looking out for himself. Such an
individual is
a danger to the well-being, safety, and security of every other member
in the
community.
Therefore,
when an individual deliberately and repeatedly
does what he knows is wrong, he makes himself an enemy of the
community. This
may seem like an overstatement, but consider this: who would
deliberately and
repeatedly say or do things which cause one or more members of the
community to
unnecessarily suffer heart-break, despair, rejection, injury, or loss?
Would a
friend do this? Would someone who loves others as he wants to be loved,
do
this? No, this is the behavior of an enemy.
The
leadership within a community has the responsibility
to promote and protect the well-being, safety, and security of each
individual
in a manner which promotes and protects the good of the entire
community. The
first step in this process is to create laws, regulations, and
restrictions
which, when obeyed, promote and protect the public good to the highest
degree
possible. The second step is to ensure that all are made aware of the
rules
with the expectation that each one does what he knows is right. The
third step
is to enforce the rules, when necessary.
There
are only two reliable ways to enforce the rules
when a community member repeatedly does what he knows is wrong. The
first way
is to ask the self-centered individual to change his mind (choose
to be
community-minded), so that he changes his behavior (lives
in a way which
makes the good of every other member of equal or greater importance
than the
good of self). This change of mind, accompanied by a behavior
change in
keeping with the change of mind, is called repentance. If the behavior
does not
change enough to make a difference, it is because the disobedient
individual
has not genuinely repented (changed his mind from
self-centeredness to
community-centeredness).
When
a disobedient community member resists repentance,
the second method of enforcing the rules must be used. The second way
to
protect the community is to remove the unrepentant individual from the
community. Removal is a form of banishment. Its intent is primarily the
same as
asking a wrong-doer to repent – to protect the good of
everyone in the
community. But when a repetitively disobedient member refuses to
repent, the
only choice left by those in authority is to remove the unrepentant
member. On
the human level, banishment can last until the individual dies (we
see this
in our judicial system with murderers, drug lords, serial rapists).
On an
eternal level, that is, in God’s community, banishment always
lasts forever.
Sadly,
every one of us has chosen to exalt the good of
self above the good of others. We are, by nature and by choice,
repetitively
disobedient community members. We have willfully set aside the
community good
for our own good. Though we’ve known what is right, we have
deliberately done
what is wrong – at the expense of others. And we have not
sinned just once (done
what we’ve known to be wrong), but over and over
again. And we’ve not
unnecessarily hurt just one person, but many people numerous times. In
fact,
our assault on other community members is so grievous, we justifiably
deserve
eternal banishment from God and all who love as God loves.
Fortunately,
God does not deal with us, sinners all,
according to raw justice. If He did, we would receive what we deserve
–
banishment forever. No, God sprinkles justice with mercy. Though we
deserve
banishment, He has done everything necessary, and continues to do
everything
possible, to bring us to repentance. Why? God wants each of us to
repent so we
can be reinstated in His community as good members, for eternity.
So
to summarize, God’s laws promote and protect the
public good to the highest possible degree. Yet without breaking His
own laws,
God shows us mercy. He is driven to such kindness by His heart-felt
longing
that we be loving members of His loving community forever. His gift of
an
intellect, a conscience, messengers (i.e., apostles, prophets,
evangelists,
preachers), and the Bible not only leads us to a clear
understanding of
what is right, they lead us to an understanding of His deep, enduring
love for
each and every one of us. His enforcement of the rules not only reveals
absolute justice determined to protect the community good, it reveals
absolute
justice permeated with a mercy that is doing everything possible to
bring us to
repentance.
For
God, banishment may be necessary for the community
good, but it is not an experience He looks forward to, or something He
takes
pleasure in. His joy, that which He looks forward to and takes pleasure
in, is
loving relationships among loving individuals within a loving
community.
At
this point, some will surely say that we are saved by
faith alone – that repentance is not a needful part. Yet this
is not the
teaching of the Bible. From the Law, to the Prophets, to John the
Baptist, to
Jesus Christ, to the disciples, and on into the Church age, repentance
has
always been a condition, a requirement, a vital first step on the path
of
salvation, reconciliation to God, and becoming a member of
God’s eternal
community. Consider the following scriptures and see how consistent
they are in
stating that repentance is to be our first response to the saving work
of God.
2 Chronicles
7:14 (NASB)
If
My people who are called by My name humble themselves
and pray, and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways,
then I will
hear from heaven, will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
Proverbs
28:13 (NASB)
He
who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but
he who confesses and forsakes them will find
compassion.
Isaiah
55:6-7 (NASB)
Seek
the Lord while He may be found; call upon Him while
He is near. (7) Let the wicked forsake his way, and
the unrighteous man
his thoughts; and let him return to the Lord, and
He will have
compassion on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.
Ezekiel
33:11 (NASB)
“Say
to them, ‘'As I live!’ declares the Lord God,
‘I
take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked
turn
from his way and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil
ways! Why then
will you die, O house of Israel?’”
Now
in those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the
wilderness of Judea, saying, (2) “Repent,
for the kingdom of heaven is
at hand.” (3) For this is the one referred to by Isaiah the
prophet, saying,
“The voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make
ready the way of the Lord,
Make His paths straight!’” (4) Now John himself had
a garment of camel’s hair,
and a leather belt about his waist; and his food was locusts and wild
honey.
(5) Then Jerusalem was going out to him, and all Judea, and all the
district
around the Jordan; (6) and they were being baptized by him in the
Jordan River,
as they confessed their sins. (7) But when he saw many of the Pharisees
and
Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You brood of
vipers, who warned
you to flee from the wrath to come? (8) Therefore bring forth
fruit in
keeping with repentance; (9) and do not suppose that you can
say to
yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father’; for I
say to you, that God is
able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. (10) And the
axe is
already laid at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does
not bear
good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. (11) As for me, I
baptize you
with water for repentance, but He who is coming
after me is mightier
than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you
with the
Holy Spirit and fire. (12) And His winnowing fork is in His hand, and
He will
thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into
the
barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
Matthew
4:17 (NASB)
From
that time Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent,
for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
Luke
5:31-32 (NASB)
And
Jesus answered and said to them, “It is not those who
are well who need a physician, but those who are sick. (32) I have not
come to
call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”
Luke
13:1-5 (NASB)
Now
on the same occasion there were some present who
reported to Him about the Galileans, whose blood Pilate had mingled
with their
sacrifices. (2) And He answered and said to them, “Do you
suppose that these
Galileans were greater sinners than all other Galileans, because they
suffered
this fate? (3) I tell you, no, but unless you repent,
you will all
likewise perish. (4) Or do you suppose that those eighteen on whom the
tower in
Siloam fell and killed them, were worse culprits than all the men who
live in
Jerusalem? (5) I tell you, no, but unless you repent,
you will all
likewise perish.”
Luke
15:7 (NASB)
“I
tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy
in heaven over one sinner who repents, than over
ninety-nine righteous
persons who need no repentance.”
Luke
24:45-47 (NASB)
Then
He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures,
(46) and He said to them, “Thus it is written, that the
Christ should suffer
and rise again from the dead the third day; (47) and that repentance
for
forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in His name to all the
nations,
beginning from Jerusalem.”
Acts
2:38 (NASB)
And
Peter said to them, “Repent, and let each
of
you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your
sins;
and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
Acts
3:19 (NASB)
“Repent
therefore and return, that your sins may
be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the
presence of
the Lord. . .”
Acts
5:29-32 (NASB)
But
Peter and the apostles answered and said, “We must
obey God rather than men. (30) The God of our fathers raised up Jesus,
whom you
had put to death by hanging Him on a cross. (31) He is the one whom God
exalted
to His right hand as a Prince and a Savior, to grant repentance
to
Israel, and forgiveness of sins. (32) And we are witnesses of these
things; and
so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey
Him.”
Acts
8:20-22 (NASB)
But
Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you,
because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! (21)
You have
no part or portion in this matter, for your heart is not right before
God. (22)
Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and
pray the Lord that if
possible, the intention of your heart may be forgiven you.”
Acts
17:24-31 (NASB)
“The
God who made the world and all things in it, since
He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with
hands; (25)
neither is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything,
since He
Himself gives to all life and breath and all things; (26) and He made
from one,
every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having
determined
their appointed times, and the boundaries of their habitation, (27)
that they
should seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him,
though He is
not far from each one of us; (28) for in Him we live and move and
exist, as
even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His
offspring.’ (29)
Being then the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine
Nature
is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and thought
of man.
(30) Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God
is now
declaring to men that all everywhere should repent, (31)
because He has
fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a
Man
whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him
from
the dead.”
Acts
20:18-21 (NASB)
And
when they had come to him, he said to them, “You
yourselves know, from the first day that I set foot in Asia, how I was
with you
the whole time, (19) serving the Lord with all humility and with tears
and with
trials which came upon me through the plots of the Jews; (20) how I did
not
shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching
you
publicly and from house to house, (21) solemnly testifying to both Jews
and Greeks
of repentance toward God and faith in our Lord
Jesus Christ.”
“‘.
. . But arise, and stand on your feet; for this
purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you a minister and a witness
not
only to the things which you have seen, but also to the things in which
I will
appear to you; (17) delivering you from the Jewish people and from the
Gentiles, to whom I am sending you, (18) to open their eyes so that
they may turn
from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God,
in order that
they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who
have been
sanctified by faith in Me.’ (19) Consequently, King Agrippa,
I did not prove
disobedient to the heavenly vision, (20) but kept declaring both to
those of
Damascus first, and also at Jerusalem and then throughout all the
region of
Judea, and even to the Gentiles, that they should repent
and turn to
God, performing deeds appropriate to repentance.”
Romans
2:1-8 (NASB)
Therefore
you are without excuse, every man of you who
passes judgment, for in that you judge another, you condemn yourself;
for you
who judge practice the same things. (2) And we know that the judgment
of God
rightly falls upon those who practice such things. (3) And do you
suppose this,
O man, when you pass judgment upon those who practice such things and
do the
same yourself, that you will escape the judgment of God? (4) Or do you
think
lightly of the riches of His kindness and forbearance and patience, not
knowing
that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?
(5) But because of
your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are
storing up wrath for
yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment
of God,
(6) who will render to every man according to his deeds: (7) to those
who by
perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality,
eternal
life; (8) but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the
truth,
but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation.
2 Timothy
2:24-26 (NASB)
And
the Lord's bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but
be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, (25) with
gentleness
correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance
leading to the knowledge of the truth, (26) and they may come to their
senses
and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him
to do
his will.
Hebrews
6:1-2 (NASB)
Therefore
leaving the elementary teaching about the
Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of
repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, (2) of instruction
about
washings, and laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the dead, and
eternal
judgment.
This
condition or requirement of repentance for admittance into the
community of God
does not negate or diminish the cross and grace of God. It is not able
to save
us from the penalty of sin. It cannot make up for sins committed. But
without
it, God has no rational, logical, sensible reason to wash our sins away
in the
blood of Jesus and bring us into His community of believers.
In
its most general sense, repentance is defined as a
change of mind, a thinking again, or a turning of the mind from one
direction
to another. In relation to becoming a Christian, repentance is turning
from
rebellion against God and from doing as we please for our own pleasure
and happiness.
And, it
is turning to the pursuit of a relationship with God of loving
communion and
companionship (love God supremely) and doing that
which promotes and
protects the good of everyone affected in any way by our choices and
behavior (love
our neighbor as ourself).
Repentance
begins in the mind, so it naturally affects
the way we think. And because it affects the way we think, it
profoundly
affects the way we live.
Repentance
begins when truth is brought to bear on one’s
thinking in a manner which is so unsettling as to promote both disdain
and
regret over specific wrongs done or how one has generally lived as a
sinner.
Thus, repentance includes the experience of genuine sorrow over wrongs
done and
sins deliberately committed. Upon asking God for forgiveness and
trusting in
Christ for salvation from the power, practice, and penalty of sin,
repentance
fulfills its purpose by engaging the mind to the degree of directly
influencing
the new believer’s behavior. To this end, repentance produces
planned,
purposeful, progressive, measurable efforts to get rid of all known sin
and
replace the old sinful ways with godly ways. Therefore, repentance
results in choices
and behavior which, in being distinctly different from that from which
we have
repented, verify the sincerity of our repentance.
Repentance
is not a sense of conviction over sin.
Conviction of sin may lead to repentance, but it should not be confused
with
repentance itself. Repentance is a voluntary choice to change our
thinking
because the truth has brought us to our senses, irrespective of how we
feel.
Conviction is an involuntary state of mind based upon feelings of guilt
over
wrongs done. Many feel convicted over wrongs done without repenting of
their
interest in wrongdoing.
Again,
repentance should not be confused with remorse or
sorrow over sin. It is possible to be so emotionally stirred as to feel
great
sorrow over our sin. We may even condemn ourselves so severely as to
feel deep
remorse for what we have done. However, neither sorrow nor remorse
automatically produces a changed mind so that we willfully take the
necessary
steps to put away our sinful ways and begin doing what we know is
right. Only
repentance produces this change of mind.
Repentance
is not the same as faith in God, or trusting
in Christ for salvation. But, repentance is the only rational response
once we
come to our senses – once we see that God is right and that
we have been
cheerfully going our own way in rebellion against Him. Repentance is
the most
reasonable first step in validating our decision to trust in Christ for
salvation from sin. It is something we must do to convince God we want
to be
reconciled to Him. It is something we have to do to be forgiven by God.
Truly,
without repentance we are telling God our primary interest is salvation
from
the penalty of sin, not a reconciled relationship of mutual communion
and
companionship with Him. Therefore, without repentance we are like an
adulterous
husband expecting his loving wife to take him back without him having
to give
up his adulterous relationship.
Before
repentance, sin looks very exciting, pleasurable,
profitable, self-protective, self-serving, and expedient. Sinners see
sin, at
least some of the time, as a good solution to some of their problems;
as a
dependable means of providing future security; and as an dauntless
defender
against present danger. Indeed, sin’s promise of quick,
satisfying results makes
it a very enticing choice. After repentance, sin looks repulsive
because of the
unnecessary and unjust harm it does to God and everyone affected by our
sinful
choices and behavior. The repentant person knows sin never works better
than
righteousness, and the rewards of sin are seen as a paltry pittance in
comparison with the rewards of loving God supremely and others as
oneself. In
fact, the repentant person is convinced that sin is a cruel hoax whose
promises
stand exposed by its unavoidable, though often future, ruinous
consequences.
Before
repentance, we think of selfishness and the
self-serving practices of the world as vital ways and means to make up
for
God’s deficiencies. We see selfishness and the ways of the
world as a means to
a quality of life which is not as boring or puritanical as God would
have us
live. As willful sinners, we like sin’s methods and means for
getting the most
out of life. After repentance, we clearly see that whatever good there
is to be
experienced in this life comes from God, and is a result of living
according to
the Word of God. We are convinced that it is not God who has the
deficiencies
we must protect ourselves against, but rather our own selfishness and
the ways
of the world. In fact, we know that selfishness and the ways of the
world bait
us with immediate gratification only to bring us to ruin through our
own
stupidity.
Before
repentance, God’s requirements seem excessive, His
laws seem arbitrarily oppressive, and His punishment of sinners seems
unnecessarily harsh. We often think of God as mean-spirited, uncaring,
and
untrustworthy for allowing and/or causing bad things to happen to us
and other
seemingly good people. After repentance, we heartily agree with
God’s
intentions to promote and protect the well-being of everyone. We see
that all
of God’s commands are motivated by His love for us. We
recognize that harsh
punishment is necessary if sin is to be stopped and innocent victims
protected
from unnecessary suffering at the hands of willful sinners. And beyond
that, we
understand that sin and sinners (and that includes ourselves)
are the
cause of all the suffering in the world – not God.
These
thinking changes concerning sin, selfishness, the
world, God, and God’s Word, are the direct result of
repentance. When a sinner
comes to his senses upon encountering the truth about himself, his sin,
the
ways of the world, God, and God’s Word, his only reasonable
response is to
repent. Any other response leaves him in his sin and estranged from
God. If he
repents, it directly leads to a life which is wholly committed to
forsaking all
sin and selfishness; which embraces God as completely worthy of his
love and
trust; and which pursues those things which advance and protect the
good of
everyone affected by his choices and behavior.
For those who may misconstrue what has just been said by thinking repentance has been misrepresented as sanctification, such is not the case. Repentance is a change of mind. Sanctification is a progressive change of life. We need repentance, salvation from the power and practice of sin, and the indwelling empowerment and work of the Holy Spirit to realistically and effectively pursue sanctification. In other words, though repentance is not equal to sanctification, it is the first requisite step on the path to salvation and sanctification. This change of mind is the human basis on which we not only see, but come to heartily agree with, the need to leave our sinful ways behind and be conformed to the likeness of Christ.
We
all know what it is to choose self-centeredness, the
ways of the world, and sin to promote our own good and get our own way.
It is
just as clear that for the same self-serving purpose, and from the same
self-centered mindset, many join Christianity. For them, loving God
supremely
and their neighbor as themselves are of minor interest compared to
gaining
release from sin’s penalty – from eternal damnation
in hell.
As
members of the Christian religion, they claim to be
born again believers who agree with the teachings of the Bible. No
doubt, in
theory, or in a general way, they do. In practice, however, they ignore
those
teachings which prevent them from practicing their favorite sins. What
they
want is a religious experience which gives them sufficient freedom to
enjoy the
best of this world (which means doing some things they know
God says are
wrong), and sufficient grace to enjoy Heaven in the life
hereafter.
As
sincere as these religionists think they are, they
have a problem. They have never repented. They genuinely want some of
what God
is offering. But they also want some of what the sinful world is
offering. So,
they devote themselves to trying to do the impossible – serve
two masters (self
and God, sin and righteousness, selfishness and love). In
their quest to
serve God, they change their minds about some sin, but not the
principle of
sin, the essence of sin, or sin itself. They are determined to trust in
God,
but they are equally determined not to trust Him completely. They give
serious
attention to living according to God’s Word, but selectively
so that they are
free to live according to their own self-centered interests in some
things.
Though they change some areas of known sin in their lives, they
continue to
justify or hide other known areas of sin. What they call being
‘born again’ or
‘trusting in Jesus for salvation’ has far more to
do with looking out for their
own interests than turning from their sin to serve the living God.
Tom
and Alice had been married fifteen years when she
found out about Tom’s unfaithfulness. He was seeing a
secretary from work
during times when he claimed to be working overtime. Alice was
heart-broken,
and angry. She married Tom with every intention of being married for
life –
which meant being faithful for life whether things between them were
good or
bad. She couldn’t understand what would make Tom do such a
thing. She didn’t
want a divorce, but she was not going to live with Tom under these
conditions.
So, she called for help because she didn’t know what to do.
By
the time I got involved, there was enough hurt and
resentment on both sides to last three life-times. Trust, in the things
that
really mattered, was badly damaged and thought to be unrestorable.
However, in
our first session it became clear neither wanted to lose the good they
had
built over the years. Both said they wanted to restore love and trust.
They
each said they wanted to find happiness and fulfillment in the other.
By the
end of the second session, we were ready to make an agreement that
would put
Tom and Alice on the road to restoring their badly damaged
relationship.
Alice
spoke first. She said she would forgive and forget
if Tom would end his relationship with the secretary and commit himself
to a
life of faithfulness to her. She said she would continue counseling to
find the
things in her life which were making Tom feel unloved – and
work diligently at
changing them. She said she would open the door for the rebuilding of
trust if
Tom would come to counseling with her and work on the things in his
life which
made her feel unloved. And, she wanted him to know she felt hopeful
they could
rebuild and restore their marriage to a condition where both would be
deeply
satisfied.
Then
Tom spoke. He was sorry for all the grief and pain
he had caused Alice. He asked for her forgiveness. He said he wanted
the
relationship to be satisfying to both of them. He was willing to
continue the
counseling sessions and work on those areas in his life which were
hurtful to
Alice. Of course, he was excited about her wanting to change for him.
For his
part, he wanted to regain her trust. He was more than willing to
recommit
himself to her, and to be faithful to her, with one small exception. He
had
grown to love the secretary and what she did for him, so much so that
he didn’t
see how he could totally forsake her. But he wanted Alice to know that
his
interest in the secretary did not change the fact that he loved Alice,
and was
committed to her. He believed he was proving his commitment to her by
agreeing
to all her terms, with just this one small exception. Of course, he was
more
than willing to compromise on his relationship with the secretary
– like only
seeing her twice a month and for a maximum of two hours at a time. And
naturally, he was certain his offer was fair, and that Alice
couldn’t refuse.
He ended by assuring her that they could have a great marriage under
these
conditions, and he looked to me for support.
What
could I say? Tom said he was sorry for hurting
Alice, and had asked her forgiveness. He was willing to fulfill all of
Alice’s
requirements for a good marriage, with just one small exception. He was
willing
to compromise with Alice on the one small thing he was asking for
himself.
Surely Alice could give a little after asking for so much. Looking at
it from
Tom’s side it seemed reasonable that Alice should be content
with a changed
husband who would give almost total commitment, almost complete
faithfulness,
and almost pure love. After all, Tom was human. Only a fool would
expect him to
be perfect. And only an ungrateful wife would expect more than a good
effort by
an imperfect spouse. So I supported him. Wouldn't you?
Before
shouting a resounding ‘NO!!!’,
think about
your relationship with God. Are you asking God to do what Tom asked
Alice to
do? Are you expecting God to forgive you, take you back with open arms,
treat
you as if you had done nothing wrong, and be happy with your level of
commitment to holiness while you are deliberately holding on to one or
more
sins that you know are wrong?
If
you have, you are asking of God what Tom was asking of
Alice. And if you have, you are giving to God what Tom would give to
Alice if
she accepted his offer – a perverted form of love that is
devoted,
affectionate, considerate, and ready to serve as long as you can hold
on to
just a few selfish practices which you deem too necessary to your own
happiness, security, and fulfillment to give up.
Most
of us know that if Tom is to reconcile with Alice,
he must put an end to his relationship with the secretary. Most of us
understand that if Tom is to remain faithful to Alice in the future, he
must
change his mind about infidelity. We know that if he is to love Alice
as his
wife, and as she is worthy to be loved, he must stop treasuring and in
fact
start hating everything that has anything to do with infidelity. We
know that
Tom must choose to do what he knows is right, on a day-to-day basis, to
build a
mutually satisfying relationship with Alice where each loves and trusts
the
other. And we know that Alice would be a fool to forgive Tom and take
him back
if he does not make the aforementioned changes. In other words, we know
Tom
must repent to turn his sinful life around, be forgiven, and have his
marriage
restored.
Now
the simple truth is, if we know Tom must repent to be
forgiven and to have his marriage restored, we know we must repent to
be
forgiven and to have our relationship with God restored. In the same
way, if we
know Alice would be a fool to take Tom back while he is unwilling to
forsake
his infidelity, we know God would be a fool to take us back while we
remain
unwilling to forsake all known sin.
A great servant of God, well known for his missionary and church planting work, wrote about this matter of repentance in a letter to a church where he had ministered. The following is a paraphrase of what he said.
Now
I am filled with joy and praise to God, not because
you went through a time of sadness and deep sorrow over your conviction
of sin,
but because your sorrow led to repentance. You experienced the sorrow
God wants
all deliberate sinners to experience, for He doesn’t want
anyone to suffer the
destructive consequences of sin. This means the truth upset you in the
right
way, and you came to your senses. You could have felt the sorrow of
embarrassment or anger because I pointed out the wrong you were doing.
However,
such sorrow would have further hardened your hearts against the truth,
leading
to more sin, and finally, eternal damnation. But you repented. You
sorrowed
over your rebellion against God, the evil of your ways, and the unjust
harm you
were doing to others because of your sin. You changed your thinking and
your
behavior, without any regrets over what you turned away from. This is
the
repentance that leads to salvation. And now I see the validation of
your
repentance in your behavior. What a change in your attitude, words, and
deeds!
What hatred of sin – even the seemingly insignificant sins!
What fear of not
becoming all that God saved you to be! What longing to please God in
everything! What zeal for doing what you know is right –
whatever the cost may
be! What integrity, stopping at nothing to make right the wrong
you’ve done! In
everything you have shown yourselves to be genuinely repentant. (Note:
II Corinthians 7:9-11)
Have
you repented? Repentance does not automatically
produce a perfect life - one that is sinless in every
way. However,
you have not repented unless you have forsaken your old way of thinking
and
replaced the old way with a mindset that is determined to forsake all
sin and
make godly love your whole-life, life-long pursuit. Though the proof of
repentance is not in being perfect, it is in your striving to do what
you know
is right in spite of the difficulties or set-backs encountered along
the way.
It is proved by your persistent practice of love in all situations and
with all
people. It is proved by your humble admission of guilt when you do sin,
and by
your sincere efforts to make things right with everyone hurt by your
sin. It is
proved by your relentless, whole-life effort to become all that God
saved you
to be. (Note: I
John 2:4-6, 9-11, 29;
3:6-10, 14, 23-24; 4:7-8, 15, 20-21; 5:1-3, 18)
We
all know sins we hate – sins which make our skin crawl
just to think of someone committing them. These are the sins we would
never
commit. In fact, there is nothing about them that would tempt us in any
way to
commit them. On the other hand, we all have sins we treasure
– sins which hold
the promise of good things otherwise unattainable. These are the sins
we want
to commit, and we hardly need to be tempted to commit them.
One
clear indication we have sought to be born again,
sought salvation from sin, and pursued the Christian religion without
repenting, is a partial change of mind resulting in only a partial
abandonment
of our treasured sins. It isn’t that we won’t, or
don’t, abandon known sin in
our life. But we won’t, and don’t, abandon any more
of our treasured sins than
is absolutely necessary to maintain the image of being a born-again
Christian.
Those treasured sins we can hide, or practice openly without losing
public
approval, we do. This kind of partial change is a clear indication we
are
attempting to do what is right in living a Christian life without
forsaking
self-good as our primary interest and self-centeredness as our primary
motive.
This is not uncommon. Churches today seem to be overflowing with
self-centered,
selfishly-motivated adherents. What does the Bible say about this?
You
may be able to speak, as though anointed by the Holy
Spirit of God, in unknown earthly and heavenly languages. Yet if you do
not
love (committed to and working out loving God supremely and
your neighbor as
yourself), you are still self-centered. If you do not, on a
day-to-day
basis and in the little as well as big issues of life, make it your
goal to
seek the good of everyone who in any way is affected by your choices
and
behavior, you do not yet agree with God about the evil of sin and the
way of
love. Therefore, all your Spiritual sounding words are nothing more
than
offensive noise to those who see your hypocrisy.
(Note: 1 Corinthians 13:1)
You
may be able to prophecy, or explain the obscure and
hard to understand portions of Scripture. You may even have enough
faith to
work great miracles. Yet if you are holding out on God in some area
that you
know is sin (especially if you would identify it as wrong in
someone else)
you love yourself more than God. And if you are willfully and
repeatedly
choosing self-interest over the good of those nearest and dearest, even
in a
minor way, you love yourself more than them. Therefore, you are no
better than
the sinner who wants nothing to do with God and the ways of godliness. (Note: 1 Corinthians 13:2)
You
may give everything you have to provide food,
shelter, and clothing for the hungry, the homeless, and the
ill-clothed. You
may sacrifice your life for some noble cause. Yet if your primary
motive is a
gratifying sense of accomplishment, the assurance of self-worth, or the
praise
of others, you’ve done it out of self-love, not the
good-of-everyone love.
Therefore, whatever benefits you gain from such sacrifice will be
temporary –
confined to this life. They will have no eternal benefit. God will not
reward
you in any way since your deeds of kindness are selfishly motivated. (Note: 1 Corinthians 13:3)
There
are many in the Christian religion who not only
attend church, they serve the church, read their Bible, pray, give
tithes and
offerings of money, promote Christianity in their home, try to live a
moral
life, and invite unbelievers to attend church with them. On the surface
these
folks seem to take their faith in God seriously. Yet on closer
examination, it
becomes apparent they are willfully and repeatedly doing some things
they know
are wrong.
On
the judgment day, these seemingly serious Christians
will fully expect to be ushered into Heaven. When they discover they
are to be
banished from God’s presence and kingdom forever, they will
be shocked.
Pleading with God for a reversal of His decision, they will point to
their
faith for the supernatural, their service in the Church, and their
moral
lifestyle. Yet the only response God can make is that He never knew
them –
there was no shared relationship of love and trust between them. Why?
Because
they knowingly, willingly, and even deliberately continued in the
practice of
certain sins – verifying that they loved their own way too
much to go God’s
way. No doubt, they hated many sins, but they still loved lawlessness.
Therefore, to keep them from infecting Heaven with their lawlessness,
and to
give them what they deserve, they must be banished to hell. (Note:
Matthew
7:21-23)
Do
not be deceived. You can trust in
God for salvation from your sin and seek to live a Christian life for
the same
selfish reasons you sin. Truly, if you do not repent, you cannot be a
Christ-one (one who
belongs to Christ).
If you do not change your mind about:
(1) sin
(not just some sins, but the principle of sin, the essence of
sin, all
sin - whether known or yet unknown),
(2) selfishness
(not just some selfish ways, but the principle of selfishness,
and the
hoped-for benefits of selfishness),
(3) the
ways of the world,
(4) God,
(5) God’s
Word,
then you will never change your primary motive from self-centeredness to love. The best you will do is add parts of Christianity to your well-managed, partially-hidden, self-centered, sinful life. The best you can be is a devoutly-religious self-ruled sinner.
True
repentance gives birth to true love and cheerful,
whole-hearted obedience to God. Seeking God’s kingdom and His
righteousness
seems natural when our mind is set on God and the things of
God.
When we
cognitively know, rationally understand, and cheerfully agree with God
and His
Word, doing right becomes the obvious, desired choice as we approach
each day,
deal with people, and work through the daily challenges of life.
Without
question, repentance is a precious thing in the
sight of God. He did not send Jesus to earth for the sake of the
righteous, but
to call sinners to repentance. There is more joy in heaven over one
sinner who
repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to
repent. (Note: Luke
5:32; 15:7, 10)
Have you repented? Because repentance is a change of mind, you must voluntarily and intentionally decide to agree with the truth you know so as to think differently from those who choose lawlessness. This puts the responsibility for repentance and the decision to repent squarely on you. Have you repented? Have you changed your mind concerning sin, selfishness, the ways of the world, God, and God’s Word? Does your behavior validate your repentance?
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