Good Grief … What Does Repentance Mean?

Dr. Harry Ironside has written a book, called Except Ye Repent, in which he examines the doctrine of repentance in depth. From chapter one, he spots common misunderstandings about this important principle and talks a bit about what repentance is not. Then he begins to show what correct biblical repentance looks like. Let’s review some of his starting points – what repentance is not:  

• Repentance is not simply penitence or remorse – ( i.e. feeling sorry for sins committed.)

Repentance, from the Bible’s perspective, is an act of God (2 Tim 2:25-26). When God grants repentance and we accept the Biblical perspective of how undone we stand before God, the usual immediate response is sorrow over our sins against God … but repentance goes beyond feelings; it’s end results produce a changed life! From 2 Corinthians 7:10 we see that godly sorrow produces a repentance not to be repented of. An unregenerate man can feel a certain sorrow for sin – and it has nothing to do with salvation, the feelings of being sorry for sin, by itself is not repentance.

• Repentance is not penance – an effort by man to atone for sin, to attempt pay for one’s sin before God

Man can never perform spiritual repair for sin. The greatest historical example of any man attempting this would be that of Judas’ efforts. He had such inner anguish over leading the Jewish mob to Christ’s location for 40 pieces of silver, that he tried to return the money – and later went out and hung himself. But, no act of penance can atone for anyone’s sin. Atonement could only be accomplished by God pouring His wrath for our sins onto His Son, Christ, who voluntarily made payment for them during the crucifixion. The idea of man trying to perform this act is contrary to the whole reason Christ had to come! Of course, Dr Ironside mentions, repentance will cause a person to seek to restore wrongs against another person, as far as possible – but this is just one outcome of repentance, not the means of accomplishing it.

• Repentance is not reformation – it’s not turning over a new leaf.

Although repentance is closely associated with a new lifestyle, accomplishing a new lifestyle by itself, (based on man’s efforts alone) should never be confused with the supernatural work of God in ones life.

So, after opening the first chapter up with describing what repentance is not … we go onward to talk about what repentance is. Here’s a section from chapter one worth reviewing:

What then is repentance? … it seems almost necessary to say that it is the Greek word metanoia, which is translated “repentance” in our English Bibles, and literally means a change of mind. This is not simply the acceptance of new ideas in place of old notions. But it actually implies a complete reversal of one’s inward attitude.

How luminously clear this makes the whole question before us! To repent is to change one’s attitude toward self, toward sin, toward God, toward Christ. And this is what God commands. John came preaching to publicans and sinners, hopelessly vile and depraved, “Change your attitude, for the kingdom is at hand.” To haughty scribes and legalistic Pharisees came the same command, “Change your attitude,” and thus they would be ready to receive Him who came in grace to save. To sinners everywhere the Saviour cried, “Except ye change your attitude, ye shall all likewise perish.”

And everywhere the apostles went they called upon men thus to face their sins — to face the question of their helplessness, yet their responsibility to God — to face Christ as the one, all-sufficient Saviour, and thus by trusting Him to obtain remission of sins and justification from all things.

So to face these tremendous facts is to change one’s mind completely, so that the pleasure lover sees and confesses the folly of his empty life; the self-indulgent learns to hate the passions that express the corruption of his nature; the self-righteous sees himself a condemned sinner in the eyes of a holy God; the man who has been hiding from God seeks to find a hiding place in Him; the Christ-rejecter realizes and owns his need of a Redeemer, and so believes unto life and salvation.

Which comes first, repentance or faith? In Scripture we read, “Repent ye, and believe the gospel.” Yet we find true believers exhorted to “repent, and do the first works.” So intimately are the two related that you cannot have one without the other. The man who believes God repents; the repentant soul puts his trust in the Lord when the Gospel is revealed to him. Theologians may wrangle over this, but the fact is, no man repents until the Holy Spirit produces repentance in his soul through the truth. No man believes the Gospel and rests in it for his own salvation until he has judged himself as a needy sinner before God. And this is repentance.

It is my prayer that this would be comforting to you … as you read, and remember a time in your life when you repented and believed the gospel message of the Bible. The responses of repenting, and believing are actually two sides of the same coin. It doesn’t seem possible to do one without performing the other. It’s simply a positive reaction of accepting the gospel message with a thankful, life-changing way – ever trusting in the work of Jesus Christ’s love and compassion for us sinners.

Warm Regards, Because of Christ.