Page 536 - Way of Life Encyclopedia of the Bible Christianity. Based on the King James Bible

REPENTANCE

and then trusting in Jesus Christ. ... Even as there is with true repentance, he solicited and expected the
the part of trusting Christ, there is also the part of forgiveness of the debt because he was sorry for it, the
turning to Him. That may seem inconsequential, but I spendthrift would only meet with contempt in his
believe that here is a spiritual reason they some go application; his sureties would have to pay the money.
through the motions of believing in Christ but are not Faith alone in the Crucified cleanses from all sin, and
really born again. They seemingly want the fire escape repentance is God’s instrumentality for leading the
but there is no interest in turning to God. There is no sinner to the Lamb of God, the Great Remover of
interest in repentance. They have the attitude, ‘God, sin” (William Cathcart).
gimme salvation, but I’m gonna keep on doing my own God’s Repentance
thing.’ ... However, if there is no real turning to God The following is from Bruce Lackey’s study on
from the heart, they have missed the prerequisite for
actually trusting Christ” (Sorenson, Training Your repentance:
Children to Turn out Right, 1995). “Approximately 31 places in Scripture mention
Repentance and faith are two separate things that repentance in connection with God, most of them
come together for salvation, but they act together as one saying that He repented or promised to repent if man
thing. would change (Ge. 6:6-7; Ex. 32:14; Ju. 2:18; 1 Sa.
15:11, 35; 2 Sa. 24:16; 1 Ch. 21:15; Ps. 90:13; 106:45;
“Repentance is included in believing. Howbeit, Je. 18:8; 26:3,13, 19; 42:10; Joel 2:13-14; Am. 7:3 ,6;
repentance is not faith, nor faith repentance. ‘He that Jon. 3:9-10; Ze. 8:14). Such statements present at least
believeth,’ implies repentance. ‘Repent and be three problems to the Bible believer: (1) How could
converted,’ involves faith. ‘The hand that clutches the God repent if He is unchangeable, as Mal. 3:6 teaches?
assassin’s knife must open ‘ere it can grasp the gift its (2) There would be apparent contradictions between
intended victim proffers; and opening that hand, the aforementioned Scriptures and others which teach
though a single act, has a double aspect and purpose. that God does not repent (Nu. 23:19). (3) God’s
Accepting the gift implies a turning from the crime the repentance would have to be different from man’s,
heart was bent on, and it was the gift itself that which involves sorrow for sin.
worked the change. Faith is the open hand, relatively “When Scripture says that God repented, it shows that
to the gift; repentance is the same hand, relatively, not He is not an unfeeling machine. He has emotions (such
only to the gift but more especially to the dagger that as wrath—He. 3:11) and responds to man’s actions,
is flung from it.’ ... Repentance is one threefold action: showing approval or disapproval. A.H. Strong, in his
in the understanding--knowledge of sin; in the classic book, Systematic Theology, said, ‘God’s
feelings--pain and grief; in the will--a change of mind unchanging holiness requires him to treat the wicked
and a turning around” (James Stewart, Evangelism, pp. differently from the righteous. When the righteous
48, 49). become wicked, his treatment of them must change.
“While it is true that upwards of one hundred and The sun is not fickle or partial because it melts the wax
fifteen N.T. passages condition salvation on believing, but hardens the clay—the change is not in the sun but
and fully thirty passages condition salvation on faith ... in the objects it shines upon ... God’s immutability is
nevertheless, repentance is an essential condition in not that of the stone, that has no internal experience,
God’s glorious Gospel. It is also true that in the last but rather that of the column of mercury, that rises and
analysis repentance and faith are one and the same falls with every change in the temperature of the
act. ‘Ye turned to God from idols’ (1 Th. 1:9). surrounding atmosphere.’
Repentance is included in believing. ‘Howbeit, “A great truth to remember in all this is that God is
repentance is not faith, nor faith repentance. ‘He that unchangeable in His eternal plan. The following
believeth,’ implies repentance. ‘Repent and be Scriptures show that, before creation, God established
converted,’ involves faith. ... Repentance and faith can a plan for all the ages (Ep. 1:9, 11; Tit. 1:2; Re. 13:8).
never be separated. ‘Repentance toward God, and faith Within this plan, God decided to make certain changes.
toward our Lord Jesus Christ’ (Ac. 20:21). ‘Ye repented To quote from A.H. Strong again, God’s repentance
NOT ... that ye might believe Him’ (Mt. 21:32). ... describes ‘executions, in time, of purposes eternally
Repentance is denying (negative), faith is affirming existing in the mind of God. Immutability must not be
(positive). Repentance looks within, faith looks above. confounded with immobility.’
Repentance sees our misery, faith our Deliverer.
Repentance is hunger, faith is the open mouth, and “What we have done is to interpret one Scripture by
Christ is the living food” (James Stewart, Evangelism, another. Some Scriptures state basic principles of truth
p. 49). by which all others must be understood. The statement
of Ep. 1:11, that God ‘worketh all things after the
“Repentance never saved a soul by its merits; it lays the counsel of His own will,’ must control our
needful foundation for the temple of faith in the heart. understanding of other verses which describe only one
But all the penitential sorrows of Adam’s family would of those things. Thus, each individual act of God must
not remove one faint stain of sin. If a man borrowed be considered within the overall context of Who and
five thousand dollars, for which he gave security, and What He is.
squandered it most foolishly, and afterwards, filled

536 Way of Life Encyclopedia of the Bible & Christianity