Most of us understand that words can have multiple meanings. The context is critical in determining the meaning of most words. The word ‘repentance’ is such a word with a variety of meanings. Nuance in meaning is essential, and our predetermined theological biases often inform it. For instance, when the Bible states that God repents, we are not to understand that God turns from evil (God doesn’t sin), only that He changes His mind. Many Calvinists believe that God doesn’t ever repent, for that implies that God is mutable, and He is absolutely immutable, according to their theology. According to these folks, when the Bible says God repents, it doesn’t mean that God changes His mind or that God forsakes sin. They might argue that all these instances in Scripture where God is said to have repented are merely figures of speech and should not be taken literally. Defining what is meant by the word repentance is critical to understanding the meaning of what is being said.
Today, the word ‘repentance’ in evangelical Christianity is often interpreted to mean a change of mind only, and not a change of heart, will, or a return to obedience toward God and His laws. Many evangelical pastors view repentance as having little or nothing to do with forsaking our sins. They paint a picture of repentance as repentance without turning from sin. But is repentance without actual repentance from our sinful ways, is that what God is demanding of us? Of course not. What is the wife of an adulterous husband demanding but for the husband to stop the adultery? And if the husband refuses to stop the adultery, what are the chances the wife will forgive him and take him back? What do you think God is demanding of us, in our many whoredoms against Himself, if not that we stop our sinning/adultery against Him? Why this isn’t obvious is testimony to the power of deception and strong delusion.
“There were present at that season some who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answered and said to them, “Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, no; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, no; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. He also spoke this parable: “A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, ‘Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?’ But he answered and said to him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that you can cut it down.” Luke13:1-9, emphasis added.
Almost everything Jesus taught is based on repentance from sin and reconciliation with God and others. His entire ministry was based on reconciliation with God through the process of repentance. Yet nothing in the Bible is more misunderstood or twisted than this message of repentance from sin. Believers are the bride of Christ. Christ, the husband, rightfully expects believers (His wife) to cease from our adultery. In the passage above, Jesus clearly calls for repentance from evil deeds and warns everyone that they will suffer the same fate as those He mentioned, if they do not repent or forsake their evil doings. He then gives them a vivid illustration to reflect upon. The Master of the vineyard plants a fig tree and expects it to bear fruit in due season. But as time passes, the tree fails to bring forth any fruit for the Master. He then prepares to cut it down to make room for a more productive tree, but upon an urgent request, He grants it more time to produce on the condition that the ground around it is dug and fertilized sufficiently so it may bear some fruit. After that, if it still fails to produce anything, it can be cut down and burned.
Can a person find salvation by accepting, trusting, and receiving Jesus while they refuse to repent?
Isn’t it curious that this is seldom seen as a parable about repentance from sinning by the so-called evangelical Church? Could it be that churches today have no idea or a distorted understanding of what genuine repentance is? To many of them, reconciliation to God is based solely on accepting, trusting, and receiving what Jesus has provided. It is not about proving anything by our deeds. Therefore, breaking up the fallow ground, as the parable clearly states, and digging to clear away anything hindering growth, has absolutely no meaning to them. But this parable, coming on the heels of ‘Repent or Perish’, plainly shows how to be reconciled to God through a clearing of wrongdoing in repentance from sin, not simply a change of mind or admitting, accepting, and confessing our sin.
It’s not that there is hidden meaning in Jesus’ words. He speaks in parables to reveal spiritual truths to spiritually minded seekers of truth. When Jesus spoke of Himself as the stone that builders rejected, He said that if the Stone (Jesus) falls on you, you will be ground to powder. But if you fall on the Stone (Jesus), you will be broken. He was speaking of repentance, wasn’t He? If you fail to fall on Him and be broken, purged, and cleared, He will eventually fall on you in judgment, and you will be destroyed both body and soul in hell. As the unjust steward in Luke 16:3 at his accounting, said that he could not dig and was afraid to beg, meaning he refused to repent, he ultimately met with the same fate. The Stone fell on him and crushed him to powder.
The woman in Luke 7:36-50 is another perfect illustration. In this passage is the story of a debtor (sinner) who could not pay what was owed. She approached the Master in bitter sorrow (godly sorrow), offering fragrant oil and tears, humbling herself at His feet in broken submission and seeking His forgiving love. No one had to pay her debt in advance or be punished for her many sins, contrary to the Augustinian Calvinistic theory of atonement. (Please refer to my article on the Atonement and Penal Substitutionary Atonement.) Her reconciliation was based on purifying and clearing herself at the Master’s feet. Then a pardon was granted.
Jesus continues the object lessons in Chapter 8 of Luke with the Parable of the Sower. He shows that Seed (the Word) sown into the thorny heart of sin cannot bear fruit to repentance and live, but is choked out and dies. Many rejoice when they receive the Seed, but because there is no root of true reconciliation in them through repentance and clearing, it brings no fruit to maturity. Only the Seed sown into the good and honest heart (one broken up, prepared, cleared, and purged) will produce a crop. He concludes that it’s the manner in which you hear that makes the difference. Many people think they have something when, in reality, they have nothing. Repentance, that does not produce holiness and righteous living, is not repentance at all. In other words, repentance without repentance is a death sentence.
The illustration of forgiveness in Scripture has nothing to do with wrath and punishment; it is solely about reconciliation through repentance and faith. In Matthew 18:21-35, Jesus tells the story of an indebted servant coming to the Master, falling down before him, and begging for more time to pay his debt. The Master, moved with compassion, forgave him of the entire large debt. No one had to “pay” it for him or suffer any punishment in his place because it was remitted by God. Most American Christians have been led to believe in the PSA theory of the Atonement. But this parable is directly contrary to the Calvinistic theory of Penal Substitutionary Atonement (PSA). The servant was forgiven as a pure act of mercy and compassion of God. God was pleased to be able to extend this grace to him because he came repenting, seeking a clearing, and pleaded his case at the Master’s feet.
Think about this for a moment. If someone actually did pay the servant’s extremely large debt to the Master, then the servant would not need the forgiveness of the Master, would he? Of course not. His debt is paid in full, so forgiveness is not needed. In the PSA theory of the atonement, Jesus died to pay the penalty for our sins, satisfying God’s wrath or justice, and to pay the exact amount due for all sins, past, present, and future. Most churches believe and teach this. They assume that God needs to be appeased of His wrath because of our sins. But that is contrary to what this story and the rest of the Bible proclaims. God has always been favorably inclined to extend mercy to those souls who are humble and repentant.
If this servant had his debt paid for in advance, as most churches teach, then his future debts or sins are already forgiven, right? That error is what most churches teach and believe. These churches teach us that Jesus died for our sins, past, present, and future. Therefore, we are eternally secure in our ongoing sinning. That is a lie that will send many Christians to hell. The PSA theory also holds to double imputation. The servant’s sins are put on the Master, and the Master’s sinlessness is imputed to the servant. Sickening, but that is what they teach and believe. Can you imagine and believe in any Biblical theological system that makes Christ guilty and us innocent? I can’t accept it. Is it not obvious that this false system of magic imputation breeds a type of repentance without actual repentance from sin?
It is important to note that in the parable, the servant who was forgiven a very large debt refused to forgive someone who owed him a very small amount of money. When the master heard about it, the Master took back his forgiveness and threw the servant in jail until he repaid all he owed. The servant forfeited mercy because he refused to be merciful. Have you ever heard that forgiveness can be revoked in any modern evangelical church? I doubt it very much.
What the evangelical Church has done in gutting real repentance and failing to see the dynamic involved in reconciliation is to create an entire generation of people forgiven in advance of their sinning/crimes, who think that God has accepted and saved them in their sins. If our debt is already paid and no future debt can be held against you, then nothing you do afterwards matters as it pertains to entering heaven. You can’t be held accountable for any future sins. The wages of sin are not death, contrary to Romans 6. Therefore, what possible incentive is there for you to CLEAR yourself of anything or REMAIN clear in the future? I understand that these advocates will try to convince us that we will lose rewards or a position in heaven; therefore, this is not a ‘get out of jail free’ card. They vainly imagine that loss of rewards is an equal deterrent to the threat of the loss of eternal life, which it is not. This is what is currently being taught in most evangelical churches, and it is a significant and ruinous error that has and continues to send multitudes to hell. Churches today teach a repentance (a change of mind) without repentance (forsaking of one’s sins).
The new believers coming into the compromised evangelical Christian Church system love this arrangement because it removes them from any personal responsibility toward God or their fellow man and leaves no fear of future judgment. This system of ‘sinning Christianity’ lets all its followers live with one foot in the world and one foot in the Kingdom of God. It effectively destroys God’s witness in the world, but it meets every criterion for a reprobated society full of professing Christians who are hypocrites. Thus, you have repeated examples of the vile immoral behavior in the churches, and among the children, it’s especially bad. They become the hapless victims of these ‘seared’ predators, who sin with impunity and never face up to their crimes. What they don’t outright deny, they excuse as another ‘sin nature’ problem. Pastors can’t demand adherence to a higher standard of holiness because they invited everyone into the Kingdom as sinners to begin with. Is that not true? Of course it is. The argument often leans in favor of the sin, while simultaneously trying to pretend that God approves of their behavior. This is the result of teaching a repentance without repentance.
“Most people have the ability to think logically concerning the direction of their lives and guide their performance on the job and in society in such a manner that is favorable to them financially and professionally. Almost without exception, everyone wants their children to do well and avoid senseless tragedy. Parents want their loved ones to have a good education. And children want parents who would fight to protect them from harm. It makes perfect logical sense that obeying the laws, keeping yourself out of trouble, working hard, and providing for your family is the best path you can take in life. But when it comes to serving God, all logic and reason go immediately out the window. People who call themselves Christians act like they have half a brain when they believe lies that make no sense at all. They act like sheep and let someone else do their thinking for them,” according to Mike DeSario..
Many nominal Christians buy into a system of religious lies, without ever questioning any of it. And even if they do read the Bible, it’s with spiritual blinders in place and a bias that prevents them from seeing the simplicity of what it says. They are actually in disbelief about many of the most important commandments and promises of God. They have been taught unbelief for most of their Christian life. The promises and demands of a holy life are automatically dismissed, and they refuse to consider that they might actually be deceived. Consequently, their ‘Doctrine’ is whatever the church and Pastors say it is. Somehow, this serves to silence their conscience and any conviction that something may be wrong, sealing up the eyes of their understanding to godly truth. They become blind leaders of the blind, who are being led into more error and deception. And no one can convince them otherwise. It is as though they have been inoculated against the Truth. And they have, by their own free will, in most cases. A Christian without a desire to know and live the truth is an oxymoron, isn’t it? Believing in repentance without actually repenting is a prime example.
As ignorance settles in, they are given over to the desires of their flesh and soon become wholly incapable of escaping their delusions. Life outside the box is not an option. They are fully satisfied with a God that operates in the manner they mistakenly perceive. Facing responsibility and answering to a higher power for their deeds frightens them to the core. The church system soothes their fears and gives them hope that a ‘Loving’ God will accept them in the end, despite their sins and human imperfections. The end result is that real repentance is no longer preached, nor has it been for generations. The process of genuine repentance is plainly revealed in the Scriptures, yet often overlooked by most. Instead, our leaders invent their own formulas based on the false premise that men are born sinful and cannot stop sinning. Therefore, God MUST save them IN their sins and from the guilt of their sins at the same time. Once they can convince gullible Christians that this has taken place, then the process begins of teaching them how the Bible means the OPPOSITE of what it actually says. They are sealed unto doom when they believe the lie that repentance without repentance (that a ceasing of sin without ceasing from sin) is Biblical truth and will save their soul.
In most evangelical churches, when they say repent, you can be sure they are not talking about actually stopping their sinning. Why? Because they do not believe that it is possible for any born-again, spirit-filled Christian to stop sinning. Their doctrine is a form of repentance without genuine repentance. When they read a verse like this next one, their blind eyes and deaf ears, tell them the author is not talking about the ceasing of sin repentance but the repentance of changing their mind only. “and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.” Luke 24:47.
In the present-day church system, repentance from sin has come to mean something entirely different than the understanding of the early church and the Bible’s definition. When they say ‘Repent’ (and many of them have eliminated the word from their vocabulary), it suggests a ‘Trusting’ in some kind of theological arrangement that fits into their systematic understanding of Scripture, but not the actual immediate ceasing of sinning or repentance from sin. In reality, this is far removed from what Jesus and the Apostles preached for the remission of sins.
The solid foundation of following Christ is a departure from sin (2 Timothy 2:19). Remove this fundamental idea from repentance, and you negate the entire process and hide salvation from the masses. Under present theology, man is born a sinner, having been imputed with the guilt of Adam, and thereby made incapable of obeying God and devoid of free will. (They will deny this, but it is true nonetheless.) Thus, this necessitates the creation of ‘doctrine’ to bring about his salvation apart from any effort on his part. Repentance from sin (if preached at all) means an apology for ‘a nature’ you were born with and have no control over. The best God can do is save you ‘in your sins’ and impute to you the righteousness and obedience of Jesus. Just pretend you’re no longer a sinner, even though you actually remain a vile sinner, because you’re under God’s grace. For them, God clothes us in the perfect white robe of Christ’s righteousness to hide our wretched, sinful nature and actual sins.
Since you and I can’t forsake a ‘sinful nature’ (inbred into our flesh), a ‘willingness’ to let God clean us up someday from actual sinning qualifies for real salvation. As long as you’re “coming out” of your sins, gradually sinning less and less, it qualifies for real salvation. But many Christian leaders do not think repentance from any sins will disqualify a “Christian” from salvation. Although to protest their faulty theology, many preachers argue that the lack of fruit-bearing translates into a false conversion. But not for guys like Charles Stanley, who claimed that real believers may be practicing sin and have no fruit whatsoever, and they are still saved and on their way to heaven. But bottom line, they all insist that salvation is ‘not of works’ (Ephesians 2:8-9), that no person should boast. These false teachers also tell us that no one can judge, so they will never actually tell any “Christian” that their behavior may jeopardize their salvation. If you are just willing to let God make you stop sinning someday, that is enough for all these false teachers. And don’t expect Christians to be primarily responsible for not sinning, because that is a works-based theology. If you never stop sinning in this life, it is obviously because God wanted it to be that way, or else He would have prevented you from sinning. Is there any other way to understand their position? Is that not pathetic? Logically, how can we come to any other conclusion than God wants you and me to keep sinning? If Christians express a sorrowful apology for their sins, God will forgive even if they never repent of their sins. Satan could not have thought of a more effective way to deceive the gullible. Satan’s doctrine of repentance is a repentance in sin, which is no repentance at all. No wonder the world receives it so well.
However, the concept of repentance in Scripture uses an entirely different language that’s utterly foreign to present-day theology. First of all, the message is always addressed to the human mind, under the full assumption of the ability to respond freely. God does not coerce or force us. He invites us to make a choice. Choose you this day, which God you will serve. If Baal is god, serve him, but if Jehovah is God, then serve Him. That’s why God demands that deeds prove repentance and faith. (Acts 26:18) Notice the vast difference between today’s evangelical Christianity and the teachings of the Bible.
The Bible says, ”Let the wicked forsake his ways and the unrighteous man his thoughts, let him return to the Lord.” Compromised Christianity today says, “Let the wicked confess (not forsake) their sins and receive Christ as their savior”.
The Bible says, ”Listen and turn from your evil ways!” The carnal Christian Church today says, “Trust in Christ and accept His free gift of salvation. Ask Him to forgive your sins. Trust that He will and you are saved even if you never repent of your sins”.
The Bible teaches, ”Amend your ways and your doings and obey the Lord!” The apostate church today tells us that it is God’s job to amend your ways because you are unable to do so, because you will always have a sinful nature, because of Adam’s sin. Even with the grace of God, the truth and the Holy Ghost, you will never be free from sin”.
The word of God declares that, ”He who covers his sins shall not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them shall find mercy.” The false church today says that all that is needed to find God’s mercy is to confess that you’re a sinner, accept and trust Christ as your savior, and you will be saved. Christians are being taught that forsaking their sins (repentance) is not only unnecessary, but it is impossible! Was there any physical illness that Jesus did not and could not heal completely? No, there wasn’t. But today, the entire evangelical church believes that it is impossible for Christ to heal us from the slavery of sin. Is this not pathetic unbelief?
No one in genuine repentance presumes upon the grace of our Lord. They seek reconciliation in brokenness and humility, expecting nothing in return. Remember that the King of Nineveh directed his city to turn in repentance from sin and all their evil ways: “Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything; do not let them eat, or drink water. But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily to God; yes, let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. Who can tell if God will turn and relent, and turn away from His fierce anger, so that we may not perish?” Jonah 3:7-9. Oh, that the evangelical church of today were half as repentant and righteous as heathens in Nineveh.
When the Lord Himself spoke of repentance in Matthew 12:38-42, he compared the present message preached to the message of Jonah, which includes an obvious departure from sin in the repentance process. There wasn’t merely a ‘willingness’ to stop sinning in Nineveh some day or some kind of apology or confession to God for being sinful. The people of Nineveh repented of their wrongdoing and cried out to the Lord for mercy. They obeyed the voice of the Prophet and proved their genuine repentance by their deeds (forsaking sin and practicing righteousness). This matches perfectly with the model of repentance explained in 2 Corinthians 7:10-11, which reads:
“For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death. For observe this very thing, that you sorrowed in a godly manner: What diligence it produced in you, what clearing of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what vehement desire, what zeal, what vindication! In all things you proved yourselves to be clear in this matter.” NKJV, emphasis added. What does the KJV tell us in the next quote?
“For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what revenge! In all thing ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.” KJV, emphasis added.
Let us take a closer look at what real repentance looks like:
- “Godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation”. This is sorrow that God approves of, because it is honest, contrite, and it desires to make things right with God because of our many sins against a holy God. This sorrow is more about how we have offended God than it is about the punishment that will result if we do not make things right with God. Godly sorrow does not make excuses and blame others. Godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation, which is a permanent and abiding change, not just mere regret which vanishes quickly.
- “Not to be repented of”. NKJV uses the words ‘not to be regretted,’ which is a weak interpretation, I think. The phrase in the KJV, not to be repented of, communicates a permanent and abiding change, unlike regret, which can vanish quickly.
- “But the sorrow of the world worketh death”. A godly sorrow worketh life physically and eternally. not death. Sorrow of the world may simply pertain to the loss of friends, family, reputation, or property. This doesn’t lead to the consolation of guilt based on God’s pardon and forgiveness. The sorrow of the world leads to eternal death.
- “For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort”. This is what you see in yourselves because of your godly sorrow, says the apostle Paul. These believers were a beautiful illustration of godly sorrow leading to true repentance from sin and salvation.
- “What carefulness it wrought in you”. What speed and haste this godly sorrow and repentance impelled in you! What diligence, speed, and haste it wrought in you to get rid of your sins. They did not plead for an indulgence to keep sinning because it was too difficult to stop. They did not wait to get rid of their sinful habits. They did not wait for God to do what God demanded they do to be fit recipients of God’s forgiveness and pardon. They knew this had to be done now, or they would not be forgiven or pardoned.
- “What clearing of yourselves?”. This word means apology, probably from the church at Corinth, for the sins they had committed and permitted for too long a period. (See Albert Barnes’ commentary.)
- “What indignation”. A righteous anger toward sin and the unrepentant sinner.
- “What fear” that this sinning should continue or not be removed altogether. It seems that this most likely includes the fear of God and possibly also the fear of Paul.
- “What vehement desire”, likely to have God’s and Paul’s approval by their repentance, validated by their deeds.
- “What zeal” to remove the sin and unrepentant sinners from the church.
- “What revenge” might refer to the punishment of those who continue to sin and refuse to repent, and what punishment the church at Corinth should inflict on them.
- “In all things ye approved yourselves to be clear of this matter.” Meaning they are pardoned because they are doing what God requires now. They were not obedient previously, but are now. They are clear or pure in this matter.
Where is any of this in the ‘Trust Christ, Receive Christ, or Accept Christ’ plan of salvation being taught today? This is what most are hearing today: apologize to God for being a sinner, (even though you were born a sinner through no fault of your own), repeat some words of prayer confessing that you are a sinner (without promising any repentance from sin), ask God to forgive you, trust Christ and believe that you are saved and on-your-way to glory. You have just received Jesus into your heart and are now a child of God, believing that God will help you stop sinning someday, perhaps. But not until you die.
The plan of salvation is not.
- trust, receive, accept, or ask Jesus into your heart,
- but believe, obey, repent of your sins, keep, abide, take up, be doers of the word.
In the “trust Jesus, receive Jesus, accept Jesus” teaching of today, the bondage to sin remains. The Biblical admonition that “You’re a slave to the one you obey” is completely set aside. You are convinced you’re a child of God by proxy (John 8:39). Yet, nowhere in the Bible did Jesus ever tell anyone to ‘Trust’ in His finished work and receive Him as their savior. Instead, Jesus told His would be followers to: “Obey His Commands, Keep His Word, Abide in Him, Put their hand to the Plow and Not Look Back, Count the Cost, Take up your Cross Daily, Be Doers of the Word nor Just Hearers of the Word Who Delude Themselves, Go and Sin no more, Deny Yourself, Follow Me, You Must Be Born Again and Repent!”
In the “trust, accept, receive” model being offered in most evangelical churches today, all that Jesus required is ultimately optional. Did any of what Jesus proclaimed appear to be optional? Of course not, but today everything is optional. In this false view of salvation, you can remain a wretch and chief of sinners, and this is the liberty of the gospel they peddle today. Their liberty is the supposed freedom to continue to sin and not lose their salvation. They have a repentance without repentance, which is the desire of their heart.
Instead of repentance proven and validated by deeds, you are to trust in a doctrine invented by men. Instead of becoming clean before God in repentance, you can remain in your filthy sins and be forgiven at the same time. What is peddled today sounds really good, almost too good to be true. Do you know why it sounds too good to be true? Because it is not true. Today, in the typical evangelical church, you are told that you can have a guarantee of heaven by just admitting you are a sinner, asking for forgiveness, asking Jesus into your heart, and trusting that Jesus will save you “in” your sins. That is all there is to it. No conditions and no requirement of living a holy life. In fact, you are expected to continue to sin, as a child of God. This repentance without repentance will not save anyone. This ceasing of sin without actually ceasing to sin, will damn your soul if you let it.
Is it any wonder that today’s professing Christians are often sinners and full of evil doings? They will not yield to Biblical truth or crucify the passions and desires of their flesh. Their preachers have them convinced that God will forgive all their sins because He is the God of love and grace. They read the Bible but remain blind to its precepts and conditions.
They are professional hearers of the Word, not doers of the Word of God (that is, a works-based salvation according to them). However, they are sure that they are not merely deluded hearers, as the Bible clearly teaches. They are never able to come to a knowledge of the truth. See 2 Timothy 3:7. They have been given over by God to strong delusion because they continue to take pleasure in wickedness, but they know it not. And they believe it not. They will never be safe until they understand that repentance from sin is a condition of their salvation, just as faith is a condition. They must not believe the lie of repentance without actual repentance. There is no such thing as ceasing from sin while at the same time living in sin. There is no such thing as genuine repentance unto salvation from sin and in sin at the same time. Repentance, without actual repentance from sin, will bring many souls to eternal death.
