Sunday, March 17, 2013

Repent your Repentance

I know the scene well. A college fellowship, a higher living preacher, almost everyone for that matter involved in evangelism is exhorting his non Christian audience to REPENT! For the vast majority of these preachers do not know what the word means. As I said, I know what they exhort and their meaning of repent is simply to be sorry for your sins and in that sorrow to change ones lifestyle and believe in Jesus Christ.

But wait a moment...if salvation is partially dependent on ones repentance (or sorrow) how do I know I am sorry enough? I am shedding no tears! Or just a few....This is the problem with a Campus for Christ type evangelism...it is based on the emotion of the individual instead of relying what Christ has accomplished for the individual irrespective o the broad spectrum of emotions he may feel.  Finito.

Back to the proper meaning of "to repent" in Greek. It is "Metanoeo" "To think differently...i.e. reconsider" "To think diffidently after being informed with the truth"

Whenever you find a verse on repentance it may involve many varied subjects that one simply changes his mind about...  

Below is a short fictional biography of a young mans repentance.....
                                                                                                                                               "I never believed Jesus was the Christ until I read and reread John's Gospel..it was than when I repented (changed my mind) and embraced that He is the Son of God. I never thought before I was a Christian that living with my girlfriend was immoral and in fact it took me a few months of reading the Bible and the exhortations of a few Christian peers that made me repent and change that situation. I am sad about having lived that way but honestly I never shed tears over how sinful I was...am I to manufacturer extreme sorrow?  Even now when I sin I do not always feel sorrow which makes me ironically assured me of my depravity! I know myself and if I became "super Christian" I would get puffed up and drift from Christ as I wouldn't need him in my conceit "




2 comments:

  1. I'm reading Keller's Prodigal God - interesting perspective on the spiritual condition of the elder brother (Pharisee). Pharisees are very sorry for their sins but, he says, they feel that extreme angst because they might lose the salvation they feel they have earned... no need for Christ. Really enjoying the book. love you dad

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  2. Good post Bar, even today the Pharisaical mindset is a cancer on Christianity, If I may be so bold my goal is to knock it down when it rears its ugly head. love dad

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