The Call to Repentance

Selected Scriptures

     As you know, we are studying together a series on the lordship of Jesus Christ in reference to salvation.  Tonight we come to the third message in our series entitled, "The Call to Repentance."

     The nature of this series is that it is from selected scriptures rather than the normal approach that I take from one given passage.  It is also the nature of this series that it is polemic, that is to say it is issue oriented, it tends to be argumentative in taking a view and posing another and wrong view, as far as I'm concerned.  This is something we don't do very often but from time to time we have felt the need to preach on certain things that are being taught which we feel are not consistent with the Word of God.  And as I said at the very outset of our series, I have been dealing with this for a number of years.  In fact, over about ten years or more this has been a subject of major concern to me and in fact have been in the process of writing a book on the subject for approximately four years which book is now complete.  In fact, I read it through, did all of the final editing on the manuscript this week and it is all now in the hands of the publisher for final revision and then should be released in May.  It has to do with this whole subject of what is the gospel.  The title of the book is The Gospel According to Jesus.  We have listened to many people tell us what the gospel is.  It's my conviction we ought to listen to Jesus and see what He has to say.

     One of the elements at stake in this very very far‑reaching debate is the matter of repentance.  What is it and where does it fit?  Is it an essential part of the gospel message or is it not?  And I hope tonight as we look together at God's Word and consider some of the things that are being said by folks that we might get a clear understanding of what the Bible has to say about repentance.

     Frankly, one of the clearest elements of biblical invitations to salvation is the demand for repentance.  If you just took the New Testament and read it at face value, you would be pressed to conclude that repentance is an essential factor in a gospel presentation.  To reinforce that to you I'd like you to do just a little Bible study with me.  Take your Bible and let's start in Matthew chapter 3 and we'll just follow a little bit through the gospel record into the book of Acts, a couple of notes in the epistles and see what the sum of these verses is.

     In Matthew chapter 3, we are introduced to the first New Testament evangel, none other than John the Baptist.  In verse 1 of chapter 3 it says, "Now in those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea saying, Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."   Then in verse 8, further John said, "Therefore bring forth fruit in keeping with repentance."

     Then in chapter 4 verse 17, following John the Baptist came the ministry of Jesus.  "And from that time, that is the beginning of His ministry, Jesus began to preach and say, Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."  Chapter 9 and verse 13, "Jesus said, But go and learn what this means.  I desire compassion and not sacrifice...that is I desire a heart attitude not external religion...for I did not come to call the righteous but sinners...but sinners."

     Let's look at Mark chapter 1 and verse 14.  And again Mark introduces John, "After he had been taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee preaching the gospel of God."  And what was it?  "Saying, The time is fulfilled and the gospel of God is at hand, repent and believe in the gospel."

     Chapter 2 of Mark, verse 17, "And hearing this, Jesus said to them, It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick.  I did not come to call the righteous but sinners."  And again we note the message of repentance given to sinners.

     Chapter 6 verse 12 of Mark, and here we find that the ministry has gone beyond John the Baptist, beyond Jesus to the Apostles, the disciples, and it says in verse 12, "And they went out and preached that men should...what?...repent."

     Let's look at Luke's gospel and see how Luke chronicles the first preaching of the gospel of God.  In Luke chapter 5 we are introduced again to this thought, in verse 31, the ministry of Jesus, and here he expands on the record of Matthew and Mark and in verse 31, "Jesus answered and said to them...being the Pharisees and scribes..., It is not those who are well who need a physician but those who are sick.  I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance."  That was implied by Matthew, implied by Mark and is explicitly stated by Luke as the ministry of Jesus was directed at sinners calling them to repentance.

     The thirteenth chapter of Luke takes us deeper into the ministry of the gospel of God.  "On the same occasion there were some present who reported to Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices, 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?  I tell you no, but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.  Or do you suppose those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them were worse culprits than all the men who live in Jerusalem, I tell you no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish."

     Now the questions being posed here, very interesting questions, what the people wanted to know was how was it that there were some Galileans who went in to offer sacrifice to God and Pilate's men came in and slaughtered while they were offering sacrifices to God.  How is it, they're saying, that God would allow people to give their life in a bloodbath when they were doing what was right?  Why did God allow that?  That's the question.  And Jesus says in verse 2, "I think you think that those Galileans must have been greater sinners than all other Galileans because they suffered that fate.  But I'm telling you they're just an example of what's going to happen to you if you don't repent."

     And then the next question on their mind, how about those 18 people on whom that tower fell?  These people weren't worshiping God, they were just walking down the street and the tower fell over and killed them.  Are you thinking, Jesus said, that they were worse culprits than everybody else who lived in Jerusalem and that's why they died?  No, He says, unless you repent, you'll die, too.  And in both cases He calls for repentance.

     The ministry of John...repent.  The ministry of Jesus...repent.  The ministry of the disciples...repent.

     Let's go to Luke chapter 15 verse 7, "I tell you, Jesus says after describing the man who lost the sheep and went to find the sheep, when he comes home, he rejoices," and so forth.  "I tell you that in the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who...what?...repents than over ninety‑nine righteous persons who need no repentance."

     Verse 10, He tells a story about a woman who found a coin and rejoiced.  "And in the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."

     And then He tells a story of the prodigal son which is about a sinner who repented and a sinner who did not repent.  The sinner who repented was the prodigal.  And the sinner who would not repent was the brother who stayed in the house and wouldn't recognize his own sin.

     The ministry of John the Baptist was repentance.  The ministry of Jesus was repentance.  The ministry of the disciples was repentance.  And heaven recognizes it and rejoices when a sinner...what?...repents...repents.

     Chapter 16 of Luke, you know this record of the rich man and Lazarus.  The rich man died and went to Hades and was in torment.  Lazarus, the beggar, died and went into the bosom of Abraham.  And, of course, the rich man said, "Let me out of here so I can warn my brothers not to come here."  But Abraham said in verse 29, "They have Moses and the prophets, let them hear them."  But he said, "No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will...what?...repent."

     Now what you're beginning to sense here is that this concept of repent is the very essence of the gospel invitation.  It is a call to repent.  When they say here, when Abraham says, "They will...rather when the rich man says to Abraham...they will repent," he is saying, "They will repent and believe the truth."  That's all implied.  But repentance is so obviously germane to the issue that the whole of gospel response could be summed up in the word "repent."  John preached repentance.  Jesus preached repentance.  The disciples preached repentance.  And the sinner here understood repentance.

     Coming to the conclusion of Luke's gospel and bringing it very close to home, chapter 24 verse 46, Jesus sums up the gospel.  "Thus it is written," Luke 24:46, "that the Christ should suffer and rise again from the dead the third day and that repentance for forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations beginning from Jerusalem."

     In other words, we are called to preach what?  Repentance.  I hear a lot of people say they want to share their faith.  I don't hear too many people say they want to go out and preach repentance.  But that's really what we're called to do.  We're called to preach repentance for forgiveness of sins, to proclaim it to all nations.

     Now let's see what the early church did.  Go to the book of Acts.  Did they pick up on the ministry of John and Jesus and the disciples?  Did they follow the instruction of the great commission that repentance for forgiveness was to be preached among all nations?  Let's listen to Peter, Acts 2:38.  Peter stands up on the day of Pentecost, this is the first sermon in the new era, the church is about to be founded and born after the resurrection.  And what is the message that in fact is the invitation which gives birth to the church?  Peter said in verse 38, "Repent...repent."  And he follows in the great train of John and Jesus and the disciples and follows obediently the commission of Luke 24:47, repent and let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.  And repentance, of course, provides for the forgiveness of your sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit.

     Chapter 3 of Acts, we follow further into the ministry of the early church.  And here again Peter is the preacher.  This is his second sermon.  He says to the Jews listening to him in verse 14, "You disowned the holy and righteous one, you asked for a murderer to be granted to you, but put to death the Prince of life, the one whom God raised from the dead.  A fact to which we are witnesses.  And on the basis of faith in His name, it is the name of Jesus which has strengthened this man whom you see and know.  And the faith which comes through him has given him this perfect health in the presence of you all.  And now, brethren, I know that you acted in ignorance just as your ruler did...your rulers did.  But the things which God announced beforehand by the mouth of the all the prophets that His Christ should suffer, He has thus fulfilled."  Now verse 19, "Repent therefore and return in order that your sins may be wiped away."  Again the gospel message is a call to repentance.

     Chapter 11 takes us further in the expansion of the church.  And we find again in chapter 11 the Apostle Peter is still the main figure.  His duty here is to report to the Jews at Jerusalem what he has seen God do in saving Gentiles, namely Cornelius and his household.  And in verse 18 it says, "When they heard this, they quieted down and glorified God saying, Well then, God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life."

     Now you're beginning to get the idea that repentance is a synonym for saving faith, that it's an essential ingredient and element.

     Let's go further.  Acts 17, now we go into the ministry of the Apostle Paul.  And Paul finds himself in Acts 17 in the philosophical capital of the Hellenistic world and none other than the city of Athens.  Finds himself on Mars Hill, on the aereios pagos there.  And he is interacting with the philosophers, the erudite of that city.  And he gives them this message in verse 30, "Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all everywhere should...what?...repent, repent because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world."  You better repent because He'll judge the world.  He'll judge it in righteousness.  He'll judge it through a man He appointed, a man who was proven to be worthy by being raised from the dead.  So Paul preached repentance.

     Let's go to chapter 20.  Here Paul is instructing the Ephesian elders.  The Ephesian elders were largely responsible for giving leadership to all the churches of Asia Minor.  They were key leaders.  And Paul reminds them in verse 21 that his ministry was to solemnly testify to both Jews and Greeks about repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.  Paul preached to church leaders the matter of repentance, knowing full well that they in turn were to preach repentance to others.

     And then turn to chapter 26 verse 20.  Here is Paul before King Agrippa.  And he says to him in verse 19  of chapter 26, "Consequently, King Agrippa, I didn't prove disobedient to the heavenly vision, but kept declaring both to those of Damascus first and also at Jerusalem and through out all the region of Judea and even to the Gentiles that they should repent and turn to God performing deeds appropriate to repentance."

     Now, folks, that was Paul's classic definition of gospel preaching.  It is preaching repentance.  And it was because he preached repentance that they seized him, verse 21 says, and tried to put me to death.  So you can see that the early church picked up on the preaching of Jesus and picked up on the preaching of John and picked up on the preaching of the disciples and was faithful to proclaim repentance from sin...turning from sin to God.

     Paul writes in Romans 2:4, "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?"  Now mark that.  Mark that.  The preaching of John was geared to repentance.  The preaching of Jesus was geared to repentance.  The preaching of the disciples was geared to repentance.  The preaching of the early church was geared to repentance.  And even the work of God is geared to produce repentance.  Why?  Because it says in 2 Peter, again chapter 3 verse 9, "The Lord is not slow about His promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to...what?...repentance."

     Dear friend, may I say to you this?  That in that verse repentance is a synonym for what?  Salvation.  There can be no believing without repentance.  There can be no salvation without repentance.  Repentance is a synonym.  It is an element within the saving work of God that is so essential that the saving work of God can actually be called repentance, turning.

     There are other invitations in the New Testament that call for this without using the word.  For example, look at Mark 8:34 and here the Lord Jesus is giving an invitation.  "He summoned the multitude to gather together with the already present disciples and He said to that great congregation, that multitude of people, If anyone wishes to come after Me," you want to be My disciples, you want to follow Me, "let him deny himself and take up his cross," that is willingness to die, giving his life, "and follow Me."  Now that is a call for turning, turning away from self, turning away from sin, turning to Christ.

     Look at Luke chapter 9 and again just two verses there, 23, same thought, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me, for whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it."  That's an invitation.  That's an invitation to a sinner to turn from controlling his own life to follow Christ.

     You say, "Are you sure that's spoken to sinners?  You sure He's not telling an already saved person to deny himself, take up his cross and be a more devout follower?  You sure He's not saying you might die in chastening if you don't give up your life?  Are you sure He's talking to unbelievers?"

     Well, from verse 25 we know because He says immediately, "For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?"  Or in the Authorized, "Loses his own...what?...soul."  He's talking about whether you're going to lose your soul or not, not whether you're going to lose your reward or your blessing.  So this is a call to turn from a self‑directed life, a self‑indulgent life, a sinful life to follow Christ.

     Chapter 14 of Luke verse 26, "If anyone comes to Me and doesn't hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes and even his own life, he can't be My disciples."  What a statement.  And then He follows up, "Whoever doesn't carry his own cross and come after Me can't be My disciple."  There's a price.  It's a turning.  It's a turning from your own will, your own way, the things that hold you, the relationships that confine you to follow Christ at all costs.  And you better count the cost, verse 28, "Which one of you when he wants to build a tower doesn't first sit down and calc