What is repentance? If you’ve gone to church you’ve probably heard the word at some point, but because we don’t typically use it anymore except to convey biblical principles, we might not really understand what it means. Is it being sorry? Is it regretting having done something? Is it asking God to forgive you? Is it changing your behavior?
“…But unless you repent, you too will all perish.” (Luke 13:3 NIV)
Repentance is one of those things you can’t fake, because it refers to the conviction of your heart, not how you present yourself to others. It’s opposite is hypocrisy—pretending to, but not having, repented. And I’m convinced that’s where most of us are—sitting smack dab in the middle of hypocrisy, not in repentance. Why? Because it’s natural, easy, normal, pleasant, and seemingly desirable: its the good life. It’s our human default setting—in the absence of a radical change of heart and mind, it’s what we invariably find ourselves. That’s why “wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and [why] many enter through it.” (Jesus—Matthew 7:13 NIV) Please let this fact sink in: many are on the wide road to destruction.
Incidentally, what percentage of the world’s population, do you suppose, are Christian? The Guardian says “According to 2015 figures, Christians form the biggest religious group by some margin, with 2.3 billion adherents or 31.2% of the total world population of 7.3 billion.” Thirty-one point two percent—that’s almost a third of the world’s population! It certainly does not seem to be the narrow road few find.
What’s my point? Simply to warn that many who genuinely identify as Christians will hear Jesus tell them one day, “I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!” (Matthew 7:23 NIV) Different translations used different words in lieu of “evildoers;” Jesus is referring to people who did not repent; who continued living lives of sin, pleasure and ease. They are those who decided to not deny themselves, who did not take up their cross and follow Jesus (Matthew 16:24); the ones who chose to go after their life in this world because they didn’t want to lose it for Jesus’ sake (“Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.” Matthew 10:39 NIV).
The Apostle John warned Christians, “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them.” (1 John 2:15 NIV)
Of how many of us is this genuinely true? Are you starting to understand why, “…small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” (Matthew 7:14 NIV)? No one but you yourself can answer if you’re in a place of repentance, or world-loving and embracing—yet the two are diametrically opposed to one another and incompatible.
I recently did something that caused me to wonder if I had inadvertently poisoned myself. Neither poison control nor the local ER were much help, and I had to come to terms with the fact that I might face God far sooner than I had anticipated (I suspect few of us anticipate it correctly). Of course, I am still here, but it thoroughly amazed me how the prospect of imminent death can wash the hypocrisy out of you! If I’m about to face Jesus, my God; what can I hide from Him who sees all?!
I’d love to report that I felt great total peace and looked forward to the moment I was finally before Jesus completely—but I didn’t. Not because I don’t believe Jesus paid for my sins; I know He paid for everyone’s sins—but not everyone will gain eternal life: those who stayed on that wide road to destruction will stand judgment in terror for their disregard of Christ’s sacrifice. No; I felt I was not ready to face God because my conscience condemned me— I realized how far I had fallen away from Him.
“This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him. And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. The one who keeps God’s commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.” (1 John 3:19-24 NIV)
How had I fallen away? By choosing, in various “little” ways and gradually over time using fatigue and the business of life as excuses, to cut corners and disobey the clear commands of God. By speeding, even though God says to obey the governing authorities. By neglecting church when I’m tired—or just want a quiet morning. By immersing myself in entertainment (Netflix, typically) instead of pursuing knowing God better through His Word. Typically, it didn’t seem like anything too terribly bad, but the end result was that I had lost so much of my vibrant color (to reference the analogy Max Lucado’s children’s book about the shipwrecked brothers awaiting their Captain’s return) that I felt afraid of an immediate accounting with Jesus.
Imminent death is the best litmus test of whether you are in a place of repentance or sin; of Christ-love or world-love. We are warned, “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?” (2 Corinthians 13:5 NIV) St. Paul would not have warned “unless you fail the test” if all pass—right? It is possible to fail; to be defiant, not repentant.
Jesus asks everything of us—you can’t honestly understand God’s Word any other way. He gives the parable of counting the cost—making sure you don’t start, not being able to finish. Why? Because He asks for all. We have to give up the world and everything in it to give our hearts to Him—we cannot be like Lot’s turning back for a final glance wife because her heart was back in Sodom. We have to, “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”(Philippians 3:13-14 NIV)
And, “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.” (1 Corinthians 9:24-25 NIV)
Run to get the prize. Not all get the prize. This corresponds with few finding the narrow path to eternal life. It isn’t that it’s some mysterious mystical hidden truth few can understand; it’s that it’s hard, and most won’t want to deny themselves and give up their life to travel the narrow path that leads to eternal life. Yet when we genuinely repent—when we deny ourselves and choose Christ instead—we are forgiven and accepted by God. We look forward to being with Him, rather than shirking in fear because of unrepented sins
Dear Jesus,
Help me look to what lies ahead, and deny myself, take up my cross and follow You! Amen
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