Repentance: The First Word of the Gospel

By Richard Owen Roberts and Henry T Blackaby

It is a serious problem when society misunderstands or disregards sin and repentance. But when the church neglects these doctrines, the impact is profound. This book unfolds the nature and necessity of biblical repentance, but for the church in particular. Roberts' in-depth study heavily references both he Old and New Testaments, and includes chapters on the myths, maxims, marks, models, and motives of repentance, as well as the graces and fruits that accompany it. There is also wise warning about the dangers of delayed repentance.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Crossway Books
• Release date: Jun 17, 2002
• ISBN: 9781433515927

Richard Owen Roberts

Richard Owen Roberts is president and founding director of International Awakening Ministries. He pastored churches in Idaho, Oregon, Washington and California, and assisted in the formation of the Billy Graham Center Library. He has authored, edited, and published numerous volumes relating to revival and revivalism.

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INTRODUCTION

Perhaps the most popular subject of all time is the subject of sin. It is not only frequently spoken of but regularly practiced by an overwhelming majority of the world’s people.

Many sin without any fear of the consequences, not even knowing that the God who made them has the right to regulate their conduct and to punish all their infractions of His law. These multitudes seem to sense no restraints of conscience and thus they sin with delight and with abandon. The passing nature of the pleasures of sin is apparently not a concept with which they are familiar or concerned. They regard their lives as their own and believe themselves free to do whatever they please.

Others are hindered from the full enjoyment of sin by exposure to ethical standards, moral training, and religious teachings. While they may sin regularly, they may also suffer from restraints of conscience and fear of consequences, especially if caught sinning. Thus they tend to put a brake on sin, and endeavor to keep their conduct within the boundaries they themselves have set and within which they are comfortable. While they may be more highly regarded by fellow sinners than those who think they sin with impunity, they may know nothing of the vital biblical doctrine of repentance.

Moral standards have not been uniform throughout human history. Great peaks and valleys are observable. The ethical position of colonial America is vastly different from today. The level of flagrant public sinning at the moment can hardly be compared with the moral restraints of a half century ago. The place that the Holy Bible occupies in a society is a major factor in this rise and fall of sin. Those who are familiar with the Bible know that it speaks frequently of sin. Indeed, the Bible is the greatest single source of vital information on the subject of sin to be found anywhere in the world. Yet, because the biblical perspective on sin is negative, it has no great appeal to a sin-loving society. It is popular only among those who have grown weary of their sins and long for

deliverance, and during those seasons when mankind is longing for a fresh beginning with God.

The biblical doctrine of repentance hinges on the fact that all sin is a grievous affront against God. None of us has a right to offend Him. We must turn from our sin in repentance. Thus it is scarcely surprising that in a time of deep moral and spiritual decline, the world cares as little for the doctrine of repentance as it does for negative statements about sin. It is time for alarm, however, when the church that the Lord Jesus Christ established knows scarcely any more about repentance than does the sin-loving world. Tragically, that is the situation today. Granted, the word repentance is still in our religious vocabulary, but it is nonetheless a tragically misunderstood and carelessly disregarded term.

There are a number of reasons why the doctrine of repentance is so largely neglected and is having relatively little impact upon church and society.

First, there is a general disregard for biblical doctrine in the church. It is common to hear religious leaders say, You must not preach doctrine! It is divisive! The great hindrance to the growth of Christianity in today’s world is the lack of unity among Christians. Stress on doctrine adds to this disunity. How valid is such a statement? It is certainly true that doctrinal preaching is divisive. Preaching the great doctrines of the Bible divides the sheep from the goats. Without careful, searching, doctrinal preaching the church becomes an assorted lot of flesh and spirit that is nearly impossible to effectively pastor. A mixture of sheep and goats are a shepherd’s nightmare. Further, the world cannot believe in Christ because it cannot believe in the mixed multitude that calls itself Christian. It has no means whatsoever of distinguishing between the sheep of Christ’s flock and the goats of the world that sit side by side in the same sanctuaries and mouth the same religious jargon.

The sobering truth is that the greatest hindrance to the growth of Christianity in today’s world is the absence of the manifest presence of God from the church. The Lord has been so deeply grieved by the refusal of the church to faithfully proclaim the whole counsel of His Word in the power of the Holy Spirit that He has largely withdrawn from the church and left her to her own devices. The heart cry of God is most certainly, Return to Me, and I will return to you (Malachi 3:7).

Second, portions of the church that still believe in doctrinal preaching have allowed themselves to become grievously negligent about the doctrine of repentance. Many who sincerely believe repentance is necessary have simply failed to give the doctrine its rightful place. They have sought to make converts who neither understand nor practice biblical repentance. Thus the strength of these churches is diluted by unrepentant and unconverted persons in the membership who, nonetheless tragically, suppose themselves Christians. Massive confusion and ineffectiveness are the result.

Third, there is an increasingly common failure in the church in understanding the mandatory nature of repentance. Some seem to be of the persuasion that repentance is an option. One can repent, they say, and maybe even should, but it certainly isn’t mandatory. In consequence, multitudes have sought to turn to Christ without ever turning from their sins. Thus it is becoming increasingly difficult, if not impossible, to distinguish the church from the world.

Fourth, others have developed the preceding error into a pernicious doctrine that is being widely taught and preached. This grievously erroneous viewpoint insists that repentance has nothing whatsoever to do with salvation. Repentance is described by these false teachers as a work. They insist, We are not saved by works. We are saved by faith alone. Their error is not so much in stressing salvation by faith alone as it is in failing to understand the irrevocable link that always exists between repentance and faith. To assume that sinners can turn to the Righteous One without turning from their own unrighteousness is the height of theological nonsense. In attempting to describe repentance as a work, these teachers are much more successful in proving their ignorance of the Holy One. Sad to say, this grievous error is responsible for incredible damage throughout major portions of the church.

Fifth, repentance has been neglected because of a grievously distorted focus upon the positive. There is a widespread notion that Christianity must always be stated in positive terms. Some have gone so far as to say, If you can’t say something positive, don’t say anything at all. Faith is perceived as positive whereas repentance, by such reckoning, obviously falls into the category of negative. But how would you like to take your automobile to a mechanic who always had a positive outlook and could never bring himself to find anything wrong with your vehicle? Or can you imagine retaining as your medical doctor a man who never finds anything wrong with you but always treats you as if you are completely healthy?

Sixth, the doctrine of repentance has suffered at the hands of the church’s large-scale commitment to success. Massive numbers of church leaders have a great love for and commitment to ministerial success. Their tendency is to pick and choose the elements of both religious truth and pop psychology that will most readily facilitate the accomplishment of their purpose. A focus on the love of God, the role of faith in human happiness, the benefits of holistic living and the upbeat elements of a well integrated human personality, are seen as much more helpful in building large churches than thundering against sin, insisting upon repentance, and issuing warnings about judgment and hell. Consequently, there is a noticeable absence of any vital ministry of the Holy Spirit in these churches. Millions of churchgoers have no idea that they need to repent because in their church there is an acute lack of that great work of the Spirit in convincing the world of sin and of righteousness and of judgment to come (John 16:8-11). When there is virtually no conviction, it can hardly be surprising that there is little or no repentance and virtually no true conversions. That the gates of hell will readily prevail against these churches is overlooked.

Seventh, there exists a tragic lack of moral earnestness among religious leaders. Even in cases where repentance is accurately taught and preached, it is commonly done with such lack of moral energy and vital spiritual concern that few indeed catch the urgency of biblically mandated repentance and respond accordingly.

How does God feel when His doctrines are set aside? Does He merely smile in the realization that this is a new age in which we live and that the old-fashioned truths are no longer relevant? Or does He rise in indignation against all those who seek to accomplish His purposes in their way instead of His?

The Bible provides evidence that God is against all those who stray from His ancient paths. It is not merely that God weeps over His wayward church; He stands against it and refuses to bless any and all who violate His will, His way, and His Word. In profoundly moving words Isaiah describes wayward Israel, saying, But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit; therefore He turned Himself to become their enemy, he fought against them (Isaiah 63:10). We frequently hear leaders ask, If God is for us, who can be against us? But did you ever hear anyone ask, If God is against us, what does it matter who is for us? This cannot be an idle question in a day like this when we have so largely abandoned God and God is Himself fighting against us. In a lengthy passage censuring Israel for straying from the ancient paths, God promises to bring disaster on His people (Jeremiah 5:20–6:21). How could any disaster be greater than having God as our enemy?

In urging your most careful consideration of the doctrine of repentance, I am reminded of two very urgent words of caution given by our Lord Jesus Christ concerning our hearing. Please consider them carefully:

Caution Number One: Take care what you listen to (Mark 4:24a).

Caution Number Two: Take care how you listen (Luke 8:18a).

In their context, both of these passages make it clear that what a person has, what is added to them, and what is taken from them is immediately affected by their degree of care in listening.

These cautions place important responsibilities upon each of us. Our spiritual intake can have a very dramatic effect upon us. Some, being careless about what they hear, will sit for years listening to unsound and unprofitable teaching and preaching and will suffer the loss in withered spiritual lives. Others sit under a very solid biblical ministry but are careless about how they hear and, in consequence, they likewise experience little if any spiritual growth, and indeed they may even lose much of what they had earlier gained.

These cautions affect all intake of truth and are as applicable to reading as to hearing. Just as there are many very sloppy listeners who never really learn to heed either what they hear or how they hear, so also there are careless readers who pay too little attention both to what they read and how they read. Some waste their lives reading worthless things. But others read important things that seem to make no lasting difference in their lives.

God’s longing for a listening people is so very clear. In one of the Psalms of Asaph we read, Hear, O My people, and I will admonish you; O Israel, if you would listen to Me! Let there be no strange god among you; nor shall you worship any foreign god. I, the LORD, am your God, who brought you up from the land of Egypt; open your mouth wide and I will fill it. But My people did not listen to My voice; and Israel did not obey Me. So I gave them over to the stubbornness of their heart, to walk in their own devices. Oh that My people would listen to Me, that Israel would walk in My ways! (Psalm 81:8-13).

I am remembering, with pain, a young man who acquired a wonderful library of precious Christian works. He read avidly and loved to discuss what he read. He was becoming very knowledgeable about Christian theology. He spoke of God having called him to preach the gospel. But alas, he abandoned his wife and children for another woman and lived in sin. The bitter lesson is plain: no amount of learning is a substitute for obedience. The apostle James warns us of our own danger: For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of a person he was. But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man shall be blessed in what he does (James 1:23-25).

I urge you to read this book with the greatest possible care. Perhaps in the past you have not been careful about spiritual matters. Maybe you have treated the Bible and Christian doctrine shabbily; but please, don’t do that any longer. The doctrine before you is of utmost consequence. It deserves your most thoughtful and prayerful consideration. Be cautious not to draw false conclusions merely because the truth is unfamiliar to you. Search out what is said. Compare it carefully with the Word of God. Meditate upon it! Discipline your spirit! Become an earnest student of the Bible! Be a conscientious person who pays close attention to what you study. Read with the fervent prayer that you will not only understand the doctrine of repentance as fully as God Himself makes possible but that you will know experientially all of God’s grace of repentance in your own daily experience.

Be warned, however, against taking pride in your repentance. Some have unwisely set themselves up as the standard of repentance and have looked with disdain on others whose repentance did not match their own. Such foolishness! Christ alone is the standard. Still others have attached merit to their repentance as if in repenting they gained some favor with God. How absurd! Repentance is a grace Christ gives that can only result in His glory, not ours.

In every season when the church has known greatness, it has also known faithfulness to all the great doctrines of Scripture. You can be certain that at the forefront of every significant recovery from backsliding that the church has ever known, the doctrine of repentance has been among the precious truths that God has quickened and used. I have written this book with the prayer and in the hope that in His grace this will be true once again. May it be true for you even as you read.

1

REPENTANCE:

THE FIRST WORD OF THE GOSPEL

From that time Jesus began to preach and say, "Repent, for the

kingdom of heaven is at hand."

— MATTHEW 4:17       

The first word of the gospel is not love. It is not even grace. The first word of the gospel is repent. From Matthew through the Revelation, repentance is an urgent and indispensable theme that is kept at the very forefront of the gospel message.

REPENTANCE: THE FIRST WORD OF JOHN’S MINISTRY

In keeping with the custom of the Jews in the first century of the Christian era, the lot fell to Zacharias the priest to burn incense in the temple of the Lord. While a multitude of people were outside in prayer at the hour of the incense offering, an angel of the Lord appeared to him. This angel was standing at the right of the altar. Immediately, fear gripped the priest, but the angel said, Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your petition has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will give him the name John (Luke 1:13). Several wonderful things were promised Zacharias in that moment of intense happiness, not the least being, He will turn back many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God. And it is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers back to the children, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous; so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord (vv. 16-17). Zacharias marveled when he realized that his yet unborn son was going to be the forerunner of the Messiah. His heart leapt with joy at the knowledge that John’s great work would be that of a preacher of repentance, turning the hearts of many people to the Lord.

In the light of this incredible promise given to Zacharias, it is not surprising that the record of a few years later reads, "Now in those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ For this is the one referred to by Isaiah the prophet, saying, ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness, make ready the way of the Lord, make His paths straight’" (Matthew 3:1-3).

Not only is the word repent the dominant note in John’s message, but he made the concept of repentance absolutely clear. Repentance makes the path straight between the Lord and the repenting person. Repentance is like clearing a highway of holiness to and from God.

Road builders do not follow every twist and turn or up and down of the natural contours of the land. They do not wind around the rocks and between the trees. They level the land as much as is reasonable. They clear the path, following the old axiom, The shortest distance between two points is a straight line. Several critical factors are involved in road building, including: durability, safety, speed, and drainage. Imagine a highway built among the trees with all the roots and rubble merely covered over with asphalt. How long would it last? How much safety can be built into a road that winds and twists about, and is sixteen feet wide at this point, twenty-eight feet wide farther on, then suddenly narrowing to seven feet? Can any haste be made on a rutted and twisted path? A carelessly planned road that disregards the issue of drainage may be high and dry one day and washed out the next. Most road builders may have never heard of John the Baptist, but road builders do understand the principle of making the path straight just as John did.

Luke spelled out the details of John’s message: Make ready the way of the Lord, make His paths straight. Every ravine shall be filled up, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall become straight, and the rough roads smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God (Luke 3:4-6). Without repentance, no one can make their way to the Lord, for there are too many ups and downs, ins and outs, and devious ways in the unrepentant heart. Apart from repentance, the Lord will not make His way to us. Making straight the way of the Lord is always a prelude to His coming. In repentance we clear our path to God; in granting us this repentance, God clears His path to us.

The people of John’s day were generally no more interested in repentance than most folks are today. Yet Zacharias was advised that his son would be successful in turning the hearts of fathers back to the children and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous; so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. This was to happen because John would come in the spirit and in the power of Elijah. No one, in his own strength, has ever successfully turned many hearts to righteousness. Indeed, no one has ever even turned a single heart to God. It was a power outside of John that made his ministry so potent. It was the spirit and power of Elijah that made the ministry of John the Baptist so effective. But what was the spirit and power of Elijah? It was the same Holy Spirit who made the ministries of both men so profoundly powerful. The angel had promised Zacharias, For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and he will drink no wine or liquor, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, while yet in his mother’s womb (Luke 1:15). This promise proved to be gloriously true.

Although John the Baptist knew this incredible fullness of the Holy Spirit, he unflinchingly insisted, As for me, I baptize you in water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire (Matthew 3:11). Part of the power of his life and ministry was the spirit of humility that obviously marked this extraordinary preacher.

We know that John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins (Mark 1:4). One follows the other: repentance must precede forgiveness; forgiveness does follow repentance. There is something grossly unwise in supposing that a person can enjoy the forgiveness of sin while resisting or merely remaining ignorant of repentance.

The record of the ministry of John the Baptist was amazing indeed. It could, however, have a perplexing dimension if you fail to harmonize all the truth that is revealed concerning it. On one hand we read with delight, Then Jerusalem was going out to him, and all Judea, and all the districts around the Jordan; and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, as they confessed their sins (Matthew 3:5-6). We take it as a given that this is exactly what happened, and we rejoice. Yet on the other hand, when we analyze the statement, we may trouble ourselves in supposing more than is said. It is troubling to realize that among the multitudes who were streaming out to hear John preach in the wilderness were religious leaders who despised his message. We know that John himself was keenly aware of their attitude, for when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, ‘You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore bring forth fruit in keeping with your repentance’ (vv. 7-8). It is very disturbing to think he baptized them. But did he? This question is answered by Christ Himself: "‘I say to you, among those born of women, there is no one greater than John; yet he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.’ And when all the people and the tax-gatherers heard this, they acknowledged God’s justice, having been baptized with the baptism of John. But the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected God’s purpose for themselves, not having been baptized by John" (Luke 7:28-30). While it is no surprise, it is gratifying to realize that John would not baptize unrepentant men.

It is tragic indeed to note that those religious leaders turned, not from their sins to God, as all truly repentant persons must, but against the preacher of repentance and the Lord God whom he served. Knowing their hearts, John would not baptize them. Our world would know a sudden change for the better if today’s church leaders were as careful about whom they baptize as was the forerunner.

John’s verbal assault against these unrepentant Pharisees and Sadducees was very sharp: You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore bring forth fruit in keeping with repentance, and do not suppose that you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our Father’; for I say to you, that God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. And the axe is already laid at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire (Matthew 3:7-10). There is something very pathetic about clinging to human heritage as if it were true religion. No one is a Christian by parentage. Indeed, no one has the right to claim Abraham as their father who does not have a heart for God like Abraham had. Individuals are only linked with Abraham when their faith is the same faith as his. At any point God can give faith to rocks. Lineage doesn’t save! God’s axe is always ready at the root of every tree that bears no fruit.

Has anyone ever called you a snake in the grass? No wonder these men hated John. But John knew the truth as well as his duty, and he stuck with both. He was appointed to make a straight way in the wilderness for the Lord. Baptizing unrepentant people would have confounded this work and made it impossible. Thus he resisted the popular approach, gained enemies, but accomplished his calling. No Christian leader has the responsibility or the right to baptize those he knows are unrepentant. Candidates for baptism need to bring forth fruit in keeping with their repentance. If the fruit of repentance is lacking, no baptism should occur. It is frightening to think what would have happened if John the Baptist had failed in his duty as the forerunner of Christ. If he had been as reckless as some in our day, it would have been tragic indeed.

Paul declared in Pisidian Antioch that God raised up David to be the king of Israel and, from the offspring of this man, according to promise, God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, after John had proclaimed before His coming a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel (Acts 13:23-24). He later explained to the Ephesians that ‘John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was coming after him, that is, in Jesus.’ And when they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus (Acts 19:4-5). This is the pattern for Christ’s church in every century: repent, believe, and be baptized.

John’s message is urgently needed today. Millions are trying to receive the Lord when their path has never been made straight by repentance. I beg you, don’t think of yourself as a Christian unless you are bearing fruit that is in keeping with repentance.

REPENTANCE: THE FIRST WORD OF CHRIST’S MINISTRY

The beginning of the public ministry of Jesus Christ is forever linked with that of John the Baptist. Immediately following his statement about Christ baptizing with the Holy Spirit and fire, John added, His win nowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. The passage goes on to say, Then Jesus arrived from Galilee at the Jordan coming to John to be baptized by him. But John tried to prevent Him, saying, ‘I have need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?’ But Jesus answering said to him, ‘Permit it at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.’ John then baptized Jesus and saw the Holy Spirit descending as a dove, coming upon Him, and heard the voice from heaven declaring, This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased (Matthew 3:12-17). From there, Christ was led by the Spirit into the wilderness for forty days and nights of fasting and temptation at the hands of the devil. From there, Christ withdrew into Galilee. Then, leaving Nazareth, He settled in Capernaum and from that time Jesus began to preach and say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand (Matthew 4:17). Mark noted that this event occurred after John had been taken into custody, and explained, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel’" (Mark 1:14-15).

Both John and Jesus make an immediate tie between repentance and the kingdom. Why? There were two kingdoms then as there are two kingdoms now. Every mere human being then and every mere human being now is born into the kingdom of this world. The kingdom of this world is sometimes described as the kingdom of Satan, the kingdom of evil, the kingdom of time, the kingdom of darkness, the kingdom of death, the kingdom of unrighteousness. But there is another kingdom. It is known as the kingdom of God, the kingdom of heaven, the kingdom of life, the kingdom of light, the kingdom of righteousness, the kingdom of Christ, the eternal kingdom. Citizenship is by birth. Dual citizenship is prohibited. All those born into the kingdom of this world remain in that kingdom unless, by a miracle of divine grace, they are born again, born a second time, born of the Spirit of God into the kingdom of God.

Repentance is not the entry ticket into the kingdom of God, but it is a condition of citizenship. Repentance is the insider’s way of thinking. There is nothing difficult about this concept. Most of us are aware that there are still places like weddings and formal dinners where appropriate attire is required. Appropriate attire is not the invitation. It does not even guarantee entry, but it is a condition that must be met.

Consider these sobering propositions:

As citizens of the kingdom of darkness we are not fit subjects of the kingdom of light. Therefore we must repent.

As citizens of the kingdom of this world we are barred from citizenship in the kingdom of heaven, for no man can serve two masters. Therefore we must repent.

As citizens of the kingdom of Satan we have interests and loyalties that have no place in the kingdom of God. Therefore we must repent.

As citizens of the kingdom of death we can find no place in the kingdom of life, for it is not a place of cadavers or cemeteries. Therefore we must repent.

As active citizens in the kingdom of evil we cannot be admitted to the kingdom of righteousness, for neither evil nor evil ones are permitted to enter. Therefore we must repent.

As citizens of a perishing kingdom we have nothing to do with an imperishable kingdom. Therefore we must repent.

As citizens of the kingdom of flesh we do not belong in and could not relate to the kingdom of spirit. Therefore we must repent.

In speaking of the kingdom of God we are speaking not of a democracy but of a monarchy. There is no voting there. The kingdom belongs to the King. He is the sole authority. No citizens of the kingdom of self could ever enjoy the kingdom of heaven, even if somehow they slipped in. There is no room for rebels in the kingdom of God. Jude described a situation that once occurred when certain sinning angels protested God’s authority and demanded their own way. In a spirit of contention they abandoned both their dominion and their domicile. God settled their rebellion forever by chaining them in outer darkness—indeed to the very realm into which each of us was first born—where they must remain until the judgment of the great day (Jude 6; 2 Peter 2:4). None who belong in the kingdom of God will ever again clamor for their own rights.

Christ’s message of repentance, as noted in Mark 1:15, is linked with faith: repent and believe in the gospel. Nicodemus, the Jewish leader who came to Jesus by night, was given two very urgent words: "Unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God, and Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God" (John 3:3, 5). Regeneration is mandatory both in seeing and in entering the eternal kingdom. Apart from the new birth, people do not even know that there are two kingdoms. They certainly cannot enter a kingdom they don’t even know exists. While citizenship is the result of a second birth, all citizens must live in repentance and faith. That is why John concludes his third chapter saying, He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him (v. 36).

It is evident that when Nicodemus had his nighttime interview with Jesus he was not born again. Jesus dismissed him saying, Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak that which we know, and bear witness of that which we have seen; and you do not receive our witness. If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how shall you believe if I tell you heavenly things? (John 3:11-12). His situation appears to have been in certain respects like that of other Pharisees and scribes whom Luke described. [Jesus] noticed Levi the tax collector, sitting in the tax office, and He said to him, ‘Follow Me.’ . . . He left everything behind, and rose and began to follow Him. He even gave a big reception for Christ in his home, and there a great crowd of tax-gatherers and other people were reclining at table with them. The Pharisees and the scribes began grumbling at Christ’s disciples and asking why He and they ate and drank with the tax-gatherers and sinners. When Jesus heard them He said, 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 (Luke 5:27-32). This is a very sobering truth! Multitudes, including religious leaders, never hear the call to repentance because they have never realized they are sick. Sin-sick sinners are in a much more hopeful situation than those who are sure they are healthy.

This is made very plain in Christ’s indictment against the religious people of His own day. Then He began to reproach the cities in which most of His miracles were done, because they did not repent. ‘Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles had occurred in Tyre and Sidon which occurred in you, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. Nevertheless I say to you, it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you. And you, Capernaum, will not be exalted to heaven, will you? You shall descend to Hades; for if the miracles had occurred in Sodom which occurred in you, it would have remained to this day. Nevertheless I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for you (Matthew 11:20-24).

In a similar vein we read, And as the crowds were increasing, He began to say, ‘This generation is a wicked generation; it seeks for a sign, and yet no sign shall be given to it but the sign of Jonah. For just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so shall the Son of Man be to this generation. The Queen of the South shall rise up with the men of this generation at the judgment and condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, something greater than Solomon is here. The men of Nineveh shall stand up with this generation at the judgment and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, something greater than Jonah is here’ (Luke 11:29-32).

Not only was repentance the first word of Christ’s ministry, it was also the last.

Anyone called by God as a follower of Jesus Christ who fails to stress this message of repentance does so in express violation of a final command that Christ gave. Following His resurrection, and immediately prior to His ascension, Christ opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and He said to them, ‘Thus it is written, 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 the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And behold I am sending forth the promise of the Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high’ (Luke 24:45-49).

Three very important details must be noted.

First, this preaching of repentance for the forgiveness of sins is to be done in Christ’s name. As important as was the ministry of John the Baptist, it was completed. He was the forerunner, and he finished his task. The Messiah, to whom he pointed, became the focus and remains the focus now and forever. All repentance and forgiveness of sins must be in His name.

Second, the message of repentance for forgiveness of sins must be proclaimed to all the nations, beginning first in Jerusalem, and then Judea, and then to the very ends of the earth. All outreach, each evan gelistic ministry, every missionary endeavor, must have repentance at the very heart of the message. To fail in this is to violate the Savior Himself and His final command.

Third, all messengers of repentance need to be clothed with power from on high. When the power is lacking, it is to be sought as earnestly and faithfully as it was sought by first-century Christians.

REPENTANCE: THE FIRST WORD OF THE TWELVE

Jesus summoned twelve men to follow Him as disciples. After careful training He sent them out in pairs. And they went out and preached that men should repent (Mark 6:12). They were told neither to go in the way of the Gentiles nor to enter any city of the Samaritans. They were to focus on the lost sheep of the house of Israel. They were empowered to heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, and cast out demons. Although it was clearly understood that they were being sent out as sheep in the midst of wolves, they were told to freely give even as they had freely received. They were not to acquire gold or silver or even copper for their money belts. They were not to take suitcases or knapsacks or even extra sandals or tunics, and not even a staff. No advance reservations for food or housing were allowed; they were required to go to cities and villages and stay with whomever was worthy. An exact command was given concerning their message: "As you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand’ (Matthew 10:7). The response to their message of repentance determined whether they stayed or moved on. When the message was received, they were welcomed into homes and graced those homes with their blessing. When the message of repentance was rejected, their blessing was to be withdrawn and they were to shake the dust off their feet. Their Lord warned, Truly I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city" (Matthew 10:15).

Despite the disciples’ frailties, they did as they were told. They went out preaching the message of repentance, declaring that the kingdom of heaven was at hand. The same Lord who sent them out honored their faithfulness with many and varied blessings.

Their message, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand," was certainly not novel, for it was the message of both the Baptist and Christ.

Repentance: The First Word of the Gospel. If there is anything remarkable about the message, it is simply that the first word of the gospel is so little heard today.

REPENTANCE: THE FOCUS OF PETER’S PREACHING

The record of Peter’s confrontation with Christ in the last hours of Christ’s time on earth clearly indicates that Peter was at last experiencing that change of heart that is coupled with repentance and conversion. Whereas before the crucifixion he had arrogantly but erroneously declared, Even though all may fall away because of you, I will never fall away (Matthew 26:33), and Lord, with You I am ready to go both to prison and to death (Luke 22:33), he quickly proved otherwise by denying Christ with curses. And immediately a cock crowed, and Peter remembered the word which Jesus had said, ‘Before a cock crows, you will deny Me three times.’ And he went out and wept bitterly (Matthew 26:74-75). When, after the resurrection, Jesus quizzed him three times about his love for Him, Peter meekly acknowledged that his love toward Christ could not be placed on the same level as Christ’s love toward him (John 21). Brokenness, contrition, and humility are often hopeful signs of new beginnings.

It was certainly a new Peter who stood before the multitude on the day of Pentecost and proclaimed, Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ—this Jesus whom you crucified. The passage continues, "Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the