True Repentance

And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations… Luke 24:47.

I must hasten to point out from our text that our Savior placing repentance before remission of sins was not by chance, but in proper order.  Taking Scripture in its full context, it is undeniable that without repentance there is no remission of sins!

Wherefore, seeing repentance is of such utmost importance, one may ask most earnestly, “What is repentance?”  How may we know what it is to repent, and whether we have truly repented?  Webster’s Christian Series tells us that there are two kinds of repentance.

First, there is a legal repentance as a sorrow,

“being excited by the terrors of legal penalties, and it may exist without amendment of life.” 

Second, there is evangelical or Biblical repentance, which is,

“Real penitence; sorrow or deep contrition for sin, as an offense and dishonor to God, a violation of His holy law, and the basest ingratitude towards a Being of infinite benevolence, and it accompanied with amendment of life.”

Legal Repentance

Legal repentance may be accompanied by pangs of sorrow for sin or even reformation.  If horror of conscience and fears of hell could constitute true repentance, then Judas was a true penitent.  His horror and fear were so great they drove him to despair.  If a reformation in many ways were true repentance, then Herod, the murderer of John the Baptist, was a true penitent.  He heard John gladly and did many things at his exhortation, 

“…for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just and holy man, and he protected him. And when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.” (Mark 6:20)

These men knew nothing of repentance unto life.  Therefore, we may feel what they felt, and yet remain impenitent.

True Evangelical Repentance

True evangelical repentance is a change of heart as well as practice.  Sin becomes the greatest concern.  True repentance looks to the secrets of wickedness within, which is traced to the corrupt fountain within the heart from which it flows.  A heart insensible to eternal things, set upon things below, a stubborn, ungovernable will, these to the true penitent appear the greatest crimes.  While by a thoughtless world, they are hardly noticed as only slight imperfections.

Many who think they repent of sin have no proper sorrow on account of sin against God, but only on account of the consequences of sin.  They have never learned to hate sin, but hell.  If it were possible to enjoy sin without any fear of hell, they would have no thoughts of repentance.  Repentance is, in reality, a hardship in their life.  Must you be told that such a forced repentance is only a legal repentance, and it is good for nothing?

If a criminal is sorry not for his offense, but because he is to be executed for it, would you call him a true penitent?  No!  It is self-love.  It is fear of punishment but not a hatred of his crime.  That is legal repentance.  You may be sorry for a sin because it destroyed your character or because it may ruin your soul for eternity, and yet know nothing of true repentance.

“Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, ….For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.” 2 Corinthians 7:9-10.

·    True repentance springs from a sense of the baseness and malignity of sin itself. 

·    The true penitent is deeply sorry for sin as against God, and contrary to His will, as a rebellion against His authority.

·    Last but certainly not least, He deeply regrets sin as the cause of all the agonies it brought upon our lovely Savior.

All born of the Spirit are brought to repent;
Free grace can make the adamant hearts to relent.

Repentance is granted, God’s justice to prove; Remission is given, and both from His love.

Gadsby Selection of Hymns, 1838