The gospel has been in the world for so many hundreds of years, yet it has lost none of its power. It is with the same urgency that people are told today to ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ The door of the kingdom is still open and our situation is still as dire. We too must respond to this message which is now sent into all the world, to Jews and Gentiles alike.
Repentance is foolishly omitted as an element of some evangelistic preaching. The idea seems to be that evangelists need to make entrance into the kingdom easier, and to remove what they perceive as something unattractive to the unbelieving mind. They do this in an effort to get more souls to come to Christ, and also out of shame for a full-orbed gospel message. At the same time much preaching of the gospel only emphasises the benefits of come to Christ, and tries to make the gospel an entirely positive message. ‘This is what you will gain in becoming a Christian. You will have purpose in life, a hope beyond this world, Christ as you friend throughout life.’ But they leave out any preaching for conviction and any exposure of human deceitfulness, intransigence, uncleanness, wilfulness and wickedness of heart. That is completely out of step with the intention of the Holy Spirit who is sent into the world to convict the world of sin and righteousness and judgment (John 16:8). It is out of step with the preaching of both John the Baptist and the Lord Jesus Christ.
The defence of the position, that repentance is not an essential element of evangelistic preaching, includes the idea that repentance is just a change of mind about Christ. Nicodemus, it is said, was not asked to repent, and it is even stated that nowhere in John’s Gospel is there an emphasis on repentance. Repentance is said to be not sorrow for sin, but a change of mind about Christ, otherwise repentance would be a work. Nowhere, it is claimed, does the Bible say, ‘Repent of your sins to be saved’; any addition to faith is works theology. But we should remember that John’s Gospel is not the same as the other Gospels. It is not an evangelistic tract as they are, but is given to teach about Christ. It assumes the existence of the other gospels which say much about repentance. Do they think John contradicted the Synoptics? Besides John also wrote: ‘Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts’ (Revelation 9:20-21), where it is made clear that repentance is about leaving sin, not changing the mind about Christ. John in his epistle writes: ‘If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us’ (1 John 1:8-10). Does the word ‘repent’ have to be used for us to know this is about turning from sin? In addition, in John’s Gospel we have the following: ‘Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did. But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men, And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man’ (John 2:23-25). Mere belief is not enough. They lacked the deeper work of turning away from sin. ‘He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, ... And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved’ (John 3:18-20). John’s definition of believing includes leaving the darkness. ‘Afterward Jesus found him (the man healed at Bethesda) in the temple, and said to him, ‘Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee’ (John 5:14). What is that if not a command to repent? Similarly, ‘Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more’ (John 8:11). There must be sorrow and shame for sin. ‘I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins’ (John 8:24). They still lived in their sins. Repentance for John includes turning from sin.
What is repentance? It has these elements: fear and dread of the danger involved in sin; shame at personal involvement; a sense of the sinfulness of sin; and a willingness to turn from it.
Is repentance a work? No, there is no merit in it. ‘Although repentance be not to be rested in, as any satisfaction for sin, or any cause of the pardon thereof, (1) which is the act of God’s free grace in Christ; (2) yet it is of such necessity to all sinners, that none may expect pardon without it’ (Westminster Confession). Repentance does not earn salvation. There is no merit in ceasing to sin, for repentance does not pay for past disobedience. It confesses sin but does not pay the debt to God. It is a gift of God for which we can take no credit (Acts 5:31; 11:18; 2 Timothy 2:25).