The Art and Necessity of Genuine Repentance
We first published our document “Portrait of a Maturing Disciple” in October, 2021. That document marks the target, what it looks like for us to grow in Christ. Occasionally, we have used the pages of this blog to drill down on one of the statements in that document.
Under the category of “Know” (which we explored in last week’s post) we’ve listed three specific things we need to know, key ideas we never stop learning but continue to absorb and assimilate into our thoughts, habits, and instincts:
Repentance
Identity and Security
Dependence on the Spirit
Today we’re looking at what it means to live in a state of repentance.
Repentance: I have put my faith and trust in Christ: this means not only that I continually repent of my sin but also that I continually repent of all the schemes and devices I have used to justify and rationalize and manage my sin and my guilt.
I remember when my wife and I were hiking in Hocking Hills. We had crossed a gorge and were working our way along the trail on the far side, looking for a place to cross the gorge again and come back to where we had entered the trail.
We had hiked for several miles when we finally came to a sign with a trail map. When I looked at that map, I realized two things:
There was no way forward that would lead us where we wanted to go. The only way to get to our car was to turn around and retrace our steps.
I had just stumbled upon a good illustration for repentance. The only way forward was for us to turn around and go backward. We had to repent.
Why is repentance so hard?
The main reason repentance is so hard is that when we repent we must admit that we were wrong. The more deeply entrenched the behavior or habit or sin, the harder it is for us to admit to ourselves not only that we are wrong now but that we’ve been wrong all along.
When I realized we were going to have to retrace our steps on that hike, I experienced chagrin, mixed with a little frustration. I had been walking the wrong direction for some time. That kind of repentance wasn’t really a big deal, just an extra half hour of walking.
But repenting of sin is a different matter. Because sin entangles my ego and because I am so adept at lying to myself, repenting of my sin is often deeply unsettling.
This is especially true when I have staked my identity on my sin, when I’ve allowed myself to justify my sin to the point that my sin is “who I am.” When I have staked my identity on my sin, it can be disorienting, even traumatic, to come to a state of genuine repentance.
Genuine repentance is, of course, a necessary element in my first coming to faith in Christ. Before I can put my trust in Him, I have to acknowledge not only that I have been wrong in my sin but also that I been wrong to think I could manage my sin on my own terms. It can take a while for the Spirit to bring us to that point.
But repentance isn’t just about our first coming to faith.
You probably noticed that the adverb “continually” appears twice in the definition of repentance. That’s because repentance isn’t just a one-time event. Repentance is not only a crucial part of how we enter into our relationship with Christ, it’s also the continual state of the growing Christ-follower.
Why do we continually need to repent?
Because even after we are born again into God’s family, we continue to sin.
We need to repent, not because our sin jeopardizes our place in the Kingdom (Jesus’ death and resurrection have made our position final), but because our sin disrupts our sweet fellowship with our Father. This is why Jesus’ model prayer includes a plea for forgiveness: “Forgive us our debts…”
The Spirit who indwells us is the Holy Spirit. When we rebel against God in our sin, we make the Holy Spirit unwelcome and we grieve Him.
Before we came to Christ, we were fugitives and rebels against God. But even though we are part of His family now, old habits die hard, and our sin nature doesn’t give up easily (at least mine doesn’t). Because we continue to sin, we continually need to genuinely repent – turn away from – our sin.
And one of the most stubborn sins is the array of devices we use to manage our sin on our own, all the justifications and excuses we use instead of preaching the gospel to ourselves. We need to repent not just of our sin but also of our dependence on our own schemes for managing our sin.
What does “genuine” repentance look like?
There are two crucial components in genuine repentance. Either one without the other might look like repentance, but it’s not genuine; it’s a dangerous substitute.
Confession: To “confess” is literally to “say with.” When we confess our sin, we call it what it is. We give up all the euphemism and blame-shifting and spin we like to use to soften the blow.
Renunciation: We take the active steps necessary to cut ourselves off from the temptation. This is why Jesus uses such harsh language: cutting off the hand, gouging out the eye. Those are hyperboles, but that graphic imagery gets at the heart of what it means to renounce my sin.
It’s hard enough to take the first step (confession). Everything in us wants to dodge our responsibility before God and man. We humans have rationalized our sin ever since Adam responded to God’s confrontation by blaming everyone else: “The woman you gave me…”
But even after we’ve brought ourselves to admit what our sin is, we balk at the second step (renunciation). It’s not that we want to sin again; it’s just that we like to keep our options open.
We don’t want to sin. Not exactly. We only want to flirt with temptation.
But genuine repentance requires us to humble ourselves to take both steps.
And because our sinful nature is still an active presence in our lives, we need to take those two steps often. The Puritans called this ongoing battle with sin our “indwelling sin,” and they were right.
So, yes, we need to continue to repent.
Until we reach glory and the Spirit’s sanctifying work in us is complete, we must be fluent in the language of repentance.
Persevere,
Paul Pyle
Discipleship Pastor