3 Reasons Why “Repentance” is Always Good News for the Christian
By Michael Kelley
Martin Luther once wrote, ““When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said, ‘Repent’, he willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.” To put it another way, repentance is not just a one time act but instead a continual rhythm in the life of the Christian. Yes, it’s true that the means by which we enter into right relationship with God is by repentance and belief, but we don’t leave that practice behind.
Every day, the Christian is repenting. We are continually recognizing our sin, and turning from it toward Christ.
That might not seem like good news to you. After all, who wants to live a life in which every day you find something else you need to be sorry for? Some thought or act you need to stop? Some impulse you once practiced without even thinking about but now must deny?
But this call to repentance is not bad news; it’s good news. And here are three reasons why:
1. Repentance means the Holy Spirit is real.
At one point or another, every Christian probably looks around him or herself and wonders, Is this real?
Is my faith genuine? And are the things I believe in actually, really true? The inward call to repentance is one of the ways we answer that question. When we feel the conviction of sin and the call to repent, it’s a reminder that the Holy Spirit is real and is dwelling inside of us. Why, apart from His ongoing presence in our lives, would we actively recognize all the ways in which we are wrong and choose to turn from them? Why would we live in a posture of self-denial unless the Holy Spirit was actually at work inside of us? This is what Jesus said the Holy Spirit would do:
“Nevertheless, I am telling you the truth. It is for your benefit that I go away, because if I don’t go away the Counselor will not come to you. If I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will convict the world about sin, righteousness, and judgment…” (John 16:7-8).
2. Repentance means God loves us.
When we think of repentance, we usually think in terms of stopping. Stopping a thought. Stopping a desire. Stopping an action. And while that is a component of what it means to repent, repentance doesn’t stop there. To repent means to turn.
Turning is different than stopping. It’s bigger than stopping. You can stop and still be facing the same direction, sitting motionless. But repenting isn’t just about stopping. It’s not enough to stop.
Repentance is about turning, choosing something better than the action you’re doing. It’s about choosing life with Christ over life with anything else. So repentance isn’t just about stopping what you’re doing; it’s about valuing Jesus more than what you’re doing. And Jesus is the most valuable, satisfying, and joy-giving thing in the universe.
So if repenting is not just stopping but turning, and if the message of repentance is about ultimately choosing to turn to that which is ultimately satisfying and joyful, then the call to repent is nothing less than a message of great love.
When God calls us to repent, He doesn’t do so as a cosmic killjoy; He does so as a Father discontent in His love for His people to see them piddling around with the temporal pleasures of the world. He has something better for us, and in His love, He calls us to turn.
That’s why it’s not anger in the voice of God that says “Repent.” It’s love. It’s a voice that says, “You are settling. Don’t you want something better?”
3. Repentance is safe.
In Luke 15, Jesus told the story of a son who abandoned his father’s house, treated him with disdain, and went off to squander his inheritance in a far country. But when that son found himself poor, broken, and destitute, he wanted to come home.
The son practiced his apology. He had plenty of time to rehearse it on the long road home. He anticipated that in coming back, he would at the very least be accepted in on a probationary level. But maybe – just maybe – after some time, he could earn his way back into his father’s good graces.
But this father did not even let the words get out of his son’s mouth before he fell upon his neck and was crushing him with kindness. The son had turned, and the father met him on the road. He did not wait to see if the son would climb all the way up to the hill, but instead, ran to meet him where he was.
Our repentance is gloriously safe with God. We will, when we turn, not meet a God who is putting us on spiritual probation. We will not meet a father who will constantly bring up our past failings. We will not encounter a God who demands some kind of repayment for all we have squandered. Nothing like that. Only kindness. Grace. Love. Acceptance.
When we become a Christian, God brings us into His family. We are His beloved and adopted children, given a place in His family that is irrevocable, for it is sealed by faith through the Holy Spirit. We never have to wonder if, this time, we have gone too far. Or if this time, God will meet our repentance with anger and frustration. Or if this time, God will tell us that His grace has run out.
Repentance is safe because God is our eternal Father. Repentance is still good news.
Michael Kelley is a husband, father of three, author, and speaker from Nashville, TN. His latest book is a year-long family devotional guide called The Whole Story for the Whole Family. Find his personal blog at michaelkelley.co.