“Repent, for the kingdom is at hand!” - John the Baptist (Matthew 3:2)
Many times, we have heard the word “repent;” after a fashion, it has joined the ranks of Christian buzzwords. However, properly defining and living out true repentance can be a more difficult task, especially living in the times that we do. Therefore, let us take a step back and examine how the Bible defines what is (or is not) repentance.
What it is NOT
Proverbs 26:11 gives us a somewhat graphic image of what a lack of repentance looks like. For the purpose of this blog, I’ll skip the fine details and provide you with the gist of the situation.
Imagine, if you will, a child who’s just come from playing in the mud. If they are repeatedly washed clean by their parent(s), apologize for getting dirty, but then traipse outside into the same patch of mud, have they repented? The answer is NO. An intentional cycle of sinful choices is NOT repentance – it is a continuous lifestyle with little to no change at all.
This is pretty much the situation where we find Israel in the book of Judges (2:10-19). The cycle goes like this: Israel turns away into sin, abandoning GOD; as a form of judgment, GOD allows Israel to be oppressed by their Canaanite neighbors; the people cry out to GOD for deliverance; GOD sends a judge to deliver them from their oppressors; the cycle comes full circle and begins again.
What it IS
Isaiah 6:9-10 makes it clear that, for repentance (and spiritual healing) to occur, there is an indispensable prerequisite: one must make the decision to accept GOD’s healing. If people choose to continue in their path of sinful living, they cannot repent and therefore will not be healed.
What happens if the decision IS made? 2nd Chronicles 7:14 shows us what waits in the wings: if we make the honest choice to turn away from sin (and towards GOD), then the door is open for GOD to step in and begin the healing of our hearts and lives. A king of ancient Judah, Josiah (2nd Kings 22, 2nd Chronicles 34) was the last ruler of David’s line prior to the Babylonian captivity to repent and seek GOD’s righteousness, both in himself and among his people. His repentance preceded a wave of righteous reform that is seldom seen elsewhere in Scripture. Let us learn from the example(s) seen therein and seek true repentance, that we may honor and revere GOD in all things.