The objective of this lesson: To emphasize the importance of repentance in the human response to God.
The core concept of repentance (repent) is a redirection of self. It is the commitment to change self in fundamental behaviors and habits. It is the acknowledgment, "I am not who I should be" combined with the resolve to yield to God that "I may become who I should be." It is a lifetime commitment. One facet is immediate in the serious redirection of one's life. Another facet is continuing as one spends the rest of his/her life "fine tuning" the change. As the person matures spiritually, he/she constantly adjusts self in motive and behavior as he/she learns more completely what it means to be godly.
Stress two things. (1) Repentance is a person's commitment to change as part of his/her response to God. (2) Repentance is a lifetime commitment, not a one time act.
Several concepts/understandings are necessary for repentance to occur. (1) The person has to admit to himself/herself and others the existence of the need to repent. It is admitted to self to accept the reality of the personal need. It is admitted to others (a) to acknowledge "I have been wrong" or (b) to produce external accountability. (2) The need to repent rests on an understanding that I must not justify my motives or behavior. Ultimately, I must accept responsibility for my feelings and deeds. Knowing what others did to influence me helps me understand why I did what I did in the past. However, if I am to let God redirect me, I must yield to His redirection by realizing I am in charge of my "whys" and "whats." The person cannot continue in ungodly motives and behaviors and the ungodliness they produce by blaming (a) others or (b) circumstances. Repentance is an individual commitment to (a) acknowledge motives [understand his/her "whys"] and (b) accept accountability for actions. A commitment to change involves accepting accountability. The objective is NOT to punish myself for the past. The objective IS to free myself from my past by accepting God's forgiveness in Christ [see Galatians 5:13-17 and Ephesians 4:17-24].
My understanding of my need to change is evident in my attitudes, my behavior, and my relationships. A commitment to repentance is evidenced in the ways I accept responsibility for my motives and behavior. Repentance is not an effort to punish myself for my past, but my embracing freedom from my past. Though difficult, it increasingly becomes joyful. Because God forgives me, I forgive myself. In forgiveness there is freedom.
The core reason for coming to God through Jesus Christ is to ESCAPE one's past. Your escape is no more difficult or improbable than was the first century person who came from a family who practiced idolatry for generations. Escape does not occur because you become the ideal person who functions with ideal motives that produce ideal behaviors. Escape occurs because you accept God's forgiveness in Jesus Christ and commit yourself to transformation [see Romans 12:1, 2].
Escape from my flaws is not dependent on perfection, but on my commitment to transformation. I do not rationalize my flaws, but I face and attack my flaws. I want to reflect my God and my Lord Jesus Christ in my life.
However, for such escape to occur one must repent. God cannot help the person who is certain he/she does not need help. We come to God to practice godliness, not to evaluate others. God rescues people though Christ. We as Christians point people to God. It is by seeking to behave and have the relationships of a godly person that we help others see the value of belonging to God.
I am so busy transforming myself in Christ that I do not have time or energy to pass eternal judgment on others. I exist to encourage others in their struggles to repent. I do not exist to condemn others who are committed to repentance.
The core of John's message as he prepared the Jewish people for Jesus' ministry and message was, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Matthew 3:12). He told the Pharisees and Saducees who came to him for baptism that they were poisonous snakes who needed to produce the fruit of repentance. They came to John to submit to a correct act for an incorrect reason. Though they were religious leaders, they needed to repent.
It is spiritually significant that the core of John's message and mission involved people's repentance. The manifestation of God's kingdom would not benefit the Jewish people (who were quite religious) unless they acknowledged their need to repent.
The early emphasis in Jesus' message was on repentance. Matthew 4:17 states Jesus began his preaching by declaring, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Responding to the appearance of the kingdom of heaven required repentance.
It is equally significant that the core of Jesus' message stressed repentance. It must not be "assumed" that we and others understand the need to repent.
The gospel of Luke records great emphasis on the need to repent including (a) Jesus ministry was to call sinners to repentance [Luke 5:31, 32]; (b) gentile cities would have repented had they seen Jesus' miracles performed in Jewish cities [Luke 10:13]; (c) repentance is necessary to escape God's wrath [Luke 13:1-5]; (d) there is more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 righteous people who do not need to repent [Luke 15:7]; (e) people who refuse to listen to God will not repent [Luke 16:27-31]; and (f) unending repentance must be met with unending forgiveness [Luke 17:1-4].
Place emphasis on the ways Luke stressed the importance of repentance, from it being central to Jesus' mission, to it being an essential part of human response to God, to heaven's response to human repentance, to God's unending kindness to us resulting in our unending willingness to forgive. Repentance has many facets. It is not one dimensional.
Repentance is more than sorrow or regret. The right kind of sorrow or regret produces repentance. Consider Romans 2:4 and 2 Corinthians 7:9, 10. When a person (a) realizes what God did for us in Jesus' death and resurrection and (b) understands how his/her sinfulness hurts the kind, sacrificing God, he/she (c) is sorry for hurting God Who does not deserve the hurt. It is that kind of regretful sorrow that can result in repentance. It is that type of repentance that leads to salvation.
Stress a person can be sorry without repenting. Sorrow does not require action. Repentance requires us to act. The right kind of sorrow leads to repentance, not is repentance.
Christianity is a commitment to personal change. That commitment expresses itself in repentance. Repentance's direction and goal is determined by God's holiness. The more is learned about God's holiness, the more devoted the person becomes to God's character. The objective of the penitent is to reflect God's influence in his/her life. Consider Jesus' words in Matthew 5:13-16.
Stress the essence of Christianity is a commitment to personal change by listening to God through Jesus Christ. The Christian learns about God's nature to devote himself/herself to God's values.
We do not repent to bring praise to ourselves. We repent to bring praise to God.
We change (1) because God exists and (2) because God is in charge of our lives.
For Thought and Discussion
It is a redirection of self.
Repentance's commitment is to change self in fundamental behaviors and habits.
It is to acknowledge "I am not who I should be."
It is to yield to God in "becoming who I should be."
As spiritual growth occurs, the need to repent grows. As one better understands God's holy values, he/she better understands how evil expresses itself in his/her life.
"I need to repent."
That admission allows me to accept reality about myself.
I do that to (1) acknowledge my error or (2) to produce external accountability.
The objective is not the punishment of self for past failures.
The objective is to free myself from my past by accepting God's forgiveness expressed in Jesus Christ.
It is to escape one's past.
Escape occurs because we accept God's forgiveness in Jesus Christ and commit ourselves to transformation. It does not occur because we become the ideal person with ideal motives and ideal behavior.
He cannot provide help to the person who refuses to acknowledge the need for help.
Emphasize repentance produces action.
He/she is committed to allowing God's holiness to change him/her personally.
Link to Student Guide
Lesson 2