Repentance Basics (1 Kings 21:27-29)

Pastor John Stasse SYPC am, 24^th January 2010

Repentance Basics (1 Kings 21:27-29)

What does it mean when a person says they are repentant? The word means to turn around and hence to have a change of mind. In particular in the Bible and for Christianity it is a change of mind not about individual plans, intentions, or beliefs, but rather a radical change in one’s attitude about God and is inseparably linked to faith in Christ and obedience to God’s Word. God is concerned about transformation at the heart level, not merely the behavior level.

Some may think a repentant person is ‘sorry for his sins.’ But, why is he sorry? Perhaps he is sorry that he has been found out. Perhaps he is sorry for the consequences that he is experiencing because of his actions.

Some may think a repentant person is determined to sin no more. But, why is he determined to sin no more? Perhaps he wants the good feeling of being a good person. Perhaps he wants to control himself, or to impress others, or merely to avoid certain problems in the future.

Some may think a repentant man is one who leaves his sin behind. But, what is actually left behind? Perhaps he left only the noticeable part of his sin behind, but he continues the same pattern in his heart/thoughts. Perhaps he left only the inconvenient part of his sin behind, but embraces sin in other forms.

These are questions and evasions that come to our attention as we return to 1 Kings 21 which also sets before us the possibility and danger of false repentance.

In this chapter we have noted that God sees sin, that no sin is hidden from His eyes. But more we see that God holds sinners accountable for their sin, and that His judgement is not something to be taken lightly. And then we saw it also exposes and warns about the way of sin, showing its perversity and corrupting influence once allowed to reign in our heart, and hence not to be taken lightly let alone ignored..

Now as we close this chapter we also see what God looks for in sinners: repentance. In these verses we see God highlighting the need of repentance, yet at the same time causing us to see what repentance really is.

The example of Ahab tells us that we need to be a lot more precise in what we understand repentance to involve, and to be more discerning as to the evidences of genuine repentance we should expect to see. Let us note firstly,

Elijah had proclaimed the immediate and certain judgement of God against Ahab. There is only one door at the end of the path of unconfessed sin: judgement and eternal death! And Elijah is saying to Ahab that door is about to open to you. The whole tone of Elijah’s message was ‘count you remaining moments!’

There is only one solution, one possibility for escape, and Ahab knows it: to turn back to God. Thus Ahab’s response was not of defiance or arguing about the justness of God or protesting the unfairness of his life’s circumstance, that he was but the product of his times (how things might have been different if he had godly parents and a godly wife…). No he senses his only recourse is to humble himself before God, to throw himself on God’s mercy.

This urgency is seen by its being one of the key-notes of preaching in Scripture.

So Jesus according to Matt 4:17, From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Also the Apostles in Acts 2:38 “Repent…” That it should always be so is made clear by Christ’s farewell words in Luke 24:46-47, Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And you are witnesses of these things.”

Why? Because without repentance there is no pardon. Speaking of Jesus the Apostles declared in Acts 5:31 that “Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Saviour, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.”

Sinners should note the urgency of repentance towards God and not delay one, moment longer.

God may, as with Ahab, and frequently does delay His judgement upon sin, but this should never be taken as God’s indifference or inability. As Romans 2:4 asks us, “Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?”

Ahab’s repentance appeared genuine, and as far as externals are concerned it was very impressive. In fact God draws attention to Ahab’s humbling himself before God. His actions showed deep sorrow and grief, following the example of OT believers who came under repentance – eg, Job said “Therefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.”(Job 42:6). There is no doubt that Ahab’s conscience convicted him and that He came under heavy concern of heart and mind. Nor should we not fail to notice that in 1 Ki 22 Jehosophat, the godly king of Judah, enters into an alliance with Ahab, by which we have every reason to think that Jehosophat was convinced of a change in Ahab.

Yet we know that God rejected it as genuine. How do we know? Yes God drew attention to Ahab’s ‘repentance’ and responded to it with mercy, but it was only a limited mercy. Notice God only delayed His judgement, He did not remove it. The relief from judgement was only partial, reflecting the fact that the repentance was only partial also. By this God was indicating that Ahab was still in bondage to sin. Yes there were some outward changes, but no spiritual change in the man. And even this outward change was only in relation to “those words” – a fear of inescapable judgement. Indeed God’s action of delayed judgement should’ve encouraged deeper repentance; but Ahab, now out of the ‘hot’ zone, found his concern and his ‘repentance turn cold. It was only temporary and external, linked merely to the fear of God’s judgement not to the fear of the Lord and the horror of sin against Him.

Paul in 2 Cor 7:10 identifies a difference between a godly sorrow that leads to repentance and to salvation, and a sorrow of the world which produces death. It is this later that Ahab warns us about, the possibility of false repentance.

It is possible to feel the force of your conscience against sin, to even be surprised by how alarmed at your wickedness, you may be terrified by a fear of judgement, and be brought to emotional displays of sorrow and passionate promises of change. And yet not have truly repented.

Spiritual repentance focuses not on self but on the one offended. Natural repentance is consumed with self, with exposure, the shame, the punishment it would lead to. It is concerned to avoid; it is self-protective. Spiritual repentance is consumed with the interests of the One offended against, with them and their good. Instead of being sensitive primarily with oneself so as not to be hurt, the truly repentant are sensitive to them so as not to hurt but rather to bless them.

The area we need to look at is not so much the tears or vows, the strength of emotions or promises, but in the nature of their desires – are they spiritual desires or fleshly? True repentance sees sin for what it is: an affront against a holy and loving God. In rejecting or repudiating the sin, ask why? Is it because you see the exceeding sinfulness of sin and are now drawn on by holy desires?

Sadly so often the concern ultimately is to silence one’s conscience, at a time that suits them without thought whether it might be inconvenient to the person they are repenting to. No instead they trample all over the interests of the one they claim to be repentant towards. There is no sensitivity, no concern for their interests in the disruption, no love for them only a desire to be rid of this sin that plagues their conscience or disrupts their plans. In their repentance they are self-serving. But that is not true repentance – whether in our dealings with one another or with God.

Biblical, spiritual repentance is illustrated in 1 Thess 1:9-10 we read that these people in coming into saving faith “turned from idols to serve a living and true God… to wait for His Son from heaven whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us form the wrath to come.” From this we see that repentance simply involves three things:

(i) a breaking with sin and the desire to sin. It is to cease being in rebellion against God and His law. It involves sorrow over sin, but more involves a recognition of the exceeding sinfulness of sin, and a deliberate repudiation of sin.

(ii) a returning of will, affections and life to God and His service. In Acts 20:21 Paul speaks of it as “repentance toward God”. It involves replacing a love for sin with a love for God, a concern of serving self with serving God. It not only sees the hatefulness of sin but also discovers and delights in an exalted view of God, His holiness and moral perfection, His grace, and in serving Him. Just as forgiveness is essentially a promise not to hold sin against you, so too your repentance involves a promise to forsake and replace sin with new obedience.

(iii) faith in Jesus Christ as presented in the gospel , His death, resurrection, ascension and coming again. Again recall what was said about God’s gospel promise of forgiveness in Acts 5:31 which we noted earlier, it is in a context of the declaration of Jesus’ exaltation “to His right hand to be Prince and Saviour”. Repentance cannot be separated from faith in Christ both as Saviour and Lord. Faith in Christ is both its ground and goal.

Repentance is not merely sorrow over sin, but also a repudiation and radical turning away from sin that is at once motivated by faith in Christ as well as issues forth in obedience to Christ as Lord and Saviour.

Ultimately what God looks for is not external humility, but for the state of heart that humbles self and exalts God alone. God seeks the broken heart and contrite spirit before Him (Ps 34:18; 51:17; Isa 66:1-2).

Jesus highlights this in the parable of the prodigal son who came to himself and then to his father saying ‘I am no more worthy to be called your son’ asking only to be taken on as a servant (Lk 15:18; cf the Centurion in Lk 7:6 and the woman in 7:37-38).

Indeed this is the promise of the New Covenant given in Ezekiel 36:26-27, cf 31– that in remembering sin you will “loathe yourselves in your own sight, for your iniquities and your abominations”.

It is hardly surprising in the emotionalism of much of modern evangelism, along without any real explanation of what biblical repentance is, that many people think they have come to Christ when they haven’t for their repentance is not the genuine article, and in time it will be revealed as so.

How then shall we know if we have truly repented and been saved?

In the NT we are encouraged to look for the fruit that is borne. In Acts 26:20 Paul says his practice was to tell sinners that they “should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance.” As did John the Baptist in Lk 3:8 when instead of relying on their racial and historical connection to Abraham, that they should “bear fruits worthy of repentance”.

What then does our narrative relating to Ahab show about Ahab’s deeds? Are they in harmony with genuine repentance? Look at 1 Kings 22:5-8, especially v.8. This is 3 years later, and here we see him declaring concerning Micaiah whom he acknowledges as God’s prophet “I hate him”. His reaction to Micaiah’s prophecy was to put him in prison! (v.26-27). This is nothing but an ‘I’ll show you!’ attitude.

All this shows that Ahab’s repentance was not “unto life”. Though it involved deep disturbances about the consequences of sin, when the judgment was withheld even though only for a season, it was enough for him to again breathe easy and for him to go on in the path of disobedience as shown in his mistreatment of the prophet. Reaction to God’s mouthpiece is a sign of our attitude to God Himself. Nothing reveals more the reality of your repentance (or lack of) than our attitude to the authority of God as expressed in His written revealed Word.

What a contrast to what we see in 2 Cor 7. In verse 11 Paul says the godly sorrow had produced an “earnestness” in them. He then proceeds to describe this earnestness, or diligence, by listing 6 characteristics of it. These speak of a determination to change, to make things right and be reconciled to God; and doing so with determination and energy. At the same time they recognised that sin was vile and needed to be punished, so they were filled with indignation and sought the vindication of God’s holiness. They viewed sin from God’s perspective. Their desires and decisions were aligned with the heart of God. They had abandoned their old ways for those of God. They had a change of mind, emotion, and will that caused them to turn from their sin to God.

After the dust has settled, when thoughts of exposure and the resultant shame, when thoughts of hell and judgement no longer alarm you, what is your response to God’s Word? Is their total love and submission, an eager desire to learn how to live to the glory of God? Or is there a picking and choosing what we’ll believe. Jesus said “He that loves me keeps My commandments”. He cherishes it in the heart as well as obeys in the life. This is the test we can apply in the ‘now’. May God bless it to our peace.

It is the glorious truth of the gospel that no sin is too great or hideous, no sinner too enslaved and polluted, that if he or she should “repent” that God will not pardon (Jeremiah 3:12-15).

But see also that no sin is greater than a refusal to repent – for that is a rebuttal of a gracious offer from God; a disobedience of a gracious command, and an approving of sin over righteousness and of self over God.

But equally it is a serious exhortation of the gospel that we must watch out for false repentance in our own lives. We must cultivate a habit of repenting quickly and biblically.

By itself, even conviction of sin does not prove or disprove genuine saving faith. Our world is filled with guilt-ridden people. Many even feel badly about their sin. Felix trembled under conviction at the preaching of the apostle Paul, but he never left his idols or turned to God (Acts 24:24-6). Some may confess their sins and even abandon the sins they feel guilty about. They say, “I don’t like living this way. I want to change.” They may amend their ways and yet fall short of genuine saving faith. That’s external reformation, not internal regeneration.