The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing,
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him and what came to my mind and heart in 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10,
"They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and
true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the
dead--Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath."
Paul observed that the folks in Macedonia, Achaia and everywhere
reported back to Paul what they had heard of the Thessalonian's
response to the gospel Paul had given them. This, together with the
power, the Holy Spirit and the deep conviction, verse 5, these
believers evidenced when Paul evangelized them, were the convincing
proof to Paul that they had become a part of God's "chosen" ones. When
Paul proclaimed the gospel to them, they embraced it in faith. God has
chosen for himself all who will place their faith in him and so these
believers joined God's family.
I note that the Thessalonians turned from false gods, idols, to serve
the "living and true God." This is the classic meaning of
"repentance." Repentance is a change in direction. When we embrace
Jesus Christ in faith, we turn from whatever direction our life was
going in favor of the new direction: following Jesus as our Lord.
In English, the term has evolved into something a bit different. It
has come to be understood as being sorry or remorseful. Of course, you
can see the correlation between taking a new direction at the expense
of rejecting the old as sorrow for having pursued the old, the wasted
time and expense, etc. However, rejecting the old may not always be
born of sorrow for having pursued the old as much as it is the
excitement of a new opportunity, a new direction not previously known.
Embracing Jesus Christ because of the wonderful opportunity of eternal
life he provides and his tremendous love he has for us, rather than,
or in addition to, being sorry for what was previously pursued can be
equally thought of as repentance. Repentance, in the Scriptural sense,
is not necessarily sorrow, but it is necessarily a change in
direction. The change in direction may be due to sorrow or it may be
due to being drawn to something much better, or both, but it is the
change in direction that is the repentance.
In Acts 2:38 we read Peter telling his unsaved fellow Jews on
Pentecost, when they asked "Brothers, what shall we do?", he said,
"Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ
for the forgiveness of your sins." We read his listeners "were cut to
the heart." As we read the message Peter gave them we see he accuses
the Jews of crucifying Jesus, the One that God the Father has
appointed "both Lord and Messiah." He is not asking them to gin up
sorrow for what they do not appear to feel sorry about, personal sins,
etc. but telling them to take this new direction, to embrace the
Messiah they had crucified, to embrace the gospel he was preaching in
order to be forgiven sins, to be saved, to join God's family.
What difference does this make? It seems like a splitting of the hairs
here, but there is something important to this point.
Consider the example sentence Merriam-Webster provides for
"repentance", "repentance was the first step on the path of
redemption." This, in fact, is how many churches teach repentance in
relationship to salvation. I have often seen "lists" of things people
need to do in order to be saved, and typically repentance is at or
near the top. What is meant is that we need to be sorry for the sin in
our lives in order to be saved.
The problem with this theology is that it is the Holy Spirit that
dwells within us that causes the sorrow and the disappointment within
us when we sin, "For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit,
and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict
with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want."
Galatians 5:17. When we sin, we grieve the Holy Spirit, "do not grieve
the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of
redemption." Ephesians 4:30.
The Holy Spirit is the source of sorrow and grief for sin in
believer's lives. If repentance is required for salvation (and it is),
how can people be asked to do that to become what they need to be in
order to do it? How can we be sorry for sin when we don't have the
Holy Spirit yet? Can an unregenerated person, an unsaved person feel
sorrow for sin, for what comes naturally as a sinner?
I think anyone can feel sorry they stole something, or committed a
rape or burglary. But the essence of our sinful natures is not going
to be something we feel sorry about unless we have the Holy Spirit
dwelling within.
The turning Paul and others observed in these Thessalonians was from
one thing to another -- from idols to the living and true God. This
was the repentance, the change Paul observed. Without that change in
direction, salvation doesn't happen. Unfortunately, some will cling to
their sin in preference to turning to God. However, if we tell people
they need to be sorry for their sin and stop sinning as a precondition
for salvation, then we are telling them their salvation is by works
and not by faith.
I know many are concerned about what they refer to as "easy
believe-ism." I have every confidence that when we turn to God, join
his family and become indwelt with the Holy Spirit, we will turn from
sin as God works within each of us. After all, he has predestined us
just for this, "For those God foreknew he also predestined to be
conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn
among many brothers and sisters." Romans 8:29.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to
hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send
me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are
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respond and let me know.
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
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