Repentance

When many of us think of the word Repentance, we think "feeling really bad and remorseful because we sinned," promising God that we will "stop sinning," and making the decision to "live a holy life from now on." But did you notice that there is no Saviour Jesus in this equation? It’s all human effort, but the arm of flesh will fail. Yet Matthew 1:21 says:

“And she will have a Son, and you are to name Him Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”

But Christ does not do anything much less save you from your sins in this "stop sinning by yourself or God will punish you" kind of repentance that we hear in many churches. You have to get into God’s good books all by yourself. This is a Judas kind of repentance - towards self and not towards God. This is repentance to death and not repentance to life. Judas died.

The Parable of the Lost Sheep shows us what true repentance is - a gift from God. The Good Shepherd sought and found the sheep, carried it home on His shoulders and celebrated a sheep that had gone astray. The sheep did nothing but go astray but we understand from the parable that the sheep repented. But how? By allowing himself to be carried by our Saviour Jesus Christ.

No amount of breast-beating coupled with remorse and good intentions for the future can pay for sins. This bloodless atonement can never take away sins. Even the blood of bulls and goats offered by the priests under the law could not. Only the sinless blood of the Lamb of God suffices. Christ died that death for all. By His one offering, He forever made perfect all who believe (know Him by His name: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.) See Hebrews 10:

11 Under the old covenant, the priest stands and ministers before the altar day after day, offering the same sacrifices again and again, which can never take away sins. 12 But our High Priest offered Himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then He sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand. 13 There He waits until His enemies are humbled and made a footstool under His feet. 14 For by that one offering He forever made perfect those who are being made holy.”

Believing that one has to do certain things according to the order of Judas in order to become acceptable to God is to reject Christ’s “single sacrifice for sins, good for all time.” It is the goodness of God that leads to repentance. That breast-beating, restitution-driven repentance like that of Judas which relies on human effort at righting oneself before God only leads to death.

Like the lost sheep, let Christ our Shepherd love you into life and wholeness.