Repentance is an invaluable aspect of a Christian’s life. The Westminster Confession of Faith states that “repentance unto life is an evangelical grace” (Acts 11:18; 2 Cor. 7:10; Zech. 12:10; 2 Tim. 2:25) (WCF 15.1). And The Westminster Shorter Catechism question eighty-seven answers, “…whereby a sinner, out of a true sense of his sin, and apprehension of the mercy of God in Christ (Psa. 51:1-4; Joel 2:13; Luke 15:7,10; Acts 2:37), doth, with grief and hatred of his sin, turn from it unto God (Jer. 31:18-19; Luke 1:16-17; 1 Thess. 1:9), with full purpose of, and endeavor after, new obedience” (2 Chron 7:14; Psa. 119:57-64; Matt. 3:8; 2 Cor. 7:10). One of the earlier posts noted that faith and repentance are twin graces born simultaneously. Louis Berkhof addresses this belief: “True repentance never exists except in conjunction with faith, while, on the other hand, wherever there is true faith, there is also real repentance. The two are but different aspects of the same turning – a turning away from sin in the direction of God” (Louis Berkhof, Systematic Theology, 412). A person may ask, “how so?”
The Westminster Larger Catechism question seventy-six confirms how a sinner’s true sense of sin and apprehension of mercy comes when it states that repentance unto life is “wrought in the heart by the Spirit (Zech. 12:10) and the Word of God (Acts 11:18, 20-21).” The WCF and Catechisms teach that faith and repentance “may be separated in thought but not in experience; in logic but not in life. Faith of a kind precedes and produces repentance and faith of another kind follows and is the effect of repentance” (J.B. Green, Harmony of the Westminster Standards). Right away, we must understand that repentance is a product of regeneration, the faith that precedes. The puritan, Thomas Watson, states, “Repentance is a grace of God’s Spirit whereby a sinner is inwardly humbled and visibly reformed” (Thomas Watson, The Doctrine of Repentance, 18). Wilhelmus Brakel puts it plainly, “The believer then turns to the promises made to those who have received Christ and His righteousness, namely, that such have the forgiveness of sins and eternal life” (Wilhelmus À Brakel, The Christian’s Reasonable Service:2, 357). An unbeliever can never repent of sin in the true sense of God’s Standards, nor can the believer ever live comfortably with sin. Therefore, sovereign grace works again as the fountainhead of the graces a person experiences.
Next, there is the faith that follows regeneration and is the effect of repentance. There are two facets of the effect. First, one grieves and hates their sin. Again, Watson wrote, “We are to find as much bitterness in weeping for sin as ever we found sweetness in committing it” (Watson, 24). When the Christian realizes that their sin offended God and was the cause of our Lord, Jesus Christ’s death, then one can genuinely grieve over their sin. Too often, one’s grief occurs because one is caught in that sin and does not like the consequences. One expresses regret or shame, but not repentance. Their guilt produces counterfeit repentance. Genuine Christian grief over sin happens when one understands their sin has grieved God.
Then there is repentance that turns from sin and turns to God. Repentance reverses direction in one’s thought and deed. Joel Beeke states, “Repentance is not merely cleaning up bad behaviors, but grieving over fallen nature’s emptiness of all spiritual good and turning to Christ to give us the righteousness for which his grace has made us hunger” (Joel R. Beeke & Paul M. Smalley, Reformed Systematic Theology:2, 397). This repentance is sincere and daily. Thomas Watson noted, “True sorrow must be habitual” (Watson, 25). This aspect of repentance is not the once-and-for-all justification repentance. Instead, it is the sanctifying repentance with the whole purpose of turning from sin and obeying God.
Repentance is a helpful doctrine for the Christian. The Christian must understand that genuine repentance involves the whole person—heart, mind, will, and body.
Humanly speaking, repentance springs out of two kinds of knowledge. First, there is the knowledge of the true sense of sin. The Christian realizes this essential aspect of the doctrine. The Christian must help other Christians understand how their sin disrupts their hearts, minds, and lives. If one never sees themself as a sinner in the sight of God, then they will never sense a need to repent. However, once one considers themself through the eyes of God, then they are on their way to repentance. Those who are poor in spirit are promised the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 5:3), and those who mourn are comforted (Matt. 5:4). Jesus’s words describe the necessity and essence of repentance. The believer who is poor in spirit sees themself as a sinner in the sight of God, and when they mourn over that sin, they will be comforted by the grace of forgiveness. Brakel states, “[The Christian] go to the fountain itself and are engaged in transactions with God and Christ Himself. To Him they turn, Him they desire, for Him they long, Him they receive, upon Him they rely, to Him they surrender themselves, to Him they desire to be united” (Brakel, 323).
Another kind of penitent knowledge understands God’s mercy in Christ. This repentance can only happen through the insight of the Gospel. Paul wrote that only through Christ is one made righteous before God (2 Cor. 5:21). When the Christian understands the mercy of God, then their repentance moves them into a saving relationship with the Lord, Jesus Christ. One final Watson quote: “Hypocrites will confidently avouch God to be their God, but they know not how to blush. Be assured that the more we are ashamed of sin now, the less we shall be ashamed at Christ’s coming. If the sins of the godly be mentioned at the day of judgment, it will not be to shame them, but to magnify the riches of God’s grace in pardoning them” (Watson, 44). The Christian’s work is both to live out before others and to teach them what it means to “blush” that they might magnify the name of Christ.
Finally, the Christian must remember it is all a work of God’s sovereign grace and not one’s own work. God alone can produce this kind of repentance in the Christian’s life. We must trust Him to do so.
Andrews PCA 