A Letter on Repentance

Dear Reader: I thought you might enjoy this correspondence on the subject of repentance.

R.D.S.

My Dear Brother,

You wrote, "I would appreciate hearing your views on repentance and why a person believes it (repentance) is necessary for accepting the Gospel as found in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4."

Generally, these days, because of my age (eighty), and my recent sickness (heart-attack), I do not go into in-depth answers to Bible questions. Also, the movement I was associated with for the greater part of my ministry were never satisfied with one clear cut answer to anything. It always ended up being an endless commentary on the subject. That is, until you came around to their way of thinking, or they gave up trying, and broke all fellowship with you, branding you as a heretic. The latter is possibly why I am still a little gun-shy in answering Bible questions. But I am convinced you are not of this sort, so here is a fairly brief answer to your request.

Let me say from the beginning, my position on repentance differs somewhat from many of the old-time Puritans (that it has only to do with sin) and the present-day hyper-dispensationalist (that it is excluded from Paul's gospel). These notes are from my personal study of the scriptures over the years. I am comfortable living with them.

I feel many have the same misguided view of repentance as they do of the word "holiness." As to the latter, it is generally held that it has some moral connection. But clothes, ground, buildings, and instruments have no inherent moral value. It simply means in scripture to,"set apart" or "separate." And so it is with repentance. It has come to be associated, as I said, only with sin. But sin is just one of the many sub-heads that fall under its definition

If you will read and think through my article on my blog entitled, "The Nurse's Guru's Preaching," you will understand my position on repentance more clearly. Repentance has to do with a change of mind. When Jesus tells the story of the two sons He says of the one, "Afterward he repented and went." That is, he thought it through and changed his mind. When Peter mentions repenting of wickedness, in the context, he says it has to do with the thoughts of the heart. The man was thinking wrong, therefore he was to change his mind (repent).

And so, when the Bible says, "Repent and believe," it is simply saying, "change your mind and believe." A lot of professing Christians today tell us they believe, but they have never changed their minds. If repentance has only to do with sin, then what do we say of God when we're told He repented? But if we make it to mean what the scriptures say it means, then all is clear; God changes His mind.

Concerning repentance being a part of the gospel as found in 1Cor.15:1-4. There are many doctrines connected to salvation that are not mentioned in connection with believing. For example: justification, regeneration, adoption, sealing, etc. All of which are understood as one grows in the Lord. But each took place at the time of a person's salvation. And so it is with repentance. One may not have understood it, but they changed their mind (repented) before they believed. That is, if they're really saved.

Hope this helps. Sorry, I am tired and must close. As an old preacher used to say when closing his sermon, "I done preached out from underneath myself."

An Old Disciple,

R.D.S.