Repentance! Part I

"Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins" Acts 5:31.

Repentance is a gift from God! The Bible does not teach that the sinner must repent before he can heed the invitation of Christ, "Come to Me all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" Matthew 11:28. It is the Spirit that comes from Christ that leads to genuine repentance.

Many think they cannot come to Christ unless they first repent, and that repentance prepares them for the forgiveness of their sins. It is true that repentance precedes the forgiveness of sins, but must the sinner wait till he has repented before he can come to Jesus. No! Repentance is not to be made an obstacle between the sinner and the Savior.

Peter made the matter clear in his statement to the leaders of Israel when He said, "Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins" Acts 5:31.

"We can no more repent without the Spirit of Christ to awaken the conscience than we can be pardoned without Christ.

"Christ is the source of every right impulse. He is the only one that can implant in the heart enmity against sin. Every desire for truth and purity, every conviction of our own sinfulness, is evidence that His Spirit is moving upon our hearts.

"Jesus said, 'And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself' John 12:32. Christ must be revealed to the sinner as the Savior dying for the sins of the world; and as we behold the Lamb of God upon the cross of Calvary, the mystery of redemption begins to unfold to our minds and the goodness of God leads us to repentance. In dying for sinners, Christ manifested a love that is incomprehensible; and as the sinner beholds this love, it softens the heart, impresses the mind, and inspires contrition in the soul.

"It is true that men sometimes become ashamed of their sinful ways, and give up some of their evil habits before they are conscious that they are being drawn to Christ. But whenever they make an effort to reform, from a sincere desire to do right, it is the power of Christ that is drawing them. An influence of which they are unconscious works upon the soul, and the conscience is quickened, and the outward life is amended. And as Christ draws them to look upon His cross, to behold Him whom their sins have pierced, the commandment comes home to the conscience. The wickedness of their life, the deep-seated sin of the soul, is revealed to them. They begin to comprehend something of the righteousness of Christ, and exclaim, 'What is sin, that it should require such a sacrifice for the redemption of its victim? Was all this love, all this suffering, all this humiliation, demanded, that we might not perish, but have everlasting life?'

"The sinner may resist this love, may refuse to be drawn to Christ; but if he does not resist he will be drawn to Jesus; a knowledge of the plan of salvation will lead him to the foot of the cross in repentance for his sins, which have caused the suffering of God's dear Son.

"The same divine mind that is working upon the things of nature is speaking to the hearts of men and creating an inexpressible craving for something they have not. The things of the world cannot satisfy their longing. The Spirit of God is pleading with them to seek for those things that alone can give peace and rest - the grace of Christ and the joy of wholeness with Him. Through influences seen and unseen, our Savior is constantly at work to attract the minds of men from the unsatisfying pleasures of sin to the infinite blessings that may be theirs in Him. To all these souls, who are vainly seeking to drink from the broken cisterns of this world, the divine message is addressed, 'Let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely" Revelation 22:1; Steps to Christ, pp. 26-28.

For additional study, consider the messages of John the Baptist (Matthew 3:1-12), Jesus Christ (Matthew 4:17), and Peter (Acts 2:38, 39 and 3:18-26). To be continued.

May God's Presence and His blessings be with you!