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Repentance
by Gilbert Beebe
Signs of the Times -December 15, 1865
In replying to the inquiries of brother Samuel Rixey, of Culpepper C.H.,
Va., we will in the onset observe that although we are not very familiar with
all the theories of theologians on the subject of repentance, and therefore but
poorly qualified to follow them in all their applications, explanations,
divisions, and nice distinctions as to the meaning of the word, when applied
literally, we nevertheless feel willing to give to our brother, and to our
readers generally, such views as we can gather from a close attentive reading
of the scriptures. That the word is used in our version of the Bible with a
variety of application is certain, from the fact that it is not only applied to
good men, and bad men, but also to God himself. And that it does not apply to
God in the same sense that it does to man is clear from the declaration that
God is not a man that he should repent. That is, God does not repent, yet in
the same chapter (I Samuel 15:29,35) we are told "the Lord repented that
he made Saul king over Israel." And this he did, simply by deposing him
from the throne, and supplying the throne with a better man. Repentance when
applied to God does not intend a sorrow for what he had done, a conviction of
having done wrong, or even a change in his mind or purpose; but, as we
understand, it signifies a change of his outward administration in his
dispensations, and all in perfect harmony with his eternal and immutable
purpose. Nor does the term when applied to men always mean sorrow, or regret,
for what we sometimes denominate evangelic or gospel repentance, which is unto
life, is not, but results from a godly sorrow for sins. In the text referred to
by brother Rixey (Mark 1:15), the word is used in the preaching of the gospel
of the kingdom by Christ himself, and not in the ministration of the law by
Moses; it was not therefore legal repentance, but a repentance preparatory to a
cordial reception of the gospel of the kingdom which Christ was preaching. If
the term legal be used as an adjective, to signify a repentance demanded or
required by the law, we should first inquire whether the law ever did, or
could, demand or accept of any kind of repentance. It is not in the nature of
any absolute law to require repentance. The law of God does not require that we
shall be sorry for having sinned, but it forbids that we should sin. It
requires perfect and perpetual obedience, and condemns to death for the first
transgression.
"And could our tears forever flow,
And could our grief no respite know,"
It would avail us nothing by way of explanation. "He that despised
Moses' law died without mercy." No repentance or mercy can flow to
transgressors, from the law.
From the confused theory of Arminians of a legal repentance grows also
the doctrine of obligatory repentance. That repentance which is unto life and
is connected with godly sorrow is the gift of God; it proceeds from a godly
principle implanted in the heart, and which cannot possibly flow from an ungodly
source. Any sorrow or repentance that could come from an ungodly sinner's
heart, or from any sinner's heart before a godly principle is therein
implanted, would be like the fountain from whence it emanates - ungodly. We
search the law and gospel both in vain to find this obligatory repentance which
is in so great demand among all the legal work-mongrel tribes of the Arminians.
We do not wonder that our dear brother's mind has been puzzled and perplexed to
bring the obligation of repentance upon unregenerate sinners. We might as well
speak of their obligation to remit their own sins as to procure their own
repentance, seeing Christ alone is exalted to be a Prince and Savior, for to
give, both the one and the other unto Israel. It would be equally as proper and
scriptural to speak of their obligation to be saved, to go to heaven, and to
make themselves sons and heirs of God. But, does man's inability to repent, or
to believe, or even to keep from sinning, relieve him from his obligation to do
so? Certainly not, if it can be found that such obligations are upon him. Now
the sinner is one that has sinned. Sin is the transgression of the law; but
where has the law under which the unregenerate sinner is held, either required
him to repent or believe the gospel? The law truly forbids him to transgress,
and holds him answerable for every transgression. Sin, not a want of repentance
or faith, is what the sinner is condemned for. Without the faith of the Son of
God, no sinner ever did or could believe the gospel; for believing the gospel
is the assurance of faith, and that is the gift of God. Is there any obligation
devolving on a graceless sinner making it his duty that God shall give him
either faith or repentance? How absurd! But suppose the sinner could control the
convictions of his own carnal mind so far as to make himself believe that he is
a Christian, that he was chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world,
that Christ died for him, that he is freely justified through the redemption
that is in Christ Jesus, would that carnal assurance make it so? Would he not
believe an untruth, even if he believed literally just what the Christian
believes? Because that which is true in the case of one that is born of the
Spirit is not true of him who only possesses a carnal assurance. The
heaven-born child believes that God is his Father, and has the witness in
himself. The Spirit bearing witness with his spirit that he is born of God. But
if the unregenerate sinner without that witness believes himself to be an heir
of immortality, he is deceived, and believes a lie. But to believe the gospel
is to believe all this. It is precisely so with all that passes for true gospel
repentance, if it be not the work of God, and the gift of God, it is all
delusive and vain.
But, we shall be asked, did not John the Baptist and our Lord preach to
the people saying, "Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand?"
All this is admitted. But if we carefully observe when, to whom, and by whom
this repentance was preached, it will enable us the more clearly to understand
what manner of repentance was called for.
"The law and the prophets were until John." Since that time,
and until these words were spoken by our Lord (see Luke 16:16), the kingdom of
God is preached and every man presseth into it. At this particular time John
was sent from God to prepare the way of the Lord; to preach that the kingdom of
heaven, so long predicted, was at hand; that the Messiah had come; that Jewish
rites and ceremonies were now about to be abolished; that their fleshly descent
from Abraham was no longer to avail them; for God was able of these stones to
raise up children to Abraham. John's mission was only to the Jews, to preach
repentance to them, and to baptize them with the baptism of repentance. This repentance
and baptism both signified a turning away from the works, rites, ceremonies and
ordinances of the law, as a ground of acceptance with God; and a coming out
from Jerusalem, and a reception of Christ as that Messiah which was to come,
and which they professed to be looking for. Their repentance did not signify
that they were at that time born of the Spirit, or that they had not been
subjects of that spiritual birth for many years. But it did signify that they
came out from Judaism, sensible that the works of the law could not purge their
consciences from dead works, to serve the living God; and hence they came to
John's baptism of repentance, confessing their sins, and professing their faith
in and reliance upon that Christ whom John pointed out to them as the Lamb of
God, who taketh away the sins of the world. Remember John was sent to make
ready a people prepared for the Lord. His work was stated by the angel of the
Lord in Luke 1:13-17. It is also recorded in prophetic declarations of
Zacharias in Luke 1:68-79. "And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet
of the Highest; for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord, to prepare his
ways; to give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their
sins, through the tender mercy of our God: whereby the dayspring from on high
hath visited us, to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow
of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace."
Now observe, John's commission was to go before the face of the Lord, to
announce his coming, and to "give knowledge of salvation" to God's
people, by remission of their (God's people's) sins, and to make ready a
people, already prepared by grace, for the Lord, by calling them out from the
house of bondage, and by baptizing them with the baptism of repentance, or
reformation, saying unto them that they should believe on him that was to come,
that is on Christ; and that they should receive him as the true Messiah, and
look to him alone for salvation. The repentance which John preached, and to
which he baptized the people prepared for the Lord, is further defined in its
peculiar nature and effects by the rejection of the Pharisees from John's
baptism of repentance. "O, generation of vipers! Who hath warned you to
flee from the wrath to come. Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance,
and think not to say unto yourselves, We have Abraham to our father, for I say
unto you that God is able of these stones to raise up children to Abraham
(Matthew 3:7-9)." Had these Pharisees and Sadducees possessed the
repentance which John preached, they would have signified it by a turning away
from their cherished traditional hopes of being saved by their fleshly relation
to Abraham, and by a reliance alone on him whose kingdom was about to be
organized. The repentance preached was an abandonment of all confidence in the
flesh, and a ready and hearty acknowledgment of Christ. "And now also the
ax is laid unto the root of the trees." They were about to be cut off from
Abraham as their root, and scattered among the Gentiles. The wrath to come, of
which John spake was that wrath which had long been accumulating and now hung
impending over Jerusalem and the Jews as a nation. Every tree in this
wilderness of Judea, which God had not by his grace made good and fruitful, was
to be cut down. Their confidence in Abraham as their root, and the covenant of
circumcision was now to fail them, and only such Jews as God had prepared, and
John was commissioned to make ready, should be admitted into the kingdom which
was at hand.
The preaching of Christ referred to by brother Rixey was addressed to the
same people, and was a continuance of the preaching of John. "Now after
that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of
the kingdom of God, and saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God
is at hand; repent ye, and believe the gospel (Mark 1:14,15)." This time
appointed was Daniel's weeks, or the "fullness of time," when God was
to send forth his Son; the time allotted to the legal dispensation, the time
for the worldly sanctuary and carnal ordinances was fulfilled. The good news,
tidings of great joy to those who could show fruits meet for repentance; the
gospel of the kingdom, which the God of heaven was to set up, was now preached,
and those who had oil in their vessels were to go into the marriage, and the
door was to be shut. This proclamation was made that all such as were prepared
for the announcement should abandon their former position under the works and
ritual of the law of a carnal commandment, and adhere to the gospel. This
proclamation was not a proposition that if they would repent and believe the
gospel they should be saved for doing so, for that would suppose that a bad
tree could bring forth good fruit, without first being made good, which Christ
says is impossible (see Matthew 7:18). We are told that when Jesus thus came to
his own (his own people, the Jews) his own received him not. "But unto as
many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to
them that believe on his name, which were born not of blood, nor of the will of
the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God (John 1:11-13)." The twelve
disciples also which were sent out were in their commission forbidden to go
with this message to the Gentiles, for God had not yet granted repentance to
the Gentiles. (See Acts 11:18.) Nor were they allowed to bear these gospel
tidings to the Samaritans, "But, go ye rather to the lost sheep of the
house of Israel (Matthew 10:5,6)." The time had not yet come for the
gathering in of the other sheep which were afar off among the Gentiles. For
this preaching of repentance and remission of sins in Christ's name must begin
at Jerusalem (Luke 24:47). At the preaching of John, of Christ, of the twelve,
and of the seventy, as many as were ordained unto eternal life believed, and
came forward, confessing their sins, and professing faith in Christ, renouncing
their former hopes of salvation by the deeds of the law, or works of the flesh;
and signified the same by being baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus, and not
unto Moses. We have perhaps said enough to signify our views as to the nature
of the repentance preached to the lost sheep of the house of Israel by John, by
Christ, and by the disciples, before the crucifixion and resurrection of the
Son of God, to satisfy brother Rixey that we do not understand the repentance
preached by Christ in our text to be either that, strictly speaking, which
results from fear of wrath, nor that which proceeds from godly sorrow for sins,
but rather a turning away from their former legal works and adherence to
abrogated rites and ceremonies, to receive that promised Messiah, of whom Moses
and the prophets had written, and whom they were expecting should come. And
although the words were addressed to the Jews generally, they were only applied
to a people prepared for the Lord. All such on hearing the proclamation came
from Judea, Jerusalem, and from regions about Jordan, to Jordan, and were
baptized of John in the river Jordan, confessing their sins, thus fleeing from
the wrath which was then about to come upon Jerusalem, and other cities of
Judea, and thus by baptism signifying their death to Moses, and resurrection
with Christ to newness of life.
Please direct your comments to Mike
Krall.
