05.18. Motives And Encouragements To Repentance

XV MOTIVES AND ENCOURAGEMENTS TO REPENTANCE

Before considering the Bible motives and encouragements to repentance let four correlative thoughts take deep root in the reader’s mind.

First, sinners alone can or should repent. The righteous are not called to repentance, because just men need no repentance. Second, and therefore, men ought and must repent of their sins only. We ought not, must not repent of righteousness. Where there is no transgression, there is no obligation to repentance, no necessity for it, no propriety in it.

Third, since all men are commanded to repent, it follows that all are sinners. Let us never allow ourselves to be deceived at this point by the familiar phrases of worldly judgment. Men are called good or righteous by the world on account of their supposed conduct toward men. Women are called good or righteous because of supposed amiability of character or propriety of conduct in human relations. The world does not take into account our relations to God. And yet sin cannot be sin unless against God. And all people, aside from the provisions of divine grace, are out of harmony in their relations toward God. The world’s best man, even if he be our father, society’s fairest, sweetest, most amiable woman, even if she be our mother, wife, or sister, or daughter, is a sinner, under the just condemnation of God.

Fourth, without repentance they are forever lost. God himself cannot forgive the impenitent. The following scriptures may suffice to prove that it is sin alone that must be repented of: "Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee" (Acts 8:22). "Lest . . . I shall bewail many who have sinned already, and have not repented of the uncleanness, and fornication, and lasciviousness, which they have committed" (2 Corinthians 12:21). "I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not. Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds" (Revelation 2:21-22). "And the rest of the men, which were not killed by these plagues, yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood; which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk. Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts" (Revelation 9:20-21). In all these instances the thing calling for repentance is sin.

Just here the reader is requested to note a difference between the idiom of the Greek and of the English. We observe that in our English translation of all these passages the verb "repent" is followed by the preposition "of" – "repent of" the sin, whatever it may be. But strictly speaking, we cannot "repent of" anything. Our English idiom, "repent of," is used to avoid circumlocution. It does not, however, strictly accord with the definition or grammatical usage of the Greek verb, metanoeo, or its noun, metanoia. This is evident in the Greek text of all the passages just cited. In Acts 8:22 : "Repent of thy wickedness," the preposition following the verb is apo – "repent from" which phrase, according to Dr. Hackett, is used in a pregnant sense and is equivalent to "repent and turn from." With this compare Hebrews 6:1 : "Repentance from dead works," and the Septuagint of Jeremiah 8:6 : "No man repented him from his wickedness." In 2 Corinthians 12:21 : "Have not repented of the uncleanness," etc., the preposition is epi, i.e., "have not repented on account of uncleanness." It is true that Meyer and others, connect epi, in this passage, not with metaiweo, i.e. "repent on account of the uncleanness," etc., but with penthesa i.e., "mourn on account of the uncleanness." But both the common and revised version are against this construction. Moreover, passages may be cited not only from classic Greek authors and the Septuagint, but also from postapostolic authors connecting metanoeo with epi, i.e., "repent on account of" (cf. Joel 2:13; Jonah 3:1-10, Septuagint). Lucial (A.D. 160), says, "Repent for what {epi) or on account of what he did." Josephus (Greek text) referring to Exodus 14:5, says, "The Egyptians, however, soon repented that the Hebrews were gone," i. e., on account of (epi) the departure of the Hebrews, (Ant. 2, 15, 3). In all the passages cited from Revelation, "to repent of fornication," "repent of their deeds," "repented not of their works," "repented not of their murders," the preposition is ek ("out of," or "from") which is elliptical and is somewhat more than equivalent to "repent and turn from." The difference between apo and ek is one of degree, not kind,ek having greater force; as, "to drive from (apo) the gate and to drive from within (ek) the gate." It conforms therefore more accurately with the meaning and usage of the Greek terms to Bay, "repent on account of sin," rather than "repent of sin," and to say, "repentance from sin," rather than "repentance of sin."

We now approach the subject of motives. As man is a rational, accountable, moral being, his actions are induced by motives, and in these motives, lies very largely, the moral quality of the actions. These facts should bear heavily on the conscientious preacher of repentance. His zeal should not be allowed to outrun his knowledge. He should, as a teacher of the gospel, urge only right motives to induce sinners to repent. All appeals, based on mere expediency, or on worldly reasons; and all help sought in mere human devices to attract and hold and stir a crowd are unworthy of his high calling, and unsuitable and inefficient in themselves. A change of mind or reformation brought about by merely worldly considerations, is devoid of any religious element and transitory in nature, however promising or startling at first.
The fleeting results of meetings conducted by some sensational evangelists serve for illustration. There is no step taken in religion that steps not toward God. Sin is against God. Repentance, being on account of sin, is toward God. Nor is there need to seek beyond the Scriptures for motives and encouragements to repentance, because they abound with all incentives that will likely quicken the conscience, stir the heart, or influence the will; and because the word of God alone has the promise of the Spirit’s power without which there-can be no repentance. No evangelist, however abundant his labors or frequent his services, need fear an exhaustion of this Bible material or a monotony of service in confining himself to it. The supply is inexhaustible in quantity, infinite in variety, perfect in adaptation and omnipotent in efficacy. It must be premised, therefore, that our present citation of scriptural motives and encouragements to repentance pretends to indicate only a very few of many available resources, and our brief exposition thereof pretends to be suggestive only and not exhaustive in any case.

MOTIVES AND ENCOURAGEMENTS

"The Lord is willing that all should come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9). This scripture expresses not an irresistible decree, but the attitude of the divine mind toward all men. As repentance must be toward God, if he, one of the two at variance, and withal the one aggrieved, is willing to accept the repentance of the transgressor as a step toward reconciliation, it places the responsibility of decision on the man, and teaches that the final damnation of any soul on account of sin is suicide – the sinner destroys himself. The emphasis should be placed on "willing" and "all." The Lord is willing; is the sinner willing? The willingness of God is toward all, excluding no nation, no class, no individual: "How often would I have gathered you but ye would not," "Ye will not come unto me that ye might have life," "Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." No view of the divine decrees, no interpretation of the doctrines of election and predestination should be allowed to obscure the brightness, or limit the broadness, of this attitude of the divine mind toward sinners. Our own hearts should be full of it when we preach or teach the gospel to lost men. And we should prayerfully and diligently labor to possess their minds with the conviction that if everything else in the universe be a lie, it remains true that "God wishes all men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth" (1 Timothy 2:4). We must not, dare not, doubt his sincerity, nor impugn his veracity, when he says, "As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live" (Ezekiel 33:11).
This willingness of God that all should come to repentance is evident (a) by his abundant provision of mercy – "God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life," (John 3:16) ; "That by the grace of God he should taste death for every man," (Hebrews 2:9); "He is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the whole world," (1 John 2:2). (b) It is evident in that the terms of this mercy are simple and easy — repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ (Mark 1:15; Acts 20:21; Romans 10:8-9). (c) It is evident in that, by the church and ministry, he has provided for a perpetual and worldwide publication of this mercy and its terms (Luke 24:47; Matthew 28:19; Acts 17:30). (d) It is evident by the earnestness and broadness of his gracious invitations (Isaiah 55:1; Matthew 11:28; Revelation 22:17). (e) It is evident by his suspension of the death penalty, assessed against the sinner, that space for repentance may be allowed (Genesis 6:3; Matthew 3:10; Luke 13:6-9; Romans 2:4; 2 Peter 3:9; 2 Peter 3:15; Revelation 2:21). (f) It is evident by his joyous welcome to the penitent (Luke 15:20; Luke 15:24) who returns in this space, (g) It is evident by his sincere grief over the finally impenitent who allow the space to pass away unimproved (Luke 19:41-44). What mighty motives are in all these thoughts! What an inexhaustible supply of sermon themes! What preacher has drawn all the water out of these wells of salvation? For an elaborate discussion of God’s willingness that all sinners should come to repentance, it may not be regarded as immodest for me to refer the reader to the sermon, "God and the Sinner," in my first volume of published sermons.
The sinner’s great need and heaven’s great supply. "And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish here with hunger!" (Luke 15:17). How touching, how realistic this picture! He has spent all. He is in want. He perishes. He is a prey to dissatisfaction, unrest, unutterable woe. Well might he make his own the words of England’s great poet, Byron:My days are in the yellow leaf, The flowers, the fruits of love are gone; The worm, the canker and the grief Are mine alone. The fire that on my bosom preys Is lone as some volcanic isle; No torch is lighted at its blaze, A funeral pile.

Over against this, behold the light, the feasting, the joy, the merry-making in the father’s house, and hear its music I Another scripture sharply contrasts the needs and the supply: "Thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eye-salve, that thou mayest see. . . . Be zealous, therefore, and repent" (Revelation 3:17-19).
The prodigal was deeply conscious of his needs and heaven’s supply. The Laodiceans were profoundly ignorant of both. The latter said, "I am rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing." With the former there was complete disillusion. This fact, man’s need and heaven’s plenty, or rather the awakened soul’s consciousness of it, will never cease to be an effective plea for repentance till Jesus comes. Let the evangelist, therefore, who would be successful in winning souls to Christ, play often on his harp. It has many strings and many tunes.
But this special motive is only a shoot from a greater radical motive which bears many other offshoots, to wit: God is the only satisfying portion of the soul.
Who has God and nothing beside is rich indeed; who tins him not, though all things else, is poor indeed.

"The Lord is my portion," said David and Jeremiah (Psalms 73:26; Lamentations 3:24). "All my springs are in thee," says the psalmist (Psalms 87:7). From the fact, inhering in the very constitution of our being, that alienation from God is bankruptcy, arises the vanity of all other sources of satisfaction. To the ’ demonstration of this proposition the whole book of Ecclesiastes is devoted, which aptly closes: “This is the end of the matter; all hath been heard: Fear God and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man." Any earnest preacher may find a suitable text for enforcing this motive in Jeremiah 2:12-13 : "Be astonished, O ye heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid, be ye very desolate, saith the Lord. For my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water." An easy and natural outline for the sermon suggests itself: (a) It is needless work to build cisterns where there are natural fountains. (b) It is hard work to hew them out of rock. (c) It secures at best only a limited supply, the biggest cistern being unequal in capacity to a living stream, (d) This limited supply is always insecure through a possible break in the cistern. (e) It fills the heavens with astonishment, horrible fear and desolation that men should be guilty of this folly in spiritual things, (f) Illustration: If this whole earth, 8,000 miles in diameter, 25,000 miles in circumference, were a full cistern, without a leak, there would come a time when one soul alone would exhaust its limited supply, and then confront an eternity of thirst, ever tantalized by the memory of a forsaken and now inaccessible fountain, whose perennial and inexhaustible flow, clear as crystal, cold as ice, refreshing as life, constitutes the mirage of eternal hell.

QUESTIONS 1. Who alone should repent?

2. Of what alone should they repent?

3. What follows if all men are commanded to repent?

4. What follows if they repent not?

5. Cite all the New Testament passages, common version, expressly showing that men should "repent of" sin.

6. Strictly speaking, can we "repent of" anything?

7. Explain the difference between the English idiom, "repent of"  and the Greek original in Acts 8:22; 2 Corinthians 12:21; Revelation 2:21-22; Revelation 9:20-21, setting forth clearly the import of the several prepositions following the Greek words for "repent" and "repentance."

8. According to the meaning of these words and their grammatical  usage with the prepositions opo, epi, ek, what should we say instead  of "repent of" and "repentance of"?

9. What illustrative passages can you cite from the ancient classics, postapostolic authors, Septuagint, and Josephus, connecting metanoeo or metanoia with the prepositions, apo, epi or ek?

10. Why are man’s actions incited by motives?

11. In what resides, very largely, the moral quality of his acts?

12. Where must the preacher find the motives to repentance he urges  on the sinner?

13. Why no need to seek elsewhere?

14. Cite first motive given in this chapter (2 Peter 3:9) and state  its force.

15. Cite other scriptures of equal import.

16. How much, in your own thought and practice, are these scriptures weakened, or how much are you hampered in their use, by  your views of election and predestination?

17. State in their order the seven evidences of God’s willingness that all should come to repentance given in this chapter and cite clear scriptural proof of each.

18. If you are a preacher and were conducting a meeting, would it not be well to prepare and preach a sermon on each one of these seven evidences as taught in the Scriptures cited, or in others that may occur to yourself?

19. Have you read the sermon, "God and the Sinner," referred to in this chapter, as an elaborate discussion of God’s willingness to save all men?

20. Cite second motive to repentance given in this chapter based on  Luke 15:17, and state its force.

21. What other scripture showing the great contrast between the sinner’s needs and heaven’s supply, is cited in the chapter?

22. What difference do you note in the sinner’s consciousness of the need and its supply in two cases cited (Luke 15:17 and Revelation 3:17-19)?

23. Repeat the poetic excerpt illustrating the first case, give name of  author, and the connections of the extract.

24. Of what greater radical motive is this special motive but an off  shoot?

25. Cite the pertinent declarations of David and Jeremiah (Psalms 73:26; Lamentations 3:24). What else, David (Psalms 87:7)?

26. What book of Bible is wholly given to a discussion of the subject?

27. State its summary of the whole case, revised text.

28. What scripture is commended as a suitable text for a sermon on  this subject?

29. State the outline suggested.

30. Recite the illustration given: "If the earth were a cistern," etc.

31. Recite for further illustration what Pollok, in "The Course of  Time." writes of Byron.