http://www.hannoveribc.com/clientimages/25727/pink repentance.pdf
For the teachings of the Prophets see Psa. 32:3-5;
Prov. 28:13; Jer. 4:4; Ezek. 18:30-32; Hosea 5:15;
Joel
2:12-18. John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ, preached saying, “Repent ye, for the kingdom of
heaven is at hand”(Matt. 3:2). This was as though he said,
“Such is the nature of the Messiah’s kingdom, so holy isit, that no impenitent sinner, while such, can be a member of it and share its blessings. The promised One is on the eve of making His appearance: therefore repent ye, and thus be prepared to receive Him.” Thus did
John preach, and many did he turn the Lord their God: Luke 1:16, 17.
The Lord Jesus taught and constantly pressed the same truth. His call was, “Repent ye, and believe theGospel” (Mark 1:15): the Gospel cannot be savingly believed until there is genuine repentance — as the ground must be plowed before it is capable of receiving the seed, so the heart must be melted ere it will welcome the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Therefore did He declare, “Blessed are they that mourn, forthey shall be comforted” (Matt. 5:4), and announce that He had been sent “to heal the
broken-hearted” (Luke4:18). He came here to “call sinners to repentance”
(Luke 5:32), and insisted that
“Except ye repent,ye shall all likewise perish”(Luke 13:3, 5). He illustrated this truth at length in the parable of the prodigal son, who "came to himself,” repented,
left the “far country” and returned to the Father, and so obtained his
forgiveness (Luke 15:17-20).
When risen from the dead, Christ commissioned His servants “That repentance
and remission of sins should be preached in His name among
all nations” (Luke 24:47), and Acts 5:31 tells us that He has been
exalted on high to communicate these blessings in the same order, namely, to give repentance to (the
spiritual) Israeland forgiveness of sins.” Accordingly we find the Apostles, who were filled with the Holy
Spirit, thus carrying out His command. On the Day of Pentecost when many were “pricked in their hearts”
and asked “what shall we do?”, Peter did not say, Do nothing but rest upon the finished work of Christ
.
Instead, he said, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins” (Acts 2:38). Again, in Acts 3:19 we find him
saying, “Repent ye therefore and be converted that your sins may be blotted out!”
When Paul was converted and sent to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles, it was to “open their eyes and to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God,
thatthey might receive forgiveness of sins” (Acts 26:18); hence we find he went everywhere and preached to men that they should “repent and turn to God and do works meet for repentance” (Acts
26:20), “testifying to both Jews and also to the Greeks,repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ”(Acts 20:21). As to those who shut theireyes, stopped their ears, hardened their hearts, and were given up to destruction in the days of the Prophets
(Isa. 6:10), of Christ (Matt. 13:15), and of the Apostles (Acts 28:27), their sentence ran thus: “Lest
theyshould see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and be converted, and I shouldheal them,” which compared with Mark 4:12 signifies “and their sins should be forgiven them”.
Against these clear and consistent testimonies of Holy Writ, certain men have insisted that the Divine
call to repentance was never made to any except those who were in covenant relationship with God. But as we have shown, Acts 17:30 and 26:20 clearly expose this error. Some have pointed out that the word “repent” is not once found in all John’s Gospel, and in view of 20:31 have
reasoned
that it is not necessary
unto salvation. But John’s Gospel is plainly addressed unto those who aresaved (see 1:16). It is that Gospelwhich sets forth the Son in relation to the sons of God. John 20:31 obviously means that this Gospel is written to strengthen
the faith of believers; as I John 5:13 (addressed to those who already knew they were
saved: see 2:3 etc.) signifies the purpose of that
epistle was to deepen assurance. Others have drawn a false inference from the very infrequent mention of repentance in the Epistles, but they also are addressed to thesaints; yet 2 Cor. 7:10; 2 Tim. 2:25; 2 Pet. 3:9 manifestly confirm the fact that repentance is required throughout this dispensation.
“There is no newthing under the sun” (Eccl. 1:9), nor is the present-day denial of the necessity of
repentance for salvation any twentieth century novelty. In proof of this statement we could fill page
after page with quotations from Anti-nomians and others who lived long before “dispensational truth” was first heard of. No, it is an old device of Satan’s yet under a new dress. But woe unto those who accept hislie.
God must cease to exist before He will lower His claims and cease demanding repentance from all who have rebelled against Him. Make no mistake upon this point, dear reader:
it is turn or burn— turn from yourcourse of self-will and self-pleasing; turn in broken-heartedness unto God, seeking His mercy in Christ; turnwith full purpose to please and serve Him, or be to
rmented day and night forever and ever in the Lakeof Fire
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