Be True to Jesus and the Gospel - Preach Repentance

Repentance is not a popular word these days, indeed preaching repentance may even result in you being labelled as having a phobia of some sort, or even to being arrested. Moreover, the general attitude in the church is one of being nice to people, not being “judgmental”. We need to be “accepting” of people just as Jesus was accepting of people.

However, if we look at the gospels and at Acts we get a very different picture. In Matt 4:17 we read that:

From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near”.

And in Mark 1:15

“The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”

And when Jesus sent out the twelve, this is what they were sent to preach (Mark 6:12)

They went out and preached that people should repent.

In the oft-quoted incident of the woman caught in adultery, at the end Jesus says (John 8:11)

Go now and leave your life of sin.

Once we get into Acts with the church proclaiming the risen Christ we find exactly the same pattern. In his Pentecost sermon in response to the question of what they should do, Peter said:

“Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

And Peter carries on in the same vein in Acts 3:19

Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord,

When explaining the work of God in Acts 5:31 Peter and the other apostles said

God exalted him (Jesus) to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might bring Israel to repentance and forgive their sins.

Paul’s message to the Athenians on Mars Hill was

In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.

And in Acts 20:21 Paul summed up his ministry thus:

I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.

So two things are clear. Jesus and the apostles were utterly convinced that preaching repentance was a fundamental part of their task. Moreover, repentance is good news, leading to “times of refreshing” and receiving the Holy Spirit.

Repentance is good news! For a life lived in rebellion to God, or in ignorance of His ways is a life that is destructive, both to the individual and to others. It is a key part of the task of the church to preach repentance, for if people do repent and turn to Christ they will be greatly blessed. If we never preach repentance then are not true to Christ and not true to His gospel.