Sempra Penitens
March 19, 2008 10:28 am Blogs
Sempra Penitens means always repenting. What does it mean to repent? Martin Luther who ignited the Reformation by nailing his 95 theses on the door of Wittenburg in 1517 wrote this as his first thesis: “1. Our Lord and Master Jesus Christ, when He said Poenitentiam agite (repent ye), willed that the whole life of believers should be repentance.” Some good discussion arose this week at Theology on Tap and at Biblical Manhood. This week’s journal entry is devoted to mission through Christian repentance.
The word “repentance” itself in Greek is metanoio which means a change of mind, direction, way, a turn. Jesus in the gospels repeatedly preached “repent and believe” and in 2 Corinthians 7:9 Paul says that Godly sorrow leads to repentance. The sorrow is not the repentance itself but the precursor to the change brought about by believing in the gospel.
I am convinced that for our own personal spiritual growth and for the conversion of souls into the gospel, Christian repentance is vitally necessary. Without a consistent looking internally at the things inside us which motivate us, lead us astray from God, and end up causing us to trust in other saviors…we will not truly grow and end up having a crusty Christianity. One where we comfort ourselves for having our intellectual i’s dotted and t’s crossed, while the whole time being wildly led astray in our thought life, inclinations, and affections…thinking we are safe and holy as long as they don’t lead to outward demonstrations or acts of sin.
But repentance for the Christian ought to be regular. If you daily don’t find yourself in need of several things to repent of, beware. The deceitfulness and idolatry of our hearts creeps in so easily…we are and until Jesus returns or we die, sinning sinners in need of the gospel to change us. Jesus is on a mission for his glory which happens through our repentance.
Repentance is perhaps one of the chief instruments or tools for mission. One of the best ways to talk to someone about the gospel is by talking to them about our sin and how we are turning to Jesus to deal with our sin. Non-christians need to hear Christians repenting because then, when they hear us talk about our problems, confessing and admitting our faults and failures…then they can then identify with us because they have some of those same problems. Then, when they hear how we are turning to Jesus as the answer and are in the process of being changed by him through our repentance, then they will begin to think “hmm…maybe that’s what I need too, this Jesus person.”
So my charge to you this week is repent and believe in the gospel. If you can’t think of anything to repent of go to God and ask him to show you what areas of life you most need him to work in and what sin you need him to deal with in you. Second, share your repentance with someone who isn’t a Christian, tell them your gospel story…how you are currently putting your faith in Jesus for your salvation.
- Pastor Duane
During last Sunday’s sermon I said I’d provide a link to the San Diego Exegesis Report. Here it is: sandiegoexegsis.pdf