God’s call for repentance perfectly fits his nature.
What did the gospel preaching of John the Baptist and Jesus have in common? Matthew describes the initial message of each man:
John the Baptist — “In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand’” (Matthew 3:1–2, ESV).
Jesus — “From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand’” (Matthew 4:17).
At the onset of a new era, the everlasting era of the glorious kingdom of God, each man preached the same one-word imperative: repent.
That was not a new idea. Repent was an important, frequently used word under the Old Mosaic Covenant. Yet here was that word again, on the lips of John the Baptist and Jesus, as the gospel preaching of the New Covenant begins. Repent.
It continued in the preaching of Paul, the apostle of grace, who said he testified “both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 20:21).
What does this tell us about God?
Repentance and truth
First, it reminds us that the forgiveness and mercy offered through Jesus does not compromise God’s concern for truth one iota.
The most searing display of repentance under the Old Covenant was that of King David after his adultery with Bathsheba and cold-hearted murder of loyal Uriah. In the throes of repentance, David wrote Psalm 51, the expression of repentance without equal in the history of literature, and it is painful to read. Verse 6 records one key concept recalled by David, “Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being.”
Repentance is a central theme in the good news of Jesus because when God offers amazing grace he never strays a fraction of a degree from his perfect commitment to absolute truth. We cannot be saved apart from telling the truth about God and the truth about ourselves. Our heart must believe and our lips must confess that we have sinned against a holy God and against his holy laws.
We must acknowledge that we are in the wrong and he is in the right. We cannot undo the wrongs of our lives, but we can fully embrace the truth. Although we have been bad, the truth is good; and because the truth is good, repentance is good. In the embrace of repentance we actually become like God in his pursuit of truth.
Repentance and righteousness
Second, the centrality of repentance in the message of the gospel tells us that the grace of God offered in Christ does not compromise God’s concern for righteousness and holiness.
In Jesus, God offers the forgiveness of sins, not a license for lawlessness or a pass on purity. The love-based commands of God still matter because they are right, because they reflect the unchanging heart of a righteous, holy God.
“The grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.” (Titus 2:11–14)
These verses describe true repentance and the connection of repentance to the grace of God.
Repentance and light
Third, the centrality of repentance in the gospel teaches us that “God is light, and in him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5).
A day is coming when God will shine the light on everything now in darkness.
Jesus warned, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops” (Luke 12:1–3).
The apostle Paul speaks of a coming day when “God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus” (Romans 2:16).
Hiding and ignoring our sins is an act of walking in darkness. Repentance is an act of coming into the light.
Therefore both John the Baptist and Jesus proclaimed the gospel of the kingdom of God: Repent.
Our way and God’s way
Our way: Fallen sinners prefer the cover of darkness.
God’s way: God saves sinners by bringing them into the light of his holy truth and giving them the grace of repentance. Praise to God for his light, truth, righteousness, and holiness! All praise to God that his gospel does not compromise these in the least! Eternal praise to God that his grace does not foster moral darkness, falsehood, or wickedness.
Life principle: Sinners embrace a holy God through repentance and faith. Through repentance we find life, joy, and peace in Jesus Christ.
Jeremiah 9:23–24: “Thus says the LORD: ‘Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD.’” (ESV)