A BRIEF LOOK AT SOME OF THE KEY WORDS IN THE BIBLE
Bible Corner - No. 22 REPENTANCE
Repentance! Not an attractive word to most people. After all, who likes admitting he's been in the wrong, even to himself? Nevertheless, facing up to who we are and what we've done is all part of repentance.
Actually the word means ‘changing one's mind', ‘reversing one's former judgement', ‘turning round'; and originally it seems to have been used to describe the literal return to God's sanctuary of those who had been worshipping at some heathen shrine (see Isaiah 55: 6 – 7). Of course, the danger was that this ‘returning' might not really indicate an inner ‘change of mind' but simply a ‘going through the motions' – which is why the prophets emphasised the importance of a genuine inner turning round (see Micah 6: 6 – 8) accompanied by the ‘fruits of repentance'. This message reached its climax in the ministry and preaching of John the Baptist (Luke 3: 1 – 14).
Cleaning up one's life as proof of repentance was the subject of one of Jesus' parables (see Luke: 24-26). In it he pictures a person whose inner life had been invaded by a vicious squatter. Repentance involves throwing him out and clearing up the mess that's been made. However, unless the eviction of the squatter is followed up by a positive invitation to the strong Son of God to occupy the vacant inner life, then things will soon revert to their previous state – or even worse! Repentance in itself is of no permanent avail unless it is followed up by faith (see Mark 1: 15; Acts 20: 21) as for the invitation, it has nowhere been put more plainly than in Revelations 3: 20.
Howard Rady
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