Repentance is change from the inside out
Why is it so hard to live the way God tells us to?
The answer is simple, a well-read Christian might say. We live in a sinful world. We have a sinful nature. Our natural bent is toward sin and selfishness, not God.
Of course it is. But a Christian, we affirm, is someone who is transformed. They’re saved from their sins, have the Holy Spirit living in them and being their guide. A Christian might struggle with sin, and will mess up sometimes, but their improvement should be evident to anyone who observes the way they live. They should “bear good fruit,” as Jesus put it. And once we put our faith in Jesus, that transformation begins.
So why does that not seem to happen for many of us? I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s observed this. Despite the transformation that’s supposed to be going on inside of us, it doesn’t always get easier to live the kind of life God calls us to live. Sometimes it seems like not much is different. Some of us struggle with relentless and vicious addictions; some of us indulge in the same sinful behaviors as our non-Christian friends. Some of us struggle to live lives that are as upright as some of our non-Christian friends.
How is that possible, if the Holy Spirit is in us and we are being transformed like the Bible says we are? Shouldn’t we have some kind of advantage over people who don’t have the Holy Spirit in them? Why does it sometimes feel like there is no change at all in how easy it is to resist temptation to sin? Or, maybe even more so, why do some of us struggle to muster up any desire to serve the poor, read the Bible, go to church, or share the gospel, no matter how hard we try and how firmly we believe?
I think the key lies in the very first command that both John the Baptizer and Jesus are recorded to have given, and the first command that Peter gave in his first sermon:
“Repent.” (Matthew 3:2, 4:17, Mark 1:15, Acts 2:38)
I don’t think we have a very good understanding of what it means to repent. And this is a big problem, because not only are we commanded to do so, but repenting is an essential, non-negotiable part of becoming a follower of Christ. The full quote from Acts 2:38-39 is, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Without forgiveness, we can’t be saved. So it’s very important that we understand what it means to repent.
A common perception is that repentance is being sorry for our sins. But at best, that’s a small part of what repentance is.
The main word in the New Testament that’s translated as “repent” is the Greek metanoia, which is a compound word composed of the elements meta (after/with) and noia (mind). The idea behind the combination is a change of the mind, or maybe even more clearly, a change of the mindset. It’s a change in our way of thinking.
That’s big. That’s a huge step beyond the repentance most of us try to do. Being sorry for your sins is one thing. That’s not fully repenting, though. Refraining from sin and changing your lifestyle is one thing. But changing the way you think about sin? That’s even bigger, and it takes a lot of time and work to master. It’s a fundamental change from the inside out. And I think that’s the reason behind why we can try so hard to change the way we live and find it impossible, even with the Holy Spirit in us.
We try to change our actions without changing the way we think.
So what does that mean? What exactly are we supposed to change? The initial command of John the Baptizer and Jesus is telling; in full, it is, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”
The reason we’re supposed to change our way of thinking is that this invisible kingdom, whose King is Jesus and whose territory is the hearts of God’s people, is coming. Even though it holds no physical territory and has no earthly ruler, it’s even more real than the kingdoms in front of our own eyes. We’re not used to thinking that way. We’re used to thinking of the here and now. We’re used to thinking of God as a Being far off, and we’re used to thinking of heaven as some alternate realm where God lives, apart from us here and earth, which we will only reach when we die.
As a result, our thought patterns lead us to do what is most beneficial for us on this earth. We take care of business for ourselves now, and put on the back burner what we’ll experience in (hopefully) some decades in a realm unknown to us and unperceived by us. And if we think that way, why wouldn’t we? Who would turn their back on what’s right in front of them for a mysterious otherworldly realm?
And that’s what needs to change. We need to change our way of thinking so that we perceive the kingdom of heaven as far more real than anything on this earth. Heaven is not the strange and shadowy realm; this world is. Heaven is the ultimate reality; the hopes and dreams of this world are a shadow, and a cheap and inferior imitation of that reality. But until we change our way of thinking so that we understand that, it will be nearly impossible to change the way we live. We will always feel like we are living for a shadow rather than reality.
It’s one thing to intellectually assent to the reality of heaven. That’s a decision we can make in an instant. It’s another thing to truly perceive it. That takes work. It takes a lot of time and work to overcome the perception that this is the world that matters most, now or ever. To do this, we really need to immerse ourselves in God’s word and in community with God’s people. We really need to connect with God, and not stop at a temporary rush of euphoria from a God experience, or at having learned something new, but really perceive God as reality. Only then will it make sense to us why we live for the next world more than this one.
What are some specific ways we need to change our thinking? I’ll post my thoughts on that in a few days, so check back! Feel free to leave a comment or share.
