Back in the 1930s, a seminary professor in
Dallas published a systematic theology that became quite
popular, especially among Baptists.
In it, he stated that repentance was not
a necessary component to salvation, that you could
be saved without repentance.
This ideology appealed to the sinful nature of
man, and it was embraced and adopted into
the modern gospel, which has become known as
easy believism.
All you had to do to go to
heaven was to believe, and you could believe
a number of things.
You could believe the truth of John 3
.16, and that alone would get you to
heaven by believing a verse.
You could go to heaven by a physical
act, by walking an aisle or repeating a
prayer.
That would get you in there.
You could go to heaven by joining the
church through church membership.
But as popular as these man-centered methodologies
are, and they're used so frequently, they're contrary
to scripture, because the word of God demands
repentance if you want pardon for sin.
Jesus said so.
You want to argue with him?
Jesus said in Luke 13.3, Except ye
repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
Except ye means except you.
All perish means everyone who does not repent.
Perish means damnation in a devil's hell, even
if you are the chairman of the deacons.
The early church and the apostle Paul preached
man's duty of repentance.
We see so in Acts chapter 20 and
verses 20 and 21.
How I did not shrink from declaring to
you anything that was profitable and teaching you
in public and from house to house, testifying
both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance
toward God and of faith in our Lord
Jesus Christ.
Jesus' first sermon was on repentance, as we
see from Mark chapter 1.
Now, after that, John was put in prison.
Jesus came into Galilee preaching the gospel of
the kingdom of God and saying, The time
is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is
at hand.
Repent ye and believe the gospel.
And his last word to the church was
repentance.
In Revelation 3.19, we read, As many
as I love, I rebuke and chasten.
Be zealous, therefore, and repent.
Jesus told his disciples to go out and
preach repentance.
We read so in Mark 6, verse 12.
And they went out that man should repent.
So the word of God is sure, friend,
and it teaches us clearly that men should
repent if they want forgiveness of sin.
So why, brother pastor, do you admit repentance
from your gospel preaching?
Is it because you're more interested in growing
your church than in the real salvation of
souls?
What is my standing is the question we
must ask ourselves.
Did I enter the Christian religion without ever
exercising repentance myself?
Have I ever, ever repented of my sins?
Perhaps you've confused reformation with repentance like a
ship captain did in the following story.
I'm going to read you a story, friends.
It's one of the best stories I ever
heard.
I want you to listen to it carefully,
and I promise you, you will benefit from
it immensely.
Here now are the words of a ship's
captain.
I was captain of a smuggling boat at
dawn.
We discovered a Coast Guard boat in the
distance.
The Coast Guard was still a long way
off, and we soon saw her turning toward
us.
We couldn't possibly get away.
We all knew what would happen if we
were caught.
Now, not only would the boat and cargo
be confiscated, but we'd all go to prison.
There was a dead silence as we stared
at each other in dismay.
The Coast Guard was coming up fast behind
us.
Suddenly, I thought of a way out.
Hastily, we rigged a screen at the stern
to hide our deck.
Then, I sent the men in line to
hand up the cargo and pitch it overboard.
We worked fast.
Nothing was heard but the splash of the
cargo dropping into the sea.
The hold was empty and fast.
We'd soon be finished.
I saw the ship's boy was exhausted, so
I sent him to see if the Coast
Guard was very far off.
In a minute, he came rushing back, gasping,
it won't sink.
Why, I ran to the stern of the
ship.
The sun was just rising behind us, and
there, in that long line of light, were
the packages of cargo bobbing up and down
in our wake.
The first package in line had just reached
the oncoming Coast Guard boat.
Helplessly, we stood and stared.
The proof of our guilt was spread out
for all to see.
In our ears, it rang, it won't sink.
In prison, from time to time, I would
resolve to correct my ways, but resolving is
one thing, doing is another.
As soon as we were free, I went
back to smuggling.
A few years later, I went out on
a boat at night.
It was New Year's Eve, and in spite
of myself, I began to review my life.
I saw myself as a child, saying my
prayers.
I heard my mother tell me of one
who came down from heaven to bring life
to the world, and the more I thought,
the more horrified I was.
God had created me, and I had lived
and was still living, as though there was
neither God nor eternity.
I got down on my knees and prayed
that God would help me.
I would be another man.
I wouldn't touch a drop of liquor.
I made many more resolutions about what I
would do and what I wouldn't, and I
began to feel very good about myself.
On further reflection, I saw that there were
a lot more things I ought to clean
up.
I must throw overboard everything that didn't belong.
My life was to be completely changed.
My resolutions were getting more serious, and my
heart grew lighter, and I was happy in
the thought that I had become a new
man.
Having made this decision, it seemed as if
everything was in perfect order.
I was ready to go back to land,
when suddenly the moon broke through the clouds
and shone across the water to my boat.
The memory of that morning when, chased by
the Coast Guard, I had cast the cargo
into the sea came over me with overwhelming
power.
I heard the cry, it won't sink.
How blind I was.
I had tried to lighten the ship by
casting the cargo overboard, and there it was
all there, floating behind me like an accusing
lion, stretching up to the very throne of
God.
All that I had done, said or thought,
was there before God, and it wouldn't sink.
A fool that I was, I thought I
could drown all my wickedness without a thought
of the holiness of God.
If I'd been able from that moment on
to do only what was good, it would
not have changed the evil done in the
past.
What good was it to be forming good
resolutions for the future, when the past couldn't
be hidden?
Tears filled my eyes.
I was hopelessly lost.
Then I remembered something.
Hadn't I been told about Jesus, the Savior
of sinners?
Hadn't he died on the cross for me?
And if I turned to him now, wouldn't
his precious blood wash away my many sins?
Wasn't there grace and mercy for even me?
All at once, everything was clear.
Yes, the Lord Jesus had died for me.
He had borne the punishment of all my
sins, and if I accepted that, they would
all be cast into the depths of the
sea.
The verse, through sins and inequities will I
remember no more, came to my mind, and
I was filled with joy.
Entirely relieved of my burden, I turned my
boat toward shore.
I was a new man.
I'd gone out a lost sinner, but I
was coming back redeemed by the Lord.
Well, I like that story, friends, don't you?
But we must ask ourselves the question, what
is my standing?
Have I ever exercised repentance toward God?
Be assured of this, friend.
The Bible says God requires that which was
passed.
It also says, he that covereth his sins
shall not prosper, but whoso confesseth and forsaketh
them shall find mercy.
The blood of Christ, his Son, cleanses us
from all sins.
Listen, friend, let me ask you, what is
God saying to you?