Repent!

“Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?” –Romans 2:4

This is not going to be a soap box preacher kind of blog, I promise; in fact, quite the opposite.  Not too long ago I discovered something about the word “repent” that has changed my mind about the way I look at it.  You’ll see in a few minutes why that is a pun I intended.

In the Old Testament, the word translated as “Repent” is the Hebrew word Sub.  It means to turn back, or return.  Obviously this was a word primarily used by the prophets who were addressing it to the nation of Israel, calling upon them to forsake their wicked ways; give up foreign idols and turn back to the God of Israel. 

To Israel God gave the Law; the law that revealed what God required man to do in order to obtain righteousness; the law which Galatians 3 says could not impart, or give us righteousness, but rather held us prisoner, locked up until faith should be revealed; the law which was put in charge to lead us to Christ.  But Israel did not have the benefit of understanding that plan.  All they knew was that God had given their nation laws, which he asked them to obey; and, for when they disobeyed, he gave them an elaborate system of sacrifices by which they could obtain forgiveness.  According to Hebrews 9, that elaborate system pointed to Christ as the only acceptable sacrifice, but again, Israel was not clearly given that information. 

Throughout the Old Testament their existence is defined by failed attempt after failed attempt to keep God’s commands and be faithful to their covenant with him; and, whether they understood it or not, their very unfaithfulness was accomplishing the purpose of demonstrating to mankind of all ages the impossibility of obtaining righteousness, or pleasing God, by works. (Romans 9:31-32) But during this cycle of failure, God always sent a messenger to his people to call them to come back to him, to return to him; in the Hebrew, to Sub.

Even today this is the primary meaning that people associate with the word “repent”.  It carries with it the idea of being sorry for or ashamed of having done the wrong thing, and turning away from that wrong thing and back to God.

But then Christ, the one for whom the nation of Israel had been created and to whom their existence had pointed, arrived, and everything changed; including the meaning of the word “repent”.  In the Greek, there are still words that have the same meaning as Sub in the Hebrew.  The word Epistrepho means “turn to” or “return” and Apostrepho means “turn away from”; but neither of those two words is translated “repent” in the New Testament. 

The word translated as “repent” in the New Testament is Metanoeo or Metanoia, and it means to change your mind or the way you think or how you comprehend something.   When used in a spiritual sense, it means to change your mind about, or the way you think about, or the way you have comprehended, God.  It is distinctly a word relating to the mind and thought processes.

Ponder the two different meanings with me for a minute.  Old Testament: Turn back or return to God.  New Testament:  Change your mind about; the way you think about; the way you have comprehended, God.  There is barely any similarity between the two definitions.  I believe there is a reason for that.  

Because, with the advent of Christ, the mystery that was kept hidden from before the foundation of the world is revealed, and everything about the way God was viewed, the entire way God was understood and perceived was going to change.  

Jesus is the final and full revelation to the world of who God is and in him we discover that God is not the wrathful God of the law (Romans 4:15) but the God of mercy, grace and forgiveness; not for those who have earned or deserved that mercy, but for all who call upon his name (Romans 10:13) because there is not one who is ever able to earn or deserve that mercy; it is a free gift. (Eph. 2:8)

Repentance in the Old Testament was primarily about sorrow and shame for the endless failed attempts to earn righteousness through obedience. Repentance in the New Testament is about joyfully discovering that God is not mad at us after all, if we have accepted the gift of his son; in fact, he is well-pleased with us, because, through Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf, we are God’s  children, standing before him without condemnation.  (Romans 8:1)

If, today, you are still living in fear of God’s call to repentance; if you look at your life and all you see is failed attempt after failed attempt to do the right thing; if you think that you will never be able to please God; rejoice! God is calling you to change the way you have always looked at him and to rest in his love for you, his forgiveness of your sins and his power to transform your life by the renewing of your mind. (Romans 12:2).