What is repentance?

      Even a cursory reading of the Bible reveals that repentance is important.  Therefore it is also important to define it carefully and accurately. This is not a place to be slipshod or careless.

     The Greek word translated repent literally means to change your mind.  That is also an accurate description of repentance.  In modern terms, it is a change of mindset, a changing of your paradigm.  Biblical repentance is the gigantic shift from trusting in your own works to be right with God to trusting in Jesus’ works to make you right with God.  It is rooted in the recognition of two important facts: 1) how utterly unable I am to do anything to make myself right with God; and 2) how fully and completely Jesus made me right with God.  Repentance is seeing the light – it is nothing less than a new birth.

    There are a number of things that naturally follow repentance.  Once our eyes are open to the ugliness and seriousness of sin, we abhor it.  Even though we abhor it, we see that we are still very weak in the face of it.  Therefore, even though we try not to sin, we know we will sin.  Down through the centuries, millions of repentant people have joined Paul in saying, “For the good that I would I do not, but the evil which I would not, that I do.”  (Romans 7:19) 

    But not only does repentance open our eyes to our sinfulness, it also opens them to the greatness of God’s forgiveness.  “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.”  (Psalm 32:1)  A repentant person doesn’t think he has to quit sinning to remain in God’s good graces – he knows he can’t.  Rather he remains trusting 100% in what Jesus has already done for him.   Repentance, through and through, is turning completely away from trust in one’s goodness and works to trust in Jesus’ works.

     That, however, is not the message of Mormonism.  Its Inspired Version (JST) translates Psalm 32:1 this way:  “Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, and who have no sins to be covered.”  Consistently it describes repentance as a long process – a process that focuses not on a change in thinking but a change of action.

     One part of Mormonism’s process of repentance that startles many Christians is the “abandonment of sin”.  “Maintain an unyielding permanent resolve that you will never repeat the transgression.  When you keep this commandment, you will never experience the pain of that sin again.’  (True to the Faith, p. 135)  Over the years, I have had Mormons expand on this in two different ways.  I have had some echo what this says and say that repentant persons will never repeat the sin again.  If they do, that shows that they weren’t truly repentant.  More often, however, are the Mormons who say that all this means is to try – but they don’t have to actually abandon the sin.  I, however, have never found any official statement that watered it down in that way.

    The second part of Mormonism’s process of repentance that strikes many Christians is the requirement of full obedience.  “President Kimball said: ‘First, one repents.  Having gained that ground he then must live the commandments of the Lord to retain his vantage point.  This is necessary to secure complete forgiveness.”  (Gospel Principles, p. 11-112)  Again many Mormons insert the word “try’ – in “try to live the commandments”.  But that is not what it says.  Consistently it says obey the commandments.  In fact, I have read official statements which say to try is a statement of weakness. 

      I, for one, would despair if I believed that I would have to not only abandon sin but keep all the commandments in order to secure God’s forgiveness.  That is way, way, way, beyond my capability.  That is why I am so glad that this is not what biblical repentance is.  I am so glad that true repentance is abandoning not sin but all thoughts that I can do something like that and instead placing all trust in what Jesus has done.  Because of Jesus, I am truly blessed as a repentant, forgiven man.

REPENTANCE AND SUFFERING

   The April 2010 Ensign contains an article by Elder Dallin H. Oaks, one of the 12 apostles of the LDS Church.  It is entitled “The Atonement and Faith”. One emphasis he makes is that suffering is an important part of repentance.  Following is an excerpt from his article.

    “Does it also mean that a person who repents does not need to suffer at all because the entire punishment is borne by the Savior?  That cannot be the meaning because it would be inconsistent with the Savior’s other teachings.

    “What is meant by Alma 34:16 is that the person who repents does not need to suffer even as the Savior suffered for that sin.  Sinners who are repenting will experience some suffering, but because of their repentance and the Atonement they will not experience the full, exquisite extent of eternal torment the Savior suffered for those sins.

    “President Spencer W. Kimball (1895-1985), who gave such comprehensive teachings on repentance and forgiveness, said that personal sufferings is a very important part of repentance. ‘One has not begun to repent until he has suffered intensely for his sins. . .If a person hasn’t suffered,’ he said, ‘he hasn’t repented.’”

     I will be the first to admit that there is often sorrow connected to repentance.  Once our eyes are open to how repulsive sin is to God – especially the sin of thinking that we can contribute anything to our salvation – we naturally are sorrowful.  Once we see all the things that God considers sinful – sins of both omission and commission – sins residing in our thoughts and not just expressed in actions – we are sorrowful. 

     But then when we hear the wonderful news of the Atonement – that Jesus did suffer the full price for our sins – the overwhelming emotion is not sorrow but joy – the overwhelming experience is not one of suffering but of relief, of a huge burden lifted.  It is the joyous reaction of Zacchaeus recorded in Luke 19:1-10.  He repents and throws a huge party.  He repents and becomes a joyful philanthropist.   But, according to Spencer W. Kimball and the LDS Church, he wasn’t repentant.  I can just hear them sternly telling Zacchaeus: “One has not begun to repent until he has suffered intensely for his sins.”

     Thank the Lord that is not what Jesus told him.  “And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forasmuch as he also is a son of Abraham.  For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

     This coming Friday the Christian church will again observe Christ’s death.  Yes, there will be a tone of somber sorrow as we again see the price Jesus had to pay for our sins.  But even more importantly there will be quiet joy as we again hear Jesus, “It is finished.”  With those words Jesus is reassuring me that he suffered for all my sins – that he alone suffered for them and therefore I don’t have to suffer for them.  That is why down through the centuries Christians have called this Friday, Good Friday.

The Sin of Not Rejoicing

 

     “Rejoice in the Lord alway:  and again I say, Rejoice.”  (Philippians 4:4)  Here we are commanded to rejoice always.  That means that when we are not rejoicing, we are not doing what God commands.  We are sinning. 

     That’s not a sin we talk about very much.  In fact, some people might think that I’m being extreme in calling it a sin.  But this is clearly a command.  And sin is breaking one of God’s commands. If you didn’t know God told you to rejoice always, you do now.  Therefore James 4:17 applies every time we aren’t rejoicing:  “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.”

     When you think about it, it’s understandable why this is a sin.  God has so richly blessed us!  For us not to rejoice is like a child who has everything pouting because one of his toys broke. 

     I don’t know about you, but there’s many a time I’m not rejoicing.  Sometimes it takes only one little cloud in the sky to make me feel overcast.  No matter how much I fight it, I often find it easier to complain than to rejoice.

     This once again demonstrates to me how impossible it is for me to forsake this or any sin.  There is no way that I can do what True to the Faith says in its discussion of repentance.  “Maintain an unyielding, permanent resolve that you will never repeat the transgression.  When you keep this commitment you will never experience the pain of that sin again.” 

     Rather than trying to maintain a permanent resolve never again to repeat the sin of not rejoicing – something that is beyond my ability, I’m going to rather maintain the confidence that God forgives me freely through Jesus.  And you what?  That gets me closer to rejoicing always more than anything else.

FAST DAY

      Over the years it has been interesting to hear Mormons talk about fast Sunday.  For those who don’t know, the LDS Church has designated the first Sunday of the month as fast days.  This is what Gospel Principles says:  “One Sunday each month Latter-day Saints observe a fast day.  On this day we neither eat nor drink for two consecutive meals.  If we were to eat our evening meal on Saturday, then we would not eat or drink until the evening meal on Sunday.”

     As I said, the way various Mormons have described their fast practices has been interesting.  I remember one individual talking about how his family would have a very late lunch on Saturday and a very early lunch on Sunday.  But there have been others who have told me that they were very conscientious about keeping the fast.  Just this past week, a LDS man talked to me about the benefits of fasting.

     But the thing that I just noticed and something I never caught before, was that the church manuals like Gospel Principles and True to the Faith describe fasting as not eating or drinking.  The reason that caught my attention was because this man was telling me how important it was for him to drink a lot of water when he was fasting or else he got bad headaches.  But, according to the church manuals, that wouldn’t be a true fast would it?

     I bring this up, because as a non-Mormon observer of Mormonism, this is an example of the problem I often encounter when having discussions with Mormons.  I suspect many Mormons brush off this restriction about drinking as a non-essential aspect of fasting.  When that happens, that puzzles and confuses me.  If it isn’t to be taken seriously, then why is it being taught?  And if I don’t have to take the restriction against drinking seriously, then why not brush off the restriction against eating?  Isn’t the entire command to fast one that Mormons need to obey in order to be worthy?  And if they don’t obey it by drinking during their fast, isn’t that something they need to repent of and never do again?

SUPER BOWL AND THE SABBATH

 

     Chapter 24 of Gospel Principles, the LDS basic manual, deals with the Sabbath.  Following are a few excerpts.

      “Our prophets have told us that we should not shop, hunt, fish, attend sports events, or participate in similar activities on that day. . .we can keep the Sabbath day holy by attending Church meetings; reading the scriptures and the words of our Church leaders; visiting the sick, the aged, and our loved ones; listening to uplifting music and singing hymns; praying to our Heavenly Father with praise and thanksgiving; performing Church service; preparing family history records and personal histories; telling faith-promoting stories and bearing our testimony to family members and sharing spiritual experiences with them; writing letters to missionaries and loved ones, fasting with a purpose; and sharing time with children and others in the home.”

     This is consistent with other things I have read in other LDS manuals.  That brings me to the question:  how many Mormons watched the Super Bowl yesterday?  If so, is their watching consistent with the advice given by their prophets?  “We should not attend sport events or participate in similar activities” to me appears pretty clear cut. 

     That brings me to my next question.  If watching the Super Bowl is not in keeping with the prophets’ counsel, does watching the Super Bowl on the Sabbath demand repentance?  And isn’t one part of LDS repentance “abandoning the sin”, thus demanding that the repentant person never watch a sporting event again on Sunday?

Be Sure of Your Justification

 

    One of my favorite parables is the one Jesus told of the Pharisee and publican.  It is recorded in Luke 18:9-14. 

     “And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:

      Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men [are], extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.

     And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as [his] eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.

     I tell you, this man went down to his house justified [rather] than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.”

     Whenever I read or hear this parable, I become so reassured.  It cuts right to the chase.  Being justified – being declared not guilty by God – depends on nothing but God’s mercy.  The publican performed no works of penance or followed ant prescribed plan of repentance.  But he was immediately justified.

     I find that so reassuring because, no matter how hard I try, I can’t consistently do good.  Many are the days when I don’t carry through on my good intentions.  Then there are the days when my intentions aren’t even that good – when I really don’t even want to help others – when I think I need time for myself.  On and on it goes.  Everywhere I look I see mixed motives, uncompleted tasks, and half-hearted efforts.  It’s not a pretty picture.

     But then the brightness of God’s love shines through.  With these and so many other passages he reassures me that being right with him does not depend on what I do, but on his mercy.  On the mercy he put into action at Christmas by sending Jesus to be our Substitute – to life a perfect life in our stead – to die as payment for all our sins.

     Because of that I can rejoice even as I confess my sins.  Because of that I can be confident I will be living with Heavenly Father for all eternity in spite of all my failures.  Because of that life is so good!

FORGIVENESS REVISITED

 

    Over the past few months, I have addressed forgiveness a number of times.  Therefore some might be wondering why visit it again.  The reasons are two-fold:

           1) It is such a crucial issue in our relationship with God. 

            2) It is a central issue of contention between Christians and Mormons.

     There are various ways to summarize the different ways Mormonism and Christianity view forgiveness.  One of the simplest for me is that in Mormonism, forgiveness hinges on the “painful process” of repentance worked by people while in Christianity it is a joyful announcement made by God.  One good example of the latter is recorded in 2 Samuel 12:13 after King David had committed adultery with Bathsheba and had her husband, Uriah, killed.  “And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD.  And Nathan said unto David, “The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.” 

     Yes, David did suffer ongoing consequences of his sin.  But those consequences weren’t part of his being forgiven.  The Lord announced the forgiveness.  Period.  Then he talked about the consequences David would have to suffer because of his sin.  David was forgiven before he even had the chance to begin the “painful process” of repentance.

     In fact, the idea that we can do anything to be forgiven goes against what Jesus said in Luke 17:7-10.  “But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, Go and sit down to meat?  And will not rather say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken; and afterward thou shalt eat and drink?  Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him?  I trow not.  So likewise ye, when ye shall have all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants; we have done that which was our duty to do.”

     As Jesus here says, after we have done “all those things which are commanded” all we are to say is that we have done our duty.  If doing everything is just doing our duty, that leaves no possibility for doing something extra.  In other words, we can’t contribute anything in the area of forgiveness because our duty is already to do everything.

     That’s why our forgiveness hinges entirely on what Jesus has done for us.  That is why God can now announce forgiveness to us rather than making it contingent on our working through a painful process.  That is why King David could write:  “Blessed is he who transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.”  (Psalm 32:1)