REPENTANCE by J. C. Ryle

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Feb 23, 1860

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 15, No. 14.

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REPENTANCE

By J. C. Ryle

Selected for the REVIEW.

REPENTANCE.

ITS NATURE AND NECESSITY.

"Except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish." Luke xiii, 3.

THIS is a striking sentence of scripture. At first hearing, the words sound stern and severe.—"Repent or perish!"

But from whose lips did these words come? They came from the lips of one that loved us with a love that passeth knowledge, even Jesus Christ the Son of God. They were spoken by one who died for our sins. "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." The words that come from lips like these, they must be words of love.

What greater proof of love can be given than to warn a friend of coming danger? That father among you who sees his son tottering to the brink of a precipice, and as he sees him cries out sharply, "Stop, stop!" does not that father love him? That tender mother among you who sees her infant on the point of taking up a poisonous berry, and cries out sharply, "Stop, stop! put that down!" does not that mother love that child? It is indifference that lets people alone, and allows them to go on every one in his own way. It is love, tender love that warns and raises the cry of alarm. The cry of "Fire, fire!" at midnight may sometimes startle a man out of his sleep, rudely, harshly, unpleasantly; but who could complain if that cry was the means of saving his life? The words, "Except ye repent ye shall all perish," may sound stern and severe, but they are words of love and may be the means in the hand of God of delivering precious souls from hell.

The occasion of these words is no less striking than their contents. There were certain persons who told our Lord of the "Galileans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices." What that circumstance was we do not know. That these Galileans had met with a violent and sudden death seems most likely. It seems these persons came to our Lord and told him of this just as people now-a-days speak of a murder or of a shipwreck, or of a sudden death, or of a railway accident. Our Lord Jesus Christ as his manner was seized the opportunity and made a practical use of it. He at once spoke to those who come to hear him about their own souls. He bade them look at home. What though these people did die suddenly? After all, what was that to them? "Consider your ways," our Lord seems to say; "except ye repent," ye who have spoken to me these words—"except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish."

There are three things to which I propose to ask your attention in speaking to you this night. First of all I will speak of the nature of repentance—what is it? Secondly I will speak of the necessity of repentance—why is repentance needful? Thirdly I will speak of the encouragement to repentance—what is there to lead men to repent?

1. First of all, what is repentance? Repentance is a thing that lies among the foundation stones of christianity. It concerns every man and woman and child born into the world. Sixty times over at least do we find repentance spoken of in the New Testament. What was the first doctrine our Lord Jesus Christ preached when he began to preach? We are told that "from that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent and believe the gospel." What was the first message the apostles proclaimed when the Lord sent them forth while he was yet with them? They went forth two and two and "preached that men should repent." What was the charge he gave them when he left the world? That repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations." An error about repentance is an error that lies at the very roots of our salvation.

What then is repentance? When can it be said of any man, that that man repents? I take repentance to be a thorough change of man's natural heart upon the subject of sin. We are all born in sin. We naturally love sin. We take to sin as soon as we can act and think at all as the bird takes to flying and the fish takes to swimming. That child of yours requires no schooling, no college, no money spent on his education, to learn deceitfulness, sensuality, passion, self-will, flatter, pride, foolishness, and the like. Now when these habits of ours about sin are changed by the Holy Ghost; when this natural love of sin is completely altered by the Holy Ghost, then there takes place that change which the word of God calls repentance.

But I may not leave the subject here. I would endeavor to show you something of the experience of every truly penitent man.

True repentance begins with knowledge of sin. The eyes of the penitent man are opened. He sees with dismay and confusion the length and breadth of God's holy law, and the extent, the enormous extent of his own transgression. He discovers to his surprise, that so far from being a proper man and a respectable man and a good sort of man and a man with a good heart, he is in the sight of God wretched, miserable, poor, blind, naked, corrupt and bad in God's sight. This is the first step in true repentance.

True repentance goes on next, to work sorrow for sin. The heart of a penitent man is touched with deep remorse because of his past transgressions. He mourns over time wasted, over talents misspent, over God dishonored, over his own soul injured. When a man so sorrows, you have the second step in true repentance.

True repentance proceeds further, to produce in a man confession of sin. He feels he must speak to that God against whom he has sinned. He can keep nothing back. He will not hide anything from him. He goes before him pleading nothing, saying nothing for himself, willing to say in the publican's words, "God be merciful to me a sinner!" When a man goes to God in confession, you have the third step in true repentance.

True repentance, furthermore, shows itself before men's eyes in a thorough breaking off from sin. The life of a penitent man becomes altered. What God commands he now desires to practice, and what God forbids he now desires to avoid. He labors and strives in all ways to keep clear from sin, to fight with sin, to war with sin, to get the victory over sin. When a man does that, you have the next step in true repentance.

But true repentance, besides this, results in a habit in man's heart of deep hatred of all sin. The penitent man abhors that which is evil, and cleaves to that which is good. He comes short of his own desires not unfrequently. He finds within him an evil principle warring against the Spirit of God. But still, for all that, the general bias of his heart is towards God, and away from evil, and he can say with David, "I count all thy commandments concerning all things to be right, and I hate every false way."

But now is the picture of repentance complete? Can I leave the subject here? I cannot do it. True repentance such as I have just described, is never alone in the heart of any man. It is always accompanied by lively faith in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Wherever faith is, there is repentance; wherever repentance is, there will always be faith. The two things will always go side by side.

And now my beloved hearers, before I pass further, search and try your own hearts, and see what you know about the nature of true repentance. I do not mean to say the experience of all penitent people tallies exactly, precisely, and minutely; but this I do say, that in the main, the experience of all true Christians will recognize something of what I have just said, and that repentance like this will be a thing familiar to the heart of every true believer.

Take heed and beware that you make no mistake about the nature of true repentance. The devil knows too well the value of that precious grace not to put about in the world many counterfeits of it. Take heed and be not deceived. Beware lest you ever take up with that which is false and unreal repentance, and not genuine, true repentance unto God.

Take heed that your repentance be, if you ever repent, a business of your heart. It is not a grave face merely, nor a round of self imposed austerities, nor fasting in Lent, or upon Ash-Wednesday and Good Friday. Ahab could put on sackcloth when it served his turn, but Ahab never repented.

Take heed and see to it that your repentance be a repentance, wherein you turn to God. Roman Catholics can run to priests and confessionals when they are frightened. Felix could tremble when he heard the apostle Paul preach. But this is not true repentance. See that your repentance lead you unto God, draw you unto God and make you fly like a child to its mother. So fly to the bosom of your God.

And see that your repentance ever be a repentance attended by a thorough forsaking of sin. Sentimental people can cry sometimes under sermons and yet return to the ball, the theatre, and the opera in the week after. But feelings without practice are not true repentance, and mere sentimental excitement, without thorough close walking with God and breaking off from sin, is not that repentance that God approves.

Ay, and see above all things that your repentance be repentance which is closely bound up with faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. See that your convictions be convictions that never rest except at the foot of the cross whereupon Jesus Christ died. Judas Iscariot could say 'I have sinned,' but Judas never turned to Jesus. Judas never looked by faith to Jesus and therefore Judas died in his sins. Give me the repentance that makes a man flee to Christ and mourn above all things because by his sins he has pierced the Lord that bought him. No repentance ever lasts, no repentance is planted by the Holy Ghost in which a man does not look at Calvary more than at Sinai, and rejoice in a bleeding Jesus, a dying Christ, a crucified Saviour. Such repentance comes down from heaven. Such repentance is that which is planted in man's heart by the Holy Ghost.

2. I pass on now to the second point that I propose to speak about. I propose to speak about THE NECESSITY OF REPENTANCE. Why is repentance needful? The text I am upon to-night shows clearly the necessity of repentance—'Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.' All, all without exception, need repentance toward God. It is not for thieves only; it is not only for murderers, drunkards, adulterers, fornicators, and the inmates of prisons and of jails. No, all born of the seed of Adam, all without exception need repentance toward God. The queen upon her throne, and the pauper in the work-house; the master in his drawing-room, the servant-maid in the kitchen, the professor of science at universities, the poor plough boy that follows the plough—all, all without exception, are born in sin, and all must repent and be converted if they would be saved. 'Except ye be converted and become as little children ye shall in no wise enter the kingdom of heaven.' 'Except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish.'

But whence comes the necessity of repentance? What are the reasons, what the causes why repentance like this is needful? Give me your attention again. Suffer me to show you in a few words the necessity of repentance.

For one thing, without repentance there is no forgiveness of sins. Let no man misunderstand me in what I say. The tears of repentance wash away no sins. That is the office, that the work of the blood of Christ alone. Contrition makes no atonement for transgression. 'We are counted righteous before God only for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ by faith, and not for our own works or deservings,' repentance, holiness, almsgiving, sacrament-receiving or anything of the kind. But still, for all this there remains another great truth behind and it is this—that all justified people are penitent people, and that a forgiven sinner will always be a man that mourns, grieves over and loathes his sins. God is ready and willing to receive us, to grant us peace if we come to him in Christ's name. But God requires, and requires justly, that the rebel shall throw down his arms. The Lord Jesus Christ is ready to pity, pardon, relieve, cleanse, wash, sanctify, and to fit for heaven. But the Lord Jesus Christ desires not to see the sinner come to him cleaving to his sins, and hugging in his arms the enemies which brought Christ to his cross. The Lord desires to see a man hate the sins that he wishes to be forgiven. I say, therefore, without repentance there is no forgiveness of sins.

But another thing without repentance there is no happiness for man in the life that now is. Dear brethren, there may be excitement, laughter, merriment, but these things are not solid happiness and true substantial peace. There is a conscience in all men, and so long as conscience feels it has not repented of sin, so long conscience will not be quiet, and not let a man feel comfortable within. A man's house is never comfortable till all things are in order. And when is the house of the inward man in order. Never, till God is upon the throne, and sin cast down and put out of the house. Till then man's heart will not be at ease. The inward man will not know anything of true happiness.

Once more. Without repentance towards God there is no meetness for heaven in the world that is yet to come. Heaven is a prepared place and they that go to heaven must be prepared people. Our hearts must be in tune for the employment of heaven. Our minds must be able to take comfort in the society of heaven when we get there. If you were to go there with a heart impenitent, heaven would be no heaven to your soul. The fish is not happy when it is out of water. And man, unconverted man, impenitent man, would not be happy if he got to heaven without a heart changed by the Holy Ghost. Without a penitent heart there is no meetness 'for the inheritance of the saints in light.'

Dear brethren, oh, that we could know and feel more than we do the necessity, the absolute necessity of true repentance towards God! There are many things that are not needful. Riches are not needful; health is not needful; fine clothes are not needful; noble friends are not needful; the favor of the world is not needful. Millions will get to heaven without these; but no one will get to heaven without two things, of one of which I speak this night. No one will ever get to heaven without 'repentance towards God and faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ.

Brethren, let no man ever persuade you that there can be such a thing as a Gospel in which repentance towards God has no place at all. A gospel, indeed! There is no gospel in which repentance has no place. So long as you do not repent of sin, turn from sin, break off from sin the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ is no gospel to your soul. Christ is a Saviour from sin, not a Saviour for man in sin.

And let no man ever suppose that he can be happy in this world without repentance towards God. You may laugh and dance and crack good jokes and sing good songs and say, 'Cheer, boys! cheer!' and 'There's a good time coming;' but so long as you do not repent of sin, you will never be a truly happy man. Thousands have done the same kind of thing and seemed merry before the eyes of men and yet in their own hearts carried about a lurking sorrow. When they were alone they were wretched. When they were not in merry company they were wretched. Conscience made cowards of them. They did not like being by themselves. They must have new excitement.

Yes, and worse than all, the longer you go on without repentance, the more unhappy will that heart of yours be. When years come over you, and gray hairs appear upon your head, when you are unable to go where you once went and take pleasure where you once took pleasure, your wretchedness and misery will break in upon you like an armed man. The more impenitent a man is, the more miserable he becomes. The less he likes to think, the less he likes to look within, the less he feels comfortable at the thought of meeting God. Have you ever remarked the great clock of St. Paul's? At midday, in the roar of business when carriages and carts and waggons and omnibuses go rolling through the streets, how many there are that never hear the great clock strike excepting they live near it. But when the work of the day is over, and the roar of business has passed away, when men are gone to sleep, and silence reigns in London, then at twelve, at one, at two, at three, at four, the sound of the clock may be heard for miles around—twelve, one, two, three, four. How the clock is heard by many a sleepless man! That clock is just like the conscience of the impenitent man. While he has health and strength and goes on in

the whirl of business, he will not allow its voice to speak to him. The day will come when conscience will be heard. The day will come when its voice will sound within him. The day must come when he must retire from the world and look death in the face. And then the clock of conscience, the solemn clock will sound in his ear, and if he must repent, will bring wretchedness and misery to the man's soul.

O brethren, what a thought it is that an impenitent man is unfit for heaven! I remember a clergyman whom I once heard mentioning in a story what happened to him—a story perhaps, worth telling upon an occasion like this. Many years ago he was travelling by coach. He had to meet the coach by a wayside inn. He met it. There was no room for him. He was taken up. He sat by the coachman's side upon the box. The coachman was one of those unhappy men who fancy nothing is to be done without swearing. He was cursing, swearing, blaspheming, taking God's name in vain, for many a mile together, now flying into a passion, now beating his horses, now cursing, now swearing again. Such were the coachman's ways. At last the clergyman said to him quietly, "coachman, I am exceedingly afraid about you." "Sir," said the coachman, "what should you be afraid of! All is going on right, we are not likely to be upset." "Coachman," said the clergyman again, "I am exceedingly afraid about you; because I cannot think what you would do in heaven if you got there. There will be no cursing in heaven; there will be no swearing in heaven; there will be no passion in heaven; there will be no beating and thrashing and striking horses allowed in heaven. Coachman," said the minister once more, "I cannot think what you will do in heaven." "O!" said the coachman, "that is your opinion," and no more was said. Years passed away—the day came when a person told the minister a sick man desired to see him. He was a stranger. He had come to the parish; he wanted to die there, he said. The minister went to see him—he entered a room and found a poor man dying, whose face he did not know. "Sir," said the dying man, "you do not remember me." "No," said the minister, "I do not." "Sir," said the man, "I remember you. I am that coachman to whom many years ago, you said, 'Coachman, I am afraid about you because I do not know what you would do in heaven.' Sir, these words laid hold upon me. I saw I was not fit to die. I saw I was not prepared for a change into the next world. These words worked and worked and worked in my heart, and I never rested till I had repented of sin and fled to Christ, and found peace in him and became a new man. And now," said he, "by the grace of God I am prepared to meet my Maker, and am ready and meet for the inheritance of the saints in light."

May that truth never be forgotten—without repentance towards God there can be no meekness for heaven. It would be pain to put an impenitent man there; it would be no mercy to him—he would not be happy, he could not be happy. There could be no enjoyment in heaven to a man who got there without a heart hating sin, and a heart loving God. I expect to see many wonders at the last day. I expect to see many at the right hand of the Lord Jesus Christ, whom I once feared I should see upon the left. I expect to see many at the left hand whom I, in my folly and thoughtlessness, supposed were good Christians and would be at the right. But there is one thing I do not expect to see. One thing I am sure I shall not see—I shall not see at the right hand of Jesus Christ, one impenitent man. I shall see Abraham there, who said, "I am dust and ashes." I shall see Jacob there, who said, "I am not worthy of the least of all thy mercies." I shall see Job there who said "I am vile." I shall see David there who said, "I was shapen in iniquity; in sin did my mother conceive me." I shall see Isaiah there who said, "I am a man of unclean lips." I shall see holy Paul there who said, "I am the chief of sinners." I shall see the martyr John Bradford there, who said often at the end of his letters, "That wretched sinner, that miserable sinner, John Bradford,"—that John Bradford who said whenever he saw a man going to be hanged, "There goes John Bradford, but for the grace of God." I shall see Archbishop Usher there, whose last words were, "Pardon my many sins, especially my sins of omission." I shall see holy Grimshaw there, whose last words were, "Here goes an unprofitable servant." But they will all be of one heart. They will all be of one mind. They will all be of one experience. They will all have hated sin. They will all have mourned for sin. They will all have confessed sin. They will all have forsaken sin. They will all have repented as well as believed—repented towards God as well as believed in Jesus Christ. They will all say in one voice, "What hath God wrought." The anthem, as Whitefield said of old, they shall sing in heaven will be "What hath God wrought?" They will all say, "By the grace of God I am where I am," as well as "By the grace of God I am what I am." Pharisees there are upon earth, many—there were, there are, there always will be in the visible churches of Christ. But there will be no pharisees in heaven, no self-righteous people in heaven—no proud people in heaven—all will be of one heart and one mind. Oh! no. There will be no discord, no dissensions, no want of unity. They will have all mourned their sins and forsaken their sins, and they will say, "We owe that we have, not to ourselves, but to Christ Jesus the Lord.—J. C. Ryle.