Remorse Isn't Repentance

God has placed in every person a conscience, a moral faculty which aids us in knowing right from wrong.  The fact we deem certain actions or behaviour immoral shows humans are moral beings.  Without breaking a law we can feel guilty about what we have said or done which is contrary to our own principles.  Though the conscience of everyone develops according to beliefs, even if we were governed by conscience alone all people embrace a system of right and wrong.  As important the knowledge of right and wrong is, knowledge of doing wrong is insufficient to put things right.  Feelings of guilt are not enough to atone for our sin, regardless of how prolonged or profound they might be.  Without repentance there can be no forgiveness, no matter how awful we feel.

One biblical example which comes to mind is Judas, the man who betrayed an innocent man named Jesus to His death.  He secretly sought out the chief priests and agreed to betray Jesus Christ for 30 pieces of silver.  From that time he waited for an opportunity to deliver Jesus to them.  After Judas led the Jewish leaders to Jesus to arrest him, even a man who had been possessed with Satan felt bad about what he had done.  Matthew 27:3-5 reads, "Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, ⁴ saying, "I have sinned by betraying innocent blood." And they said, "What is that to us? You see to it!" ⁵ Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself."  It is evident Judas experienced a massive weight of guilt for betraying innocent blood.  He went to the temple, perhaps hoping the feelings of guilt would subside if he unloaded his sinful wages.  When they refused, he threw the silver at them.  Apparently offloading the silver did nothing to ease his suffering, for so consumed was Judas by guilt he committed suicide by hanging himself.

On the night Jesus was betrayed he said to all His disciples in Matthew 26:24, "The Son of Man indeed goes just as it is written of Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born."  Jesus pronounced woe upon Judas, knowing he would not repent.  A smattering of details are scattered throughout the Gospels which show Judas followed Jesus in word but was not a genuine follower.  He certainly had a working conscience, for Judas called Jesus "Rabbi" when the other disciples called him "Lord" (Matthew 26:19-25)  He held a distinct position among the disciples as the treasurer but was a hypocrite and thief (John 12:4-6).  God is absolutely consistent:  all who humble themselves and repent of their sins will be forgiven - and this offer was extended to Judas as well.  Instead of repenting Judas was consumed in guilt and chose to violently end his own life, a fitting end for a man poisoned with sin.

Esau is another classic case of a man who rejected repentance.  When he was swindled out of his blessing by Jacob, he was upset and rightly so.  Yet instead of accepting blame for giving away his birthright for a bowl of lentil stew, Esau felt he had been wronged when it was his own fault.  He nursed a murderous grudge against his brother, and Jacob was not safe until he moved far away.  Hebrews 12:14-17 says, "Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: ¹⁵ looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled; ¹⁶ lest there be any fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright. ¹⁷ For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears."  Esau felt really bad and shed many tears, but bad feelings did nothing to restore Esau's relationship with God or his brother.  Punishing himself with condemnation or the guilt of others against him did nothing to cleanse Esau of sin.

We can labour under the misunderstanding our bad feelings of guilt for wrongs are sufficient payment before man and God.  The Jesuits used to practice self-flagellation as pennance for their sins, and people do the same today with their feelings of guilt and self-loathing.  When our wrongs are brought to remembrance we may cry out, "Haven't I suffered enough?  When will my pain ever end?"  These bad feelings can bring us to despair and even turn to anger and resentment.  Continually beating ourselves up over our mistakes or condemning ourselves is never the path God intends.  The truth is, we are already condemned by sin.  Esau was condemned before he plotted to kill Jacob, and Judas was condemned before he betrayed Jesus.  We all must repent and be born again through the Gospel to be forgiven and receive atonement for our sin.  We must recognise Jesus has suffered for us, and we must own our wrongs without any self-pity.  It is necessary for us to own our sin, like when David was confronted with his sin with Bathsheba and Urijah.  Repentance should be accompanied with contrition and feelings of sorrow and by grace we experience restoration before a holy, just God.  Remorse or bad feelings aren't repentance but should be evident in our repenting.

Feelings of regret and remorse are useful in causing us to examine our hearts and lead us to repent before God.  Once we have truly owned and repented of a sin we are truly free.  We do not need to condemn or punish ourselves any more - as if Christ's blood is not effectual to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  Those who repent are no longer slaves to sin, feeling the need to cover our tracks, justify ourselves, or play the hypocrite.  With a clear conscience before God and man we do not need to defend ourselves, for Christ has forgiven us and set us free.  David's sin was ever before him, but it didn't need to wound him any more.  God brought healing to his soul and restoration before the righteous Judge.  Psalm 51:6-8 reads, "Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, and in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom. ⁷ Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. ⁸ Make me hear joy and gladness, that the bones You have broken may rejoice."  Remorse leads only to guilt, but repentance ultimately leads to rejoicing.

Astonishing Doctrine of Jesus

All Christians have the sober responsibility to rightly divide the Word of truth.  It is important we observe what the text plainly says before we rush to explain what it means.  It is also critical we do not parrot what we have heard but do our best to stay true to the text with our emphasis.  It is a common mistake to transfer assumptions based upon hearsay or our opinions into passages and provide the wrong impression.  One passage where this is commonly done is when Jesus on two occasions cleansed the Temple in Jerusalem.

People have used this passage to justify being angry when the passage never explicitly says Jesus was.  The harmonising scriptural accounts of the Gospels portray Jesus observing the illicit trade in the Temple, fashioning a scourge of small chords, and then driving out the animals and overturning tables.  Those who say Jesus must have been angry (maybe they would have!) might be the same people who assume a parent must be fueled with anger when administering discipline with a paddle to the seat of his/her disobedient child.  This is unfounded.  To say Jesus was angry when He drove out the money changers is conjecture which goes beyond the text.  Looking at Jesus through the lens of our flesh is a huge mistake.

The emphasis and revelation of the text is Jesus taught the people who were in the Temple, quoting from Isaiah 56:7 and Jeremiah 7:11.  As I read the account of Mark, I noticed the emphasis in a fresh way today I never had before.  The richness of the Bible expands the understanding of those who are willing and patient to observe.  One would have thought the actions of Jesus made the biggest impact, but it was His teaching.  As Jesus held His ground in the Temple and forbade people to carry wares through the courtyard, Mark 11:17-18 says, "Then He taught, saying to them, "Is it not written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations'? But you have made it a 'den of thieves.'" ¹⁸ And the scribes and chief priests heard it and sought how they might destroy Him; for they feared Him, because all the people were astonished at His teaching."

How clear is this?  Most Christians are blown away that Jesus would make a whip and drive sellers and their animals out of the Temple, but the scribes, chief priests, and people were amazed by His doctrine.  The text says the scribes and chief priests heard what He was saying.  They wanted to kill Him - not primarily because their hope of gain was gone - but because of His doctrine which implicated them.  Jesus first quoted from Isaiah 56, and after talking about His house as a house of prayer for all nations the passage said in Isaiah 56:10-11:  "His watchmen are blind, They are all ignorant; they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber. ¹¹ Yes, they are greedy dogs which never have enough. And they are shepherds who cannot understand; they all look to their own way, every one for his own gain, from his own territory."  Ouch.  No doubt the words of Jesus cut like a sword through the hearts of the scribes and priests, implicated as blind watchmen, dumb and greedy dogs who could not understand.  No wonder they were upset!

Jesus made a "den of thieves" reference spoken by the prophet Jeremiah.  Hear and feel the full force of His words in Jeremiah 7:1-11, a pronouncement from God against them:  "The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, ² "Stand in the gate of the LORD'S house, and proclaim there this word, and say, 'Hear the word of the LORD, all you of Judah who enter in at these gates to worship the LORD!' " ³ Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: "Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place. ⁴ Do not trust in these lying words, saying, 'The temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD are these.' ⁵ For if you thoroughly amend your ways and your doings, if you thoroughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbor, ⁶ if you do not oppress the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place, or walk after other gods to your hurt, ⁷ then I will cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers forever and ever. ⁸ "Behold, you trust in lying words that cannot profit. ⁹ Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, burn incense to Baal, and walk after other gods whom you do not know, ¹⁰ and then come and stand before Me in this house which is called by My name, and say, 'We are delivered to do all these abominations'? ¹¹ Has this house, which is called by My name, become a den of thieves in your eyes? Behold, I, even I, have seen it," says the LORD."  The scribes and priests oppressed the people for monetary gain, for money was their god.  These statements angered the rulers and amazed the people, for there stood a man who spoke as God.

Jesus, being God, had the authority to say such things.  To the scribes and priests these were fighting words.  They were infuriated and sought how they might destroy Him.  Jesus spoke the truth in love with a clear, strong voice and the rulers feared Him.  What Jesus did and said all has great significance, and let us be sure we put aside our own assumptions so we can observe and understand what the Bible says!

Seeing Jesus As Your Way

For many people, happiness and joy is always out of reach.  We hope changed circumstances in the future will make things better, but quite often when we arrive at our destination we face another set of problems.  Like a man looking for an oasis we stumble from mirage to mirage, exhausted and increasingly disillusioned.  We swallow our fantasies and grow sick when they never deliver what they promised us.  Man looks for relief, rest, contentment, fulfillment, and satisfaction, and yet to reach for them is grasping for the wind.

When I worked at a church in the United States, people would often come off the street asking for something.  People would ask for food, money for petrol, bus tokens, to use the phone, for a lift, to leave their car in our carpark overnight, for counselling, anything.  I remember one man in particular who asked for money to fix the transmission on his van.  During my initial conversation with him, it seemed like his broken transmission was the only thing which concerned him.  If only he had his transmission fixed, his life would be fixed to.  I came to find out the reason why the transmission was so important was because this individual was living in his van.  There were a lot of broken things in the man's life; the transmission happened to be his biggest priority at the moment.  When it was fixed, something immediately sprang up to fill the void.

We are all the same.  When the poisonous "If only..." thinking takes hold on our thinking, be warned.  "If only I was out of this relationship..." "If only I had this better job..." "If only people respected me..." "If only I could have a decent holiday..."  "If only" thinking never ends and is never satisfied!  It is reasonable for us to take note of physical pain and treat it medically, even as it is wise to maintain our vehicles so they are able to safely transport us.  But unless we learn to be content in God in our current situation - despite our pain or difficulties - we will not be content even when our dreams come true.  There will be something else waiting to rob you of your joy and contentment.  It is only when we recognise Jesus Christ and a relationship with Him is our only means of being made whole that we can experience true joy and peace which cannot be taken from us.

This truth is illustrated when a blind man called out to Jesus as He came to Jericho.  Jesus stopped and bid the man be called to him.  The man rushed over to Jesus, and Jesus asked him what he desired.  The man said, "Lord, that I might receive my sight."  Mark 10:52 reads, "Then Jesus said to him, "Go your way; your faith has made you well." And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road."  It is telling that after Jesus opened the man's eyes, he used them to follow Jesus, the One who had made him whole.  I believe with eyes of faith this man understood.  His eyes would likely grow dim with age and one day close permanently in death.  So often we are without contentment and ask God to change our circumstances.  In the instances when He does, our tendency is to immediately ask for the next thing instead of following Him today in joyful thanksgiving.  Perhaps God is gracious and good to allow difficult trials so we will realise we need Him and not just something from Him.  The blind man who Jesus made whole teaches all who are willing to see.  Jesus said "Go your way," and the man did:  Jesus was his way, truth, and life.

Hearing and Pleasing God

"Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord."

Colossians 3:20

After Jesus explained the Parable of the Sower to His disciples, He warned them:  "Take heed therefore how you hear." (Luke 8:18)  Though all in the parable heard the Word of God, only those who received the Word and put it into practice were fruitful.  The hearts represented by the footpath, rocky soil, and thorny ground all heard the same words but they were prevented from having the intended effect.  Only with humble and repentant hearts can we receive God's truth and walk in obedience.

Recently the worship team at our church has played Chris Tomlin's song "Good Good Father."  It is a sweet song which I know ministers to people who need a reminder that God is a good Father to those born again through faith in Jesus Christ.  Not all people have had a loving, close relationship with their biological dads.  It is comforting to know God loves us despite our sins and the offer of His unfailing love is not dependent upon our performance.  Yet we have a responsibility to abide in God's love, and we do this through keeping His commands (John 15:10).  If we only hear what is being said without comprehending the implications, we will never receive or experience all the joy, peace, and comfort on offer by God.

There is one line of the song which reminds me of the importance to take heed how I hear.  In the song it speaks of hearing a tender whisper of love in the night and then comes the phrase:  "you tell me that you're pleased and that I'm never alone."  Be careful how you hear!  These are true biblical statements when understood in their proper context.  Nothing can separate me from the love of God, but should I choose a path of disobedience I cannot walk in His love.  It does not please God when His children embrace sin.  Jesus says He will never leave or forsake me, but that does not mean I cannot willfully depart from the presence of God or grieve His Spirit.  I do not believe it was the intent of the songwriter to offer comfort to people who are far from God, but if not heard correctly it only offers false hope.

As Colossians 3:20 says, there are things we can do which are pleasing to God.  This suggests we can also do things which are not pleasing to God.  For those who are in doubt, the Bible plainly states this.  The writer of Hebrews quoted from Habakkuk 2:3-4 in Hebrews 10:38:  "Now the just shall live by faith; but if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him."   It is not just the apostate or unregenerate who do not please God, but those who live according the flesh.  Romans 8:8 says, "So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God."  Though Christians have the Holy Spirit, we live in a body of flesh and can walk according to the flesh.  That is one reason why we sin.  Should we walk in the flesh or unbelief as Christians, it is not pleasing to God.  God still loves us and we are His children even when we make mistakes, but He is certainly not pleased with us when we choose sin.

When the prodigal son demanded his inheritance from his father in the parable, he took his money and spent it on himself.  All that time whilst he was living "high on the hog" he remained his father's son and was loved by him.  Yet he separated himself from his father and thus his love.  He ended up destitute and his only companions were pigs he fed.  Do you think it pleased his father when his son took his money and ran away to satisfy his lusts?  No!  But do you think the father was pleased when his son returned home?  Absolutely!  He rushed to embrace his son, lavished him with gifts, and gladly received him back into his home with celebration.  It was not the "tender whisper of love in the night" which caused the son to return home, but the realisation he had been a great fool in going his own way.  He was humbled, brought to repentance, and was able to receive his father's love, even as people must repent and come to God in faith to receive His love.  How sad it would be for a person living in sin to be comforted in his disobedience that God unconditionally takes pleasure in him and justify his departure from God!  Take heed how you hear!

Let us do the things which are well-pleasing in God's sight.  Love and pleasure are not the same thing.  Psalm 147:11 says, "The LORD takes pleasure in those who fear Him, in those who hope in His mercy."  This word "pleasure" in the Strong's Concordance means, "to be pleased with, satisfy, and accept."  God is a good, good Father to His children, and we ought to ensure we are good children in whom He is well-pleased.