THE PENITENTIAL TEAR
by Peter MastersFROM SWORD & TROWEL 2002 No 2
Seekers often fail to find the Lord, due to problems in their repentance. How
should pastors and Christian workers respond?
SOME CHRISTIANS are able to say that the very first time they heard the Gospel they were so overwhelmed by a consciousness of sin and by the wonder of Christ’s love that they immediately repented and believed. They tell us they became instantly certain of their salvation, experiencing a dramatic change in their lives. Such sudden conversions are a gloriously authentic manifestation of the new birth, but outside times of special awakening they are comparatively rare. Straw polls of pastors taken at conferences, by this writer, show that very few (usually only two or three out of every hundred) testify to having had an instantaneous conversion. Most say they made several attempts at repentance before being certain of salvation. Some tell of many frustrated approaches spread over many months before they knew they were saved. It would seem that the vast majority of genuine and lasting converts have to
seek and pray for some days, sometimes even weeks and months, before they find the Lord.
They go through a period of struggling and yearning, some almost despairing that they will
ever be saved.
In the light of this it is surprising that most popular modern evangelistic
techniques are built on the assumption that conversion is typically dramatic and sudden.
The simplistic script of modern decisionism has almost nothing to say to seekers
struggling to find their way through the wicket gate of salvation, and needing direction.
Certainly we may always hold out the promise of God that the very
instant people sincerely repent and trust Christ they will be saved, but we should
always qualify that promise by stressing the terms of the Lord, which are -
‘Thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all
thy soul.’ It is an inescapable fact that most people who hear the Gospel do not
immediately repent and believe in the right way, but need further direction,
exhortation and encouragement before they finally close with the Lord in an acceptable
spirit.
This article identifies the wrong attitudes which may spoil a seeker’s
repentance, and compromise his expression of faith. How may we help
seekers to go to the Lord on the right terms? Advice to safeguard against these defects
should be included in evangelistic sermons, and it will also need to be gently rehearsed to
individual seekers who say they have repented, but cannot find the Lord.
This does not mean that we ask troubled seekers what specific sins they may
have left out of their repentance. A less direct approach is correct, by which we give a
summary, in very general terms, of the possible mistakes that they may make.
The hearer may select in his own mind any portion of our counsel which applies to his
situation. We want to help, not to pry.
The main reason why we should never attempt to find out the particular sins
(or idols) which seekers may be leaving out of their repentance, is that by telling us, they
engage in a form of unconscious ‘confession’, which releases and relieves the painfulness
of conviction (by a catharsis), so that the seeker loses the burden to repent before God. If
seekers begin to tell us the details of their sin we should discourage them, urging them to go
directly to the Lord for cleansing. As a general rule we should never need to hear the
particulars of any seeker’s sin. Our message is that seekers must go to Christ as the only
High Priest.
Some Christian workers have admitted that they have derived a sense of
spiritual importance from hearing people speak of their shame. However, not only is
repentance to God deflected, but people may be driven away. Those who have divulged
their sins to a preacher or counsellor are quite likely to regret it, and feel too embarrassed to
return to church. We know of people who have wandered in a spiritual wilderness for years
because unwise workers drew sensitive personal admissions from them.
The following list of possible defects in repentance runs the risk of making
repentance sound complex and even meritorious, which it is not. Repentance is not a ‘work’
and we do not want to make it one. It may be expressed in the simplest prayer, such as that
of the dying thief, who said, ‘Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.’
Nevertheless, as physicians of souls we must possess a realistic ‘anatomy’ of repentance,
and this will add considerable realism and edge to our preaching, as well as enrich our
personal counselling.
This topic is emphasised because superficial repentance is probably the
major feature and fault in so much contemporary evangelism. We begin with a summary
table (right) of problems, and then amplify these a little.
GENERAL PROBLEM NO. 1
The seeker has too superficial a view of sin
(a) Repentance is much too vague and general
It may be that a seeker still has too small a view of the ugliness and
seriousness of sin. Sometimes the preacher describes sin only in very general terms, and this
does not help people to realise just how guilty they are before God. While God does not
demand from the seeker a detailed inventory of all his sin, yet He does require a sorrowful
acknowledgement that the heart is deceitful and desperately wicked, along with sincere
repentance of his most obvious sins. A cool, detached and general assent to one’s faults is
no kind of repentance. True repentance is more precise, as we see in David’s model prayer
of repentance where three distinct aspects of sin are mentioned.
‘Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according
unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my TRANSGRESSIONS. Wash me
throughly from mine INIQUITY, and cleanse me from my SIN. For I acknowledge my
transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. Against thee, thee only, have I sinned,
and done this evil in thy sight’ (Psalm 51.1-4).
The three ‘faces’ of sin lamented by David are transgression,
iniquity and sin. We elaborate on these because, as we have noted,
shallow treatment of sin is the most common fault in modern evangelism.
The Hebrew word for transgression points to acts of rebellion
against God. We spurn His rule, steal our lives for ourselves, spit upon His authority and
break His laws. Every moment of self-seeking and self-will is an extension of rebellion, so
David prays for it all to be blotted out. Has a frustrated seeker realised the extent of his
wilful rebellion? To present the problem of sin adequately should not lead a preacher into
negative, carping, hostile preaching. We can be clear and faithful without sliding into an
unrelenting diatribe, unrelieved by warmth, kindness and humour.
The second ‘face’ of sin is termed iniquity. The Hebrew word
means crookedness. We have become perverted or ‘bent’, and incapable of being, for
example, consistently truthful and unselfish. David prays that his iniquity shall be
thoroughly washed, using a very robust word for wash - not the Hebrew word
for washing the body, which is a gentle word, but the word reserved for the washing of
clothes, which pictures the heavy pummelling given to deeply stained garments. Iniquity is
deep-seated disfigurement. Does the seeker acknowledge that there is perversion in him,
and long for cleansing?
The third ‘face’ of sin is called, simply, sin, meaning - missing
the mark. It points to all actual offences of thought, word or deed by which the sinner has
missed the mark of God’s standards.
David additionally acknowledges that these deeds are evil, a
word which means (in the Hebrew) destructive or damaging. Sins
smash God’s law, spoil His universe, pollute the individual’s life, break all links with God,
and hurt and injure others. David longs to be forgiven these deeds, both from the guilt and
the memory of them. Does the seeker feel something of the extent of the harm and hurt
brought about by his sin?
(b) The seeker sees only ‘outward’ sins
Often people seem unaware of their heart sins, and think only of
outward deeds. Is a seeker aware of his inward sins, such as pride, selfishness, self-seeking,
deceitfulness, covetousness, capacity for hate, spite and ill-temper? Does he recognise his
deep inner depravity and realise that he cannot improve this, and that it is
getting worse as the years go by?
(c) Only one or two faults are acknowledged
It may be that the seeker is feeling conscious and ashamed of one particular
sin, but has never been horrified at his total condition. In order for him to go to God in true
and meaningful repentance he must see his complete need of forgiveness and
renewal. His preoccupation with one or two sins may mean that he thinks the rest of his
conduct needs no repentance. Judas became filled with remorse over one sin - his betrayal
of the Lord - but he never came under conviction on account of all his sin, and
so never repented in an acceptable way (Matthew 27.3-5).
(d) The seeker is still proud of his ‘good points’
Perhaps the seeker imagines that God will be pleased with
some parts of his life or some of his deeds. He may say to himself, ‘I
need forgiveness for my temper and my pride, but God will be glad to have me for my
kindness and generosity.’ If the seeker is still pleased with himself in any respect he has
missed the point and cannot meaningfully repent. He must realise that his whole life has so
offended God that there is no hope of blessing or Heaven for him unless he applies for a
free and comprehensive pardon as a totally lost sinner. In his present attitude he is like a
convicted mass-murderer pleading that he has always been polite to his mother. Any
imagined goodness is an absurd triviality in the light of a sinner’s immense and numerous
crimes against God.
(e) Sin is regarded as sickness
It may be that the seeker sees sin as a sickness. Instead of acknowledging
personal responsibility and guilt, he says to God - ‘O God, deliver me from this disease of
sin which has ruined my life.’ Some preachers actually encourage this attitude by portraying
the sinner as a sad and wretched victim of a painful disease. If suffering people (they say)
will only put their hand in the hand of the Saviour, then He will deliver them from its tragic
power. This is a false picture of sin, which is highly attractive to people who do not wish to
feel guilty. We are responsible for our sins, and must repent as guilty sinners.
(f) Excuses are made for sin
Some seekers avoid taking full responsibility for their sin by making
excuses. They stole because they were in bad company, or they lied because there was no
way out. They have beaten their children because they themselves had received a rough,
loveless upbringing, and they have drunk heavily and fallen into carnal indulgence because
their circumstances have been so depressing. One sinner blames his bad marriage for his
moral failure, while another blames the pressures of business for his temper, and so on. But
when we come before God we must leave all excuses behind and say like David, ‘I
acknowledge my transgressions . . . Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this
evil in thy sight.’
Unless the sinner accepts entire responsibility for his sin he cannot be
forgiven. A truly repentant person cries, ‘O Lord, I have sinned!’ Paul looked back on his
repentance and exclaimed - ‘Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I
am chief.’ True repentance takes the blame, and then the Lord takes away the guilt.
(g) Rejection of Christ is seen as the only sin
It is possible that a seeker may be distracted by the wrong idea that the only
sin which really matters in repentance is that of rejecting Christ. Some preachers teach that
because Christ has already atoned for every sin that everyone has ever committed, the only
sin for which a person can be condemned is that of rejecting His atonement. A seeker who
has heard this notion may go to Christ with the feeling that all he needs to do is to ‘receive
Christ’, and may not feel burdened to repent of all his other sins. The only repentance in his
prayer will be - ‘Lord, I have sinned in rejecting Thee.’
This kind of repentance is easy and may be made by a most superficial and
unconvicted person. Obviously if such a prayer were to be accompanied by a heartfelt
realisation of all other personal sinfulness, it would be a valid prayer of repentance, but
frequently this is not so. The Lord makes plain that people reject Him because
their deeds are evil (John 3.19-20). They are condemned not just for rejecting
Him, but for all the sins which lead them to do so.
Out of numerous passages of Scripture, one should be sufficient to prove that
repentance must focus on the sinner’s overall deeds. In Romans 1 Paul
describes a whole range of sins, stating categorically that God will judge people for
them. He says also that the goodness, forbearance and longsuffering of God is
designed to lead sinners to repent of the specific deeds that he lists.
(h) There is no repentance for unseen sin
True repentance includes a large element of ‘unidentified’ sin. The sinner
feels consciously ashamed for much of his sin, but realises that there is far more which he is
not aware of. He realises that there is far more wrong than he knows. David showed the way
when he repented of both his wilful sins and the countless defects which he
had not so far seen in himself, saying,
‘Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults’ (Psalm
19.12).
Has the seeker really been awed by God’s great holiness? Has
he grasped that the Lord has eyes as a flame of fire, and that nothing unclean can stand in
His presence? Has he said, like Job - ‘Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? . . . now
mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes’?
GENERAL PROBLEM NO. 2 The seeker feels little shame
(a) A benefit is sought rather than forgiveness
For repentance to be genuine the seeker must not chiefly want
benefits and blessings. Preaching rightly mentions the benefits of salvation, but
if these are emphasised at the expense of repentance, the impression may be given that God
will bless even a token acknowledgement of sin.
A classic example of one who repented only for gain is that of King
Saul. When Samuel charged him with disobedience to God he replied -
‘Pardon my sin, and turn again with me, that I may worship the LORD . . . I have
sinned: yet honour me now, I pray thee, before the elders of my people, and before
Israel . . . ’ (1 Samuel 15.25-30).
Saul wanted to avoid public humiliation and loss of his kingship, and his
acknowledgement of sin was therefore superficial.
Does the seeker merely want the blessings of salvation? Is it possible that he
wants to fit in better with his believing friends or family? Does he want to pursue a
courtship with a believer? Does he want to be healed of sickness or depression or helped in
some other way? What is the motive behind the attempt at repentance? It is legitimate for a
seeker to desire the benefits, but there must be a paramount concern over sin. The act of
repentance must never be dominated by the hope of benefits such as prosperity, success,
health, happiness and Heaven.
(b) The seeker is afraid of judgement rather than ashamed
It is possible for a person with a religious upbringing to be afraid of God, as
Luther was throughout his childhood. When a teenager, terrified by a fearful thunderstorm,
he vowed to become a monk if God would spare him. A seeker may be afraid of being
eternally lost, but not truly ashamed of sin, so that his repentance is no more than an act of
desperation. Repentance is more than a cringing attempt to escape trouble; it is a truly
sorrowful acceptance of blame, and a dependence upon grace.
Psalm 130.1-4 presents the right approach:
‘Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O Lord . . . If thou, Lord, shouldest
mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? But there is forgiveness with thee, that
thou mayest be feared.’
(c) A form of passing remorse substitutes for shame
Remorse and regret can produce pseudo-repentance, as the writer
once found as a young pastor visiting men in prison, who repented with apparent sincerity,
but on release scoffed at what they had done. We think again of Saul, whose violent temper
would give way to tender feelings and intense shame for his deeds. One moment he sought
the destruction of David, and the next he wept over his actions, but his weeping soon
evaporated because it was purely sentimental, and not produced by a genuine sorrow for
guilt.
Let us suppose someone has committed a great sin, made a fool of himself,
destroyed his good name, hurt his family, and thrown away opportunities, after which he
feels intense anguish and remorse. But this remorse could be entirely earthly, rather than
spiritual, finding an emotional outlet in repentance. The shame of true repentance is more
than self-pitying, transient regret.
If we suspect that someone is repenting only from selfish remorse, we should
mention that this is one of the hindrances to conversion. We should not accuse the person of
this error, but simply refer to it as a possible factor, and if it is true in his case, he will
hopefully focus his mind on his guilt rather than his trouble, because only then will he be
able to repent. Has the seeker really looked within? When people truly repent they are
‘pricked in their heart’ (Acts 2.37).
GENERAL PROBLEM NO. 3
Repentance is not God-centred
(a) The seeker is not sorry toward God
We can tell when shame is merely selfish remorse and passing sentiment, or
when it is genuine conviction, because the latter involves sorrow toward God.
David showed the difference when he prayed, ‘Against thee, thee only, have I sinned.’ Truly
repentant people see that God has made them and given them life, faculties and abilities,
which they have stolen for themselves. They see their offensiveness in the sight of God, and
the crimes committed towards Him. They feel that God has a just argument against them,
and should everlastingly condemn them, for He is an insulted, offended party. True
repentance is not merely a desire to be safe spiritually; it is sorrow for having wronged and
offended the Holy God.
(b) The seeker is not sufficiently moved by Christ’s sufferings
Repentance ideally includes an element of grief for having necessitated the
suffering of the Saviour. If genuine, it should contain some measure of responsibility for the
price paid by the Lord. The repentant sinner says - ‘My sin was there!’
Was it for sins that I had done
He groaned upon the tree?
Amazing pity! grace unknown!
And love beyond degree!
Perhaps the seeker is somewhat ‘selfish’ in his repentance and has taken for
granted the price paid by Christ for salvation. Salvation, though free and simple for us, was
so costly to the Lord that human language is not adequate to express His dying agonies. The
truly repentant person is usually moved at the realisation that he has caused the Saviour an
eternal weight of punishment and woe. Biblical repentance flows out of a feelingful view of
Calvary.
The Ethiopian eunuch was drawn to Christ as Philip explained the words,
‘He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened
he not his mouth.’
The prophet Zechariah looked ahead to how Calvary would affect hearts
saying, ‘They shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as
one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him.’ The seeker,
therefore, should be advised to think about the effect of his sin on his Saviour, and to feel
indebtedness to Him.
GENERAL PROBLEM NO. 4 Rebellious desires still rule
(a) The seeker hopes to keep some sins
A seeker may be frustrated in obtaining a response from God because he
wants to keep some of his sinful habits or selfish ambitions. It is a common hindrance to
conversion that seekers leave key matters out of their repentance. There may be a genuine
longing for cleansing and forgiveness, but it is spoiled by a reluctance to give up aspects of
the ‘old life’. Many a seeker has tried to hide one or two sins beneath his coat and still press
on into the kingdom of God.
Nothing neutralises a prayer of repentance more than a divided heart. James
says - ‘Let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded
man [one of divided desires] is unstable in all his ways’ (James 1.7-
8). Sincerity and openness before God are essential, and the seeker must examine his
heart and renounce all his sinful and selfish pursuits, realising that ‘all things
are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do’ (Hebrews
4.13).
(b) A new life is not greatly desired
Does the seeker really long for a new life, or is he secretly apprehensive
about undergoing any process of change wrought by the power of God? Does he really want
spiritual life and a new nature? In true repentance the seeker realises that he is ‘wretched,
and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked’ in God’s sight, and he looks forward to the
touch of God upon his life, when old things will pass away, and all things shall become
new.
(c) The total lordship of Christ is not accepted
Closely related to the previous paragraphs is the possibility that the seeker is
unready to yield over his life to the government of Christ. Repentance is meant
to bring to an end a state of rebellion and to commence a state of obedience. It is an act that
marks a reversal of the Fall in the Garden of Eden. Therefore, there can be no genuine
repentance if the seeker does not yield to the authority and guidance of the Lord.
The greatest feature of human sin is rebellion, and therefore the
chief feature of repentance is an end of past self-determination. The Saviour says - ‘If ye
love me, keep my commandments,’ and, ‘If any man will come after me, let
him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me’ (John 14.15
and Luke 9.23).
The frustrated seeker may need to be asked if he has renounced his past
lifestyle and self-seeking ambitions, and yielded his will to the Lord.
It may be felt that such an extended treatment of repentance and its
possible deficiencies steals from the importance of the ‘positive’ side of a seeker’s approach
to God, namely, the exercise of faith. However, it should be remembered that without true
repentance there can be no saving faith, because without a sincere yearning for cleansing
there is no purpose in laying hold of Calvary.
If there is no deep need, there can be no great dependence. If there is no
longing for relief there can be no leaning on Christ. If we are not fleeing from
condemnation, we cannot throw ourselves into the arms of Christ. Faith means that I
embrace Christ out of urgency as my exclusive and all-sufficient hope.
Repentance of personal sin is the driving purpose of faith in Christ as
Saviour and Deliverer, and without it there is no possibility of genuine, urgent, appreciative,
and tenacious looking to and holding on to Jesus Christ by faith.
The problem sometimes arises that seekers keep a measure of trust, however
small, in their own good conduct or good character. Even if a person has only one percent
of good works to subscribe to salvation, his ‘application’ to God will be rejected. If he
thinks he deserves grace more than other people - even if only slightly - his attempts to find
mercy will fail. Saving faith says to God that Christ is all, and that the seeker has no merit
whatsoever. Calvary must wholly accomplish and secure salvation.
Nothing in my hand I bring;
Simply to Thy Cross I cling;
Naked, come to Thee for dress;
Helpless, look to Thee for grace;
Foul, I to the fountain fly,
Wash me, Saviour, or I die.
This article is taken from the new edition of Physicians of Souls by Dr Masters
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