Expert: Dr. Ronald E. Shultz - 6/13/2005

Question
Hi,

I'm really confused about how “repentance” fits into a person getting saved. I hear pastors say people need to repent first before they can accept Jesus and  become saved.  However, if people are slaves to sin, then where do they find the strength to repent in order to get saved? In other words, say some one is an alcoholic. They don't have the strength in themselves to turn from alcohol in order to get saved! So how do they find the strength to repent of their alcoholism? How do they even have the strength to want to repent of alcoholism? For this reason I'm wondering perhaps instead I should not mention repentance at all and instead just ask unsaved people to accept Jesus as their personal savior. Inotherwords, don't mention the alcoholism and instead ask them if they would like Jesus to be their savior. Then once the Holy Spirit comes into their heart, then the Holy Spirit will give the alcoholic the strength to over come the alcohol. What do you think?  

Answer
Let's look at the word in the origial languages.

5162  nacham (naw-kham');
a primitive root; properly, to sigh, i.e. breathe strongly; by implication, to be sorry, i.e. (in a favorable sense) to pity, console or (reflexively) rue; or (unfavorably) to avenge (oneself):
KJV-- comfort (self), ease [one'sself], repent (-eringself,-,).

We can see other ways that this Hebrew word is translated in the OT.  It is tranlated only in Hosea 13:14 as repentance.   There is nothing here about strength or actually turning away as an act.  It is an attitude of heart and that attitude is heart sorrow for actions.

3340  metanoeo (met-an-o-eh'-o);
from 3326 and 3539; to think differently or afterwards, i.e. reconsider (morally, feel compunction):
KJV-- repent.

3341  metanoia (met-an'-oy-ah);
from 3340; (subjectively) compunction (for guilt, including reformation); by implication reversal (of [another's] decision):
KJV-- repentance.

Some of the best folks to ask about alcoholism are alcoholics.  They will tell you that they have tried to stop and cannot and will speak to the addictive power of alcohol when it is abused. They are sorry that they let themselves get into the predicament but know they will never change or will have to go through a terrible process to stop.  They may even tell you how bad it is while they are sipping on a bottle.  They have changed their core thoughts on the issue but the addiction controls them.

Some folks have changed their behavior in other areas for many reasons.  One of my mentors said that he and his buddies stopped swearing because it was not an intellectual thing to do.  They did not call it sin or even ask for help to stop.  They just stopped or reformed themselves.  By some folks definition they might appear to have repented because they changed actions and attitudes, but it was not a biblical or godly repentance.  It was a repentance of convenience or advantage.  

When you come to God and tell Him that you are a sinner and His ways are right and yours are wrong you are in a state of repentance.  Sin is choosing our ways over His and basically that stems from a lack of faith.  When we turn from non-faith to faith we have repented.  

Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. (KJV)

Faith or trust in God and His character is the ultimate issue.  Adam and Eve fell because they lost faith in God and His Word.  The actions were the result of the heart unbelief or distrust.  People offering up sacrifices in the OT were cleansed of their sin because of the heart trust in God.  They offered up because God promised that sacrifice would cover their sin and they believed God even though from a human perspective the concept may have seemed strange or even unjust.  They did it because they believed.  People were healed by their faith in what God said when they looked at the brazen serpent.  There was no healing power in the snake, but in the God who said look at it.  The look of trust healed them.   Jesus told the woman with the issue of blood that her faith had saved her not that she had touched His robe but rather the faith in His power.

In Acts 2:38 what are the folks being told to repent of, alcoholism, whoredom, etc?  They were told to change their mind about Jesus.  They had rejected Him and many there may have been in the crowd who shouted Hosanna and the one that cried Crucify Him. They had, in a sense, repented of their trust in Him when they switched from Hosanna to Crucify.  In God's grace they were now being allowed to repent of that repentance and trust Christ for their salvation.  That faith or repentance of heart is what cleansed them from their sin not giving up drinking before they came to Him. They had to repent of their sin of unbelief.

When you are asking someone to repent, you are asking them to turn from whatever or whoever they are trusting in currently and trusting what God has said about them, Himself, their sin and their options.

I Jn 5:7-15
7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.
8 And there are three that bear witness in earth, the spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.
9 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son.
10 He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.
11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.
13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.
14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:
15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.
(KJV)

Don't deal with sins except to use them to prove to the person that they are a sinner.  After that forget them and let the Holy Spirit deal with those after the person is saved. He is their only source of deliverance and power for He was given to train/disciple and empower the believer.  

John 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. (KJV)

Gal 5:16-18
16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. (KJV)

I hope this has been of some help to you. May God richly bless you as you seek His will and Word!!

Bro. Ron
www.mavmin.org