Repentance is a change of the mind and the heart
that is accompanied by increased knowledge of God
and finding more joy in Jesus Christ our Redeemer
In a previous post I discussed faith in the context of various definitional statements found in the scriptures. Once again, my goal in this post is to explore repentance in light of scriptures that define the principle. It is interesting, though, that while the words “repent” or “repentance” are used numerous times in the scriptures, there are very few definitional statements. There are, however, uses of the word that provide us with insight into repentance. And, there is one passage that is truly definitional.
Defining Repentance
It seems appropriate to begin with the well-known invitation of John the Baptist in Matthew 3:
1 In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,
2 And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
It is often noted that the footnote to the word “Repent” in the LDS version of the King James Bible indicates that the Greek word denotes a change of heart or mind, i.e. a conversion. It is also interesting to look at the Oxford English Dictionary to find a definition that is contemporaneous with the translation in the King James Bible.[1]
Repent, v. – To feel contrition, compunction, sorrow or regret for something one has done or left undone; to change one's mind with regard to past action or conduct through dissatisfaction with it or its results.
It is clear, then, that an understanding of this second principle of the gospel begins with the idea that repentance is a type of change. It is a change of heart or mind that involves sorrow or regret for past errors.
There is a passage in the Book of Mormon, though, that provides a definitional statement about repentance that adds insight into this principle of the gospel. Alma, son of Alma, knew much about repentance and taught his son Helaman. In particular, Alma spoke of the value of the scriptures relative to repentance in Alma 37:
8 And now, it has hitherto been wisdom in God that these things should be preserved; for behold, they have enlarged the memory of this people, yea, and convinced many of the error of their ways, and brought them to the knowledge of their God unto the salvation of their souls.
9 Yea, I say unto you, were it not for these things that these records do contain, which are on these plates, Ammon and his brethren could not have convinced so many thousands of the Lamanites of the incorrect tradition of their fathers; yea, these records and their words brought them unto repentance; that is, they brought them to the knowledge of the Lord their God, and to rejoice in Jesus Christ their Redeemer.
In verse eight, those who become convinced of the error of their ways come “to the knowledge of their God unto the salvation of their souls.” In verse nine, repentance is accompanied by knowledge of God and joy in Jesus Christ as Redeemer. A comparison of the structure of verses eight and nine suggests a parallel between becoming convinced of the error of our ways and repentance. Similarly, the comparison also links salvation of the soul with rejoicing in Jesus Christ our Redeemer. Here is a table that shows these parallel parts of verses 8 and 9:
convinced of the error of their ways | knowledge of their God | salvation of their souls |
repentance | knowledge of the Lord their God | rejoice in Jesus Christ their Redeemer |
One more important insight comes from these verses. The structure of the last sentence equates repentance with being brought “to the knowledge of the Lord their God, and to rejoice in Jesus Christ their Redeemer.” Thus, repentance is not just any change of mind or heart about our past conduct, repentance is a change that is uniquely linked to gaining knowledge of God and rejoicing in Jesus Christ our Redeemer because He is the source of salvation of the soul.
At least four defining aspects of repentance come from the above observations:
- Repentance is a change of heart or mind.
- Repentance involves becoming convinced of the error of our ways.
- Repentance is accompanied by increased knowledge of God.
- Repentance necessarily causes us to rejoice in Jesus Christ our Redeemer.
The dictionary definitions of the word “repent” and the Greek word that is translated as “repent” are consistent with the aspects gleaned from Alma 37: 8-9. But, the dictionary definitions only really focus on the first, and most often discussed, aspect of repentance. Imagine, though, substituting all four aspects of repentance into John’s command in Matthew 3: 2.
Change your heart and your mind because you have become convinced of the error of your ways so that you may better know God and rejoice in Jesus Christ your Redeemer: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
The meaning of the verse is the same. Yet, the nuances of the expanded verse are powerful. John is asking the listener to rethink their past views of right and wrong, their past conduct, and their past understanding of the Lord’s will. The change that John is inviting in the listener is specifically the change that will cause a person to better know God and to find greater joy in Jesus Christ as the Redeemer. This invitation is all the more urgent because the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
A similar substitution can be made in any verse of scripture that uses the word “repent.” When these four aspects of repentance are kept in mind many, many verses take on a richer and more powerful meaning.
Why Repentance?
Having determined four defining aspects of repentance, it is important to consider the circumstances in life that make repentance necessary. In Moses 6 we learn of the condition of all people ever born into mortality. Starting with verse 48:
48 And he said unto them: Because that Adam fell, we are; and by his fall came death; and we are made partakers of misery and woe.
Adam, having fallen, was instructed about the role of repentance in God’s plan.
52 And [God] also said unto [Adam]: If thou wilt turn unto me, and hearken unto my voice, and believe, and repent of all thy transgressions, and be baptized, even in water, in the name of mine Only Begotten Son, who is full of grace and truth, which is Jesus Christ, the only name which shall be given under heaven, whereby salvation shall come unto the children of men, ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, asking all things in his name, and whatsoever ye shall ask, it shall be given you.
Adam asked for further information and was taught about the role of the Savior in overcoming the consequences of Adam’s transgression.
53 And our father Adam spake unto the Lord, and said: Why is it that men must repent and be baptized in water? And the Lord said unto Adam: Behold I have forgiven thee thy transgression in the Garden of Eden.
54 Hence came the saying abroad among the people, that the Son of God hath atoned for original guilt, wherein the sins of the parents cannot be answered upon the heads of the children, for they are whole from the foundation of the world.
Finally, Moses 6 contains instruction to Adam about the importance of repentance for all of Adam’s children.
55 And the Lord spake unto Adam, saying: Inasmuch as thy children are conceived in sin, even so when they begin to grow up, sin conceiveth in their hearts, and they taste the bitter, that they may know to prize the good.
56 And it is given unto them to know good from evil; wherefore they are agents unto themselves, and I have given unto you another law and commandment.
57 Wherefore teach it unto your children, that all men, everywhere, must repent, or they can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God, for no unclean thing can dwell there, or dwell in his presence; for, in the language of Adam, Man of Holiness is his name, and the name of his Only Begotten is the Son of Man, even Jesus Christ, a righteous Judge, who shall come in the meridian of time.
While we are free from responsibility for the transgression of Adam and Eve in the garden, we are all born into a world where our spirit inhabits a body that has desires, appetites and passions. We will all be subject to temptation and sin. In fact, King Benjamin in Mosiah 3 described us as being by nature, through Adam, fallen (see verse 16). He then goes on to describe us in our fallen state:
19 For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord …
Consider the implication of this. God intended, from the beginning as part of His plan, for us to be born into mortality in a fallen state. It is inherent in mortality that we experience sin. We will sin and there is a purpose in the experience of mortality. As it said in Moses 6: 55, we are meant to taste the bitter, that we may know to prize the good. We are here to learn to prefer the good to the bitter, to prefer God to the desires, appetites and passions of the body. For this to happen, we are meant to taste the bitter.
As an analogy, mortality and sin are kind of like God dropping us in the middle of a muddy field. We are invited to get out of the mud. But, it is inevitable that we will get mud on us as we try to get out. What we should not do, though, is drop and roll in the mud and revel in the feel of it. We should head for the edge of the field where God is waiting to wash the mud off of us. Ultimately, Jesus Christ is the only one who can wash the mud of sin off of us. We should not think of ourselves as failures just because we sin (get mud on ourselves). Sin is inevitable in life. The real question is, do we learn to prefer being clean?
Moroni also spoke of our condition in mortality. He gives us hope that the fallen condition of the “natural man” in mortality may be overcome. In Ether 12 Moroni reports the Lord’s invitation to us:
27 And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.
Taken together these scriptures describe the fall of Adam and Eve and our condition in mortality. And, despite their transgression, we enjoy freedom from original guilt through Jesus Christ. Yet, our condition in mortality is one of weakness as the “natural man.” Our spirit is confronted with the desires, appetites and passions of the body. The desires of the “natural man” cause us to violate the laws that would allow us to return to the presence of God. We become unclean because of sin.
If we will humble ourselves and come unto Jesus Christ, He will do something remarkable for us. He will show us our weakness. Our weakness is that we are the “natural man” and an enemy to God. While it may not sound like a fun thing to learn of our weakness, it is actually the beginning of repentance. We come to understand that we can be reconciled to God through the atonement of Jesus Christ. We accept His invitation to change.
What a remarkable blessing it is that God intended, from the beginning, for us to taste the bitter that we might know to prize the good. He will show us our weakness so that we may have those weak things in us become strong. Jesus Christ will transform us from a natural man or woman into a man or woman of God. This will happen a little at a time as, line upon line, grace for grace, weak things are made strong through repentance; that is, through changing our mind and heart as we come to know God and rejoice in Jesus Christ our Redeemer.
The sheer joy of this process is seen in Ammon’s words in Alma 26:
16 Therefore, let us glory, yea, we will glory in the Lord; yea, we will rejoice, for our joy is full; yea, we will praise our God forever. Behold, who can glory too much in the Lord? Yea, who can say too much of his great power, and of his mercy, and of his long-suffering towards the children of men? Behold, I say unto you, I cannot say the smallest part which I feel.
21 And now behold, my brethren, what natural man is there that knoweth these things? I say unto you, there is none that knoweth these things, save it be the penitent.
If we truly understand repentance then we will gladly learn of our weakness. We will find greater knowledge of God and rejoice in Jesus Christ our Redeemer as we see weak things become strong through repentance. Rather than wallowing in guilt over past mistakes and haranguing ourselves as worthless and unworthy, we should celebrate the opportunity to learn and progress. God intended for us to experience the feelings and consequences of indulging the desires, appetites and passions of mortality. He does not, however, intend for us to remain in sin. He is waiting to embrace us when we choose to come to Him as we follow the sweet promptings of the Spirit.
As Ammon said, the natural man cannot know the things of God. Only the penitent can know God and rejoice in Jesus Christ our Redeemer.
How do I Know I Have Been Forgiven?
Often we wonder how to know if our sins have been forgiven. This is a matter of faith in Jesus Christ. He is very clear on this question. Remember the woman taken in adultery. The scribes and Pharisees brought her to Jesus. After the crowd dispersed in response to His invitation, "he that is without sin cast the first stone," Jesus asked the woman who was left to condemn her. Her response, in John 8: 12, was, “No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.”
This wonderful anecdote illustrates what John had already taught about Jesus in chapter 3:
16 ¶ For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
Jesus did not come into the world to condemn us. He came into the world to save us from sin. His request is simple. Learn from the sin that we do not like the bitter consequences. Show through change that we prefer the good that comes from being clean of sin. We have his promise that if we change through repentance that He will not condemn us, our sins are forgiven, and we can look forward to everlasting life.
Remember, sin is an inevitable part of life. We do not fail just because we sin. We fail when we do not learn the lessons of sin in such a way that we come to better know God and rejoice in Jesus Christ our Redeemer.
Craig,
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your blog and your thoughts on repentance!
Mac