Matthew 21 - Why Repentance Matters

Today, I bring only a small thought, but it carries great significance. Look with me in verse 32:

“For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.”

Here, Jesus had just finished the parable of the two sons. The certain man had two sons and commanded them to work in the vineyard. One said he would not, but later repented, and then did what the father wanted him to do. The other son said he would, but he did not do the work. Jesus then asks which one obeyed the will of his father. Obviously, the one who repented. This was essentially the problem with many of the scribes and priests during this time. John, the baptist, preached a message of repentance. He taught that one must repent and be baptized, for the kingdom of heaven was at hand. Many of the “worst” sinners believed him and repented, and watched him point them to the Savior. However, many of the scribes, Pharisees, and chief rulers did not repent. Perhaps they didn't think they needed repentance. I'm sure they probably tried really hard to do right. Doing right is a great thing, but their pride kept them from confessing their sin, repenting of it, and trusting in the Messiah.

Have you noticed that Jesus said, “...when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.” Jesus implied that repentance was necessary for them to “believe him.” In order for one to receive the gift of Christ, they must be willing to repent and turn away from a lifestyle of sin. The devils “believe” in God, but they are not saved. Many people mentally accept the fact that Jesus is the Son of God, but they are not saved. Only if people are willing to repent are they able to believe in Jesus Christ for Salvation. I am not saying that one must get their life right with God before they get saved. This is not possible and is equivalent to a works-based salvation. What I am saying is that when they hear the Word of God and are convicted of sin by the Holy Ghost of God, they must be willing to lay aside their old life and trust in Christ to receive new life. One cannot receive new life until he is willing to die to his old life. Think of it like this: You have been carrying around a weight of sin all of your life, then one day you meet Jesus Christ. He has a gift for you, which is eternal life, and He would like to give it to you. However, you're still holding on to your burden of sin. You are faced with a decision. Do you forsake the burden of sin so that you are able to take hold of the gift of eternal life? You cannot grab hold of the gift of eternal life if you are unwilling to let go of and forsake the burden of sin. While that is a good illustration, it is merely an illustration, and all illustrations fall short of perfectly teaching a doctrine.

So, how about you? Has there ever been a time in your life when you have confessed to God that you are a sinner? Were you willing to let go of your sinful life and take hold of the gift of eternal life? You cannot clean up your life first and then get saved. It's only through the blood of Jesus that can wash away sin. Repentance is important, not only at the time of salvation, but anytime sin creeps into our lives. We must be willing to confess it, repent from it, and let Christ live through us. Many churches seem to belittle the importance of repentance. However, it is biblical, and it is important.