I want to return to a subject which I directly address, on average, about every four or five years. I want to speak to you about repentance – specifically Judas’ repentance, and what it should teach us. I am probably getting the cart before the horse today. But I think that most of us have enough background knowledge, to know whether to push or to pull. Before any one can repent before God, he must come to grips with the fact that he is a sinner. I will return to the sins of Judas and these priest this evening. But I feel led of the Lord to address repentance this morning.
We know nothing about the route that Judas took in coming into the circle of Jesus’ disciples. He was the only disciple to come from Judah. Perhaps he had heard the preaching of John the Baptist just down the road on the banks of the Jordan. If we assume that to be true, then Judas had probably heard John’s primary message – “Repent.” “Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” Whether or not that was the case, he undoubtedly had heard, over the last three years, the same exhortation coming from the lips of the Lord Jesus. For example, he was present when Christ declared – “They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”
If Judas knew much of his Hebrew Bible, then he had heard and read the word “repentance” many times. That was the theme of Enoch and Noah in the very early days, and of Isaiah and Jeremiah later. And it will be the message of Peter, James, John and the Apostle Paul in the New Testament. God’s greatest servant-preachers have all demanded repentance before God. What a contrast to the common message of the 21st century. Imagine Noah standing on the bow of the nearly completed ark shouting –“Smile, God loves you! He has a wonderful plan for your life.” Picture Jeremiah just before they threw him into the pit, promoting his new book “I’m OK; you’re OK.” And how about Jonah entering the gates of Ninevah declaring, “Something good is going to happen to you today, because Jesus loves you.” During the Tribulation when earthquakes, tsunami’s and falling rocks are crashing down on the wicked, the two witnesses will not be promoting “possibility thinking.” Their message, as was John’s and Jesus’ message, will be: “The times (your) ignorance God winked at, but now commandeth all men every where to repent.”
A moment ago, I quoted our Saviour when He said, “They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. But go ye and learn what that meaneth… for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance… His next sentence was, “Go ye and LEARN what that meaneth” – learn that business about repentance. It is obvious that Judas hadn’t learned that lesson, because although it is said that “he repented himself,” it was not the kind of repentance John and Christ were preaching. And like Judas, there may be millions of people who think that they have repented but who have not.
I am not disturbed to teach once again about repentance, because it brings good hearts great joy. Rowland Hill used say that there is only one thing on earth he would miss when got to heaven. He said that when he went Heaven he would miss that sweet, lovely sorrowful grace of repentance. And Spurgeon added, “I’m never more happy than when I am weeping for sin at foot of cross.”
As I say, there are many people who think they have repented before God, but they have not. I don’t know if Judas actually thought of himself repenting, but if he did he was wrong. People’s understanding and definition of the subject are often wrong, and Judas brings it to our attention.
Judas helps us to see that there are many things which are thought to be repentance but which are not.
As I’ve said a couple of times, I don’t know what Judas was thinking when he arranged to betray Christ. He may have had good intentions which went horribly wrong. Or he may have betrayed Christ merely out of a greedy desire of thirty pieces of silver. Whatever was his motivation, it doesn’t matter at this point. When he saw what was about to happen to a man whom he knew to be innocent, he had regrets.
It is a common mistake to think that fleshly sorrow is the same thing as Biblical repentance. By “sorrow,” I refer to “remorse” or “regret” that a sin was committed, or as is more often the case, some sin was recognized and the sinner was caught. Sometimes it is the police detective who catches the man. And sometimes it is the man’s own conscience which apprehends him, as it was with Judas.
How close does Judas’ repentance come to Biblical repentance – the kind of which Jesus said, “Except ye repent ye shall likewise perish”? Thursday, in studying this subject, I discovered something that I hadn’t seen before. The Greek word used to translate Judas’ repentance is not the same word which John & Jesus preached. To be sure, it is related, but it is used only five times in the Bible, and it is not use in an evangelical way. For example in one of Jesus’ parables, a certain man had two sons, one of which said that wouldn’t obey his father – “He answered and said, I will not – but afterward he repented, and went.” In II Corinthians Paul used the word, but it was not in an evangelical way – “For though I made you sorry with a letter, I do not repent, though I did repent: for I perceive that the same epistle hath made you sorry, though it were but for a season.” Even God used this word in Hebrews 7:21 – “The Lord sware and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.” This is the word that is used of Judas, and it means that he changed his mind about what he had done.
It must be understood that this kind of repentance can be a good thing. There is nothing wrong with it, as far as it goes. As a step in the right direction, it can be an acknowledgment of sin. That Judas committed a crime worthy of hellish punishment there can be no doubt. And he had become aware fo that. He gave the Son of God over into the hands of murderers and blasphemers. He should have defended the Saviour, or at least offered to do so, but that wasn’t Judas’ plan. Later, he was right to acknowledge that he had sinned – but this was not evangelical repentance. Judas’ repentance, like those of the Pharisees who came to John, didn’t involve a positive life-change. It was merely a statement of obvious fact, like declaring the answer to a math problem, especially when the answer had been incorrect before. But not very many math answers actually indicate a change of life and heart. According to scripture, true repentance accomplishes something more than suicide. Its fruit is far sweeter and nutritious. Looking back at the Baptist, John refused to baptize anybody who was not already repentant and showing repentance’s sweetest fruit. Part, but only a part, of that fruit is sorrow for sin. There too many people who get caught in some sin and then think their tears can wash away the guilt. Obviously, it didn’t work for Judas. True repentance is a product – yea, even a gift – of the Holy Spirit of God. Paul counseled Timothy to be the kind of servant which the Lord could use in the ministry. “If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work. And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth.” Repentance which comes from any other source but the Lord himself is not true repentance. “Know ye not that the goodness of God leadeth thee (step by step, step by step) to repentance? These last references to “repentance” use a different Greek word than those earlier verses that I quoted.
And something else which Judas’ repentance teaches is that mere fleshly sorrow actually produces death. That was all that it did for Judas, who went out and hanged himself. John the Baptist, our Lord Jesus Christ, and later Peter and Paul were working very hard to make sure that the sorrow of their listeners was not that of the flesh.
Very closely related to FLESHLY sorrow, is GODLY SORROW, and that isn’t necessarily repentance either.
I am reading between the lines, but don’t we find a sorrowful Judas? I referred to II Corinthians 7 a few minutes ago, in pointing to the weaker variety of repentance. The paragraph closes by making an important statement – “godly sorrow produces repentance.” That means that not even godly sorrow is the same thing as repentance. A father and his son are not the same person even though they are in the same family. In another place the Bible says, “Tribulation worketh patience.” Can we say that tribulation is patience? No, quite clearly it is not, but it helps to develop patience. And similarly, sorrow worketh repentance – it is the soil in which repentance sometimes grows.
Godly sorrow is what the Holy Spirit produces in us as He convicts us of our sinfulness. It is one of the steps which leads to repentance and faith in Christ. Judas was on the verge of eternal salvation, but he failed to lift his eyes to Christ, concentrating only on the sorrow in the his heart and the problem which his sin had caused.
There is also a great difference between PENANCE and godly repentance.
On several occasions as we have been reading the prayer letters of our friend in Siberia that computer translation program he uses has fallen far short of perfection. For example, in Brother Sergey’s Russian language he made an obvious reference to “repentance,” but the computerized translation came out as “penance.” No doubt that program is Russian, and apparently the logic behind it goes back to the Orthodox Church, but the same applies to many other branches of fallen Christendom. The religious definition of “penance” declares that it is “a sacrament in some Christian churches which includes contrition, confession to a priest, acceptance of punishment, and absolution.” According to the dictionary “penance” is “an act of self-mortification or devotion performed voluntarily to show sorrow for a sin or other wrongdoing.” Did you hear the word “self-mortification?” “Mortification” comes from the Latin language and speaks of “death” of “killing something.” Self-mortification is exactly what we see in this poor man, Judas – He went out and hanged himself.
“Penance” doesn’t even come close to what the Bible means when it speaks of “repentance.” “Repentance “ is not “self-mortification.” It’s an act of the Holy Spirit lays upon the sinner whom He is saving. True repentance grounds a person to powder to such a degree that he no longer has a self-will to mortify. Repentance is the miracle of God which gives the sinner a heart and mind changed sufficiently to fully agree with God about sin, righteousness and judgment. Neither John nor Christ Jesus ever said, “Except ye perform acts of penance ye shall all likewise perish.” “Except ye repent…”
One difference between penance and repentance lies in their central location. Repentance is an act of the Holy Spirit in the heart of the sinner; it is internal. Penance, on the other hand, are external acts designed to repair the damage that sin has done. Judas carried out the ultimate act of penance, but later scriptures declare that he is in hell today; his penance was fruitless.
Penance has to do with our actions in order to remove the stain of sin – according to Catholic doctrine. It is often the infliction of punishment on our flesh. It comes upon the orders of men, but it cannot to be found anywhere in the Bible. Repentance is the work of the Holy Spirit inside the sinner, which brings the heart and mind of the sinner into agreement with the will of the Holy God. From there fruit will be grown which proves the existence of that repentance and faith in Christ.
Repentance is not the same thing as REFORMATION or the correction of the effect of sin either.
Granted, when John demanded of his Judean visitors, “Bring forth therefore fruits mete for repentance” he was talking about reformed lives as proof of repentance. But a cleaned-up life – a less-sinful life – in itself is not repentance. A new life-style ought to be the result of repentance and of the other aspects of the Lord’s salvation. When Jonah went to Nineveh, he preached judgment, & the Lord produced repentance among the people. When the God-given gift of repentance had done its work, the people had changed lives to prove it. “So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them. For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water: But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands.” Another illustration of the results of true repentance is seen in Acts 19:17-19 – “And fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. And many that believed came, and confessed, and shewed their deeds. Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, burned them before all men…”
When Judas returned that fortune in silver, tossing it down on the tile stones in the priest’s chamber, it symbolized reformation. It was an attempt to undo and correct an previous act of sin, or a life of sinful behavior. But it did that man no more good than reformation does the addict or any common sinner.
What was it that Judas lacked – what is true repentance?
What is it that God-required repentance of you today? “God hath commanded all men everywhere to repent.” No one can build a big house on a small foundation. The idea of trying to be a Christian without repentance, is like trying to steer a 1000 ton diesel/electric Burlington Northern engine across the mountains without any tracks. First of all repentance is spiritual, not fleshly, psychological, mental or worldly. It is a part of the new creation which only the omnipotence of God can produce. As dead men cannot run, jump or play volleyball, neither can the spiritually-dead truly repent. There must be the working of the grace of the Lord first. How essential it is that Christians pray for the Lord to work in hearts of specific lost people.
Second, repentance is always pointed toward God, nothing else. This is not what we see in Judas – there may have been remorse, but there was nothing toward God. In the question of salvation, a great deal depends on “from what” and “to what.” On what or whom do you believe, and towards what do you repent? Some think that repentance has reference to the Law of God. No, the law is the instrument which the Holy Spirit uses to show us that we have offended Jehovah. Our repentance must be toward the Lord – not toward the law. One old preacher said, “One might as well repent toward the jaws of crocodile as to the Law.” What would humbly repenting towards crocodile mean? It would mean death. I don’t care if you are submissive and sorrowful before that man-eater, you’re doomed. So it is with the law of God; it is designed to eat us, not cure us. And although it involves you, repentance isn’t about you; it’s about your relationship with God Our repentance must towards the Lord, who designed the law to condemn us. Judas’ repentance was towards the leadership of the Jews – what a waste. The focus must not be what we have done; repentance isn’t even negatively focused on the sinner.
Third, repentance leads to Christ by way of the road called “faith.” Although no man will see God in any attitude but wrath unless he repents, repentance, good or bad, has never saved single soul. My commission is to exhort you to repent toward God and to have faith toward the Lord – Christ. “By grace are ye saved, through faith,” which is built on the foundation of repentance. “If you from sin are longing to be free, look to the lamb of God.” But make sure that your lookout position is standing on the ground of repentance.
And finally, repentance produces acceptable fruit in the penitent’s life. Fruits such as confession of sin and correction for the effects of sin when that is possible. Fruit like the forgiveness of others who have trespassed against us. Fruit such as humility before God, and before the ministry of the Spirit. And true repentance produces more repentance. By that I mean that repentance is not a one time thing. Should we ever quit repenting? Not until we quit sinning and not before we are incapable of sinning. Is person saved by a single act of faith? No, nor is his repentance a single act. I like this little rhyme – “Repentance is to leave the sin we loved before, and show that we in earnest grieve, by doing sin no more.”
“What if” questions are rarely very helpful, but let’s try one on for size. What if Judas had properly repented? Perhaps the details might have been a little different, but it would have been something like this: His repentance would have occurred BEFORE he returned to the priests. It would have been between himself and the God whom he offended, perhaps with no other eye observing. Yes, he would have returned to the priests with their money in his hand. And yes, he would have been sorrowful, perhaps tearful. There would have been a willingness to suffer the consequences of his sin. But there would also have been a touch of joy, knowing that he was in fellowship with the Lord.
Have you ever repented in this sort of way? Have you ever admitted to yourself, perhaps to others and certainly to God, that you deserve to spend eternity under the wrath of Almighty God? Remember that without repentance shall no man see God. Repentance is a brokenness over sin, inducing you to turn to Christ for forgiveness and cleansing. Without the brokenness the turning to Christ will not be genuine. Have you in repentance turned to Christ Jesus, trusting the shed blood to make an atonement for your sin? Like Judas, you have BETRAYED Christ on many occasions, but don’t stop short by only admitting your sin. Agree with God in repentance and trust Christ for restoration and forgiveness.