WHY MEN DO NOT PREACH REPENTANCE
By Charles R. Curtman
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April 25, 1997 (Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061-0368, fbns@wayoflife.org) - The following message by Pastor Charles R. Curtman is from Valiant for Truth, March 1997 (Cornerstone Baptist Church, 17613 Manchester Rd., Wyldewood, MO 63038)--
I want to state at the outset what is NOT a reason why men are not preaching repentance today. It is not because repentance is not a biblical doctrine or is not a vital part of the gospel message.
Mark 1:4 tells us of the forerunner of Christ, that "John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins." Mark 1:14 says, "Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel." When the twelve were sent out by Jesus on their first preaching mission, Mark 6:12 says, "And they went out and preached that men should repent."
So, we have John the Baptist, Jesus Christ, and the twelve clearly preaching repentance.
Obviously, John the Baptist, our Lord, and the apostles understood repentance to be an important, indispensable part of the Gospel. Luke 24:46,47 says, "Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day And that repentance and remission of sins should he preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem." Notice, that the same context that talks about how intended and important it was that Christ suffer and rise from the dead, the Bible goes on to say, "And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached..." (Do you see how these two things, Christ's suffering and resurrection, and the preaching of repentance, are linked together?)
Repentance is inseparably, inextricably linked (by anyone with an ounce of brains or integrity) with forgiveness of sins and with believing unto salvation. God not only gave the very words that are in the Bible, He also directed as to the order in which these words were to be placed. See how John connected repentance as a precedent to the remission of sins in Mark 1:4, and how Jesus associated repentance as a precedent to belief in the gospel in Mark 1:15 above? Jesus said that when John preached the gospel to certain ones, they were incapable of believing it because of their refusal to repent: "For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and you believed him not: but the publicans and harlots believed him: and ye, when you had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe" (Mart. 21:32). See the connection? Because they would not repent, they were unable to believe. WHERE THERE IS NOT REPENTANCE, THERE CAN BE NO SAVING FAITH! "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out.." (Acts 3:19). What comes before conversion and the blotting out of sins here? According to the Apostle Peter, repentance does.
The Book of Acts is called the Acts of the Apostles. Really, it is the record of the acts of the Holy Spirit through the early church when thousands were being saved and added to the church. I think the apostles and the early church[es] understood what is involved in preaching the gospel message and winning the lost to Christ. They obviously believed repentance was an integral. indispensable part of the gospel.
When the apostles were forbidden to preach by the Sanhedrin court, they simply gave testimony to Jesus, what they were preaching and what they intended to keep on preaching: "Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour; for to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins" (Acts 5:31). The idea of preaching is to bring people to repentance and faith so they can receive forgiveness of sins.
By the way, while we are noticing the significance of the order in which the words of Scripture are arranged, you might observe the order of "Prince" and "Saviour" in Acts 5:31. There must be an attitude of heart that recognizes Jesus as King or Prince or Ruler or Lord or Master, and is willing to accept him as such before the humility of heart will ever be there to receive Him as Saviour. It is interesting, but not surprising, that people who have a problem with repentance also have a problem with recognizing the Lordship of Christ and this is evidence of a stubborn, self-preserving, egotistical pride after the nature of Satan, whose main problem was and is, an unwillingness to render total submission to the Lord. It is a mark of the fallen nature to want to maintain some degree of self-elevation rather than humble oneself entirely in the dust before God.
When Peter gave his report about the salvation of Cornelius and members of his household, the church in Jerusalem became convinced that these Gentiles had experienced the same work of grace in salvation as themselves. Acts 11:18 says, "when they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life." WHAT HAD GOD GRANTED THEM BEFORE HE GRANTED THEM ETERNAL LIFE? REPENTANCE! These words and their order were not placed in the New Testament by the Holy Spirit as a matter of happenstance.
When the Apostle Paul was giving his testimony before Felix, he explained to him of what his ministry consisted. He said the objective of his preaching was, "To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me" (Acts 26:18). What did Paul recognize as having to happen before people could turn to light and to God, and receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance with and become part of them who are sanctified by faith? Why, he said they needed to turn from darkness and from the power of Satan! That's repentance!
In verses nineteen and twenty, Paul tells King Agrippa about the ministry God had called him to: "whereupon, 0 king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision: But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance." Nobody is going to turn to God until they repent
When Paul wrote to the church at Thessalonica, he recognized the fruit of the ministry he had had among them. He said that they "turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God"(I Thess. 1:9). They had to first turn from their idols before they could turn to God. This idea that a person can turn to God without turning from sin is as nonsensical as it is heretical.
How can you turn to something without turning from something? "Oh," says the Jehudi crowd that wants to cut repentance out of the Bible, "it just means to repent of unbelief not sin in general, not the principle of sin that has been ruling and reigning in one's life. It just means to turn from not believing in Jesus to believing in Jesus. A heart attitude that is repulsed by sin and resolves not to sin may, or may not, come later on in a believer's life." My friends, this line of reasoning is nothing but jabberwocky and doublespeak. This kind of argument by these verbal contortionists is an insult to anyone who can read the Bible, and to anyone who has enough discernment to put his shoes on the right feet when he gets up in the morning. This kind of "repentance" is not what the Bible teaches in connection with salvation. It is not what Jesus demanded. It is not what the early church or the apostles understood repentance to mean. It is not what the Protestant reformers, the Wesleys, or Whitfield understood it to mean. It is not what the great evangelists of the past or of more modern times have believed. YOU CANNOT FIND ANY MENTION OF THIS REPENTANCE-FREE GOSPEL IN THE HISTORY OF REVIVAL. IT IS NOT WHAT BAPTISTS THROUGH THE AGES HAVE EVER BELIEVED, AND IT HAS NO PLACE IN THE HISTORY OR HERITAGE OF BAPTIST PEOPLE.
Repentance is a turning from sin with all the heart and all of the soul as the Holy Spirit convicts the sinner of his need and convinces him of the ability and the willingness of God to save him. It is an attitude of the heart and mind that is ready and willing to turn from sin in all of its shapes and forms. It is a necessary part of the gospel. Why then do men not preach this repentance today? First, I think some men do not preach repentance out of ignorance. Secondly, I think some men do not preach repentance because they are intimidated. Thirdly, I think some men refuse to preach repentance, and do not want to have it preached, because it would be incriminating.
I. SOME DO NOT PREACH REPENTANCE OUT OF IGNORANCE
I mean to use the word ignorance in the nicest way that it can be used. I do not mean it in a mean, derogatory way. But I am simply saying that many men, for whatever the reason--lack of study, lack of good influence, or lack of thinking--do not preach repentance as thoroughly and faithfully as it should be preached, if they preach it at all.
Some simply do not see the importance of the role that repentance plays in bringing a person to a saving relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. They need to reflect on the Bible fact that a person cannot turn to God without it, they cannot receive forgiveness of their sin, they cannot even exercise saving faith without repenting. These men fail to fully appreciate the stakes that are involved where the preaching of repentance is concerned.
Some men who used to give repentance a stronger place in their preaching and teaching have unconsciously gotten away from doing so and don't even realize it. Men can change, though. They can realize where they have fallen short and get their priorities correctly adjusted. They can take another look at Acts 17:30 which tells us that God "now commandeth all men everywhere to repent"; and figure out what that means without the help of concordance, commentary, or word study. They can rededicate themselves to preaching the whole counsel of God. Men can start giving repentance the place it deserves and demands in their preaching.
Ignorance may be an explanation for why some men do not preach repentance, and I believe that it is one explanation, but it is not a real good excuse. It is not an excuse that a preacher would want to offer to the Lord at the Judgment Seat of Christ for why he didn't preach repentance.
II. SOME DO NOT PREACH REPENTANCE BECAUSE OF INTIMIDATION
Some men do not preach repentance because it would not be popular with some in their congregation. Many independent Baptist churches are glutted with worldly, contentious members who are easily offended themselves and always ready to take up an offense for someone else. They know how to cause trouble and are not afraid to do it. They are carnal, combative, and confrontational, and the pastor knows it and would prefer not to "set them off."
Pastors don't want to see disturbances in their churches. They don't want the new converts or any of their sheep to have to experience church trouble. There are financial considerations to think about. There are (in their minds) situations where families are concerned that make a less confrontational approach to preaching the better part of wisdom. My friends, this is called "the fear of man," and Proverbs 29:25 says, "The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe."
Some men do not preach repentance because they feel it is in the best overall interest of their church not to. Let me help you. Brother, you are not in your church primarily to serve that church. Your being a servant to the church you pastor is not the main thing. Primarily and ultimately you are the servant of God, and unless you are thinking straight and walking straight where this is concerned, you will never be worth much to your 'church or anybody else, including yourself. Paul said, "For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ" (Gal. 1:10).
Don't be a "menpleaser" (Col. 3:22). You can't be a true pastor that way. The Bible makes it clear that if your focus is on pleasing men, then unequivocally you cannot be the servant of God, and if you are not the servant of God, you have no business preaching or pastoring or being in any kind of ministry.
Some men don't preach repentance because of their colleagues or the circle of preachers in which they run. It wouldn't set well with "the brethren." It wouldn't coincide with the position that the pastor's home, church, or his Alma Mater has taken on repentance. Don't be intimidated by people in any shape, form, or fashion! It will ruin your usefulness to God and to man, and you will be ashamed when it is time for you to give an account to the Lord for your ministry. In the meantime, you will be disgusted with yourself and will simply degenerate spiritually.
When folks were casting their disapproving looks at Jeremiah's ministry, God said, "Thou therefore gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak unto them all that I command thee: be not dismayed at their faces, lest I confound thee before them" (Jer. 1:17). Forget about their faces, and forget about their favors, and preach the mighty doctrine of repentance in your church and in the preachers' meetings. If your church puts you out over it or your crowd cuts you off, thank God for the grace that is keeping you from being the servant of men rather than the servant of God. Thank God that you are not willing to be soft-pedaling, rung-climbing, wind-testing, man-pleasing politician in a pulpit.
III. SOME DO NOT PREACH REPENTANCE BECAUSE OF FEAR OF INCRIMINATION
I said above that many Baptist churches are glutted with worldly members. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that many Baptist churches are glutted with unsaved members. Preachers have filled their churches and allowed their churches to be filled with unsaved members by preaching a repentance-free gospel. These members are carnal, self-willed, spiritually blind, unhearing, unheeding, and often mean. The only way the pastor can survive in a church like this is to be as blind and unhearing and unheeding as his members are, and in some cases meaner than they are.
A man has to be able to explain why so many of his converts have never darkened the door of a church. He has to be able to explain why so many others who are baptized and join the church show no noticeable change in their lifestyles. The only difference between them and people who have never even bothered to make a profession of faith, is geographical. There is no spiritual difference, only geographical. Their bodies are simply located somewhere different (the church building) two or three times a week--maybe.
How is a man to explain the fruit of a ministry like this? He can't explain it by the Bible except perhaps with some isolated cases he will try to wrest with far-flung speculation, conjecture, and pontificating that is not upheld by the overall context of the Scriptures. Repentance means "turning around, turning away" from sin and sins. The Bible says, "if any man be in Christ he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all thing are become new" (2 Cor. 5:17). This is an outcome of a work of repentance. In the Bible Christians are called "holy brethren "and a 'holy priesthood" and a "holy nation" (1 Thess. 5:27; 1 Pet. 2:5; 1 Pet. 2:9). We are told that before the foundation of the world, God has ordained believers to be "holy and without blame before him in love," and we are born of the "Holy Spirit," and we have the "Holy Scriptures" and we are called with a "holy calling"; and told "But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation" (Eph. 1:4; John 3:5,6; Rom. 1:2; 2 Tim. 1:9; 1 Pet. 1:15). We are bound for a "holy city" (Rev. 21:2). Where is the holiness, or even the desire for it, in so many of these "converts"? This has to be explained, so out comes Jehudi's penknife to do away with the doctrine of repentance in connection with salvation.
It has been decided in some circles of self-professed Baptists to reject and deny the scriptural, historical teaching regarding repentance. Not to do so would be incriminating to ministries which promote and practice a repentance-free gospel and what has been called "easy believism."
I have read articles and books by preachers who ridicule those who object to a gospel that involves neither repentance nor a desire and willingness of the heart at conversion to make Jesus Lord of one's life. These preachers' articles, books, and sermons scorn those who object to an "easy believism" that does not result in salvation. They sarcastically say, "What is easy believism?" Well, easy believism is what the devils have. The Bible says, "The devils also believe, and tremble" (James 2:19). The devils (like unconverted church members) have an intellectual knowledge, a mental assent, but they are not going to stop rebelling against God, they are not interested in holiness, and they are not going to change. They just believe. That's not too hard to do. It's easy--until the "believer" gets to hell!
We have now had at least twenty-five years of repentance-free, easy believism converts--many of them herded into baptisteries, pews, church positions, and offices. Some have wound up in pulpits.
I have heard the testimonies of hundreds of people concerning a false profession of faith they made as a child during a five-minute encounter with a "soul winner" on a playground or during the invitation after a V.B.S. program when the only thing they understood was that they didn't want to go to hell, or they wanted to please some adult, or they wanted to be part of the crowd that was going forward. Adults have made professions for nearly the same reasons, or during a time of physical, financial, or family crisis when they were desperate for help, and were told that by "accepting Jesus" things would get better and life would be happier. Sometimes people really do begin to be convicted of their sin and at the first expression of concern, they are instantly guided into a profession of faith. But conviction is not the same thing as conversion.
I have been busy in pastoral and evangelistic work for over 25 years and have heard all kinds of scenarios involving false professions of faith. Oftentimes, alter the "convert" is baptized and put to work in the church, he begins to struggle with his profession, and the reality of his salvation. Later, under the preaching of the Word, he begins to be convicted by the Holy Spirit that he is not saved, shares this with the preacher or personal worker, and is told again and again that he is saved. After all, didn't he say "yes" to Jesus? Didn't he sign a decision card? Hasn't God blessed his work as a Sunday School teacher or bus worker? Hasn't God used him to lead others to Christ? How could he not be saved? What is the problem then? Why, he is told, most likely God is convicting him about his need to work harder or win more souls. Or maybe, probably, God is calling him into full time service. That must be it! After all, he did sign the card, shake the hand, mumble a profession, and he does work in a church. So, God must be calling him into the ministry. The next thing he knows, he is in and out of Bible school, pastoring a church, and doing what he has been taught to do--creating more and more converts like himself. Through the years he is still bothered about his own relationship with God, but he anesthetizes himself with more activity, more "soul winning," and he feels guilty, condemned, and trapped. Naturally, these men are inclined to find some comfort for themselves and concerning their converts in the teaching that repentance and a changed life does not necessarily have anything to do with salvation. And they will fight anything or anyone who threatens their false assurance relative to themselves or their ministries. The last thing they are ever going to do themselves is preach or teach repentance!
It is a tragic situation, but a true one. Many churches are filled with unsaved members and have preachers who have never been saved because they have leap-frogged over repentance and went straight to "accepting," "trusting," "making a decision for" Christ. No broken heartedness over their condition, no hungering alter God. It is no wonder that these members and ministers can have lifestyles inconsistent with the Bible, have no remorse about it, and even defend their carnality. They have never experienced repentance in salvation, so they are incapable of feeling genuine repentance over inconsistencies in their lifestyle. The "root of the matter" (Job 19:28) is not in them.
When a man doesn't preach repentance out of ignorance or carelessness, that is one thing. When he doesn't preach it because of intimidation, that's another. These situations can be corrected, and the likelihood that they will be in many cases is strong. But when a man not only refuses to preach repentance, but refutes it because the doctrine of repentance is incriminating to himself and his ministry, that is another thing altogether. It is reminiscent of the Roman Catholic Church which had its own agenda, and developed its own belief system which required not only a rejection of; but replacements for, certain Bible doctrines. Obviously, Romanism has attracted plenty of adherents and rabid defenders. In fact, every denomination, sect, movement in "Christendom" today can trace its beginnings to a deviation from the truth and a departure from "the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth" (1 Tim. 3:15).
Many Baptists are irate today, and they should be, over the obvious rewriting of American history by those committed to a self-serving social agenda. But where is the concern over those who are rewriting and reinterpreting the very doctrine of salvation? This is nothing less than heresy--a modern day heresy that is unprecedented relative to its proclamations and its promoters who claim to be fundamentalists and Baptists. It is time for Bible believing Baptists in the pulpits and in the pews to recognize Baptist doctrinal distinctives, draw some lines of demarcation, and be valiant for truth!
The previous message by Pastor Charles R. Curtman is from Valiant for Truth, March 1997 Cornerstone Baptist Church, 17613 Manchester Rd., Wyldewood, MO 63038 (314) 271-7706 (church), crcurtman@juno.com (e-mail)
See "Unscriptural Presentations of the Gospel"
See "How to Avoid False Professions"
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