On True Repentance

Many much wiser folks than I have thought and written extensively on Christian repentance. But I was having a conversation the other day which brought some thoughts to mind that I wanted to jot down.

It gets pointed out frequently that repentance isn't just being sorry, but that it is stopping what you are doing. It is a turning away from sin. The point of this is that you can't just call a verbal apology repentance if it is not accompanied by a rejection and stopping of the particular sin. And this has been a much needed emphasis for worship, of which confession is a legitimate part, and for parents who rightly demand apologies from their children for misbehavior. Simply saying you've sinned without any intention of a different trajectory is as useless as saying to a hungry, insufficiently clothed person "'Go in peace, be warmed and filled,' without giving them the things needed for the body!" (James 2:16) In fact it is a worse to go on sinning in full knowledge than to sin in ignorance, "for if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries." (Hebrews 10:26-27) Pharaoh admitted guilt (Exodus 9:27), yet persisted in sin to the destruction of his firstborn son and entire army.

However, it is worth pointing out that repentance isn't simply stopping what you're doing, it is also being sorry. It isn't as though the being sorry is always easy and the stopping is always hard. Church leaders have to pray and wrestle with messy situations to determine the state of a person's heart because scripture tells them to, not because they are superior or so much cleaner than the person, but because the Lord has established churches and elders to make those calls for the purity of the church and for the shepherding of the sinner. If a person seems to be repentant, yet persists in sin, and if a church is unwilling to go into that dark place with them, but simply drops it, it is to that person's detriment. It is not love or mercy toward the sinner to stand by as their soul is dragged away and devoured, simply because they assure it that isn't happening. But making judgement calls on a person's repentance is frequently no easy task. Scripture contains examples of sinners claiming repentance who in fact were unrepentant, and we should expect the scenario to be no less difficult today. Many sins aren't of an ongoing nature, but produce major ongoing consequences, such as fornication leading to conception and birth, and infidelity leading to divorce and remarriage. It is not enough to say "What once was sin for me is no longer sin, therefore I am OK." That sin must be truly owned for what it is and repented for, or it will fester like an infection beneath the skin.

N. T. Wright looks to the usage of first century Jewish historian Josephus for insight on (at least) what Jesus meant in Mark 1:15 when he says "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel." When Josephus uses the same words, he means essentially, "give up your agenda and take up my agenda." Though Wright means far more than I do here, I think the essence of this other way of saying it is good. The reality is that repentance means, not simply an intellectual assent of a violation, and not simply a moral corrective of behavior. Repentance is an utter destruction of an individual's agenda, and a wholehearted adoption of the agenda of Christ. It is not legalistically trying to check off a list of appeasement items in the hopes of returning life to it's prior comfortable state. My agenda is my own comfort, my own plans, what make me happy. But if I abandon that entirely in true repentance, than any amount of hardship I face as a result of my sinful actions should not seem in any way an injustice on the part of God or others. Rather, I would see myself as the ultimate perpetrator, Christ as the ultimate victim, and any suffering I receive as my due. Then, even the slightest grace or mercy or good that I receive will be met with humility, thanksgiving, and praise because of my recognition that for all of my so-called suffering, I deserved infinitely more, and death and hell. Repentance is the forsaking of anything I want or think I deserve, the hatred of any part of me which is not seeking first the kingdom of heaven, and the commitment to pursue that kingdom at all costs, even the cost of myself.

Sleeping at Last -Turning Page (via @mcdzl)

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Christological Hymn

I ran across this yesterday in some old files. This is a "hymn" I wrote as an assignment for a class in seminary.

Christological Hymn

Jeremy D. Goodwyne

He was,
                  before the world or time began,
            enjoying perfect relationship with the Father and the Spirit 
                  distinct in person,
                  same in being
                  without even a hint of discord
            When the Father spoke light, earth, sea, air, material into being,
                  The Son was that word
                        creating, creating, creating
                        the creative power of God
                        one with God
            All that was made
                                          was made by Him,
                                          through Him
                                          For Him.

            The angels of God enjoy an exalted state
                  But the Son of God has received the Father’s name.
                        To which none can compare
                              And He receives the worship of the angels.
                  At the sound of His name
                        Some have reviled Him
                        Some have adored Him
                        But all will one day confess His limitless Lordship.


He, born of flesh, became a man
                  and knew the fullness of that state.
            There was not a facet of humanity
                  with which he was not thoroughly acquainted

                        His heart beat,
                              blood flowed,
                              feet hurt,
                              hands worked,
                        He grew weary
                              frustrated
                              angry
                              sad
                        He was loved
                              rejected
                              cared for
                              abandoned
                        He faced the worst temptation, appealing to his nature, and rights

            But he knew no sin. Not once. Not even once.


Being human and without sin,
                        He assumed the office of High priest,
                  Unlike his priestly “forebears,”
                        He needs not atone for His own sins.
            Moses acted in a priestly office
                  But this he did as a type of the coming High Priest.
                  As great was the glory of Moses,
                        it was only a shadow
                                          an imitation
                  For Moses was the house,
                        And the Builder of the House receives the glory.


He was not of the tribe of Levi,
             but of the tribe of Judah
       He was not a son of Aaron,
             but was a son of David.

            But this did not disqualify Him from His priestly role,
                  for His precedent was established in that of Melchizedek
                        who was without Father
                                                           Mother
                                                                    Genealogy
                                                           Beginning
                                                   End
                  But Father Abraham recognized the priest of God
                        and offered to him his tithes.
            In this Order, our great High Priest is ordained
                  and because He does not die,
                        He is a priest forever.


For a sacrifice, our Great High Priest offered
                  the lamb
                        which takes away the sins of the world
                        namely, Himself.
            For the system with which our sins were atoned was inadequate.
                  the priests were themselves sinful and mortal
                  the sacrifices were themselves types and shadows

            But our Great High Priest became that which the whole system represented
                  a pure, spotless Lamb,
                  without blemish
                  a perfect representative of both humanity and divinity


This priest offered himself
                  the lamb
                        which takes away the sins of the world
            and His blood spoke a better word than the blood of Abel.
                  His are better promises
                            a better hope
                            a better country
                            a better life
                            a better possession

            His sacrifice finished, completed, fulfilled the Law
                  the old covenant
            And He inaugurated a better covenant
                  of which He is the Mediator

            His blood speaks a better word than the blood of Abel
                  The blood of Able cries “Vengeance!”
                         but
                  The blood of Christ cries “Mercy!”


He does not leave His people to find their way,
                         but is their Shepherd
                         and His sheep know His voice

            He can not lose even one of His own
                         and will cross land and sea
                                     move heaven and earth
                                              to bring His lost back into His fold

            He gently leads His sheep across mountain and through valley
                            provides food and drink
                            gives them rest

            He asks much,
                            but all that He asks he provides

            He founds and perfects their faith
                            They keep their eyes on Him


He leads them Home.

©2012 JDGoodwyne

John Bunyan on Staying, or Fleeing

John Bunyan lived a tumultuous life. He spent 12 years in prison for preaching the gospel without a license in England. All he had to do to be released was to agree not to preach. He had a wife and children, a daughter who was blind, and could not provide for them because of his imprisonment. He was wrought with grief over the impossible place of having to choose between preaching Christ and providing for his dependents. This is what he wrote regarding the Christian's freedom to stay or flee danger:

"May we try to escape? Thou mayest do in this as it is in thy heart. If it is in thy heart to fly, fly: if it be in thy heart to stand, stand. Any thing but a denial of the truth. He that flies, has warrant to do so; he that stands, has warrant to do so. Yea, the same man may both fly and stand, as the call and working of God with his heart may be. Moses fled, Exodus 2:15; Moses stood, Hebrews 11:27. David fled, 1 Samuel 19:12; David stood, 1 Samuel 24:8. Jeremiah fled, Jeremiah 37:11-12; Jeremiah stood, Jeremiah 38:17. Christ withdrew himself, Luke 9:10; Christ stood, John 18:1-8. Paul fled, 2 Corinthians 11:33; Paul stood, Acts 20:22-23...

"There are few rules in this case. The man himself is best able to judge concerning his present strength, and what weight this or that argument has upon his heart to stand or fly.... Do not fly out of a slavish fear, but rather because flying is an ordinance from God, opening a door for the escape of some, which door is opened by God's providence, and the escape countenanced by God's Word. Matthew 10:23.... If, therefore, when thou hast fled, thou art taken, be not offended at God or man: not at God, for thou art his servant, thy life an thy all are his; not at man, for he is but God's rod, and is ordained, in this, to do thee good. Hast thou escaped? Laugh. Art thou taken? Laugh. I mean, be pleased which way soever things shall go, for that the scales are still in God's hand.

- John Bunyan, in Seasonable Counsels, or Advice to Sufferers, quoted in John Piper, Don't Waste Your Life.

Weekend update

I figured I'd write a few words about the weekend. I had originally intended to go to the Calvin Symposium put on by the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship in Grand Rapids. That is an amazing conference every year, and the speakers are always so good. And this year, Kevin Twit, Indelible Grace et al. got some serious recognition for their work in bringing hymnody back to a place of significance in Christian Worship. But things sort of fell through at the last minute on that, so I didn't go. However, not being able to go to that freed me up to attend a really special event in my backyard. There is a group in Rock Hill called the Friday Arts Project, which is connected with the International Art Movement (IAM) out of NYC. They put on a faith and art forum titled Beauty: Beneath the Surface. They were sponsored by a number of local businesses as well as Hill City, a new ARP church plant in Rock Hill where my friend Andy Stager is the pastor, and my old college roommate Jeff Bryant is going to be interning. They brought in Kirk Irwin, a Florida theologian/philosopher/art critic/Cru campus minister. Also there were Jeremy Casella, Elonzo, Luke Allsbrook, Joseph Henderson, and a ton of fantastic people to talk to. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner were all provided. Dinner was at Erin's Restaurant, a restaurant that uses as mostly, if not all local meat and produce. Sunday, the crowd attended the Bechtler Museum in uptown Charlotte, which I was unable to attend because I had a staff retreat.

And then I got sick.

Woke up Sunday morning feeling rough, but went to church. Thankfully, Paul Winter was leading, but I played electric guitar and mandolin. By noon, I knew I wasn't going on the retreat. Pretty crummy.

I finished reading Jaroslav Pelikan's Fools for Christ as well as Madeline L'Engle's second book in the Time Series, A Wind in the Door. both quite excellent.

Today I'm much improved, but I have a splitting headache, I think because of caffeine depravation. So I'm going to make a pot of coffee, and hope the old stomach can handle it now.