Writing upon some themes is optional with the writer. He may or may not discuss them as circumstances demand. But writing upon the subject of repentance is a prime necessity. Repentance is as old as sin, because sin calls for and demands repentance. Had there been no sin there would have been no repentance or necessity for it. The only way to get rid of the guilt and consequences of sin is through repentance. While repentance cannot change the nature of the sinful act it can abet its terrible consequences. In view of its prominence in the Gospel of the Saviour, we are not at all surprised at the emphasis placed upon repentance. It seems to be the burden of John’s preaching: his was, "Repent ye: for the kingdom of Heaven is at hand." Jesus taught it repeatedly by precept, parable and exhortation. His warning is "Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." It was a part of the great commission. "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 be preached in his name among all nations beginning at Jerusalem." Paul declared "’The times of this ignorance God winked at, but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent." Peter reasoned "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise as some men count slackness: but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." It has been called "Goddess of the erring," whose tearful voice is ever whispering; "Salvation from sin," not in sin.

May I ask the question, What is repentance? It would be well to give a definition of the word Repentance. Usually the shortest definition given is the best. A. B. Lipscomb said: "It is a change of will caused by sorrow for sin and leading to a reformation in life." Webster says repentance is "contrition, or sorrow for sin." Some may tell you that repentance is "sorrow" but this is not an adequate definition. Sorrow is a constituent part of repentance, but because a part of a thing, it is not equal to the whole. It is inaccurate to say that sorrow is repentance. It is said that sorrow is the first step toward repentance, this, I believe, but not of every kind of sorrow. Paul in (II Cor. 7:10) mentioned two kinds of sorrow. "For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of, but the sorrow of this world worketh death." It seems to me that the sorrow of the world has no real depth. It could not be sorrow for sin, but possibly, sorrow provoked by the penal consequences of sin, Such as Judas who confessed that he was sorry because he had sold his Lord, and betrayed innocent blood, but was it godly sorrow? Nay; godly sorrow leads to repentance, not suicide. This is an example of sorrow of the world, it worketh death.

Once when King David was made to see the full flagrancy of his sinful act he said, "I have sinned against the Lord." Not such a long speech but in it there were humility, contrition and grace. Truly, this was the remorse which led to suicide. Sorrow is an essential element of repentance but in itself it is not repentance. The alphabet is an essential part of an education, but he who only knows those twenty-six characters when he sees them, but does not know how to combine them into words and sentences is not educated. Many emotional people seem to think that when the heart in convulsed and tears flow freely they have repented. But this is not necessarily true. Such emotions may be connected with repentance and they may not be. Some men exercise repentance and never weep, and some weep and never repent. Now that we see clearly that repentance is not sorrow, nor even godly sorrow, for Paul said that "godly sorrow worketh repentance not to be repented of," then godly sorrow alone is not repentance, but its cause, and sustains to repentance the relationship of cause to effect. It is not sorrow and confession combined. We learned that Judas was sorry and confessed, but did not truly repent. Others have said they thought repentance is a reformation in life. I believe one must reform in order to completely repent. There can be no repentance without a reformation, but there may be reformation without repentance. I heard this illustration: A wicked man might find his evil ways the only objection urged by the parents against his marriage to their daughter, and he might temporarily reform in order to overcome the objections, but no true repentance. In this case there would be no sorrow for sins—the sorrow that works repentance unto salvation. Seeing then, that repentance is not reformation only, we are brought back to the definition; viz., "A change of will, caused by sorrow for sin, leading to a reformation in "life" It is, "ceasing to do evil and learning to do well" (Isa. 1:16, 17), prompted by godly sorrow.

Isaac Eyrett says: "The Greek word translated "repentance" indicates a change—conversion. It imports change of mind or disposition and that, too, for the better." Reliable authority tells us that we have more than one Greek word, which is translated "repentance." One of them indicates a change whether for the better or for the worse. But the Greek word expressing the will of God concerning us in our repentance, uniformly in the New Testament, denotes a change for the better. The word "repentance" is expressive of a change for the better, then, prompted by the "goodness of God," which makes sorry for sins. Hear Paul: "Or despiseth thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and long-suffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?"

God is not only a King to command and a judge to inflict the penalty of disobedience, but He is a Loving Father. Beecher says: "When a man undertakes to repent toward his fellow-man, it is repenting straight up a precipice: when he repents toward law, it is repenting in the crocodile’s jaws; when he repents toward public sentiment, it is throwing himself into a thicket of brambles and thorns; but when he repents toward God, he repents toward all Love and delicacy. God receives the soul, as the sea the bather, to return it again, renewed and whiter than he took it."

John, evidently with doubt in his mind as to the purity of purpose of some who came to him for baptism, called upon them to "bring forth fruits meet for repentance" (Matt. 3:8). This was right for genuine repentance, like a good tree, will always bear good fruit. I believe that restitution is a fruit of repentance. If restitution were put into practice today, the law of enforcement could cease, the guards could disarm, the battle fields could be made into flower gardens, and it would even lesson discipline in the church. No amount of emotion and agony will avail without restitution, provided, however, restitution be within our power. In Matt. 23:24, Jesus teaches that we are to right our wrongs against man before we offer our sacrifice to God. Here is what I understand it to mean: the liar must confess and correct his falsehood, the thief must restore the stolen goods, the fraudulent man must reform; before they should expect God to forgive them. A genuine repentance causes one to want to restore and make right whatever is in his power. Let Zaccheus be our example (Luke 1:8, 9). True repentance, preceded by genuine faith, and followed by the Bible confession and baptism (to the alien sinner) for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38), makes us new creatures in Christ. And this new creature must; "walk in newness of life;" as directed in all the commandments of the Lord, in order to reach Heaven. Sinner, hear, believe, repent, confess,. and be immersed, before it is too late!