TOPIC:“This Forgotten Word - Repentance”
by Rev. Dr. Reg Dunlap
TEXT:`Acts 17:22-34
“But now God…commandeth all men everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:30)
It is the claim of this minister that one of the most neglected themes in the sermons being preached today is that of repentance. That kind of preaching from our pulpits has largely disappeared from the scene. General William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army, wrote of this very thing: “I fear the time will come when there will be preaching religion without the Holy Spirit, of Christianity without Christ, of forgiveness without repentance, of salvation without regeneration, and of heaven without hell.” It seems to me that time has now come.
And yet, according to the Word of God there is absolutely no salvation from God without repentance. It is indispensable for forgiveness and imperative to salvation. It is the only way into the Kingdom of God. Jesus Himself declared: “Except you repent, you shall all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3). There you have it: No person can be saved without it.
I.
Think, first of all, of the OBLIGATION of repentance. Return again to the words of our text: “God…commandeth all men everywhere to repent.” The whole Bible drives home the truth that man must repent in order to be forgiven. Let me show you what I mean.
Repentance is given a prominent place in the writings and preaching of the prophets. These ancient men of God extensively exhorted the people to turn away from their sin in repentance towards God. Moses proclaimed it: “If thou turn to the Lord thy God and shall be obedient unto his voice…he will not forsake thee neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he swore unto thee” (Deuteronomy 4:31, 32). Nehemiah proclaimed it: “But if you turn unto me, and keep my commandments and do them…” (Nehemiah 1:9). Other references to the prophets who preached repentance are Jonah (Jonah 3:2-10), Ezekiel (Ezekiel 14:6), Hosea (Hosea 12:6) and Joel (Joel 2:12-14).
The call to repentance rings throughout the preaching of both Christ and John the Baptist. These two God-sent men began their public ministry calling upon people to repent. The crowds heard one word ring in their ears: “Repent; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:2). Again: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe the gospel” (Mark 1:15).
The twelve disciples were commissioned and . . .