The Irony of Christian Radio

The hosts of a Christian talk radio show, which I shall leave unnamed, lamented and derided so-called Evangelicals for their cavalier attitude toward the nature of Scripture, the exclusivity of Christ and the reality of Hell. So far, I was glad for these men who spoke with such boldness on these issues, but even as I did so, it was with a casual nod, for their simplicity regarding the aforementioned issues raised by evangelical scholars and pastors didn't even scratch the surface.

For example, many Evangelicals believe in the inspiration and authority of the Bible, but not in its inerrancy. Secondly, the citation of Acts 4:12, John 14:6 and other texts does not resolve the issue of the exclusivity of Christ and the eternal state of those who never made a conscious "decision" to follow Jesus, for the main reason that many Evangelicals assert the nature and existence of the Triune God and still hold for a wider mercy beyond those who have never heard a preacher of the gospel (which view, I think, lacks exegetical warrant, but there are some strong cases for the view). Third, while it is obvious that one's view on the nature and reality of Hell commands one's world and life view, grabbing texts out of context without dealing with the exegetical, theological and philosophical issues --at least at a surface level on a radio show with limited time--is a disservice to the listening audience. But the main point here is that the talk show hosts, for all their bolstering and boldness about the authority of the Bible "It means what it says, and it says what it means," and for all their guffaws against pandering pastors behind pansy pulpits (pansies are actually a resilient flower, but you get the idea), and for all their galloping charges declaring the glorious gospel, they fell short by succumbing to their own tradition.

Which tradition? The following: "You have to accept Him," and "You need to accept Jesus as your personal Lord n' Savior, and "You need to accept Christ" and "You need to accept what He did for you (dying on the cross for your sins)", etc. This is a mere tradition speaking, and not the Holy Scripture. One does not find this kind of language in the Bible when the gospel is preached by John the Baptist, Jesus, or the Apostles in the gospels, in Acts, or in the epistles. Such language of "accepting Jesus" is just not there. The men on this radio show want to hold forth the inerrancy of Scripture, but when it comes to preaching its most important message--the gospel--they don't do it. So, what should they be telling their listening audience then?

For some readers here, the answer will be obvious, but it's not beyond warrant to repeat what Scripture lays down with absolute clarity: repentance and faith. Here is just the book of Luke-Acts from Bible gateway.

1. Luke 3:3
And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
Luke 3:2-4 (in Context) Luke 3 (Whole Chapter)

2. Luke 3:8
Bear fruits in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham.
Luke 3:7-9 (in Context) Luke 3 (Whole Chapter)

3. Luke 5:32
I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance."
Luke 5:31-33 (in Context) Luke 5 (Whole Chapter)

4. Luke 10:13
[ Woe to Unrepentant Cities ] "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.
Luke 10:12-14 (in Context) Luke 10 (Whole Chapter)

5. Luke 11:32
The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.
Luke 11:31-33 (in Context) Luke 11 (Whole Chapter)

6. Luke 13:1
[ Repent or Perish ] There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.
Luke 13:1-3 (in Context) Luke 13 (Whole Chapter)

7. Luke 13:3
No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.
Luke 13:2-4 (in Context) Luke 13 (Whole Chapter)

8. Luke 13:5
No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish."
Luke 13:4-6 (in Context) Luke 13 (Whole Chapter)

9. Luke 15:7
Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.
Luke 15:6-8 (in Context) Luke 15 (Whole Chapter)

10. Luke 15:10
Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents."
Luke 15:9-11 (in Context) Luke 15 (Whole Chapter)

11. Luke 16:30
And he said, 'No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.'
Luke 16:29-31 (in Context) Luke 16 (Whole Chapter)

12. Luke 17:3
Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him,
Luke 17:2-4 (in Context) Luke 17 (Whole Chapter)

13. Luke 17:4
and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, 'I repent,' you must forgive him."
Luke 17:3-5 (in Context) Luke 17 (Whole Chapter)

14. Luke 24:47
and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
Luke 24:46-48 (in Context) Luke 24 (Whole Chapter)

15. Acts 2:38
And Peter said to them, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Acts 2:37-39 (in Context) Acts 2 (Whole Chapter)

16. Acts 3:19
Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out,
Acts 3:18-20 (in Context) Acts 3 (Whole Chapter)

17. Acts 5:31
God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.
Acts 5:30-32 (in Context) Acts 5 (Whole Chapter)

18. Acts 8:22
Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you.
Acts 8:21-23 (in Context) Acts 8 (Whole Chapter)

19. Acts 11:18
When they heard these things they fell silent. And they glorified God, saying, "Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life."
Acts 11:17-19 (in Context) Acts 11 (Whole Chapter)

20. Acts 13:24
Before his coming, John had proclaimed a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.
Acts 13:23-25 (in Context) Acts 13 (Whole Chapter)

21. Acts 17:30
The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,
Acts 17:29-31 (in Context) Acts 17 (Whole Chapter)

22. Acts 19:4
And Paul said, "John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus."
Acts 19:3-5 (in Context) Acts 19 (Whole Chapter)

23. Acts 20:21
testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.
Acts 20:20-22 (in Context) Acts 20 (Whole Chapter)

24. Acts 26:20
but declared first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all the region of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with their repentance.
Acts 26:19-21 (in Context) Acts 26 (Whole Chapter)

So, that is twenty-four uses of the word "repentance" in Luke/Acts. The concept of repentance is laid bare to the Apostle Paul by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself in a personal revelation on the road to Damascus that Paul retells to King Agrippa. Paul explains that Jesus says to him regarding his ministry to the Gentiles,

"'I am sending you to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me,'" (Acts 26:16-18). Notice that Jesus tells Paul that the Gentiles must "turn" from darkness and the devil to light and to God? This is what "repent" means: it means to turn from sin and start living for God in newness of life in righteousness and holiness. Turn away from sin, turn to God, be forgiven, and live a new life. It all happens at once, by God's grace, through the ministry of the Holy Spirit; but it is we who are commanded to turn from sin and live a new life by faith in Jesus. Did you see anything about "receiving Jesus" or "accepting Him" here? "Receiving" and "accepting" are passive, whereas repentance is active. Human beings are commanded to act, and the act is repentance and faith. Anything less than that empties the commands of God of their power and authority!

Moreover, a close look at Acts 20:21 shows that faith and repentance are conjoined in one act. "Testifying to both Jews and Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ." Also, try to find where John the Baptist, Jesus or the Apostles speak of "accepting Jesus as your personal Savior" and such traditional phrases. Not found in Scripture! Rather, the message of the New Testament is that God commands all people everywhere to repent and turn from sin and place faith in Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and the right to eternal life.

Perhaps the reason why the radio talk show hosts don't preach repentance is because it doesn't fit with their theology of "faith alone" where "faith" is either 1) an intellectual assent, or 2) some passive "acceptance" of facts about what God has done in Christ, or 3) some kind of emotional state of being where we "let Jesus into our hearts." But such notions are completely foreign to the Bible, and they don't accomplish the command of God, which is that people turn from their wicked ways, stop living lives of sin, and start living lives of righteousness. It seems to me that the reason these men don't even mention repentance and a new life in godliness is that it doesn't fit their theology of faith and works. "We are saved by faith," they may say, and works come afterward. But the message of the New Testament is contrary to their teaching: we must turn to God in repentance, and place faith in Jesus Christ, and prove our repentance by our good deeds. This, dear reader, is the message. Place no trust in the message of "accepting Him," as such a message is not found anywhere in the text of the New Testament, and it sure isn't found in the Old Testament, either. "For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age," (Titus 2:12).

If you want to preach the gospel, tell people they must repent of their sins and place faith in Jesus Christ, proving it by their good deeds. But enough of this "accepting Jesus as your personal Lord n' Savior" stuff. Stick with the clear message of Scripture!

Fallacy of the Complex Question

So Kevin posited this question to his pastor-friend, "Yes, but have you repented of all your sins?"

"Well, no."

"Then maybe you should rethink how you explain the gospel to people," Kevin suggested.

Kevin asked this question of his friend because he thinks that people get confused when we tell them to "repent and believe." To use the word "repent" suggests we are adding something more to the gospel than mere belief. Preaching repentance, said Kevin, causes people to miss the plain simplicity of believing in Jesus, and receiving the forgiveness of sins. Oddly, I recall Kevin saying that repentance should be taught to people after they have believed. After all, he said, the Holy Spirit brings faith first, which saves a man, and then he can learn repentance in his daily life. I'll respond to this (after)thought, but first I want to deal with Kevin's premise and assumption in his question toward his pastor-friend: "Yes, but have you repented of all your sins?" in which he commits the fallacy of the complex question.

This particular fallacy is most famous in the following: "Have you stopped beating your wife?" No matter how a person answers, the result is the incrimination of wife-beating. The fallacy of the complex question puts the responder in a corner: either way you answer, you're doomed to meet the demands of the questioner. The proper response of course, would be, "You are assuming in your question that I am indeed a wife-beater. I am not a wife-beater. Therefore, your question is inappropriate." Bosses do this to employees all the time, especially in subprime lending:

"Chris, don't you want to be successful?"
Yes, Pete, I want to be successful.
"Then why aren't you selling any loans?"
Well, Pete, that's because we're offering 11% to people and charging them a 5% origination fee.
"But we don't sell rate."
Yes, indeed. In fact, we're not selling anything at all.
Round and round it goes....


Back to Kevin. Kevin suggests that the conventional method of "repent of your sins and believe in Christ" is wrong-headed. His assumption? That if repentance--true repentance--which means, "a change of mind" (Greek, metanoie), is preached, then that would mean a complete change of mind resulting in sinlessness. Well, I can see how, if repentance was understood this way, that one would avoid the word en toto.

However, Kevin is wrong in his assumption about the definition of repentance. Repentance is indeed a change of mind (and not only so, but a change of lifestyle [Greek, epistrepho]); but a change of mind does not imply sinlessness. A change of mind about who Christ is, and who I am and who God is does not imply that I become sinless, or that I never sin. The Bible simply does not teach that (1 John 2:10). But Kevin's question, "Have you repented of all your sins?" suggests just that. He throws the baby out with the bathwater when he decides not to preach repentance in preaching the gospel.

We were at a youth conference, and my students were there. Nervously, I stood up and asked him, in front of about a hundred students how he dealt with texts from John the Baptist, Jesus, Paul and Peter.

John the Baptist: "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand," (Matthew 3:2). And, "Bear fruit in keeping with repentance," (verse 8, same chapter).

Jesus: "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel," (Mark 1:15). And, "I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance," (Luke 5:32). And again, "No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you wil all likewise perish," (Luke 13:3).

Peter (and others): "God exalted him [Jesus] at the right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins," (Acts 5:31). Most famously, "Repent and be batpized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins," (Acts 2:38).

Paul: "testyfing both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ," (Acts 20:21). And, "also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, peforming deeds in keeping with repentance," (Acts 26:20). Again, Paul says, "Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forebearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?" (Romans 2:4).

Hebrews 6:1 says, "Let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God..."

And so on....

What was Kevin's response to these verses? I really can't remember, but I do remember thinking, "He's totally side-stepping the issue and sticking to his guns." His guns were his false idea of repentance....

So, Kevin's idea of repentance is wrong. He assumes that it implies sinlessness, when indeed, it is simply part of the gospel message, that Jesus recreates us in his image in newness of life and in holiness, not in sinless perfection, but in newness of life. And because Kevin's idea of repentance is wrong, he asks wrong-headed questions. His question is inappropriate because he assumes that repentance means sinlessness.

If Kevin asks you, "Well, have you repented off all your sins?" you should respond with: "Since you assume that to repent of my sins means to enter into a state of sinless perfection, and not rather a state of justification before God wrought by repentance and faith resulting in union with Jesus Christ, being recreated in his image day by day by his Holy Spirit, you are misguided in your question. Therefore, your question is quite inappropriate."

My second problem with Kevin is a bit jejund, but I must ask, how is repentance--his idea of it--for believers after they have come to believe in Jesus, if on his view, repentance means to turn away from all sin? If I ever meet Kevin again, I'll ask.

John Calvin on a Life of Repentance

In what sense is repentance the prior condition of forgiveness?

"Now the hatred of sin, which is the beginning of repentance, first gives us access to the knowledge of Christ, who reveals him-self to none but poor and afflicted sinners, who groan, toil, are heavy-laden, hunger, thirst, and pine away with sorrow and misery (Isa. 61:1-3; Mat. 11:5, 28; Luke 4:18). Accordinlgy, we must strive toward repentance itself, devote ourselves to it throughout life, and pursue it to the very end if we would abide in Christ.... He says, "Do judgment and righteousness, for salvation has come near," (Isa. 56:1).... Yet we must note that this condition is not so laid down as if our repentance were the basis of our deserving pardon, but rather, because the Lord has determined to have pity on men to the end that they may repent, he indicates in what direction men should proceed if they wish to obtain grace.... Therefore, I think he has profited greatly who has learned to be very much displeased with himself, not so as to stick fast in this mire and progress no farther, but rather to hasten to God and yearn for him in order that, having been engrafted into the life and death of Christ, he may give attention to continual repentance."
~Institutes Book III: 20.


Question: How are we to understand what appears to be the conditionality of abiding in Christ, which is based on a continual life of repentance (1st set of italics), and the simultaneous teaching of believers living a life of repentance as a result of "having been engrafted into the life and death of Christ" (2nd set of italics)?

Christians are often perplexed at statements such as these, which imply a call to obedience with the warning of punishment for a lack of obedience. This is definitely because Christians have a low view of God's holiness, a low view of sin, and a sorry state of easy-believism steering them through life.

Calvin affirms that Christians have union with Christ, and this is the starting point. God has called us to be holy, and since we have union with Christ we are therefore called to live a life of dying to sin, a life of yearning for holiness and a life of repentence. For the way in which we go after these things is by living a life of repentance. We turn from sin, and we do righteousness. We confess our sins, not to avoid the wrath of God, but because our loving heavenly Father is displeased with the sin. We are forgiven of all our sins, we have union with Christ, and the way in which we grow in Christ toward holiness is by living lives of humble submission to his loving care.