Tag Archives: repentance

Ash Wednesday anyone?

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Today brings us Ash Wednesday — which is 40 days prior to Easter (not counting Sundays). It’s generally simply a Roman Catholic observance, and few other groups treat it as a holy day. I wonder how many RCC adherents understand what they are doing on such “holy days” and if they realize such behaviors create no saving merit before God. The Bible clearly points explains salvation comes to men by grace alone through faith alone — not by works, lest any should boast (see Eph. 2:8-9).

While I do NOT advocate any outward observance of Ash Wednesday, I do wonder what there is to learn from the day.

First some further explanation…. On Ash Wednesday, many folks go to a special service and receive the mark of the cross on their forehead, made with ashes. The ashes come from the burning of the Palm Sunday palms leaves. The mark is left there for the day.

Why do this? Most simply say “it’s the beginning of Lent” — the 40 days before Easter. Others know that (since the middle ages) the service and the ashes are about confession and repentance for sins. Typically, penitential psalms are read (ie, Psalm 51), and individuals are called to fast during the day, as they confess their sins before God.

Why use ashes? In the Bible, when one was truly repentant before God, they would dress in sackcloth and toss ashes on their head as symbols of spiritual sorrow, grief and repentance — ever since Job repented “in dust and ashes” (42:6), and as described in the preaching of Jesus (Matt. 11:21). Usually, such Scriptures are cited as the ashes are applied: “Remember, O man, that you are dust, and to dust you shall return” or “Repent, and believe the Gospel.” So ashes should remind men of their mortality (you are going to die), and the consequences of their sin.

What might we learn here?

First, know that these Ash Wednesday rituals are NOT prescribed for us in the Bible, and were not practiced in the early church. They are (by and large) the rituals of religious folk, who are trying to earn their way to heaven. Like most rituals, they can (and have) become traditions without much inward meaning, and usually just fuel superstition (the use of “special ashes”). I recommend you steer clear of such things! [If you see someone with ashes on their head, I hope you engage them in conversation, and discuss their understanding of what they’re doing and why!].

Yet… while we should avoid the ritual, we ought to ponder the original purposes behind it. God’s Word does command us to repent and take account of the wages of sin (death). Kingdom entrance as well as Christian living depends on your turning from sin (repentance), to the Savior, in faith. True Christians do their repenting daily: Take up your cross and follow Christ! (Matthew 16:24, Mark 8:34, and Luke 9:23). We should “face our mortality” every day the Lord gives us life and breath (cf: Lam. 3).

I would see some spiritual profit in our finding occasions for extended introspection, confession and contrition. Perhaps we could (and should?) do some of this as Good Friday and Easter approach…

pdb

When to forgive, and what to do in the meanwhile

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The debate often arises: can i just forgive someone, or do they need to repent and ask for forgiveness? I believe the Bible is clear on this very thing: one must forgive when someone repents, and repentance (on their part) is the necessary condition (though not meritorious) for forgiveness. The best illustration is this: God forgives sinners WHEN they repent and believe.


Even more helpful than what I could write is this excerpt from a great pastor of a previous generation, John Angell James:

From “Forgiveness of Injuries” by John Angell James
2. Are we to forgive a person—if he will not confess his fault?
Forgiveness has various degrees, and in the fullest and most complete sense of the term it is not required of us, until confession is made. God does not forgive us unless we acknowledge our sins. “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Christ makes the duty of forgiveness dependent upon the repentance of the offender. “If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and comes back to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”

But still there are certain duties to be performed towards him even in this obdurate and unrelenting state of mind. We should in the exercise of meekness and gentleness endeavor to convince him of his wrong-doing in the manner laid down in the former essay. We are not, on discovering his impenitence and obduracy, at once to turn away from him in anger and disgust, and leave him to himself, and thus allow sin to lie upon him. And even after all suitable expostulations have been used, and he still remains stubbornly bent upon making no concession, we are not to allow ourselves to cherish enmity and malice towards him; we must harbor no ill-will towards him; we must pray for him—and be willing to do any good to him.
Kindness shown to an impenitent offender, in a way that will not seem to connive at his sin, or encourage a repetition of it—may melt his hard heart. This is what the apostle calls heaping coals of fire on his head, and by the agony of a guilty conscience, rendered more susceptible by your [kindness], melting down the cold, hard substance of his iron heart.

Here we act like God, who though he does not receive impenitent offenders to his favor, or bestow upon them the blessings of his children, still continues to them many providential comforts. And for what purpose? The apostle declares this, when he says, “Or do you despise the riches of His kindness, restraint, and patience—not recognizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?” This is extraordinarily beautiful—the goodness of God, instead of turning its back upon the unrepenting sinner and retiring from him in wrath and disgust, turns towards him its lovely countenance, and even takes hold of his hand to lead him to repentance.

Here is our pattern. We cannot receive the offender to our favor until he has confessed his fault; but we can be kind to him, and like our Heavenly Father take him by the hand and lead him to a better state of mind. He is not even in his sullen obduracy, to be an object of our hatred and revenge.

(the whole thing is found here at the Grace Gems website)

Thanks to my fellow elder, Jonathan, for finding this gem!
pdb