A Call to Repentance and a Deeper Love
“Nothing can be more cruel than the tenderness that consigns another to his sin. Nothing can be more compassionate than the severe rebuke that calls a brother back from the path of sin.” -Dietrich Bonhoeffer Life Together, p. 107 (Emphasis added.)
This past Wednesday, the CRC General Synod once again chose the difficult but essential path of Jesus. Throughout His ministry, Jesus’s core message was encapsulated in the phrase "The kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the good news.” (Mark 1:15) This new kingdom offered a new way of living, a new authority, and a new power. But to be part of it, people were required to radically rethink their current way of life and fully trust in the saving power of this kingdom.
This call to repentance was not just for the 'sinners' of the day, but also for the religious establishment, the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Teachers of the Law. Jesus's message was universal: "Go and sin no more" was spoken to the woman caught in adultery. Zacchaeus, upon encountering Jesus, immediately changed his ways, offering to give half of his possessions to the poor and repay anyone he had cheated fourfold. (Luke 19)
In a decisive 73% vote, Synod passed a resolution instructing churches that have publicly contradicted Synod's position on unchastity to repent. Office-bearers from churches refusing to align with Synod's guidance on sexuality will be removed from denominational committees and barred from serving as delegates to classis (a "limited suspension"). If these individuals do not repent, they can choose to leave the denomination (disaffiliation). Should they refuse either option, classis will remove the church council, revert the church to an emerging status, and place it under the authority of a neighboring council. Churches and office-bearers have one year to navigate this process.
Repentance: A Difficult, Loving Call
The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand; repent (change your inner self—your old way of thinking, regret past sins, live your life in a way that proves repentance; seek God’s purpose for your life) and believe in the good news.” Matthew 3:2 (AMP)
The call to repent isn't about condemnation; it's rooted in love. God so loved the world that He sent Jesus, not to affirm our current state, but to lovingly call us to turn from our sins while simultaneously offering the ultimate sacrifice to pay for them. Jesus' entire life, not just His death on the cross, was an act of atonement. He lived the life we should have lived and died the death we deserved. Salvation is entirely by grace through faith, made possible through the ministry of Jesus.
And the same Jesus who offers salvation calls us all to repent. To turn from any impurity, false teaching, cowardice in confronting sin, or harshness in our self-righteousness. To repent and turn to Him in faith.
John Chrysostom puts it:
“Repentance, which is terrible and formidable to the sinner, is a medicine to trespasses, a destruction to lawlessness, an end to tears, courage before God, a weapon against the devil, a knife that decapitates his head, the hope of salvation, the abolishment of despair.”
So, a little later, Chrysostom says, “.Do not be ashamed when you repent.”
Why? Because repentance is a power, a strength, a gift of love. It isn’t the hanging of your head in shame; it is the return of a Prodigal to the arms of the Father. Repentance is an act of love.
The devil tricks us by thinking that repenting is only about shame. Chrysostom says, “Satan upsets the order; he gives the courage to sin and the shame to repentance.”
Jesus reorders our hearts. In love, he gives us the to repent. I’m so glad He does.
The Baptism of Tears
Christine Valters Paintner notes, confession in the Eastern Orthodox tradition is sometimes called the "Mystery of the Second Baptism." True confession is like a baptism in our own tears. Where the sacrament of baptism signifies our death to sin and new life in Christ; tears signify the in-breaking of truth and freedom from ongoing sin. These tears are not tears of despair, but tears of transformation and renewal.
We all need tears of repentance, joy, heartache, and love. This baptism, alongside our baptism in water and the Holy Spirit, is a powerful component of the metanoia process.
That’s why Paul, writing to the wayward church in Corinth, could rejoice in their repentance saying,
“…yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.”- 2 Corinthians 7:9–10
The Challenge of Loving and Ministering
After years of study, prayer, and seeking God’s heart on these matters, the harder work begins: learning to love and minister to those seeking to align their lives with God's design for sexuality. Many of us have loved ones who struggle with pornography, who are unfaithful in their marriages, who follow the world’s guidance on sexual identity rather than the Bible’s, or who otherwise need this loving call to rethink their view of sexuality. Learning to love, listen to, and minister to them will be a lifelong challenge.
Some feel as if these decisions by the CRCNA are trying to kick “sinners” out of the church. That could never be further from the truth. We are all sinners in need of repentance and grace. We are all called to repent and believe Jesus’ good news. The goal is repentant inclusion; for every sorry and struggling sinner to find hope in Christ.
The future of the church is a future of grace. It is a future of ministry. It is a future where we are loving enough to share God’s Truth and patience as people wrestle with it. As a church, we can approach these issues and more with the heart of Christ, echoing His loving call: "Repent and believe." The Gospel has the power to heal, restore, and transform lives. Let us extend that grace and truth to all who need it.
With You;
Pastor Tim
