Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ,
let us go on unto perfection;not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,
Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.
And this will we do, if God permit. (Hebrews 6:1-3)
It is important to first put the issue into the proper context which the book of Hebrews does in Chapter five and Chapter six verse 1. In the last chapter we were told that we must grow beyond the milk of the Gospel and mature into the meat. The mark of a real Christian is one who matures into a Christ like life and character.
We are saved by grace not works according to Ephesians 2:8-9 but the very next verse tells us that the purpose of this gift of grace is to turn us into WORKERS, living the Holy Life of obedience and service to the Living God.
(Ephesians 2:10)
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
There are those who name the name of Christ but do not want to give up their sin and worldly ways. They excuse their wickedness by citing grace and forgiveness. They are bad witnesses for Christ. Hypocrites. They consider themselves pious because they are “living by grace” while actually they are walking in the flesh and following the Devil.
THE TWO-FOLD DOCTRINE OF REPENTANCE
SALVATION AND REPENTANCE
The work of "repentance" is two-fold. First there is the repentance which is a work of the Holy Ghost in bringing a person to Salvation. This is not a "work of the flesh" it is a work of the Holy Spirit who brings the necessary conviction of sin that results in the realization that the Word of God is true, that they are a sinner and doomed and need a Savior.
It is this work of the Holy Spirit in a person's heart, mind and soul that leads him to confession of one's sinfulness and the belief that the blood of Jesus Christ is the only thing able to wash away that sin.
This is the foundation of the principles of Christ as Hebrews 6:1-3 tells us. This foundation of repentance in the work of salvation is laid down only once. We do not get saved over and over again.
However, there are some who teach that once a person has been "saved" they no longer need to repent of anything they do wrong after salvation. They say, "we are forgiven past, present and future". They error in their understanding of the work of repentance. It is because our sins are forgiven "past, present and future" that the work of repentance is so vitally important in the continued walk of the believer in Christ. Even in the work of Salvation it is not the repentance that saves a person. It is the awakening of faith through the Spirit that produces the Spiritual work of repentance for salvation.
SANCTIFICATION AND REPENTANCE
(Philippians 2:12-13)
12] Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
[13] For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
Working out our salvation does not mean we are keeping our salvation by our works. It is like going to the spiritual gym. You work out your muscles to strengthen them. You have been given salvation. Now you need to work it. This is sanctification. When you go to the gym you are not working to get muscles you do not already have you are working to develop and strengthen the muscles you have already been given.
Some are confused. They think that all good works are somehow evil because the Bible tells us that "all our works are as filthy rags." That is true if you have not been born again. Once Christ enters your life he changes everything.
This work of sanctification is of the Holy Spirit as he indwells the believer and brings conviction of things that are not right in a person’s walk or life so that the person might confess their sin to God and realize they have strayed from the path of righteousness. This conviction may be for saying something one shouldn’t or even thinking something that should not have a place in the Christian’s thoughts. It can be neglecting our duties to family, church or others or neglecting prayer or any of a myriad of things. This sort of repentance is what the Apostle Paul called “mortifying the flesh”. (Colossians 3:5-10)
[5] Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
[6] For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:
[7] In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.
[8] But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.
[9] Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;
[10] And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:
To “put off” these character flaws is a work of repentance and it is constant and on-going as the believer walks in the Spirit. The need of a silent prayer of confession puts the believer back on the right track whereas to ignore it will lead to a hardening of the heart and a grieving of the Holy Spirit.
The Apostle John was writing to believers when he wrote in I John 1:8-9
[8] If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
[9] If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
If the Holy Ghost brings conviction we should thank God for leading us on the right path and confess to him our sin of commission or omission. As long as we are in this world we will have that battle within ourselves between the flesh and the spirit. Whenever the flesh wins confession and repentance is required.
"...not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works,
and of faith toward God,"
The foundation of “repentance from dead works and of faith toward God” is what happens at Salvation! Once the Holy Spirit brings conviction of sin and a profession of faith in Christ the foundation for the Christian walk has been laid, it does not need to be laid down over and over and over again. You do not lose salvation and get it again and again. Once saved you are a child of God. However, those who say that repentance is no longer a part of the Christian walk after salvation is to also say that faith is no longer necessary either! Just as we continue in our faith we continue the practice of repentance and confession of sin when necessary.
CHRIST CALLS HIS CHURCH AND CHRISTIANS TO REPENTANCE
In the letters to the seven churches, Jesus calls believers to repentance.
As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
(Revelation of John 3:19)
When Jesus rebukes us through the indwelling Spirit of grace we are to be "zealous" to repent!
Paul speaks of having repented himself while a believer and is thankful for the repentance of the Christians he brought under conviction in one of his epistles. He then explains that repentance brings a "godly sorrow not to be repented of” that “worketh repentance to salvation”. This again is the “working out of our own salvation” our sanctification.
(II Corinthians 7:8-10)
[8] For though I made you sorry with a letter, I do not repent, though I did repent: for I perceive that the same epistle hath made you sorry, though it were but for a season.
[9] Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing.
[10] For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.
SANCTIFICATION THE PURGING OF ONESELF FROM WORKS OF THE FLESH
(II Timothy 2:21)
If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.
To repent is to change course. To confess our sin is good, to turn from it is better.
JESUS COMMANDS HIS DISCIPLES TO PRAY A PRAYER OF REPENTANCE
In Luke chapter 11 verse 1 the disciples of Jesus asked him to teach them a prayer as John the Baptist had taught his followers a prayer. Jesus then gave his disciples what is referred to as “The Lord’s prayer” and commanded that they pray that prayer.
.(Luke 11:2)
And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.
When we pray the Lord’s prayer we participate in the act of confession and repentance.
Luke 11:4
And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil
First is the confession of sin and plea for forgiveness. Secondly is the action of repentance… that we must forgive others as we are forgiven.
Strangely enough, there are some peculiar doctrines out there that propose that praying the Lord’s prayer is “vain repetition” and wrong. How dare they call any words of our Lord, “vain” or forbid others from quoting or reciting any words from the lips of the Savior, especially when the Savior told his followers to pray them. Who should we obey? God or man?
I hear more “vain repetition” from the lips of those who think that because their prayer is “spontaneous” it is heartfelt and holy.
Whose words are more righteous to pray? Words commanded to pray from Christ Himself or words that come from our own hearts? I would that we all knew the scriptures so well that all our prayers came from those holy pages and not from our own hearts which are deceitful and we often ask amiss. Which means that sometimes we even need to repent of our own prayers when the Spirit warns that we are praying from our own desires rather than from the Spirit of God.