Radical Repentance

Repentance is central to the gospel call. Jesus attested that His purpose was to “call sinners to repentance” (Luke 5:32). If we want to avoid perishing, we must repent of our sins (Luke 13:3,5). Yet, repentance is frequently misunderstood. It is sometimes mistakenly thought of as simply feeling sorrow or regret. Godly sorrow is good but is only the first step. Only when it leads to earnest, eager effort to change and live differently can it lead to salvation (2 Cor. 7:10-11).

When people find out what they have to give up to be pleasing to God, they often balk and claim that it is too hard and that God wouldn’t ask them to do something so dramatic. This is true of those who are interested in being baptized and even sometimes of Christians who have sin that needs to be resolved. Would God ever really ask us to give up something important to us? Would He require me to get rid of something that makes me happy? This is inconceivable to many, yet Scripture is clear. The stakes are high. Let’s use an example from Ezra 9-10 to illustrate this.

 

A problem revealed (Ezra 9:1-3). Ezra is among the remnant that has returned to the promised land and has been leading the people in the restoration of the covenant and the proper worship of God. Much has been accomplished as the law is read to the people for the first time in a long time—the people have been receptive to hearing what they need to do to be in a proper covenant relationship with God. Here at the end of the book a serious problem is revealed to Ezra. The officials inform Ezra that there is a widespread issue of intermarriage among the people, including even the priests and Levites. They have married people of the various nations around them. This probably came to light because when the law was read, it included Deuteronomy 7:1-5.

 

When the LORD your God brings you into the land that you are entering to take possession of it, and clears away many nations before you, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations more numerous and mightier than you, and when the LORD your God gives them over to you, and you defeat them, then you must devote them to complete destruction. You shall make no covenant with them and show no mercy to them. You shall not intermarry with them, giving your daughters to their sons or taking their daughters for your sons, for they would turn away your sons from following me, to serve other gods. Then the anger of the LORD would be kindled against you, and he would destroy you quickly. But thus shall you deal with them: you shall break down their altars and dash in pieces their pillars and chop down their Asherim and burn their carved images with fire.

 

Ezra’s dismay (Ezra 9:4-15). When Ezra heard this, he did not brush it off or express mild concern. He was appalled and prayed to the LORD in fear and shame. This was cause for God to bring wrath upon them again. They were not able to stand before God and needed His mercy to prolong His judgment so that they could fix the problem and beg to be with God again.

 

Confession (Ezra 10:1-15). Upon witnessing the grief of Ezra, a large number of people realize their sin. They come to Ezra and confess their wrong, proposing that drastic action was necessary. The wives and children of these unlawful marriages must be put away. Everyone involved takes this very seriously—word spreads throughout all Jerusalem and Judah that everyone needs to assemble at Jerusalem within three days under threat of banishment and civil forfeiture of their property. Once everyone is present they sit outside in the pouring rain to hear what needs to be done. Ezra lays it out for them in bold terms: “You have broken faith and married foreign women, and so increased the guilt of Israel. Now then make confession to the LORD, the God of your fathers and do his will. Separate yourselves from the peoples of the land and from the foreign wives” (Ezra 10:10-11). The people agree that this must be done, though at least a few opposed the necessity of the plan (Ezra 10:15).

 

Repentance (Ezra 10:16-44). Because of the scale of the sin among the people, the solution was handled in an organized way. Heads of houses came together to list all the ones in their families who had married foreign women. That list is recorded for us in Ezra 10:18-44. As boring as a list of names can be when we don’t know those people or much of anything about them, there is a weight to each name included. Each name is a real person with a real family. Likely, each person listed loved his wife and some of them had children together (Ezra 10:44). Love and children did not change the truth, however. These marriages were invalid and the only solution was to put those wives away. True repentance demanded a lot from these men, but they were willing to obey to be right with God.

 

Conclusion. Does God ever ask us to give up something important to us? He certainly does. It may very well be an improper marriage for some—the New Testament does not forbid intermarriage, but it does place restrictions on who is allowed to marry (Matt. 19:9). Even if you are not married or if your marriage is proper, you are still required to give up all sin. Though your sin may be an important part of who you are, if your goal is to stand righteous before God and be with Him in heaven, you must turn from your sin and pursue what is good. God demands an undivided heart (Matt. 6:24).