The Underestimated Pastoral Power of the Correct Doctrine of Repentance

The correct doctrine of repentance provides pastoral power. It arms pastors and believers with biblical hope, which is an antidote to despair and self-justification.

Personal example

Let me give you an example right away. I once confessed a wrong desire to a friend and explained that, although my theology knew it was wrong, part of me was tempted to justify it because it seemed «woven into the very nature of my personality» and was «part of my soul.».

My friend kindly simply quoted Ephesians 4:22-24 to me: «That ye put off, concerning your former manner of life, the old man, which groweth corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in true righteousness and holiness.».

He emphasized, «Yes, it is true that such desires can be woven into the very core of your personality. Your old self is distorted. What did you expect? In a sense, these desires are you.».

But there was good news, right around the corner: «that you may put on the new man, created… after the likeness of God.» Wait, I have a new man, don’t I? Sure, there’s the old one, but there’s also the new one. And this new man is created… after the likeness of God.

In short, my friend reminded me of my repentance with a few selected words from the Holy Scriptures. And although my mood that day was melancholy, his reminder restored my joy. It gave me hope.

Two Places of Pastoral Power

Do you see how there is pastoral power in the right understanding of repentance? In the realities and promises of the new creation?

1. It gives you the opportunity to encourage and revive your brothers and sisters in Christ who are caught up in sin.

Maybe it's addiction. Maybe it's hatred of another brother or sister. Maybe it's a subtle feeling of despair. Whatever it is, in many such cases sin is a deceiver, posing as inevitability. It puts on the mask of "real" or "authentic." But the right doctrine of repentance exposes this lie in all this posturing. "Yes, your feelings may be natural, but no, you are not bound by them, because Christianity is supernatural. You are free.".

People often feel that their sins define their entire lives; however, the Christian doctrine of repentance helps us to understand that this is not so. Even when the struggle is long, the power of change grows from the realization of what Christ has already done, transforming you into a new person.

2. It gives you the opportunity to reassure Christians of their new and different life.

Christianity offers the life of the Son, in whose image we are transformed. It is a life of holiness, love, and unity with God's people. It is a life of suffering, but with an awareness of hope and the power of resurrection amidst such suffering.

And here is the incredible thing. Such assurances belong not only to the so-called imperatives of the New Testament («Go and be holy and united to one another»). They also belong to the indicatives: «This is who you are.» There is a new man, and this new man is part of the saints and holy as the Son of God.

Cultural background

Now there is a cultural background that is worth acknowledging. Our romanticized culture values the real, the natural, the authentic. Self-identification and self-expression are our highest moral acts. And this attitude has seeped into the Church and reshaped our understanding of repentance, membership, and new identity in Christ.

This leads to the metaphors of «journey» and «evolutionary progression.» But what is missing from the logic of these popular pastoral metaphors is the idea of a decisive break with the past—rescue from the kingdom of darkness; death and resurrection. The journey of discovery is a very different phenomenon than burial and resurrection, the old man and the new man. The New Testament teaches us about an eschatological force breaking into history now. The new creation now. That is what repentance is.

Sitting opposite the sinful saint

Here you are, sitting across from an alcoholic, a victim of infidelity, a quarrelsome deacon who has caused a rift in the church, a young couple who can't stand the singing of hymns. What is your task? To remind them that they are Christians.

Maybe you can help them return to their baptism, as Paul does in Romans 6. They were buried and resurrected—wow! Do they really want to keep sinning, seeking freedom, seeking the power to forgive, or persisting in their ways like the world does? How can they? They died to sin and were resurrected to new life with Christ.

Your pastoral task, in one way or another, is to find the words and ask the questions that will help the still-sinful saint understand what it means to be…note…a born-again Christian.

The main thing: preach, teach, sing, praise God in prayer, and instruct from the correct doctrine of repentance. There is an underrated power in this. The more your people understand this, the more pastoral power you will have to shepherd them. And not only that, they will have the power to persuade and teach one another.