REPENTANCE FIRST

The whole idea of making the gospel relevant to modern man by so purging it of its divine elements is bound to prove a complete failure. The gospel is only made relevant in the true sense of the terms when the Holy Spirit opens the blinded understandings of men to see the realities of divine revelation. The natural man does not understand the things of the Spirit of God in virtue of the intrinsic blindness of his mind due to sin. Unless visited by the Holy Spirit, he remains in that condition no matter whether he lives in the 20th century or the 1st century. The cataracts of words which are poured forth about the “secular” man, the “scien-tific” man, the “modern” man, etc., are a wearisome waste of effort because they all ignore the fact of original sin and man’s essential blindness in the things of God until illuminated by the Spirit. There will no New Reformation until this is realized and taught.

Due to a failure to examine the present situation in Christendom in the light of God’s Word, modern theologians have lost sight of a very important factor. Every reformation which has taken place in the Church, whether in Old Testament or New Testament times, has been preceded by repentance for former decays and apostacies from God. Reformation in the life of the individual must be preceded by repentance, and it is equally true in the life of the community or the nation or the generation. True repentance is the necessary forerunner of true reformation.

(—Free Presbyterian Magazine)

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