THE GOSPEL COMMAND OF REPENTANCE

In the last article we endeavored to show that the universal appeal of the gospel is based upon the spiritual nature of the kingdom of God. It is not fleshly, but spiritual. That means that all outward and natural distinctions have been removed. This places all men on an equal footing as it relates to the proclamation of the gospel by the gospel minister. In other words we cannot tell if a person is an object of God’s special grace and love simply by looking at him; the color of his hair, his height, his race, or his nationality. These things have no bearing upon a person’s being in the kingdom of God. Therefore, there is not a single person in the world (as known to us) that is not a potential for salvation. Any person that one might meet anywhere in the world could be one of God’s elect. God has a people (whom He has chosen in Christ before the world began) in every class and variety of mankind. This necessarily involves preaching the gospel to all men without distinction, for this is our only means of identifying members of that heavenly kingdom.”

But understand that preaching the gospel to all is more than a mere by-product of identifying the elect. There is a definite and a positive reason and purpose in addressing the gospel to all men without distinction. There is a legitimate command addressed to all men to repent of their sins and believe on God’s only begotten Son. Granted, the primary purpose in preaching the gospel is to call out the elect. But the initial encounter consists of a command to repent. When a preacher addresses a congregation, he does not know who is saved and who is not. The Bible says, “Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God.” This is how we know. Only as men believe in Christ can we tell of God’s grace in their lives. But it is not possible to believe in Christ without first repenting of one’s sins.”

All Men Obligated To Repent”

The command to repent is based upon the obligation of man to his Creator, who has made man in His image and given him the light of reason and intelligence. This command to repent has nothing to do with grace or salvation, although the act of repentance is the result of grace. In other words, the command to repent, and the process of how a depraved man ever comes to do it are two entirely different things. If there were no such thing as salvation, if God had never purposed the salvation of a single individual of Adam’s fallen posterity, man would still be under the obligation to repent of his sin. It is an obligation arising out of the nature of God, and His relationship to His creatures. God’s very nature dictates that His creatures, whom He Himself has made, should obey Him. A fundamental principle of God’s word is that man is responsible to His Creator. Regardless, then, of all other considerations, men are commanded to repent. This is a part of the gospel declaration.”

The best exposition of this principle I know of is the sermon preached by the apostle Paul in Athens, as recorded in Acts 17:16-31. Verse 16 states, “Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry.” Certain of the Epicurians and Stoics desired to hear something of what Paul had to say, so they brought him to Areopagus to hear him. His congregation consisted of those who spent their time only in telling or hearing some new thing. He was in the midst of a people and in a city where there were, it is said, more gods than people. They had a god for everything, and for fear they had missed one, they erected an altar to the Unknown God. It was this atmosphere that stirred the apostle. In the face of rampant ungodliness and idolatry Paul felt a pressing, impelling urge and need to preach the blessed gospel of grace. Would to God that more had such a spirit today!…”

Sovereign Over His Creation”

Paul’s logic reaches its climax in the 30th verse, “And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent.” This concision is reached on the basis of an exposition of man’s relationship and obligation to God Almighty, as Creator and Sustainer of the world. This relationship does not arise from special grace, nor extend to only part of mankind; but arises out of God’s creation, and extends to all men.”

He begins by stating to these idol worshippers, “God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that He is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands.” Paul is pointing out the folly of worshipping idols, but he is also showing that God has a definite right to have some authority over that which He has made. The maker of an object bears a special relationship to that which he has made. “Thou, even thou, art Lord alone; thou has made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all this is therein, and thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshipped thee.” (Neh. 9:6)”

Further he states, “Neither worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needeth anything, seeing He giveth to all life, and breath, and all things.” Verse 25. This is what God gives to all mankind. God is the author and the giver of all life. “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. (Gen. 2:7) “All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.” (John 1:3, 4) The life that God has given man is more than the life of the beast. This breath, this light, this life carries with it the idea of rationality. The light of which John speaks is said to light “Every man that cometh into the world. (John 1:9) This is a light that comes to all men. Paul further states, “For in Him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, “For we are also His offspring. Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device.” (verse 28, 29)”

Offspring and Light”

What does it mean that God has lighted every man that cometh into the world? What does it mean that men are the offspring of God? Men are the offspring of God in that He has made them and breathed into them the breath of life. Man is the special creation of God in that He made man in His own image. He has given all men light in that of reason, rationality, and intelligence. He has made them responsible creatures.”

We would be quick to point out that this does not mean that all men have spirtual light and life, nor are all men the offspring of God in a covenant sense. The Bible says that the natural man is dead in trespasses and sins, and further that some men are of their “father the devil.” Some men are the very children of Satan in that they are completely under the dominion of sin and Satan.”

But in that God has made man, and has given him the breath of life, men are the offspring of God. The life which God gives to all men is the light of reason and intelligence. It elevates him above the life of the beast of the field. The whole point which Paul is striking at here is that this is the thing that makes men responsible creatures. And as responsible creatures, men are accountable to God for their actions. On the basis then of this light and life, and due to the fact that God is so revealed in all we see in nature, man is absolutely inexcusable for not obeying God Almighty. Paul, therefore, states that God now commands all men everywhere to repent.”

Further, we are given to understand that, not only has God made the world and all that is in it, but has exercised control over His creation and continues to exercise control over it. If God has made the world, and continues to exercise control over it, we would definitely conclude that the world belongs to God. The Bible says, “For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills.” (Psa. 24:1) It is entirely right and reasonable for the owner of a piece of property to have authority over it. God, then, commands His creatures to turn from their sins.”

You will note that Paul’s complete line of reasoning is based upon this creation relationship. It is folly to talk of salvation in Christ to those who do not feel the weight of sin, nor see the need of salvation. The claims of God Almighty over His creation is the thing that Paul brings home to these people. The universality of God’s sovereign dominion is pressed upon them.”

Command Based On Debt — Not Ability”

It is true that in times past God had winked at the ignorance of the world, but now, Paul says, He is pressing His command to repent upon all men everywhere. This command is based wholly upon the creation relationship of God to mankind, and as such, this command has no reference to special grace and salvation. Men, as sinners, are not commanded to repent on the basis of salvation, but on the basis of their obligation to their sovereign Creator. As to the proclamation of the gospel, men are addressed simply as sinners. It certainly is true that there is a special and peculiar obligation of the saved, which most assuredly is based upon grace and salvation. But here we have reference to the basic obligation of God’s responsible creatures.”

Now this command is not issued on the basis of man’s ability. Neither does the issuance of this command imply that there is ability in man to comply with it. Mankind is completely submerged in sin, corruption, depravity. They are the children of darkness. The Bible says, “Men loved darkness rather than light.” (John 3:19) as such, men do not possess the moral ability to turn from their sins.”

But this is not the fault of God. God did not make man a sinner. God is not the cause of the fall of man into the depths of depravity. Men are sinners of their own volition.”

God did make man upright, and He gave man certain laws. The basic law of God, the law dictated by the very nature of God, has never been abolished. The fact that man has placed himself in a position of complete inability and moral bankruptcy in no way impugns the validity of God’s law. God gave the law to Adam, and he broke the law and fell into sin. Would anyone say that Adam was any less responsible to obey God after he sinned? If a man makes a debt, he is obligated to pay it, even in the event he becomes completely unable to pay it.”

God Almighty made man, but man rebelled against Him and refused to acknowledge even that there is a God. Paul says of men, “They did not like to retain God in their knowledge.” (Rom. 1:28) Does this mean that God ceases to exist? Does this mean that God claims lose their validity? Certainly not! God has issued laws by which men are to be governed. But man has rebelled against those laws, and has chosen a low standard of conduct. Does this make God’s laws null and void? Certainly not! To say so would cast a shadow upon the basic right of a sovereign God. God’s laws do not lose their effect simply because men refuse to acknowledge them.”

There are some today who claim to believe in sovereign grace, who deny that all men are commanded to repent. But to deny the universal application of this command is to leave God without the basis with which to judge men finally. To say that all men are not obligated to obey our great God because they are not morally and spiritually able to do so is to establish and set up world wide lawlessness. Paul says, “And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: because He hath appointed a day, in the which He will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom He hath ordained; whereof He hath given assurance unto all men in that He hath raised Him from the dead.” (Acts 17:30, 31) God Gives Repentance”

The place of the gospel minister is to preach this command to all men, “In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves, if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth.” (2 Tim. 2:25) As I said before, the command to repent, and the process by which men ever come to do it are two different things. Men are commanded to repent, but because of the depravity and sinfulness of men, they will never do it apart from God’s grace. It is something men come to only as God grants it to them. Repentance, then, is something which God gives to men. God must work, through His Spirit, to give a man repentance. But we should also understand that the gift of repentance is not something tangible in itself. It is not like a gift of a ring, or a car. This gift consists of God’s working in a man’s life to produce the conditions prerequisite to and the ability to repent. God works in a man’s life in such a way that he is brought to repent of his sins. God has thus given him repentance. Note that Paul spoke of God giving to them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth.”

Notice also that our own repentance is not the ground of our salvation. It is a part and a result of salvation. “The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. Him hath God exalted with His right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins” (Acts 5:30, 31) It is in Christ and through Christ that we have obtained salvation, apart from all works, and He is the basis of God’s giving Israel repentance.”

When Peter saw the work of God in the life of Cornelius, as he rehearsed it to the brethren at. Jerusalem, he said, “Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as He did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could withstand God. When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.” (Acts 11:17, 18) This, then, is the evidence of grace expended in the life of a sinner. As the gospel is preached, those in whom God has worked grace will respond to the gospel. That work of God is entirely secret to us. We are to preach the command in the gospel to all men, and declare to those who repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ that God has saved them. This is the testimony which Paul spoke of to the Ephesian elders, “Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Acts 20:21)”

Emerson Proctor”

Old Faith Defender”

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