A year ago when I began studying in earnest for our journey through the book of Genesis, I came across an author who said Genesis proclaims that “All of life is repentance.” *
I have been pondering that statement and evaluating it ever since. Is it true? Were the people of Genesis genuinely repentant? Did they recognize and own their actions before Holy God as morally deficient and displeasing to Him? And in regret over such actions, did they alter their behavior moving forward?
Well, the God-fearing ones did:
- Adam and Eve disobeyed God’s directives by eating from that one tree, and then they hid from Him in fear and shame. But they did not persist in their rebellion, and when God provided a sacrifice they returned to the Lord.
- Abraham lied to save his own skin… but he came back to a life of godly devotion and obedience.
- Hagar despised and rebelled against her mistress. But the Lord confronted her and she returned and submitted herself to Sarah’s authority.
- Jacob was a conniving, defrauding cheat. But he humbled himself and made restitution to the brother he’d wronged.
- Judah initiated betrayal of his brother Joseph, deceived his father, and was immoral with and duplicitous toward his daughter-in-law. But by the time we meet him in Egypt he has done a complete about-face.
Of course, there were those who did not care enough about what God thought to regret their actions and change direction. Cain. Lamech. The people of Sodom. Esau and Laban.
Yet it does in fact seem to be accurate that for sincere followers of God, “All of life is repentance.”
Martin Luther grasped this as well. The very first of his Ninety-Five Theses is: “Our Lord and Master Jesus Christ… willed the entire life of believers to be one of making repentance.” **
If this is true, then it behooves us to ask ourselves: Is my life characterized by repentance? When God’s Spirit checks me about something I said or thought… do I own that it was wrong, ask His forgiveness, and turn from it? When He reminds me about how I treated someone… do I regret it and make it right with that person and God? When He presses me about my motives… am I defensive? or do I drop to my knees and repent?
Lord, I’m afraid I go entire days without repenting. How can that be? Are my spiritual ears that dull to Your voice? Is my heart hard and insensitive to Your conviction? Do I fail to see the sin You’re pointing out to me in Your Word? Am I resistant to my brother’s or sister’s confrontation? Father, please forgive me of this and cause me to be a person characterized by repentance!
* Tim Keller, All of Life is Repentance, Blog: GenesisEureka.com
** Martin Luther: Ninety-Five Theses