“The Old Rugged Cross” is one of my favorite Gospel hymns. I have sung it all my life and always found the tune and the words deeply moving. The hymn brings me back to the Cross of Christ and the blood he shed for my salvation. Many years ago, I was probably in 4th or 5th grade, I was reflecting on “The Old Rugged Cross” after church one day. We had probably had Communion that day and sang my favorite hymn. I was praying, confessing my sins and wondering if I had forgotten any transgressions. You could say I was cross-examining myself and straining to find an un-confessed flaw or misdeed in my heart and life. Could it be I had been unkind to my brother? Maybe I hadn’t read my Bible enough? Maybe I had been disobedient to my parents? Maybe I hadn’t prayed enough?  I didn’t know but this is what I thought repentance was, psychological evaluation and introspection to the smallest painstaking minutia. You could say I wasn’t a happy camper that day. An older gentleman in the church must have seen the anguish on my face. He leaned over to be of comfort. Unfortunately, the compassionate efforts of the older gentleman were fruitless as I was convinced my repentance wasn’t sufficient. This story from my childhood pushes my thinking to the issue of repentance. What was I so upset about that day? Why would I not be comforted by the older gentleman that wanted to help? What is repentance? What is repentance not? In a nutshell repentance is a “change of heart that is prompted by the convicting work of the Holy Spirit”. Repentance is also “recognizing my sinful condition” which also comes from the convicting work of the Holy Spirit.  Billy Graham always had an altar call after his sermons. An invitation was given to come forward and repent of sins and invite Jesus into your heart. When the choir at Billy Graham Crusades sang “Just As I Am” it was powerful to see people come forward to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. I read an article recently by Dr. Gary Deddo of Grace Communion International. I found the article helpful as it defined repentance in a more accurate and Biblical way. Deddo said there are two types of repentance. One type of repentance is “legal repentance”. The second type of repentance is “evangelical repentance”. What is Deddo talking about? He draws upon the work of John Calvin who lived from 1509 to 1564. He was a pastor and theologian during the Protestant Reformation. How does Deddo define “legal repentance?
“if and only if you repent will God forgive you. This “if we … then God” approach is based on the false belief that our act of repentance conditions God’s heart and mind toward us, including his offer of forgiveness. It says that God will forgive us but remains unforgiving toward us unless and until we repent to his satisfaction.”  As I reflect on my childhood encounter with “The Old Rugged Cross” it seems that I was stuck in a “legal repentance” mindset. I wasn’t sure I had sufficiently repented. I was tormented by the thought of a sin that I had possibly forgotten to repent of. Drawing upon Calvin again Deddo goes on to define “evangelical repentance”.
“Since God has forgiven you in Christ, therefore repent. This “since God… so you” is a proclamation of the Gospel of grace.” From this perspective, repentance is the response to grace/forgiveness not the condition we must meet for God to extend it to us.” In part, this sounds to me like the difference between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant. In Deuteronomy 28 God’s people would be blessed for obedience and cursed for disobedience. This Old Testament perspective is an “if then perspective”. If “you obey then God blesses you”. In the New Testament “finished work of Christ” we have an established and finished ground and reality of forgiveness. “It is finished” are the wonderful words of Christ on Calvary. (John 19:30) Paul tells us that God is “for” us in Romans 8:31. He is not waiting for us to “straighten-out our lives” then He will extend grace and forgiveness.  This is “evangelical repentance” under the umbrella of the New Covenant. When I sing “The Old Rugged Cross” now there is much more peace in my heart as I rejoice in the endless grace of God on my behalf. We’ll talk about this more next week.
I will be in the Bay Area this weekend to do a funeral for an old friend named Charlie Hensley. I will be visiting Butch “Big Butch” Russ in a hospital in San Francisco where he has been for over a year. Cain Dahlburg is doing street ministry in San Francisco for YWAM this week. I am hoping I can see him also.
God Bless You
Pastor Drew
