The
Illness and the Cure
Christianity without repentance is hypocritical, a
mockery, even dangerous. It claims what is not rightfully ours,
forgiveness without a change of heart. It can only do this in a formal
sort of way since such attitudes are based on there being nothing to forgive in
the first place. It therefore opposes the truth about ourselves and the
significance of what God has done, is doing and will do for us.
As St.
John says in his First Letter, Chapter 1:- 5 This is the message which we have heard from Him and
declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. 6 If
we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do
not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light as
He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus
Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say
that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If
we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to
cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we
have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.
I don't know about you but I would rather not call God a
"liar." As St. Paul says in his Letter to the Romans, Chapter 3:23 for
all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God ...
However,
many people just don't think of themselves in this way. In their own
understanding their actions and thoughts are neither good nor bad, neither
perfect nor imperfect. In so far as these things are thought about at
all, a soul is revealed that just muddles along, confident that it is normal
and ordinary; neither in the need of the forgiveness of God nor the faith that
goes with that. Sin is what evil people do. It
doesn't touch me.
There
is absolutely nothing anyone else can do about this except to make clear to
that person that no one who is impure shall see God, [Matthew 5:8].
Purification, forgiveness, the cutting out of the root of sin, not just
the weeds that grow on the surface of things; this only comes about through
repentance and we cannot do that for anyone else nor even bring them to the
point of wanting to do it for themselves. Only God can disturb a soul
sufficiently so as to prompt the first tentative steps towards
repentance. We might aid that as His servants, but only in so far as we,
with all humility, count ourselves the first amongst sinners since as our Lord
taught, we are not to judge. The deep soul surgery that is the mother of
true repentance, only God can do that as the soul begins, painfully, slowly to
open itself up to new and unwelcome truths about itself as a prelude to genuine
forgiveness and new life.
The word most frequently used in the New
Testament for repentance is "metanoia." It
means an "about turn" ... a revolution in our attitudes arising from
a change of mind and heart and a return to God. When we repent in this
way we gain both self knowledge and self mastery by the grace of God and we are
well on the way to recovery. Avoid the issue, however, close our eyes and
stop up our ears to the truth and we are dead already. Turn to God and
live; such might be a simple summary of the gospel message.
What We Need to Do
I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have
sinned against heaven and before you, ... [Luke 15:18]
The
Orthodox Church has a very practical, loving and healing ministry for all the
believers ... confession, the great healing sacrament. If you have come
across confession before, either as an idea or in practice, you may be thinking
about "sin lists," artificial or pathological guilt, judgementalism,
formalism and the like. Nothing could be further from the truth when it
comes to the Orthodox practice of confession before (not "to") a
priest. The priest in the prayers says:- "I am only a
witness ... " ... and so he is. The penitent stands before
the icon of the Lord and His Cross and he unburdens his soul to the
Saviour. Our Lord Jesus Christ only looks back with Infinite Love and
Compassion and He heals that soul with his forgiveness and strengthens the
change of heart with his grace. The person walks about of confession a
free man or woman. The priest is there to facilitate the confession,
gently prompting or maybe correcting distorted understandings but always
allowing the person to talk more freely and honestly to God. All the
Orthodox spiritual literature about confession speaks of it as
"medicine" ... not in quasi legal terms at all. That person's
relationship with God has to be put right, not just once but regularly for we
all sin continually, far too readily in fact not to need confession.
Confession is not the whole story when it comes
to repentance. Repentance has to be seen in the context of wider
spiritual guidance. We need that guidance because we sometimes deceive
ourselves through sin and we then fail to think and act for the highest good of
ourselves and others. There is a proverb in the legal profession going
back centuries:- "Whosoever is his own counsel has a fool
for his client." The same applies in the spiritual life.
Orthodox Christians have (if they can) spiritual fathers and mothers who will
provide such wise and good counsel based on their ability to listen to their
charges, their own hearts and God. It is often more difficult, obviously,
to find such a person in non-Orthodox societies but it is always worth the
effort if such a person may be found.
Key Principle
Repentance is the gateway to life, freedom and God. Knowing how to
repent comes through experience and good counsel.
Key
Question
How do I see myself before God? How do I see God before myself?
Source: http://www.orthodoxresource.co.uk/christianlife/repentance.htm
CONVERSATION