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2 Peter 3:9
We would be well-advised to consider the New Testament Greek word for "repentance," metanoia. It conveys the imagery of a person having an afterthought, which can help us understand why the writers of the New Testament used this word to convey the godly idea of repentance. Simply, it is an afterthought because we do not repent before we sin, do we? A person cannot repent before he sins; that would be averting sin, not repenting of it. The popular saying, "Hindsight is 20/20," also comes into play regarding metanoia. When we look back and realize what we have done, we are led to think deeply about our actions, which can lead us to change our future actions. Our "afterthought" results in changed behavior. Metanoia complements the Hebrew terms rä'äh and shûb quite nicely, and in fact, it combines the meanings of these two Hebrew words. A strict dictionary definition of metanoia is "a change of mind that results in a change of direction." Note that both actions are contemplated: both a change of mind and a turn away from destructive to improved behavior. A mere change of mind would be useless without corresponding positive conduct. In II Peter 3:9, the apostle's use of metanoia helps us to understand its spiritual connotations. Peter explains that God is patient with us, willing to work with us for a long while to bring us to the point where we leave the path leading to death. A Christian does not just repent once, and that is all that is needed. We must continue repenting throughout our Christian lives because, not only do our bad habits produce the same sins that we sought forgiveness for before, but we are constantly made aware of new sins, too. Clearly, repentance is a long-term process, not a one-time decision, and God works closely with us for the duration. Some have taken God's longsuffering to be slackness on His part—that He lets us linger in our sins over such a long time. However, Peter's argument is that those who think this way are looking at it backward: It is not slackness but divine mercy! On the one hand, if He punished us for our sins with unyielding justice, we would all be decaying in pine boxes awaiting the judgment. On the other, if He did not require real change in behavior and character—just a quick and instant "repentance"—we would be no better for it. The kind of repentance that lasts for all eternity, the kind that leads to eternal life, is a life-long, deep-down, hard-won, blood-sweat-and-tears change in our way of living. It is an alteration in the course of our lives that we have felt deeply, considered soberly, and maintained rigorously throughout our lives. God's mercy allows us to take the time to do it right. This kind of repentance takes us off the Satan-inspired path of death and puts us on God's path of life, on which we begin to think like, act and react like, and generally live like God as much as is humanly possible. Because this is the lofty goal of true Christianity, and as human nature is always battling to regain control over us, we must be in a repentant frame of mind at all times.
Richard T. Ritenbaugh
Repentance: The Genuine Article (Part Four)
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