Two thousand years ago, the Lord Jesus said, “Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17). The Lord told us that if we want to enter into God’s kingdom, we must have true repentance. But as to what is true repentance, everyone has his own viewpoint. Some people think, after they believe in the Lord, they stop smoking, drinking, fighting, or quarreling, but can be humble, patient, and loving towards others, this is true repentance. Some people think, after they believe in the Lord, they can spend for God, and do whatever matters in the church as their own matters, and never slack off, this is true repentance. Also, some people think that they can forsake everything for the Lord and work hard, and no matter what kind of persecution and tribulation they encounter, even if they are imprisoned, they do not deny the Lord or betray the Lord, this is true repentance; and when the Lord returns, they can be taken up to the kingdom of heaven. … Are these viewpoints in accordance with the truth and God’s requirements?
Let’s look at God’s words. God says, “Most people place special emphasis on behavior in their belief in God, as a result of which certain changes occur in their behavior. After they have begun to believe in God, they stop contending with others, insulting and fighting with people, smoking and drinking, and stealing any public property—whether it be but a nail or a plank of wood—and they even go so far as to not take it to the courts whenever they suffer losses or are wronged. Without doubt, they do indeed undergo some behavioral changes. Because, once they believe in God, accepting the true way makes people feel especially good, and because they have also now tasted the grace of the work of the Holy Spirit, they are particularly fervent, and there is even nothing that they cannot forsake or suffer. Nevertheless, after having believed for three, five, ten, or thirty years, because there has been no change in their life dispositions, they end up sliding back into old ways; their arrogance and haughtiness grow more pronounced, they begin to compete for power and profit, they covet the church’s money, they do anything that serves their own interests, they crave status and pleasures, and they have become parasites of God’s house. … And what do these facts prove? Mere behavioral changes are unsustainable; if there is no alteration in people’s life dispositions, then sooner or later, their vicious sides will show themselves.” From God’s words we can see that although we have some changes after we believe in God, we can be humble and patient when getting along with others, we can work for the Lord and preach the gospel no matter how great the persecution and tribulations are, and we don’t deny God even if we are imprisoned, these are just the changes in outward behavior. This is not true repentance. These changes in behavior are from the moving of the Holy Spirit just for a while, or from our zeal, or achieved by keeping rules and controlling our flesh. It cannot last long. Our satanic dispositions and satanic nature are not changed, so we can still do things that disobey and resist God. For example, though we can show some forbearance and patience in appearance, when we disagree with other people, we’ll think we are right, and despise others, revealing arrogant disposition, and even hot-bloodedness. When we see others are more gifted than us, and are admired by brothers and sisters, we can be jealous of them. Even though we can do some work, we take our work and suffering to be our capital, and flaunt our qualifications to let people think highly of us. Moreover, some people even can embezzle the church’s money. Some pastors and elders are familiar with the Bible and have preached for many years, but they often exalt man’s words instead of the Lord Jesus’ words. They say that the prophecies of the Lord’s coming have been fulfilled and we need to watch and wait for the Lord’s return, but when people come to spread the gospel of the Lord’s coming, they don’t seek, but blindly judge, condemn, and hinder the believers from investigating it. Aren’t they the same as the Pharisees two thousand years ago who had superficial good behavior but resisted God in reality, and nailed the Lord Jesus onto the cross? It can be seen from this that man’s good behavior doesn’t mean true repentance or transformation in life disposition. If our satanic nature is not changed, we can still resist God.
Then what is true repentance? True repentance doesn’t refer to changes in behavior, but changes in life disposition, true obedience toward God, and doing God’s will. Just as God’s word says, “Transformation in disposition mainly refers to the transformation of a person’s nature. The things of a person’s nature cannot be seen from external behaviors; they are directly related to the worth and significance of his existence. That is, they directly involve a person’s outlook on life and his values, the things in the depths of his soul, and his essence. If a person cannot accept the truth, he will undergo no transformation in these aspects. Only by experiencing God’s work, fully entering the truth, changing one’s values and one’s outlooks on existence and life, aligning one’s views with God’s, and becoming capable of completely submitting to and being devoted to God, can one’s disposition be said to have transformed.” It can be seen from this that a transformation in disposition means that after people experience God’s work, people’s outlooks on life, and their values and views are changed. For example, before believing in God, we live by the satanic logics and philosophies like “Every man for himself and the devil take the hindmost,” “Those who submit will prosper; those who resist shall perish.” So our dispositions become arrogant and conceited, selfish and base, crooked and greedy, etc.. After believing in God, through reading God’s words and experiencing God’s work, we are able to remove these erroneous views on life, and live by God’s words. In this way the corrupt dispositions won’t disturb and control us anymore. After our outlooks and views on life are transformed, and our corrupt dispositions are purified, we can achieve obeying God and doing God’s will. This is a change in disposition and true repentance.
