Repent Or Perish

For godly sorrow produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world brings about death. -2 Cor 7:10 

 

Repentance was central to the preaching of the New Testament. John the Baptist began his ministry by calling people to repent (Matt. 3:2). Shortly afterward, Jesus entered the scene proclaiming the very same message: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt. 4:17). He denounced cities that refused to repent and warned them of coming judgment (Matt. 11:21; 12:41; Luke 10:13; 11:32). When Jesus came into Galilee, He preached the gospel of God, declaring that people must “repent and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15). He also sent out the twelve disciples to preach repentance (Mark 6:12).

In Luke 13:5, Jesus issued a solemn warning that unless people repented, they would perish. He further taught that there is great joy in heaven over one sinner who repents (Luke 15:7, 10). After Christ’s resurrection, repentance continued to be proclaimed as essential for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 3:19). Even in the book of Revelation, the risen Christ repeatedly calls the churches to repentance. In the first three chapters alone, repentance is mentioned eight times. Jesus warns the seven churches that failure to repent would bring judgment, even to the point of removing their lampstand (Rev. 2:5). The Old Testament likewise contains repeated calls for God’s people to repent and turn from their sins.

Perhaps you are wondering why so much emphasis is being placed on repentance. Why devote such attention to this doctrine? It is because repentance is necessary if one is to inherit the kingdom of heaven.

You will remember the words of our Lord Jesus Christ to Nicodemus: “Unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). Jesus left no room for misunderstanding. Entrance into the kingdom is not obtained merely through outward behavioral change. What man needs is not mere moral reform but spiritual resurrection (Eph. 2:5). This new birth is the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit. Every person whom the Holy Spirit regenerates will turn away from sin. There is no one who is truly born again and yet continues comfortably living in rebellion against God. This turning away from sin is repentance.

Yet, like many foundational doctrines, repentance is widely misunderstood. Some reduce repentance to merely confessing sins. A person sins, asks for forgiveness, and then continues in the same pattern repeatedly, assuming that saying sorry each morning and evening is sufficient. Others think repentance is something produced by human effort alone. Still others imagine that a person can believe in Jesus Christ, trust in His finished work, and possess saving faith without turning away from sin altogether.

This article seeks to clarify the biblical doctrine of repentance. It is our prayer that you will examine yourself carefully and ask whether you have truly turned away from your sins and come to Christ in genuine repentance and faith.

 

Definition

At regeneration, the Holy Spirit grants the sinner a new nature, raising him from spiritual death to life (John 3:3–8; Ezekiel 36:25–27; John 1:12–13; Ephesians 2:1–5 ). The very first act of this renewed nature is the conscious turning away from sin in repentance and the embracing of Jesus Christ in faith for salvation (Acts 16:14). The newborn soul recoils from sin in holy revulsion and eagerly runs to Christ for mercy and forgiveness. (1 Thessalonians 1:9) 

Simply stated, repentance is “godly sorrow for sin accompanied by a resolve to turn from it.” As God shines the light of regeneration into the sinner’s heart, He opens the sinner’s spiritual eyes to see both the bankruptcy of sin and the infinite worthiness of Christ (Acts 26:18; 2 Cor. 4:6). The sinner now sees Christ as perfectly suited to forgive sins and to provide the righteousness necessary for eternal life.

Repentance, therefore, can only occur after the Holy Spirit has worked in someone's heart. It is the fruit of regeneration. A person who was once dead in trespasses and sins is made alive by God and is granted the ability to perceive spiritual reality rightly. The regenerated soul immediately begins to turn away from sin and to turn toward Christ in faith. 

Essential Characteristics of Biblical Repentance

Firstly, biblical repentance is a necessary component of salvation. There is no salvation without repentance. Mark records that “Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel’” (Mark 1:14–15). Matthew likewise records that Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt. 4:17; see also Luke 24:46–47). Since Jesus Himself preached repentance and commanded that it be preached to all nations, it must necessarily be an essential component of the gospel message. No one can enter the kingdom of heaven without turning away from sin.

It is a dangerous deception to think that someone can continue living in unrepentant sin while claiming to belong to Christ. No one truly believes the gospel without repentance. A person may know the facts of the gospel and even intellectually affirm them to be true, yet unless he turns away from his sin, he has not genuinely trusted in Christ. Such a person remains a stranger to the saving power of the gospel.

This is precisely why the apostles preached repentance as central to their message (Acts 2:37–38; 3:19; 5:30–31; 17:30–31; 20:20–21; 26:19–20). Repentance is not optional; it is a non-negotiable element of gospel proclamation. Flee from teachers who proclaim forgiveness without repentance. Flee from men who promise salvation while leaving sinners comfortable in their rebellion against God.

The apostle Paul summarized his ministry by emphasizing repentance as a central component of the message he proclaimed (Acts 26:18–20). True conversion necessarily includes turning away from sin and turning to the living God in faith (1 Thess. 1:9). Wherever genuine salvation occurs, repentance will always accompany it.

Secondly, biblical repentance is a gift from God. Because the Bible repeatedly commands sinners to repent, many mistakenly assume that repentance is something fallen man can produce by his own power. They reason that if God commands repentance, then man must naturally possess the ability to perform it. But this is far from the teaching of Scripture. The Bible teaches that, just like faith, repentance is a gracious gift from God. God not only commands repentance, but He also grants the ability and the willingness to repent. Though every true believer exercises repentance, repentance itself is not self-produced. It is wrought by God through the work of the Holy Spirit.

Scripture repeatedly affirms this truth. God exalted Jesus Christ to His right hand “to grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins” (Acts 5:31). In Acts 11:18, the disciples glorified God after realizing that He had “granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life.” Likewise, Paul the Apostle instructed Timothy not to be quarrelsome, but gentle and patient when correcting opponents, “if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth” (2 Tim. 2:24–25).

The testimony of Scripture is clear: repentance is a divine gift. The psalmist himself cried out for God to restore His people (Ps. 80:3, 7, 19), recognizing that turning back to God ultimately depends upon God’s gracious work. 

Repentance was secured through the cross-work of Christ and is effectually applied through regeneration by the Holy Spirit. Therefore, although sinners are commanded to repent, we must never imagine that we can produce repentance by our own strength. Left to ourselves, we remain dead in sin and hostile toward God. We must cry out to God to mercifully grant us repentance that leads to life.

Thirdly, biblical repentance is a necessary consequence of regeneration. As discussed earlier, repentance is the result of being born again. When God breathes spiritual life into a sinner who was dead in trespasses and sins, the first response of that renewed heart is a turning away from sin and a turning toward God.

Are you born again? Do you desire to know whether God has truly worked in your heart? One unmistakable mark will be a growing hatred for sin and a sincere turning away from it. Regeneration always produces repentance. While an unregenerate person may experience deep sorrow over the consequences of sin or feel remorse over personal failure, true biblical repentance is never the experience of the natural man apart from the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit. Genuine repentance—the God-honoring response to sin—is impossible without the new birth.

Herman Bavinck rightly writes:

“True repentance according to Scripture does not arise from the natural man but from the new life that was planted in a person by regeneration. . . . Faith and repentance both arise from regeneration.”
— Reformed Dogmatics, 4:163, 152.

Together with faith, repentance is the first conscious spiritual act of the regenerated person. It is the instinctive “first breath” of the new creature in Christ. Consequently, wherever regeneration has truly taken place, biblical repentance will inevitably and unmistakably follow.

Fourthly, biblical repentance is distinct from worldly sorrow. Paul the Apostle clearly distinguishes the two in 2 Corinthians 7:10: “For godly sorrow produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death.” Scripture, therefore, recognizes that not all sorrow over sin is genuine repentance.

Acts 11:18 speaks of a “repentance that leads to life.” Likewise, Paul describes true repentance as that which leaves no regret and leads to salvation (2 Cor. 7:10) and to “the knowledge of the truth” (2 Tim. 2:25). Biblical repentance is therefore more than feeling bad about sin. It is a Spirit-produced turning away from sin unto God.

Many people experience regret over their actions without ever truly repenting. A thief who is caught in the act may deeply regret being discovered, yet still love the sin itself and return to it at the first opportunity. Such sorrow is not hatred for sin because it dishonors God; rather, it is sorrow over consequences, shame, or punishment.

This distinction is powerfully illustrated in the cases of the rich young ruler and Judas. When the rich young ruler heard the cost of discipleship, he became sorrowful (Luke 18:23). Yet his sorrow was worldly because he valued his earthly riches more than the privilege of following Jesus Christ. His heart remained attached to the world. Likewise, Judas experienced remorse after betraying Christ (Matt. 27:3). He even returned the thirty pieces of silver. Yet his sorrow was not genuine repentance. It did not lead him to seek mercy from God or to flee to Christ in faith. Instead, his worldly sorrow drove him deeper into despair and ultimately to suicide. True repentance does not merely fear consequences or feel emotional pain over sin. Genuine repentance hates sin because it is an offense against a holy God and turns to Christ for mercy and cleansing.

Fifthly, biblical repentance is transformative in nature. To repent means “to change one’s course of action.” True repentance is far more than making a mere decision. Neither is it only sorrow or regret over sin and its consequences. Biblical repentance is a radical change that encompasses the whole person. Repentance affects the mind (cognition). Through the Word of God, the sinner comes to a true knowledge of sin (Rom. 3:20). He begins to see sin as God sees it—as rebellion against a holy and righteous God. Repentance also affects the affections (desires and emotions). There is a genuine sorrow over sin, not merely because of consequences, but because sin has been committed against God Himself. David expressed this godly sorrow when he cried out in Psalm 51 after his sin. Repentance further affects the will (volition). There is an inward turning away from sin and a sincere desire to seek pardon, cleansing, and obedience to God. The repentant sinner no longer desires to continue walking in rebellion but now longs to pursue holiness and submission to Christ.

Therefore, repentance is something that occurs deep within the heart and involves the entire person in a decisive turning away from sin and turning toward God.Because repentance is transformative, there will also be visible evidence of it. Repentance goes beyond merely changing one’s mind; it establishes a new relationship with God that results in a changed life. One of the clearest passages demonstrating this truth is 1 Thessalonians 1:9–10:

“For they themselves report about us what kind of a reception we had with you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come.”

Becoming a Christian always involves a decisive break with a life of sin and rebellion. Whatever a person’s background may be, genuine conversion requires turning away from idols of some kind. Repentance does not permit a person to remain comfortably in anti-God attitudes, behaviors, and pursuits. Instead, it renounces them and redirects the sinner onto an entirely new path.

Biblical repentance, therefore, is a heartfelt sorrow for sin, a renouncing of it, and a sincere commitment to forsake it and walk in obedience to Jesus Christ. This is why John the Baptist commanded the Pharisees to “bear fruit in keeping with repentance” (Matt. 3:8). Genuine repentance always produces visible fruit. Where there is true repentance, there will inevitably be evidence of a transformed life (see also Acts 26:20; 2 Tim. 2:25).

Sixthly, biblical repentance is a way of life. One who has truly repented of sin will be marked continually by repentance. Repentance is not merely a one-time act. Many people depend on the “sinner’s prayer” or a “prayer of salvation,” where one repeats a prayer confessing sins and then rests their entire hope of salvation on that moment alone. However, this is not the biblical understanding of repentance. Repentance is not simply repeating a prayer and then continuing with life as usual. The gift of true repentance begins a new pattern of life—a life marked by ongoing contrition over remaining sin. The believer continues to hate sin, mourn over it, and seek conformity to Christ. Scripture describes this posture in Isaiah 66:1–2 and Matthew 5:3, where God looks with favor upon the one who is humble, contrite in spirit, and trembles at His Word.

 

 

As John Murray rightly states, 

“Just as faith is not only a momentary act but an abiding attitude of trust and confidence directed to the Savior, so repentance results in constant contrition. The broken spirit and the contrite heart are abiding marks of the believing soul.” 

True repentance, therefore, is not temporary remorse but a lifelong disposition of turning from sin unto God.

Finally, we must note that biblical repentance does not atone for sin. Many believers live in slavish fear because they think their repentance accomplishes a kind of “atonement” or satisfaction for the sins they commit. This can lead to a dangerous form of “evangelical penance,” where a person constantly attempts to earn peace with God through repeated sorrow and confession. Others live in continual fear, wondering whether their repentance is deep enough or sincere enough to save them. Such thinking often leads to doubt, anxiety, and despair.

However, this misunderstands the gospel. Repentance does not save; Christ saves. Repentance is necessary, but it is not the ground of our justification. The believer’s hope is not found in the perfection of his repentance, but in the perfection of Christ’s person and work. We must remember that Jesus alone is our Savior.

Whatever Horatius Bonar said concerning faith may also be applied to repentance:

“Faith is not our savior. It was not faith that was born at Bethlehem and died on Golgotha for us. It was not faith that loved us and gave itself for us; that bore our sins in its own body on the tree; that died and rose again for our sins. Faith is one thing, the Savior is another. Faith is one thing, and the cross is another. Let us not confound them, nor ascribe to a poor, imperfect act of man, that which belongs exclusively to the Son of the Living God.”

In the same way, repentance is not our savior. Christ alone is the atoning sacrifice for sin. Repentance does not purchase forgiveness; rather, it is the God-given response of a sinner who turns from sin and casts himself wholly upon Christ for mercy.

 

 

 

Conclusion

Repentance is a humble acknowledgment of sin and the need for forgiveness. It leads to mourning, sorrow, shame, and humiliation over sin before a holy God. True repentance involves a repudiation of wickedness, a decisive turning away from a life of sin, and a sincere resolve to walk in obedience to God. Such repentance is evidenced by a transformed life.

“Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins” (Acts 2:38).

“Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent” (Acts 17:30).

Have you repented of your sins?

Psalm 7:11–13 declares:

“God is a righteous judge,
And a God who has indignation every day.
If a man does not repent, He will sharpen His sword;
He has bent His bow and made it ready.
He has also prepared for Himself deadly weapons;
He makes His arrows fiery shafts.”

Now listen to the gracious words of our Lord Jesus Christ:

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28).

Here is a grand invitation to all who are burdened by sin. Here is the olive branch of peace extended to guilty sinners. Christ stretches out His hands and beckons sinners to come to Him, while at the same time withholding the wrath of God that they deserve.

What will you say, sinner?

Behold, now is “the acceptable time”; behold, now is “the day of salvation” (2 Cor. 6:2). Do not harden your heart. Flee to Christ while mercy is still freely offered. Turn from your sin and cast yourself wholly upon the Savior, for all who come to Him in true repentance and faith will never be turned away. 

Blessed are those who mourn (for their sins), for they shall be comforted. (Matt 5:4)

Repent or Perish! Turn or Burn!

What happened When A Believes Dies?

Have you ever asked yourself what will happen to you a few seconds after your death? Where will you transition to after you close your eyes?

Some people do not pay so much attention because they think it’s a reality that is way far. Some think that they are young. Some think that they are very healthy and have so many years ahead. Some suppress the whole idea of death. It’s a coping mechanism, and yet God has also set eternity in the hearts of men (Ecc 3:11), and no one can shake off the thought.

Some people think that heaven is a fairy tale. There are so many dangers that people fall into when they think or talk about heaven—so many errors that people associate with this glorious doctrine that has been revealed to comfort believers. Most ideas about heaven are not biblical. People often have a notion of floating ghosts in heaven, with an everlasting siesta—floating somewhere.

Many people believe in the doctrine of heaven, yet it has no effect in their lives. It has no practical effect. Paul says in 2 Cor 5:8–9, “we are of good courage and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him.”

And sadly, many preach and teach about this doctrine, but it has no impact in their lives. Doctrine that does not transform is demonic—demons understand doctrine very well, but they are not transformed by it. James exhorts us to be doers of the word, not just merely hearers! (James 1:22).

Some Christians altogether neglect the doctrine. We are too preoccupied by this present world. We are surrounded by what we can see, taste, smell, and touch. We are very busy with our job, with our school—name it! To many, this world has enough things, pleasure, and well-being. And sometimes God has to use tragedy to wake us up! Only when there are trials do we truly and genuinely know that this world is not our home.

We have created a sweet by and by for a prosperous now and then. We neglect heaven because of blindness by the devil—trained to focus on the here and now. We are brainwashed into neglecting it. The world wants something for the here and now. We might neglect heaven because the doctrine does not appear good to us. We do not spend time understanding the doctrine so that it affects our passions. Some view heaven as a church service that goes on and on.

Some neglect heaven because they simply think of it as an inevitable natural state of our existence. We believe in heaven—it’s going to come, we will enjoy it—in the meantime why waste time thinking about it?

But why does it matter that we have a proper perspective about heaven? In the first place, because many people take it for granted that they are going to heaven. They assume that they are going to heaven, but they are deceiving themselves. There are no transformed lives. There is no evidence that they are joined to Christ.

In one of the most classic works ever penned by a mortal man outside of the Bible, in my own estimation, Bunyan in his great masterpiece records a very sad reality. In the last post Bunyan awoke from his dream just as Christian and Hopeful were preparing to leave the Delectable Mountains. The mountains were a welcome destination. The pilgrims grew in their understanding of God's Word. Their faith was strengthened; their repentance deepened. But the journey is not yet over.

As Bunyan dreams again, he sees the pilgrims descending from the mountains. Just below the mountains, a little crooked lane comes into the Way. Here Christian and Hopeful meet Ignorance, a false professor who is certain that he is on his way to the Celestial City. Ignorance is an energetic, vivacious lad who comes from the country of Conceit.

As Bunyan nears the end of his story, he turns from one of the most glorious scenes in the book (the final entrance of Christian and Hopeful into the Celestial City) to one of the most fearful. He turns to look back and he sees Ignorance preparing to cross the River.

Ignorance professed himself to be a pilgrim and informed them that he was “going to the Celestial City.” When Ignorance arrives at the Gate, there is no one there to greet him. He knocks, still assuming that he will quickly gain entrance. When he is challenged at the Gate, Ignorance responds by saying: “I have eaten and drunk in the presence of the King, and he has taught in our streets.” His words echo the response of those seeking to enter heaven through their own means:

And He [Jesus] said to them, “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able. When once the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open for us,’ and He will answer and say to you, ‘I do not know you, where you are from,’ then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets’” (Luke 13:24–26).

Then the king said to the servants, “Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 22:13). Ignorance is carried away to Hell and Bunyan concludes: “Then I saw that there was a way to hell, even from the gates of heaven, as well as from the City of Destruction.”

The moment a believer dies, he or she is ushered into heaven! But we know that this is not the final state of believers! We are awaiting the resurrection when our souls will be joined with our resurrected, glorified bodies. What does heaven look like? What has been revealed in the Bible about this state? What happens when believers die? Death is a blessing only for those who are in Christ. Let us look at four wonderful realities for those who have their faith in Christ Jesus. This is what awaits them.

Firstly, in heaven believers are made perfect. All saints in heaven are in full consciousness, having been immediately made perfect in moral likeness to Christ. No soul in heaven is imperfect. Immediately at death, when believers die, they are ushered into heaven, they are made perfect.

Rom 8:29 — Because those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers; and those whom He predestined, He also called; and those whom He called, He also justified; and those whom He justified, He also glorified.

 

They are conformed and made to resemble His Son. They are made to be like the form and the image of His Son. The end in this process of our being conformed to the Son's image is the exaltation of Christ—that He might be the Firstborn. Immediately a believer dies, they are fully conformed to the image of Christ. That which God started comes into completion.

If you are not being conformed into the image of God's Son, showing a greater and greater likeness to Jesus, you need to do a sober, honest look at your salvation. (Colossians 3:5–10) As Paul exhorts in 2 Cor 13:5 — “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you—unless indeed you fail the test?” The moment they breathe their last, they are glorified and made perfect into conformity to the image of Christ. (1 Cor 15:49).

Another text to consider is Hebrews 12:18–23. The former, the Sinaitic revelation, is the revelation of the sheer majesty of God, the absolute inapproachability of God, the sheer terror of the presence of the Lord God apart from the blood of sprinkling of the Cross of Calvary. That’s so important for us to remember because it’s a marvelous picture of our sin and our judgment, and the fact that apart from Jesus Christ we should experience the lost-ness of eternal life, of eternal judgment.

But, here he says “you have come” and to “the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem,” we have come to Mount Zion. We are as if we have come to Mount Zion. We are as if we have come to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, because it’s so certain that we will experience these things. The future is already present for us in the sense that in today and the blessings that we have in Jesus Christ, we possess the things that will be ours in the future. “you have come,” is in a tense (perfect tense) that ordinarily refers to something in the past, the results of which continue, at least, to the present. So, in other words, it’s not “you came,” but “you have come,” and you now stand in this position of being possessed in reality of Mount Zion, the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, the church of the firstborn and all of the other blessings that are set forth here. The author emphasizes that this heavenly possession is their possession forever.

To myriads of angels—very many, innumerable—an indefinitely great number, or simply a number that cannot be counted. To the festal gathering—used only here in the NT to describe a solemn assembly convened for purposes of a happy, joyous festivity. These are invisible companions, and to God, the Judge of all, and spirits of just men made perfect! To be perfect means to be complete, mature, fully developed, full grown, brought to its end, finished, wanting nothing necessary to completeness or in good working order. The moment the spirit leaves their bodies, the saints are made perfect—utterly devoid of anything in need of repentance.

When Isaiah saw the beatific vision of Christ, sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, with the train of His robe filling the temple—seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to the other, “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty. The whole earth is full of His glory.” And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called out, while the house of God was filling with smoke.

What was Isaiah’s reaction? “Woe is me, for I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, Yahweh of hosts.”But when saints are ushered before the throne of God in heaven, they are perfected. Sinners cannot bear the sight of a holy God. They will wish they could leave His terrifying presence within a second before Him. They will cry out to be hid from His presence. But for the saints: it is a fountain of unbounded joy, at home in every way—an ocean of God’s love to swim in. And the desire of every saint—to be freed from sin, to forever please God—is fulfilled.

But saints are not only made perfect. They are immediately brought into the presence of Christ. All saints in heaven are in the presence of Christ. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. (Matt 5:8). To be absent from the body is to be at home with the Lord (2 Cor 5:1–6). It is the great future privilege which the apostle hoped for: that of being present with Christ. The words properly signify dwelling with Christ, as in the same country or city, or making a home with Christ. He says the same thing in Philipians 1:23: But I am hard-pressed between the two, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better.

A Christian is not in his own proper home while he sojourns in the body. Our birth and parentage is from heaven. Everything tends to the place of its origin; men love their native soil. Here is not enough to satisfy the desire and expectation of the renewed heart—perfect enjoyment of God, and perfect conformity to God. There lies our treasure and inheritance—1 Peter 1:4: to obtain an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and unfading, having been kept in heaven for you. There are all our kindred. There is our home and country, where our Father is, and our Lord Jesus, and all the holy ones of God. Apostle Pauls says in 1 Cor 3:22 — The world or life or death or things present or things to come; all things belong to you. All things work out for good for those who love God—including death! Life and death, things present and things to come—all shall tend to advance their happiness and promote their salvation. Christians have nothing to fear in death. Death is theirs and shall be a blessing to them. Its sting is taken away, and it shall introduce them to heaven. What have they to fear? Why should they be alarmed? Why afraid to die? Why unwilling to depart and to be with Christ? Threatening a Christian with death is threatening them with heaven! Death is gain to believers! Lavish communion with the Triune God, lavish communion with other saints—and this happens immediately when a believer dies. This is the consummation of Christian blessedness.

Jesus prayed and said, “Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.” (John 17:24) “I desire” has a strange ring of authority. He does not merely wish it. Here He asserts a legal will. Jesus asks with the right of a claim, and demands with confidence, as the Son, not a servant. Jesus is more joyful to see those He died for than they are to see Him.Psalm 116:15 — Precious in the sight of Yahweh is the death of His holy ones.

 

 

Thirdly, when believers die, they are brought immediately to experience the promised rest of Christ.

Matt 11:28–30 — “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

 

There are few texts more striking than this in all the Bible—few that contain so wide and sweeping an invitation—few that hold out so full and comfortable a promise. Come! This is the greatest invitation that ever issued from a man's lips. Come!Not “do this” or “don’t do that,” but simply “Come.” Note also that Jesus does not say, “Come to the church, to a creed, to a clergyman, to a denomination,” or to anything but to Jesus Himself—to a vital, dynamic, radical relationship with the living Lord. All—with no exceptions—and yet in the present context the “all” is in a sense restricted…restricted by Jesus’ statement to those humble souls who acknowledge their weariness of struggling with sin. “I will give you rest”—note that we are not invited to come to a doctrine which is systematic (as good and necessary as that might be), but to a Savior who is divine, to the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus Himself is our rest! And the culmination of this rest is when believers die.

Rev 14:13 — And I heard a voice from heaven, saying, “Write, ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!’” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “so that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow with them.”

 

And the word for labor used in this context is the word which means “labor unto pain” or “toil unto weariness.” Immediately upon death, all those of the faith obtain rest.

Isa. 57:1 — The righteous man perishes, and no man puts it upon his heart; and men of lovingkindness are gathered away, while no one understands. For the righteous man is gathered away from evil.

 

Dan. 12:13 — But as for you, go your way to the end; then you will enter into rest and stand again for your allotted portion at the end of the days.

 

And when saints die, their works follow them. God is intimately familiar with their works. (Heb. 6:10, 2 Tim 4:7–8) There they are gathered with their rewards.

 

Someone tried to capture this rest:

“But rest, too. Maybe rest above all. Here, responsibilities, pain and temptation. Here, harassment by the demonic, persecution by the world, disappointment in friends. Here, relentless, remorseless pressure, requiring us to live at the limit of our resources and at the very edge of endurance. But there, rest: ‘the battle's o'er, the victory won’. The toil is behind us and the danger past. No more the burden of unfinished work or the frustration of in-built limitations. No sin to mortify. No self to crucify. No pain to face. No enemy to fear.”

But it’s not all negative. It’s more than rest from. It means sharing in the blessedness of God so that in the very depth of our being there is contentment and joy and fulfilment. There is total shalom: a sense of sheer wellbeing. Every need is met. Every longing is fulfilled. Every goal is achieved. Every sense is satisfied.

 

We see Him. We are with Him. He holds us and hugs us and whispers, “This is forever.”

 

 

Why do we mourn departing friends
Or shake at death’s alarms?
’Tis but the voice that Jesus sends
To call them to His arms.

 

Why should we tremble to convey
Their bodies to the tomb?
There the dear flesh of Jesus lay
And scattered all the gloom.

 

The graves of all His saints He blest
And softened ev'ry bed.
Where should the dying members rest
But with the dying Head?

Forgiveness.

 Refusing to forgive a repentant brother is sin. Our Lord taught us to pray, “And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors,” warning that “if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Matt. 6:12, 15, KJV). He pressed the point with Peter: forgiveness is not counted but continual—“seventy times seven” (Matt. 18:21–22)—and He illustrated it in the parable of the unforgiving servant, whose great debt was remitted, yet who would not forgive a little, and was judged accordingly (Matt. 18:23–35). The apostolic rule is plain: “Let not the sun go down upon your wrath,” and, “be ye kind one to another… forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you” (Eph. 4:26, 32; cf. Col. 3:13; Luke 17:3–4). In Reformed terms, forgiveness does not merit our pardon but manifests it: those united to Christ extend the grace they have received. To withhold forgiveness against repentance is rebellion against God’s revealed will, and may be the sad evidence of an unrenewed heart (Matt. 6:15).