Ash Wednesday: “True and False Repentance” (Numbers 14:39-45; Luke 3:7-14)

Example of False Repentance

This evening we just read two different scriptures from the Old and New Testaments. You may wonder how they are related to each other. But in fact, these two texts share the same theme, that is “what is true repentance.” The story of the Israelites in Numbers tells us what false repentance is. Let me briefly explain the background of today’s passage. At that time the Israelites were about to enter the Promised Land. The twelve spies just came back and reported what they had seen. And ten of them spread a bad report. After hearing the report, all night the Israelites cried and wept aloud. And they grumbled against God and Moses, and said, “If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this desert! We will fall by the sword. And our wives and children will be taken as plunder!” They committed a great sin of unbelief. Then, God said to them, “I will do to you the very things I heard you say.” And he continued, “Tomorrow, turn back and set out to the desert in the direction of the Red Sea again.”

No Mourning over Sin

After this, in today’s scripture the people of Israel repent their sins. But it is false repentance. We find three characteristics of false repentance in today’s story. First of all, false repentance makes no mourning over sin. In verse 39, the people mourn bitterly, not because of their sins, but because of the bad news that they must turn back to the desert again! So, they come to Moses and say, “We have sinned.” They say this to avoid a crisis and to flee from God’s coming wrath. In this case true repentance is to turn back and set out to the wildness as God commanded.

John the Baptist was called to proclaim a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins (Mark 1:4). There were two kinds of people who came out to him. The first group of people came out to accept any punishment and to confess their sins. The second group of people came out to flee from the wrath to come, without any contrite heart. So John the Baptist said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?” True repentance is to mourn over our sins and to come out to God to obey his will.

  

No Death to Self

The second characteristic of false repentance is there is no experience of “dying to self.” The Israelites say, “We have sinned.” They get up early the next morning, heavily armed, and say, “We will go up to the place the Lord promised.” But Moses says to them, “Why are you disobeying the Lord’s command? Do not go up!” But verse 44 says, “Nevertheless, in their presumption they went up toward the high hill country…” This is a typical example of false repentance, repentance without death to self. There are many ways to experience of “dying to self.” In today’s story giving in and turning back to the desert is an experience of dying to self. In some cases we need to go to a particular person and ask for forgiveness. In other cases we need to make monetary compensation. But in many cases, God helps us to experience of dying to self by confessing our sins, especially in front of people. James 5:16 says, “Therefore, confess your sins to one another.”

Let me ask this question, “Which is easier for you to confess your sin to God or to people?” For me, personally, confessing to God was much easier because he was always loving and forgiving and kept the secret. But the thing is that I just kept sinning although I repented over and over. I got frustrated. Later I realized actually I didn’t confess my sins to God, but to myself and forgave myself. That is why God commands us to confess our sins to another person, image of God. True repentance must go through the experience of dying to self. During my seminary years what I learned most was how to repent. When I came to the US in 2006, I had my own plan. It was to earn a doctoral degree as soon as I can and become a pastor of a large church. Therefore, it was very important for me to get good grades. I did my best for excellent grades and was able to earn them. One day the Holy Spirit convicted me. He reminded me that I submitted the reading reports of some of the classes not in good conscience. I had just skimmed through part of the required readings but checked them off as 100% completion. I had good grades. But the Holy Spirit exposed my ambition deep in my heart. Eventually, I officially confessed my wrongdoing to my professors, some other seminarians, and church family members. As a result, the grades of the four classes were reduced. And it became almost unthinkable for me to pursue further study. It was painful experience, but I learned a valuable lesson. I learned that true repentance must go through the experience of dying to self. My ambition has been crucified in me.  

No Fruit of Repentance

Lastly, the third characteristic of false repentance is there is no fruit. The people of Israel say, “We have sinned.” But they don’t obey God’s will but they insist on their own way. They go up to the hill to fight. And the result, the fruit is verse 45. It says, “Then the Amelekites and Canaanites who lived in that hill country came down and attacked them and beat them down all the way to Hormah.” Hormah means destruction. The fruit of their repentance was destruction, death. Why? It is because they repented on their own way, not according to the will of God. Romans 8:6 says, “The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace.” When we repent by the Spirit, inwardly we have the fruit of life and peace in our heart and mind. And outwardly, we experience a change of our character and conduct. The fruit of repentance is very practical. True repentance bears fruits worthy of repentance. According to John the Baptist, it is to share our coats and food with the poor. It is to always keep our conscience and live before God. It is not to misuse power and privilege for our own ends. True repentance bears the fruit of the Holy Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Conclusion

Lent begins today. Every year God invites us to this special season of repentance. Why do we need repentance? Because true repentance draws us close to God and makes us whole. In 2 Corinthians 7:10 Apostle Paul says, “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.” So I invite all of you to ponder the following three questions and answer to them throughout Lent:

Am I truly mourning over my sins?

Do I repent on my own way, or according to the will of God?

How am I bearing the fruit of repentance in my life?

I pray that as we meditate on today’s scriptures and message, the Holy Spirit may convict us and lead us to true repentance, so that we may bear the fruit of repentance and enjoy full life that God promised us. Amen.