15. Repentance

Repentance is a result of faith: for who that does not believe that God exists can have "repentance toward God"? Repentance is sorrow for sins committed; but it is more. It is a resolution to abandon them; but it is more. It is actual "ceasing to do evil, and learning to do good." This is "repentance unto life," or what is truly called reformation. Such is the force of the command, "Repent every one of you." It is not merely, Be sorry for what you have done wrong; nor is it, Resolve to do better; nor even, Try to improve your ways: but it is actual change of life based on the views and motives that the gospel of Christ presents. Gospel repentance is the product of gospel light and gospel motive, and therefore, it is the effect, not the cause, of belief in the testimony of God.

True repentance is, then, always completed in actual reformation of life. It therefore carries in its very essence the idea of restitution. For no one can sincerely reject or condemn their sinful way of life who does not make right the wrongs they have done to the fullest extent of their ability. To God, they can make no restitution except as they restore to their fellow human beings, whom they have wronged. If, then, anyone is convinced in their own mind that they have harmed the person, character, or property of their neighbor, by word or deed, and has the ability, by word or deed, to undo the harm they have done or to restore what they have unjustly taken, they will certainly do it if their repentance is according to either the law of Moses or the Gospel of Christ. Otherwise, their repentance is worthless: for God cannot, without violating His own law and dishonoring His own character, forgive anyone who is aware of any sin they have committed against another unless, to the fullest extent of their power, they make good the injury they have done. Thus says the Lord, "If a person sins and commits a trespass against the Lord, and lies to their neighbor about something entrusted to them to keep, or in a partnership (i.e., trading), or in anything taken by violence, or has deceived their neighbor, or has found something lost and lies about it, or swears falsely; in any or all of these things that a person does, sinning therein: Then it shall be, because they have sinned and are guilty, that they shall restore what they took violently away, or the thing which they have deceitfully gotten, or that which was entrusted to them to keep, or that lost thing which they found, or all that about which they have sworn falsely, they shall restore it in the principal, and shall add a fifth part more to it, and give it to the one to whom it belongs, on the day of their trespass offering, and they shall bring their trespass offering to the Lord, and the priest shall make atonement for them before the Lord, and it shall be forgiven them." Leviticus 6:1-7. Sin offerings without repentance, and repentance without sin offerings, are equally ineffective before God. We sin against God whenever we sin against others; and therefore, after making all things right with others, we can only, through sacrifice, which makes things right with God, obtain forgiveness. To the same effect, Jesus says, Matt. 5:23-24, "Be reconciled to your brother," first make things right with him, "and then come and offer your gift."[^1]