I just recently finished reading a book by Neil Shenvi titled, “Why Believe.” I highly recommend it without reservation; it’s an incredibly well-written and helpful book.
Here is a teaser. This excerpt is found toward the end of the book and is one of the best explanations of repentance that I’ve heard:
Here is a teaser. This excerpt is found toward the end of the book and is one of the best explanations of repentance that I’ve heard:
“Imagine two teenage boys who have drifted apart from their parents. For years, they both sit sullenly through dinner, roll their eyes at every comment, and mock their parents in public. But one day, they both decide to repair their relationships. They begin carrying on conversations at meals. They start doing their neglected household chores. They speak respectfully. They even awkwardly submit to the occasional hug. All this behavior continues until the day of their high school graduation. Then the first son leaves home and never speaks to his parents again, while the second son’s gradual transformation continues. Why?
The first son wanted his parents to buy him a car for graduation and realized he would be more likely to get one if he was a dutiful child. When his parents didn’t deliver, he abandoned his polite behavior and turned his back on them for good. In contrast, the second son had accidentally stumbled across an old photo album he had crammed under his bed. He found dozens of pictures that brought back all kinds of happy memories from his childhood: making cushion forts, celebrating birthdays, taking vacations. He realized how much his parents loved him and how badly he was treating them. It suddenly broke his heart. He could no longer go on acting as he had; he no longer wanted to.
These two sons exemplify the difference between behavior modification and biblical repentance.”
I completely agree. And what a great way to say it. There are plenty of people who decide to “turn over a new leaf” and “get religious” for a while. But eventually they fall away, and people wonder, “Hmm, why didn’t Christianity work for them?”
Following Jesus requires repentance. And while repentance does involve changing behaviors, it’s much more than that. It’s a new direction in life that comes from a real change of heart brought on by a relationship with Jesus. If you want to read the rest of the book, it’s available at Crossway.
