Repentance Is for Sinners Only (a.k.a., You've Got to Be Bad to Go to Heaven)

“What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’ ‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went. Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go. Which of the two did what his father wanted?” “The first,” they answered. Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.” (Matthew 21:28-32)

Jesus is not teaching the merits of delayed obedience in this passage. He is teaching repentance for both the person who initially refused and for the one who promised to obey and did not.

The Pharisees were like the second son who said he would work and did not. The Pharisees knew the law, but they thought that being able to quote it was the same as obeying it. The prostitutes and tax collectors were the first son. They had no intention of obeying and said so. John the Baptist came preaching repentance to Pharisees, tax collectors, and prostitutes. The latter two repented. The Pharisees did not think that they needed to repent.

When my wife Bessie was in Japan over sixty years ago, a young man named Kai came to see her. Their conversation went something like this:

“Miss Dodds, I want to become a Christian.”

Bessie began to explain sin to him.

“Oh, Miss Dodds, you have it all wrong. You see, I am not a sinner. I am not like other boys. I am good, and I want to become a Christian.”

Bessie replied, “Kai, I cannot help you. Neither can Jesus. Come back when you are a sinner.” She took him to the door. She did not think she would see him again. A few weeks later he came back, admitted he was a sinner, repented of his sins, and put his faith in the Lord Jesus.

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