All too often you will hear preaching on repentance that really is not Biblical repentance in context of receiving the gift of salvation through faith. You will hear some fundamental pastors deny that Spurgeon was a Calvinist or that he taught Lordship salvation. You may even hear people protest that moderate Calvinism does not change the gospel. If a Pastor teaches that faith is the gift of God, that unconditional election is true, that repentance equals willingness to turn from sin, that repentance is a “grace”, and that there ought to be evidence of that “grace” in a person’s life that truly has it (perseverance of the saints), then does it affect the gospel? The answer is yes and should not be ignored or brushed under the rug. Would it also surprise you that many such Pastors admittedly are big fans of Spurgeon? Let’s take a close look at one of Spurgeon’s sermons called Repentance Unto Life. This was preached back in 1855. If you need to see the full transcript it can be found through a simple Google search.
Spurgeon starts off by making the point that repentance is also for the gentiles. This is potentially a good point to make based on the verse used at the beginning however early on we see Spurgeon refer to grace this way:
“After this the power of grace was so mighty that these Jews could no longer withstand it: and in the teeth of all their previous education, they at once assumed the broad principle of Christianity,” and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.””
Spurgeon then goes on to start talking about his understanding of “repentance”. ”By “Repentance unto life,” I think we are to understand that repentance which is accompanied by spiritual life in the soul, and ensures eternal life to every one who possesses it.”
(Huh? Salvation is a present tense possession. It seems to be that Spurgeon is equating repentance and that of ongoing repentance as a possession as well. This should make sense us later because we will see that Spurgeon claims that repentance is a gift.)
“”Repentance unto life,” I say, brings with it spiritual life, or rather, is the first consequent thereof.”
(Which is it? This is straight up Calvinist style doublespeak. The statement itself really is a contradiction and Calvinism is no stranger to contradictions primarily because it is a concoction of men’s wisdom messing up what God has actually said. The only way it could be the first consequence of spiritual life is if regeneration or at least faith precedes it. This is faith as the gift or pre-regeneration error…Calvinist style…. which is not the gospel as we will see later.)
“…but the repentance here spoken of is produced by the Author of life, and when it comes, it begets such life in the soul, that he who was “dead in trespasses and sins,” is quickened together with Christ…” “…” he who slumbered in the very center of corruption, receives power to become one of the sons of God, and to be near his throne. This I think is “repentance unto life,”—that which gives life unto a dead spirit.”
(So basically Spurgeon is saying that repentance is given as a gift to make a dead person alive. Does that check with scripture? Going back to his original verse is that what it is saying? Or could it be that the verse is talking in general about how salvation is also available to gentiles? Which interpretation fits better with the rest of scripture?)
“I have said also, this repentance ensures eternal life;…”
(This is not how to look at it. Repentance is a change of mind which in itself does not ensure eternal life. What ensures eternal life is the object of our faith Jesus Christ. In order to trust Christ we have to have had a change of mind from trusting anyone or anything else. )
Spurgeon alludes to Arminianism then says “The repentance of our test is not their repentance, but it is a “repentance unto life;” a repentance which is a true sign of eternal salvation in Christ; a repentance which preserves us through this temporary state in Jesus, and which when we are passed into eternity, gives us a bliss which cannot be destroyed.”
(Wait a minute… does repentance preserve us?! No. The shed blood of Christ covers us. The Spirit seals us. The righteousness of Christ is imputed to us… So what is Spurgeon talking about?)
Spurgeon then attempts to outline some false ideas of repentance from his perspective. He uses the illustration of Felix and in the midst of it he says:
“…but, let me tell you, you may be after all a castaway, because you have not repented of your sins, neither have you turned to God.”
(So here we see that Spurgeon equates repentance to turning from sins. But is this the definition of repentance?)
“How often has conviction brought you on your knees and you have “almost” repented, but you have remained there, without actually repenting.”
(Spurgeon is saying here that those that refused like Felix did were refusing to turn from their sins. Rather Felix was refusing to believe what Paul was saying. Felix’s problem was not that he didn’t want to stop sinning or that God didn’t gift him yet with repentance but that he would not believe.)
Spurgeon, based on his false repentance example of conviction, then attempts to scare his audience with this: “”Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.””
(The problem though is that adding turning from sins to the concept of receiving salvation by faith is to add to the gospel a meritorious act. If you do this and never actually trust Christ alone to save then you will suffer the very same fate Spurgeon is scaring them about.)
Spurgeon then complains about what he perceives as a non-continuing repentance. “…they renounce certain vices and follies, they clothe themselves in sack-cloth, their tears flow very freely on account of what they have done; they weep before God; and yet with all that, their repentance is but a temporary repentance, and they go back to their sins again.”
(So for Spurgeon, not only is repentance the gift of turning from sins but it MUST always continue (perseverance of the saints) or it was not really true repentance that was given. Is this the gospel? Now Spurgeon attempts to justify this position with the example of Ahab and Naboth but is the context of this story talking about how to receive eternal life!? Spurgeon is not dealing faithfully with the Word here. Spurgeon then starts talking about being afraid of hell versus being afraid of sinning. Remember this is all coming from the perspective that God gives repentance as a specific gift to certain individuals.)
“It is not the soul’s state that troubles you, but hell. If hell were extinguished, your repentance would be extinguished; if the terrors awaiting you were withdrawn, you would sin with a higher hand than before, and your soul would be hardened, and would rebel against its sovereign. Be not deceived, my brethren, here; examine yourselves whether you are in the faith; ask yourselves if you have that which is “repentance unto life;” for you may humble yourselves for a time, and yet never repent before God.”
(Spurgeon here is creating a false dichotomy. There is no real problem here since repentance is not a grace in the way he asserts. This is also because repentance for salvation is not turning from sins anyway. So it becomes a straw man argument. Also notice that he takes the verse there from 2 Corinthians out of context. That verse was talking to believers not about the state and nature of their repentance for eternal life. Paul was telling the Corinthians to quit questioning his authority and reflect on how they had obeyed his earlier rebuke of their wickedness as believers. In no way was Paul saying that their obedience proved their salvation.)
”Beyond this many advance, and yet fall short of grace.” (The interesting thing to note here is that adding anything of merit to the gospel is to create another gospel and fall short of grace. Making repentance mean “turn from sins” does this exactly.)
(Now Spurgeon goes on to further clarify what his view of repentance is. For him it is as if turning from sins is not enough. There is more.)
“You may approach God, and tell him you are a wretch indeed; you may enumerate a long list of your transgressions and of the sins that you have committed, without a sense of the heniousness of your guilt, without a spark of real hatred of your deeds. You may confess and acknowledge your transgressions, and yet have no abhorrence of sin; and if you do not in the strength of God resist sin, if you do not turn from it, this fancied repentance shall be but the guilding which displays the paint which decorates; it is not the grace which transforms into gold, which will abide the fire.”
Spurgeon tries to prove this by using Judas as an example but Judas had the problem that he never believed. So therefore Judas saying, “I have sinned, in that I have betrayed innocent blood.”” is not an attempt to be saved. Nor do we confess sin to men for salvation anyway. Spurgeon says there is a “kind” of repentance that leads to life.
“Now, having thus warned you that there are many false kinds of repentance, I propose to occupy a short time by some remarks on TRUE REPENTANCE, and the signs whereby we may discern whether we have that “repentance” which is “unto life.””
(The only sign I see scripturally of biblical repentance (change of mind) is that we now trust in Christ alone for salvation. If we trust Christ alone it means we therefore have repented. That is it. We must not, as Calvinists tend to do, grab onto elements of Christian living and make them necessary components of conversion. This is what happens when you make faith or repentance the gift of God. It then has to be quantified by elements of subsequent Christian living.)
“”Repentance” is a hatred of sin; it is a turning from sin and a determination in the strength of God to forsake it.”
(Really? Or is it a change of mind?)
“Some hearts God opens to faith, as in the case of Lydia.”
(I personally believe Lydia was most likely already saved because it said she already worshipped God but remember that Calvinists like this kind of opportunity to try to weave in their understanding.)
Spurgeon tries to backpedal a bit: “You know there are degrees of faith, and yet the least faith saves; so there are degrees of repentance, and the least repentance will save the soul if it is sincere.”
(But how do you know if it is sincere… That is part of the problem because works are needed to prove it beyond Christ alone.)
“”Repentance” is a grace.”
(Really? So not only is it a grace but it is imperfect grace? Hmmm. Where is that in the Bible?)
“Some people preach it as a condition of salvation. Condition of nonsense! There are no conditions of salvation. God gives the salvation himself; and he only gives it to those to whom he will.”
(This is pure Calvinist error which is not the gospel. There actually is a condition and that is Christ righteousness. We must be as righteous as Christ to enter heaven. That is only possible if we receive salvation by faith. How was Abraham saved? Romans 4. Christ’s righteousness is imputed to those that trust Him for it based on what Christ has already accomplished.)
“You feel that you have not faith large enough. What are you to do? Ask for an increase of faith, and it will grow. So with repentance. Have you ever tried to get deep repentance? My friends, if you have failed there, still trust in Jesus, and try every day to get a penitential spirit, Do not expect, I say again, to have perfect repentance at first; sincere penitence you must have, and then under divine grace you will go on from strength to strength, until at last you shall hate and abhor sin as a serpent or a viper, and then shall you be near, very near, the perfection of repentance.”
(Why try to get a more perfect repentance if it is not going to be perfect? Also why would God need to give more repentance if he already elected you from the foundation of the world. Why would he not give you everything needed? Doesn’t make sense at all.)
Spurgeon doesn’t stop here but now adds in another condition. “First, I tell you, there is always sorrow with it.” “He was not a sheep of God, for he had not been washed in penitence: for all God’s people have to be washed there when converted from their sins.”
(Washed in penitence huh? Where is that in the Bible?)
“The gospel promised salvation only to those who really repent.”
(Once again Spurgeon throws this out there but provides no backup of scripture whatsoever.)
Spurgeon isn’t satisfied yet so he goes on to add another element: “There must be in this repentance, I think, not only sorrow, but there must be practice—practical repentance.”
“They may not love it for the time; but can they be sincerely penitent, and then go and transgress again immediately, in the same way as they did before? How can we believe you if you transgress again and again, and do not forsake your sin? We know a tree by its fruit, and you who are penitent will bring forth works of repentance.”
(Spurgeon shows no biblical understanding of “works meet for repentance”. We as believers are to do those things worthy of repentance but not to be saved or even to prove that we are saved. We should do them because we are saved and they are God’s will. We should serve out of love for our Savior. They are not a legalistic tests of genuineness.)
So now we have another element added. You must also hate your sin. “If so—if you can say this in sincerity—if you thus turn to God and hate your sin with an everlasting hatred, you need not fear but that you have a “repentance” which is “unto life.””
(Oh really, is that all? If I have an everlasting hatred…right. How is anyone to know if they have that exactly? So basically that is a fancy way of really saying that you can’t know.)
Spurgeon’s third point is that repentance is a gift but we already knew that. “It is the marvel of divine mercy that it not only provides the way of salvation, that it not only invites men to receive grace, but that it positively makes men willing to be saved.”
“Is it not a stupendous act of divine mercy that he actually makes them willing? He does not do it by force, but uses a sweet spiritual persuasion.”
(Spurgeon tries to use the marriage feast analogy to say that God makes men willing to turn from their sins with a sorrowful hatred and willingness to obey. It is not by force yet he makes them through persuasion… right. Or it could be that God persuades all men through the gospel and the witness of the Holy Spirit but that God has also allowed for man to decide whether he will believe or reject? Remember if choosing to believe is God’s doing then so is refusing to believe. But this is not the gospel.)
“Some of you will say, “Sir, I have been trying to repent for a long time. In pains and afflictions I have been praying and trying to believe, and doing all I can.””
(This is the ridiculous state Calvinism leaves people in. There is no trying to repent (turn from sins) or trying to believe. You just believe the gospel once it is presented to you. Quit making it about performance.)
“If you want faith, remember he gives it, if you want repentance, he gives it! if you want everlasting life, he gives it liberally.” “He can force you to feel your great sin, and cause you to repent by the sight of Calvary’s cross, and the sound of the greatest, deepest death shriek, “Eloi! Eloi! lama sabachthani?” “My God! my God! why hast thou forsaken me?””
(Wait, I thought he said that God wouldn’t force anyone… just persuasively teach them…)
“That will beget “repentance;” it will make you weep and say, “Alas! and did my Saviour bleed; and did my Sovereign die for me?””
(Now it is true that reflecting upon the cross of Christ can help us as believers to be convicted of our sin and failures as believers but this has nothing to do with justification or trusting Christ for salvation.)
“Then beloved, if you would have “repentance,” this is my best advice to you—look to Jesus. And may the blessed Giver of all “repentance unto salvation” guard you from the false repentances which I have described, and give you that “repentance,” which existeth unto life.”
(So after all that talking, just look to Jesus and hopefully He will give you what you need and it will be qualified and quantified eventually if it really was real. Brother. And this to Spurgeon is the good news gospel?)
In this whole thing I did not see a lot of spiritual understanding from Spurgeon. He talks with religious sounding ease but where was the truth? It sounded more like his preconceived Calvinistic notions were read back into the texts. Is it any wonder then that even moderate Calvinists, especially those that heavily revere and look to Spurgeon as an example, tend to misinterpret the idea of repentance leading to another gospel? It is time for us to stop following after guys like Spurgeon and spend a little more time looking to see exactly what the Word says itself. Do not let one man or hero’s mistake affect you or other you may minister to. You will have to give an account to God for your life as a believer. Spurgeon will have to answer for his own. Further yet, do not be deceived any longer if you have not yet trusted Christ alone as Savior.
Stand For the Faith 