The incident of Saul’s disobedience regarding the Amalekites (1 Samuel 15) serves to highlight a particular mark of true repentance, which is not only the hatred of sin, but the hatred of all sin. In the case of Saul, his obedience fell short in that instead of totally destroying the Amalekites and their livestock as commanded by God, some sheep and oxen were spared along with king Agag. In the case of the former, he blamed the people instead of himself and in the case of the latter, he appeared to justify his action by mentioning the bringing back of Agag as a kind of proof that he had fully carried out God’s command. Clearly, Samuel’s “hack(ing) Agag in pieces before the Lord” (1 Samuel 15.33) was a dramatic demonstration of the danger of rationalizing partial obedience, and the need to hate and repent of every sin. The Psalmist exhorted, “You who love the Lord, hate evil!’, and in Amos we read, “Hate evil, love good”. The Apostle Paul clearly demonstrated that nothing changed in transitioning from the Old to the New Testament when he exhorted, “Abhor what is evil” (Psalm 97.10; Amos 5:15; Romans 12:9).
Scottish minister John Colquhoun (1748-1827) commented, “In false penitence the sinner is affected chiefly with his gross and open sins; whereas in true repentance the believer is more deeply affected with the secret and darling sins which he formerly delighted to commit… the sin of his nature in general, and the unbelief and legal temper of his heart in particular.” Naaman the leper illustrated this ungodly state of mind. After being healed of his leprosy, he proclaimed his intent to no longer sacrifice to false gods, but then proceeded to request, “When my master goes into the temple of Rimmon to worship there, and he leans on my hand, and I bow down in the temple of Rimmon—when I bow down in the temple of Rimmon, may the Lord please pardon your servant in this thing” (2 Kings 5:17,18). Matthew Henry wrote concerning this incident, “It was a happy cure of his leprosy which cured him of his idolatry, a more dangerous disease. But… he reserved to himself a liberty to bow in the house of Rimmon… We must cast away all our transgressions and not accept any house of Rimmon. If we ask for a dispensation to go on in any sin for the future, we mock God, and deceive ourselves.”
The puritan John Owen wrote that repentance must be universal such that “it absolutely excludes all reserves for any sin.” Some, he went on, consider the reserved sin to be “small, and of no great importance… but true repentance respects the nature of sin, which is in every sin equally, the least as well as the greatest.” Others, he continued, reserve sins that are secret, “hidden from every eye… but this is an evidence of the grossest hypocrisy and the highest contempt of God, who seeth in secret.” Jesus was very clear regarding the totality of true repentance when He taught regarding a lustful adulterous eye, “If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell” (Matthew 5:29). This forceful language was used by Jesus to emphasize that true repentance dealt not only with the outward act of adultery, but with the inward secret sins in the heart and mind of lust, envy, pride, self-righteousness, malice, earthly-mindedness and other such hidden transgressions.
The true penitent sees all of sin as a barrier in his Christian walk. Like the Apostle John who wrote, “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!”, was overwhelmed by the love of God shown to him in Christ Jesus. This sense of awe and thanksgiving for the hope “that we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is” provides the underlying desire and motivation such that he “purifies himself, just as He is pure” (1 John 3:1-3). Thomas Watson penned, “He who hates a serpent hates all serpents: ‘I hate every false way’ (Psalm 119.104). Hypocrites will hate some sins which mar their credit, but a true convert hates all sins, gainful sins, complexion-sins, the very stirrings of corruption.” David not only hated all known sin, but was willing and desirous of submitting himself to God’s searching of him to discover what might be any unknown or hidden sin. He prayed, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting”, and then asked, “Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults. Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me” (Psalm 139:23-24; 19:12-13).
In John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, Apollyon encountered Christian in the Valley of Humiliation and attempted through accusation to discourage Christian from persevering in his walk. We read,
Apol. Thou hast already been unfaithful in thy service to him; and how dost thou think to receive Wages of him?
Chr. Wherein, O Apollyon! Have I been unfaithful to him?
Apollyon then paraded before him all of his past sins to which Christian replied,
Chr. All this is true, and much more, which thou hast left out; but the Prince whom I serve and honour, is merciful and ready to forgive… I have groaned under them, been sorry for them, and have obtained Pardon of my Prince.
In this way, Christian demonstrated the state of mind of a true penitent in confessing not only his more prominent sins, but his willingness to confess and seek pardon for all of them, knowing as Colquhoun put it, “the sin of his nature in general, and the unbelief and legal temper of his heart in particular.” We read, “‘Now, therefore,’ says the Lord, ‘Turn to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.’ So rend your heart, and not your garments; return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness; and He relents from doing harm” (Joel 2:12-13).
Scottish minister John Colquhoun (1748-1827) commented, “In false penitence the sinner is affected chiefly with his gross and open sins; whereas in true repentance the believer is more deeply affected with the secret and darling sins which he formerly delighted to commit… the sin of his nature in general, and the unbelief and legal temper of his heart in particular.” Naaman the leper illustrated this ungodly state of mind. After being healed of his leprosy, he proclaimed his intent to no longer sacrifice to false gods, but then proceeded to request, “When my master goes into the temple of Rimmon to worship there, and he leans on my hand, and I bow down in the temple of Rimmon—when I bow down in the temple of Rimmon, may the Lord please pardon your servant in this thing” (2 Kings 5:17,18). Matthew Henry wrote concerning this incident, “It was a happy cure of his leprosy which cured him of his idolatry, a more dangerous disease. But… he reserved to himself a liberty to bow in the house of Rimmon… We must cast away all our transgressions and not accept any house of Rimmon. If we ask for a dispensation to go on in any sin for the future, we mock God, and deceive ourselves.”
The puritan John Owen wrote that repentance must be universal such that “it absolutely excludes all reserves for any sin.” Some, he went on, consider the reserved sin to be “small, and of no great importance… but true repentance respects the nature of sin, which is in every sin equally, the least as well as the greatest.” Others, he continued, reserve sins that are secret, “hidden from every eye… but this is an evidence of the grossest hypocrisy and the highest contempt of God, who seeth in secret.” Jesus was very clear regarding the totality of true repentance when He taught regarding a lustful adulterous eye, “If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell” (Matthew 5:29). This forceful language was used by Jesus to emphasize that true repentance dealt not only with the outward act of adultery, but with the inward secret sins in the heart and mind of lust, envy, pride, self-righteousness, malice, earthly-mindedness and other such hidden transgressions.
The true penitent sees all of sin as a barrier in his Christian walk. Like the Apostle John who wrote, “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!”, was overwhelmed by the love of God shown to him in Christ Jesus. This sense of awe and thanksgiving for the hope “that we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is” provides the underlying desire and motivation such that he “purifies himself, just as He is pure” (1 John 3:1-3). Thomas Watson penned, “He who hates a serpent hates all serpents: ‘I hate every false way’ (Psalm 119.104). Hypocrites will hate some sins which mar their credit, but a true convert hates all sins, gainful sins, complexion-sins, the very stirrings of corruption.” David not only hated all known sin, but was willing and desirous of submitting himself to God’s searching of him to discover what might be any unknown or hidden sin. He prayed, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting”, and then asked, “Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults. Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me” (Psalm 139:23-24; 19:12-13).
In John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, Apollyon encountered Christian in the Valley of Humiliation and attempted through accusation to discourage Christian from persevering in his walk. We read,
Apol. Thou hast already been unfaithful in thy service to him; and how dost thou think to receive Wages of him?
Chr. Wherein, O Apollyon! Have I been unfaithful to him?
Apollyon then paraded before him all of his past sins to which Christian replied,
Chr. All this is true, and much more, which thou hast left out; but the Prince whom I serve and honour, is merciful and ready to forgive… I have groaned under them, been sorry for them, and have obtained Pardon of my Prince.
In this way, Christian demonstrated the state of mind of a true penitent in confessing not only his more prominent sins, but his willingness to confess and seek pardon for all of them, knowing as Colquhoun put it, “the sin of his nature in general, and the unbelief and legal temper of his heart in particular.” We read, “‘Now, therefore,’ says the Lord, ‘Turn to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.’ So rend your heart, and not your garments; return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness; and He relents from doing harm” (Joel 2:12-13).