Unless You Repent: Understanding a Forgotten Doctrine

In a world where sin is often rebranded as sickness and moral boundaries continue to shift, one biblical doctrine has been relegated to the dusty corners of modern Christian teaching: repentance. Yet this foundational truth stands at the very heart of the gospel message, proclaimed first by John the Baptist and then by Jesus himself.
The Gangster Who Wanted Christianity Without Change
Consider the story of Mickey Cohen, the infamous mid-century gangster who attended an evangelistic meeting and showed genuine interest in Christianity. Well-meaning Christian leaders visited him, urging him to "open the door and let Christ in." Cohen responded positively to their invitation.
But as months passed, nothing changed. His life of crime continued unabated. When confronted, Cohen had a logical response: no one had told him he would need to give up his work or his friends. After all, he reasoned, there were Christian football players, Christian cowboys, and Christian politicians. Why not a Christian gangster?
Only when someone finally explained repentance to him did Cohen understand what following Christ actually meant. And tragically, at that point, he wanted nothing to do with Christianity.
This story reveals two heartbreaking realities: first, that someone rejected Christ when they finally understood the cost, and second, that Christian leaders were presenting a gospel message stripped of its essential component—the call to repentance.
What Jesus Actually Said
In Luke 13:1-5, we find Jesus approached by people asking about recent tragedies. Some Galileans had been killed by Pilate while offering sacrifices. A tower in Siloam had collapsed, killing eighteen people. Were these victims worse sinners than everyone else?
Jesus's response was startling: "No, I tell you, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish."
Twice in five verses, Jesus repeated this warning. Instead of providing the philosophical discourse on suffering his questioners might have expected, he turned the conversation personal and urgent. The real question wasn't about those who had died—it was about those still living.
The Meaning Behind the Word
The Greek word for repent—metanoeo—literally means "to change your mind" or "to think with understanding." It combines meta (with) and noeo (to think or perceive with the mind). To repent is to think correctly when you were previously thinking wrongly.
This isn't merely feeling sorry or making a superficial apology. It's a fundamental shift in how we perceive reality, particularly our standing before God.
Jesus was telling his audience that they needed to change their minds about several crucial matters. Looking at the preceding context in Luke 12, we see Jesus addressing people who could predict the weather by observing cloud patterns and wind direction, yet remained completely blind to what God was doing in their midst.
They could use their minds for mundane predictions but not for spiritual perception. They were numb to the things of God.
Settling Out of Court
Jesus illustrated the urgency with a vivid metaphor: if you're facing a court case with a weak defense against a wealthy opponent with teams of lawyers, settle out of court before it's too late. Only a fool would proceed to trial knowing they'll lose, be thrown in prison, and never get out until the last penny is paid.
This is our situation before God. Every person will have their day in court before the Judge of heaven and earth. Every sin, every thought, every deed, every idle word will be examined. We are, in essence, going to battle with 10,000 soldiers against God's 20,000. We're outnumbered and outmatched.
The solution? Settle out of court today. Ask for terms of peace while there's still time.
But what can we possibly offer in negotiation? We have nothing of value to bring to the table. The only thing we can offer is repentance and faith—faith that God can indeed be reconciled to us through what his Son accomplished on the cross.
The Problem of Perspective
According to recent research, fewer than half of Americans now view traditional sins as wrong. Things like premarital sex and drunkenness are now considered morally acceptable. Fewer than one in five Americans maintain a biblical view of right and wrong.
As one theologian noted, "Today, sin is called sickness. So people think it requires therapy, not repentance."
This represents a catastrophic shift in thinking. The problem isn't that God's standards have changed—it's that our perspective has become corrupt. No repentance is needed if you don't view your actions as requiring it. But changing our perspective doesn't change reality.
The Love Behind the Warning
Some criticize churches for emphasizing judgment and hell, calling it religious manipulation or "fire and brimstone" preaching. While such teachings have certainly been misused, we must acknowledge a crucial fact: Jesus talked about hell more than he talked about heaven. He mentioned it at least six times in the Gospels.
Why would a loving Savior speak so frequently about such a terrible reality? Because apart from believing in him, everyone outside of Christ will end up there. He loved people perfectly, and in that perfect love, he told them what they needed to hear, not what they wanted to hear.
The love of God is meaningless unless we understand what we're being saved from. The free gift of eternal life and God's abounding love can only be appreciated when we grasp the alternative.
Time Flies
Life moves quickly. We get our driver's license and blink—suddenly we're middle-aged. Our children grow up in what feels like moments. We say things like "time flies" and "they grow up so fast."
These are little graces God gives us, gentle reminders that our days are numbered. We will open our eyes in eternity and wonder where our lives went. This isn't meant to frighten us but to encourage us to find our identity in Jesus Christ, the eternal one, before it's too late.
The Call Forward
The message of repentance isn't about religious manipulation or fear tactics. It's about truth spoken in love. It's about recognizing that we've submitted a formal declaration of war against the most powerful ruler who ever existed, and instead of immediately dealing with the problem, God offers peace.
That peace comes through repentance—changing our minds about who God is, who we are, and what we need. It comes through faith in what Christ accomplished through his death and resurrection.
Unless we repent, we will likewise perish. These aren't threatening words—they're loving warnings from the One who made us, knows us, and offers us a way home.
The question isn't whether those who died in tragedies were worse sinners. The question is: will we change our minds and believe before our own day of reckoning arrives?