(remember, these are unedited/draft show notes, not a transcript — listening is always better…and if you listen AND follow along below, you’ll see why)
Focus Question:
Why would someone refuse to repent?
Intro:
If it was confession time, one of the things I’d have to share is that there have been times when, in my own stubbornness, I was slow to change. It doesn’t help that I’m lopsided in how I learn. I look back on that now and note some irony — I take working on myself and growing seriously, particularly if/when it comes to being a spouse should I ever be there again.
But I’ve known people, and I’m guessing you have, too, who just don’t change. Even when they have some kind of habit that’s literally killing them.
Today we’ll see a version of that in Revelation, and we’ll reflect on it a bit in our Bottom Line segment today as we consider the question, “Why don’t some people repent of their sins?”
New Testament segment:
After finishing the lengthy parenthesis of chs. 12–14, John returns to the theme of the Messianic judgments of the end time.(1)
15:1–16:21 The Seven Bowls. Seven angels pour out a final series of judgments on the earth’s inhabitants, which recall and consummate the earlier seals (6:1–17) and trumpets (8:6–11:19). The “seven last plagues” (15:1) or “bowls of God’s wrath” (16:1) demonstrate God’s justice in punishing unrepentant humanity (16:9–11, 21) and vindicating his persecuted people (16:6).(2)
Passage: Revelation 15-16
Translation: CSB (Christian Standard Bible)
Verses: 29
Words: ~661
Old Testament segment:
Today the book of Ezekiel takes an uplifting turn:
After judgment against Israel (chs. 1–24) and the nations (chs. 25–32), a drastic transition occurs: the prophet offers mostly words of hope (chs. 33–48). In this section ch. 33 is key because Ezekiel gets word that the city has fallen (v. 21). This news provides a preface to the theme of restoration that follows in chs. 34–48, emphasizing that life will come out of death.(3)
The result? Now words of restoration and hope signal that it’s a time to rejoice.(3)
Passage: Ezekiel 33
Translation: CSB (Christian Standard Bible)
Verses: 33
Words: ~964
Wisdom segment:
Passage: Proverbs 24:13-22
Translation: CSB (Christian Standard Bible)
Verses: 9
Words: ~143
And thus ends the “thirty sayings of the wise.”
The bottom line:
Today we heard about people who, despite a whole lotta crazy, refuse to repent and acknowledge Jesus as Lord. Consider this from the Holman Bible Handbook.
God longs to see His rebellious children lay down their arms and come home to Him. God has mercifully acted by all possible means—even to the extent of taking to Himself, through His Only Begotten Son, the very penalty that He has prescribed for sin—to bring His wayward children home.
Wrath brings grief even to the heart of God, but God will not coerce our love of Him. He has given His children their freedom, and He will not destroy their humanity by removing that freedom, even when His children stubbornly persist in using that freedom in rebellion against Him. Incredibly enough, in spite of the overwhelming mercies of God revealed through Jesus Christ, there will be those who refuse His mercies. In such cases the faithful God of creation and redemption will faithfully respond in keeping with His own nature and word by giving His rebellious sons and daughters what they have stubbornly insisted upon, namely, everlasting separation from Him.(4)
I’ll point out one thing here. I believe in a literal hell and believe there is compelling evidence that this is a place like heaven is a place. But even if you disagree, here’s what appears to be clear from the text…some people choose that separation and a complete removal of God’s presence will be hell.
So here’s a final reminder from Holman:
But we must neither deny nor even lament the wisdom of God for His past or future assertions of wrath. Our God evidently loves righteousness, justice, and mercy to such an extent that He will not brook our cowardly tolerance of evil. We may not lightly dismiss the fact that heaven is neither silent nor embarrassed when evil is punished. Heaven rejoices at the justice and judgment of God (19:1–6).(4)
Why don’t people repent? The truth is I don’t know. Remember, a God that wasn’t perfectly fair and delivers perfect justice wouldn’t be good. What I do know is that God’s is perfectly good, and I trust that He’s fair in giving people every reasonable chance to make a different choice.
May we all be humbled as we thank Him for His mercy.
ForTheHope is a daily audio Bible + apologetics podcast and blog. We’ve got a passion for just keepin’ it real, having conversations like normal people, and living out the love of Jesus better every single day.
Roger Courville, CSP is a globally-recognized expert in digitally-extended communication and connection, an award-winning speaker, award-winning author, and a passionately bad guitarist. Follow him on Twitter -- @RogerCourville and @JoinForTheHope – or his blog: www.forthehope.org.
Sources and resources:
(1) George R. Beasley-Murray, “Revelation,” in New Bible Commentary: 21st Century Edition, ed. D. A. Carson et al., 4th ed. (Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press, 1994), 1444–1445.
(2) Douglas J. Moo, “The Letters and Revelation,” in NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible, ed. D. A. Carson (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2018), 2300.
(3) D. A. Carson, ed., NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2018), 1463.
(4) David S. Dockery, ed., Holman Bible Handbook (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 1992), 802.