“Rend your heart, and not your garments” (Joel 2:13)

Putting ashes on the head and tearing clothes was a sign of sorrow and hopeful repentance. Unfortunately, for most people, sorrow is easy, but true repentance is very rare. Everyone is sorry when their sins cause trouble…but not repeating the sin is what matters to God.

Saving repentance is not just being sorry for sin, but being willing and able, by the supernatural grace of God, to stop doing the sin repented of. The “repentance” of Judas was not saving repentance, which is a fruit of regeneration. Christ said, you’ll know them by their fruit. Judas was sorry, but instead of obeying God’s Word, he killed himself.

Hypocrites perform costly and elaborate ceremonies to expiate their guilt, but true religion is too humbling, too heart-searching, too thorough for carnal men. Outward observances are temporarily comfortable; self-conceit is satisfied, and self-righteousness puffed up: but they are delusive, and are the enemy of saving repentance. Apart from supernatural regeneration, all religion is vain; offered without a sincere heart.

The rending of the heart is a deep, soul-moving work of the Holy Spirit upon the believer. It’s felt in every true Christian. It’s powerfully humiliating, and sin-purging; it belongs only to those God has saved.

When John the Baptist saw hypocrites coming to be baptized, he told them, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance” (Matthew 3:7-8). The Greek word translated “worthy” is axios, which means “self-evident proof”. Saving repentance is evidenced by doing God’s will.

“Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, ‘I know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the Truth is not in him” (1 John 2:3-4).