Solomon teaches "Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy." Proverbs 28:13
Today you hear a lot of people confessing that they are Christians but repentance seems to be absent from their faith expressions. Most of their teaching is driven by passions and social norms. It appears as if mainstream America has developed an ideology that meets the criteria of being good and brings justice, but it lacks any resemblance of being born again. At no point do you hear the need to repent, only that love covers all sin and that we are all God's children.
Still others say they believe in God, but have a very distant experience. Their faith expressions sound like they are exploring the endless possibilities of God in an observatory. They cling to their telescope (theological systems) and stare into the starry sky searching for meaning and purpose in a vast galaxy. There is no limit to the theological extrapolation, however; there is still no evidence of encountering God.
Then there are those who have rejected the established Church to the point that they have thrown the baby out with the bathwater. They have rejected the corrupt humanity of the Church to the point that they do not accept the authority of the scriptures. While I must confess that my theology over time has shifted and settled, my source of theological evolution has always been the authority of the Bible. What source material do you use to develop your theology if you reject the Bible as a collection of corrupt manipulative writings? Maybe this is why there is no repentance; there is no submission to the sacred text.
Without repentance and starting discipleship with a fresh start, Christianity becomes a collection of whimsical quotes and clever sound bytes. God will not compromise; You must repent to be a Christian, but most people today have decided to be a Christian and never repent.
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