Preaching repentance does not seem to be popular. It may make some people uncomfortable. Although preaching the need for repentance may be unpopular today, it is very scriptural.
-John the Baptist preached repentance in preparation for the revelation of Jesus Christ. (Matt. 3:1-2 In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.)
-Jesus preached repentance. (Matt. 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. )
-On the day of Pentecost, Peter preached repentance. (Acts 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.)
-Jesus preached repentance again in the book of Revelation, in the letter to the Laodiceans. (Revelation 3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.)
It is at this verse I want to stop and say more. In this letter to the Laodiceans, Jesus is saying that it is because He loves them that He rebukes and chastens in order to bring to repentance. Our God is always motivated by love, because He is love. For some reason we seem to get the idea that confronting someone with their sin in order to see them repent is unkind or unloving. Now it can be done in a very unkind and unloving way. But done appropriately under the leading of the Holy Spirit is truly an act of love.
The Bible says to speak the truth in love. (Eph. 4:15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, [even] Christ) This speaking the truth in love is for the purpose that we may grow, so that we may mature as the body of Christ. Also in Proverbs 27:6 we are told "Faithful [are] the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy [are] deceitful." Sometimes the truth hurts. So does surgery to take out a cancerous tumor. But that surgery can be the very thing that saves your life and leads to health.
So we see from these scriptures that preaching repentance and confronting sin is a very loving act that can lead to health and growth.
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