Question: What is the difference between penance and
repentance?
Answer: The Lord Jesus summarized the Christian message in the following
words:
Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to
rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins
should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem (Luke
24:46,47).
The Gospel is the glad tidings of salvation to all people everywhere.
Forgiveness and peace with God are offered to "all nations". To show His
readiness to forgive the vilest sinners, the apostles were commanded to begin
their mission in Jerusalem, the dwelling place of His murderers!
Sin can only be forgiven “in His name.” There is no other fount where sinners
can go to for cleansing. As prophesied in Scripture, it was necessary for Christ
to suffer and die on the cross as a sacrifice for sin. The resurrection is the
Father's seal of approval on His Son's redemptive work. Christians are forgiven
in His name and they have no other message to a lost world but the promise of
forgiveness for Christ's sake.
Repentance
Repentance and remission go together. As long as the sinner remains obstinate
and without remorse, God will not forgive. Only when the sinner confesses his
sin and turns to God, is he pardoned and reconciled.
Repentance is an inner change; the word actually means a change of mind. Yet
this inner conversion shows itself outwardly. Genuine sorrow for offending God
is often expressed in prayer and fasting. Life is transformed. The selfish
becomes generous and kind; the dishonest becomes just and true in his dealings
with others. These are the "fruits of repentance" that John the Baptist spoke
about (Luke 3:7-14) - the result and proof of true conversion.
The good works that result from repentance are not reckoned as a punishment
or a payment of the legal debt owed to God's justice. God forgives
gratuitously, freely; God forgives on account of Christ’s sacrifice. Remission
is in the name of Christ and not on account of anything we do. Our tears do not
appease God's wrath but only the blood of Jesus. The repentant does not live a
good life to merit forgiveness; he lives a clean and godly life because he is
forever grateful to God's forgiving grace!
Penance
Sadly Catholic tradition distorts the biblical concept of repentance.
Repentance is substituted by "doing penance" - a punishment inflicted on oneself
to atone (make satisfaction) for sin.
To be fair, Catholicism also speaks of penance as an inner attitude - "that
disposition of the heart in which we detest and bewail our sins because they
were offensive to God." We readily concur that genuine repentance is expressed
by sorrow, and such acts as prayer and fasting, and that repentance results in
"fruit" - good works that grow out of a changed mind.
The big problem with the Catholic doctrine is the intended purpose of such
acts: penance is performed to make satisfaction for sin, as can be verified from
the following citations from official Catholic sources:
-
"Raised up from sin, the sinner must still recover his full spiritual
health by doing something more to make amends for the sin: he must 'make
satisfaction' for or 'expiate' his sins. This satisfaction is called
'penance.'" (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1459).
-
Penance "is meant not merely as a safeguard for the new life and as a
remedy to weakness, but also as a vindicatory punishment for former sins"
(Council of Trent, 14:8).
-
"Satisfaction or penance is that prayer or other good work which the
confessor enjoins on the penitent in expiation of his sins" (Catechism of
Pius X, Sacrament of Penance).
Accordingly, even though a person is genuinely contrite and having confessed
his sins, he is still required to atone for sin by performing various works of
penance in this world and by suffering in purgatory after death. He is not fit
to enter heaven until he has made complete satisfaction.
Practical Effects
The practical effects of the doctrine of penance are most disturbing and
hurtful to the Christian religion:
-
Faith - the Christian's absolute confidence in the goodness of God and
the sufficiency of Christ's blood to cleanse from sin - is substituted by
personal efforts and suffering.
-
Love - the Christian's obedience to the commandments in response to the
love of God, such as helping the poor - is mutated into a punishment!
(Almsgiving is a principal form of penance).
-
Hope - the Christian's joyful expectation to be in the presence of his
Saviour - is changed into fear and dread in anticipation of the torments of
purgatory.
Back to the Bible! May every one of us truly repents - detesting sin and
turning to God, fully confident in his mercy and kindness. Let us trust
completely in Christ whose blood cleanses from all sin. Let us love and do good
works for no other purpose but to show our gratitude to God's goodness. Let us
hope to the end for the grace - God's unmerited favour, our salvation - that is
to be brought to us at the revelation of Jesus Christ.