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"Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me."  —  Revelation 3:20

  Phony Repentance   (Conclusion)  

What could possibly be wrong with Ahab's fearing judgment? The Bible says we must all eventually stand before God to give account of ourselves (Romans 14:12; Hebrews 9:27), and it even warns us to fear Him who has the power throw us into hell (Luke 12:5). So at first sight it seems somewhat unfair to criticize Ahab for being motivated by the fear of judgment.

Yet the point we must keep in mind is that the Bible tells us about judgment so we will hate our sin and turn from it. Sin is what leads to judgment. Ahab feared judgment, but he did not hate his sin. He believed the word of God but, as we have noted, would not and did not forsake the sin. He wanted to escape judgment while hanging on to his sin, and that cannot be done.

Because Ahab did not truly hate his sin, he resorted to mere outward rituals to stave off judgment while clinging to sin within his heart. The Lord says it is all right to fast, weep, and mourn as long as these things are done with the whole heart. But if the heart is not broken, there is absolutely no point in someone rending his garments (Joel 2:12-13). Ahab tore his garments, but his heart was the same as ever.

Many today are in exactly the same position. They believe the Word of God, but they will not do what it prescribes. They believe there is a God, and they believe they must someday stand before Him, but they try to prepare for that day by going through the external motions of religion without making a complete break with their sins. How many sit in church each Sunday with the hope that their religious observances will somehow appease God, and all the while they stubbornly refuse to turn from their sins?

But this leaves us with a tricky question. If Ahab's repentance was phony, why did God take note of it and decide to withhold His judgment for a time?

God was simply demonstrating again the greatness of His mercy. The prophet Isaiah tells us judgment is God's strange or unusual act (Isaiah 28:21), which shows us that God receives no pleasure or delight from judgment. His judgment is always a last resort.

By delaying Ahab's judgment, God was also giving comfort to all those who read these pages. If God was good enough to spare for a while someone who had, at best, only partially repented, what will He do for the one who sincerely repents? Matthew Henry puts it like this: "If a pretending partial penitent shall go to his house reprieved, doubtless a sincere penitent shall go to his house justified." But as much as God delights in showing mercy, He will never compromise His Word in order to show mercy. The temporary reprieve given to Ahab did not change one iota. God's promise to judge Ahab and his family. The judgment finally came just as God promised.

Jesus' parable of the fig tree perfectly pictures the blend of God's mercy and judgment. In the parable, God is the owner of the fruitless fig tree. Because He is merciful, He agrees to give the fig tree another year to bear fruit, but at the end of that year of mercy the fig tree is to be cut down. The message is clear. God's mercy is great, but there is an end to it (Luke 13:6-9).

Ours is a time in which people seem to come lightly and easily to Christ. Deep knowledge of sin and sincere sorrow over it are increasingly rare. Churches and preachers are so anxious to gain a following that they willingly accept all professions of faith at face value. How we need to be reminded of Ahab and his phony repentance!

Ahab teaches us two serious and powerful lessons. First, it is possible to go a long way in religion and not be truly converted. Second, true repentance will always evidence itself in a change of attitude toward sin and in changed behavior. May God help each of us who has made a profession of faith to bring these lessons home to our hearts and to make sure that our profession is the genuine article.

— By Roger Ellsworth