Confession is Not the Same Thing as Repentance

“I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.” – Luke 13:3, 5

Most people think that if you have confessed your sins to God, then you have certainly repented of your sins. However, according to the Bible, confession is not the same thing as repentance. Never coming to understand this has led to millions of confessions that are void of repentance.

Many sinners find it very difficult to repent. Pharoah did too! Pharoah tried to repent and failed a total of seven times. Now his life is a lesson to us all. Those who find it very easy to repent have been deceived to think that repentance is merely confessing your sins and apologizing to God (Lk. 13:23-24, Mk. 10:26-27). Fearfully, most people don’t even know what repentance is according to the Bible.

Faulty Repentance #1

“Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, Intreat the LORD, that he may take away the frogs from me, and from my people; and I will let the people go, that they may do sacrifice unto the LORD.” – Ex. 8:8

Pharoah called for a Man of God and complied with the demands of the LORD (so it seemed), while asking for prayer, saying, “Intreat the LORD…” (Ex. 8:8). This alone was a significant act of humility on the part of a ruler of Egypt. However, as soon as Pharoah saw that there was respite from the plague of frogs his heart was hardened (Ex. 8:15).

Faulty Repentance #2

"And Pharaoh called for Moses and for Aaron, and said, Go ye, sacrifice to your God in the land…And Pharaoh said, I will let you go, that ye may sacrifice to the LORD your God in the wilderness; only ye shall not go very far away: intreat for me.” - Ex. 8:25, 28

Yet again the Pharoah humbled himself and asked for prayer, saying, “Intreat for me.” (Ex. 8:28), and a vow of obedience was given. Nevertheless, as soon as the plague of flies was lifted, Pharaoh broke the vows he uttered to the LORD and proved himself to be a liar (Ex. 8:25, 28-32). God will not save liars (Isa. 63:8)! In other words, God will not countenance the prayers of sinners who are void of true repentance (Ps. 66:18, Prov. 28:9). A momentary compliance is not biblical repentance.

Furthermore, whatever subjection to the LORD was achieved was against Pharoah’s will. The man was there to bargain, and in so doing he would keep whatever he can and surrender as little as possible to the LORD. This is the bane of the Self Life! Self is hostile to the Kingdom of God (Matt. 16:24, Mk. 8:34, Lk. 9:23; Gal. 2:20). Specifically speaking, Pharoah wanted to decide where the Israelites were allowed to go. He welcomed them to make their sacrifices “in the land” of Egypt (Ex. 8:25). Of course, this this didn’t work. Then Pharoah said that Israel could go and make their sacrifices “in the wilderness”, only if they wouldn’t “go very far away” (Ex. 8:28). This is a pathetic and futile grasping after the Self Life.

Faulty Repentance #3

"And Pharaoh sent, and called for Moses and Aaron, and said unto them, I have sinned this time: the LORD is righteous, and I and my people are wicked. Intreat the LORD (for it is enough) that there be no more mighty thunderings and hail; and I will let you go, and ye shall stay no longer.” – Ex. 9:27-28

Pharoah humbled himself still more, in confessing that he had “sinned”, and that both he and his people are “wicked”, saying, “I have sinned this time: the LORD is righteous, and I and my people are wicked.” (Ex. 9:27). Nevertheless, as soon as the hail ceased Pharoah hardened his heart (Ex. 9:32-35). This confession is remarkably similar to the ideal confession of Job 33:27. However, it turned out to be something else, something much worse than even Rehoboam’s confession, who also said, “The LORD is righteous.” (2 Chron. 12:6). These were right words spoken from an impenitent heart. Therefore, both Pharaoh and Rehoboam died in their sins.

Faulty Repentance #4

"And Moses and Aaron were brought again unto Pharaoh: and he said unto them, Go, serve the LORD your God: but who are they that shall go?...And he said unto them, Let the LORD be so with you, as I will let you go, and your little ones: look to it; for evil is before you. Not so: go now ye that are men, and serve the LORD; for that ye did desire. And they were driven out from Pharaoh's presence.” - Ex. 10:8, 10-11

Pharoah was not ever pleased to humble himself (Ps. 10:4). The call to repentance was always burdensome to him (1 Jn. 5:3). All compliance and cooperation came with intense displeasure (Prov. 29:27).

After having lost the debate on where the Israelites would go, this time Pharoah wanted to decide “who” of the Israelites would go. However, at the same time, Pharaoh wanted to maintain an appearance of absolute surrender to the LORD, even though he required that only the “men” would go and no one else. The proposition was made with a compelling display of insincerity and force, as Pharoah said, “Let the LORD be so with you, as I will let you go…go now ye that are men, and serve the LORD” (Ex. 10:8-11). Then Moses and Aaron were abruptly “driven out from Pharaoh’s presence” (Ex. 10:8-11). Even so it is today: all fair speeches from the mouths of hypocrites in your average Church are a grief to God (Isa. 29:13).

Faulty Repentance #5

“Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron in haste; and he said, I have sinned against the LORD your God, and against you. Now therefore forgive, I pray thee, my sin only this once, and intreat the LORD your God, that he may take away from me this death only.” – Ex. 10:16-17

Slowness to repent is a sign of compulsory behavior. Heartless obedience is still disobedience. This certainly characterizes Pharoah throughout this ordeal.

A true sense of the fear of the LORD would inspire urgency! This is true. However, this is not to be confused with distress and anxiety. For, as the judgments of God increase upon sinners, the physical distress can inspire them to act “in haste” while still being void of a genuine biblical repentance in the sight of God (Ex. 10:16). This is exactly what Pharaoh did. He had the appearance of repentance more than ever before. Nevertheless, Jesus said, “Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.” (John 7:24).

Distress is not the same thing as the fear of the LORD. Though distress can often guide men into a true sense of fearing God (Ps. 107:23-31), sadly, this is not always the case. Even so, someone can have all the right words and a wrong heart, like Pharaoh, when he said, “I have sinned against the LORD your God, and against you. Now therefore forgive, I pray thee, my sin only this once, and intreat the LORD your God...” (Ex. 10:16-17). Panicking sinners are capable of saying almost anything while in distress, if they think it would benefit them in their situation; meanwhile, God knows that they don’t mean what they say from the heart.

Repentance is a miraculous change of heart! It is nearly impossible to overstate the radical nature of this change (Rom. 8:5-8). It is comparable to a spiritual heart transplant by the surgical hands of the Great Physician (Ezek. 36:26-7). Forthcoming from the lips of these people is the confession, “I have sinned…” (Job 33:27-30, 34:31-32), but it is more than just words (1 Cor. 4:19-20). Take Judas as a chief example of this phenomena. He too said, “I have sinned…” (Matt. 27:4), but he was overcome with worldly sorrow and committed suicide (2 Cor. 7:10). Even so, we can say, “I have sinned”, and be no different than “the son of perdition” who died in his sins (Jn. 17:12).

“For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.” – 2 Cor. 7:10

Sometimes truly impenitent people can say the same things as truly repentant people, but there is a world of difference between the two. This is why the apostle Paul demanded that sinners would “repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance” (Acts 26:20). Evidently, the fruits of true repentance are both visible and verifiable according to the Bible. “Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.” (Matt. 7:13-23; Lk. 3:8). This is a call to introspection.

“My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.” – 1 Jn. 3:18-19

The Israelites said, “We have sinned…” (Num. 21:7), and were truly repentant in their confession, and thus God forgave them for their sins (Jn. 3:14-15; Num. 22:12, 23:7-10, 21). Nevertheless, Balaam also said, “I have sinned…” (Num. 22:34), and we know what happened to him (Josh. 13:22)! Maybe you have never heard about “the way of Balaam” & “the error of Balaam” according to the New Testament (2 Pet. 2:15-16, Jude 1:11)? We are bound to do the same thing if we don’t learn from the mistakes of history.

Balaam was no different than Pharaoh. When Balaam said, “I have sinned…” (Num. 22:34), he had already “forsaken the right way” in his heart (2 Pet. 2:15), and thus he stubbornly persisted in rebellion against the LORD, howbeit he too was deceived to think that he was acting in obedience to the LORD (Num. 22:19-22; Ezek. 14:1-11). This is a pharisaical delusion (Matt. 5:20). Our “doctrine” is bad if we are no better than Balaam in respect to confessing and repenting of our sins (Rev. 2:14).

Faulty Repentance #6

“And Pharaoh called unto Moses, and said, Go ye, serve the LORD; only let your flocks and your herds be stayed: let your little ones also go with you.” – Ex. 10:24

The debate continues! This serves as a lesson to us all (Rom. 2:8-11). Of course, Pharaoh had yet another proposition to make. Sinners are pained at every loss of earthly fortune. First Pharoah wanted to control where the sacrifices would be made, and then he wanted to control who of the Israelites would go to make the sacrifices, and now he wants to control what shall be sacrificed to the LORD. Ah! Not even three days of darkness could bring Pharoah to the light of true repentance (Ex. 10:21-23).

Unhappy sinners will do almost anything to regain a little happiness, even if they have to go through the motions of what is religiously required by men as repentance to get what they want (Isa. 29:13). This is when the followers of the Lord only do religious things for the food (Jn. 6:25-27). This is when those who call upon the Lord in prayer do it for the corn and wine (Hos. 7:13-16). Other people have different priorities while employing the same methods. Religion is a means to an end for most people.

King Saul had his own priorities, and he religiously followed his own faith to the very end. He repeatedly said, “I have sinned…” (1 Sam. 15:24, 30), and at times his behavior changed significantly (1 Sam. 26:21), but everyone came to find out that he was a reprobate King who couldn’t repent (1 Sam. 16:13-15). Saul’s faith in the latter end wasn’t any different than Pharoah’s faith. Both men died in their sins. Even the Devils “believe” in God, but as rebels against the LORD it is obvious to everyone that they are not saved (James 2:19)! Men should be held to the same standard.

Faulty Repentance #7

“And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt; for there was not a house where there was not one dead. And he called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, Rise up, and get you forth from among my people, both ye and the children of Israel; and go, serve the LORD, as ye have said. Also take your flocks and your herds, as ye have said, and be gone; and bless me also.” – Ex. 12:30-32

Shameless sinners will act repentant with urgency if they have no other perceivable recourse of survival, but instead of looking to God, their eyes are only for their own personal blessing. Their goal isn’t God Himself, but rather what they can get from God! Thus was Pharoah’s heart on the fateful night of liberation, when he said, “…and bless me also” (Ex. 12:30-33), as he grudgingly released the Israelites from slavery.

Pharaoh is being restrained from accomplishing his purpose, but he hasn’t repented of it. He is selfishly remorseful at his own circumstances like a caged lion who doesn’t kill because it can’t. The Jews who fled to Egypt for refuge in Jeremiah’s day were no different (Jer. 42:1-6). Sinners are always sour when their freedom to sin is crossed by God. They think that they can trick God into blessing them while they go about this world seeking their own glory. Even so, a disgruntled Pharaoh watched for any sign of regaining what was lost that he might immediately pounce upon any given opportunity. That opportunity came and Pharoah seized upon it in a beastly display of wickedness to his own demise (Ex. 14:1-10).

The True Repentance of a Prince of Egypt

Not all the royalty of Egypt went to hell. At least one Prince of Egypt truly repented by grace through faith in the LORD. This elect man’s name is Moses. Now this is a worthy comparison: Moses' biblical repentance compared to Pharaoh’s faulty repentances.

Biblical Repentance

“By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king’s commandment. By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward. By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.” – Heb. 11:23-27

This is a miraculous change! The biblical characteristics of repentance are hereby exemplified in a personal testimony of conversion (2 Cor. 5:17). A Prince of Egypt was so stricken with conviction over his sins that he felt as though his freedom in the palaces of Egypt was bondage compared to the glorious liberty of the Israelite slaves. The comforts of Egyptian royalty were thus despised, while the suffering of Israelite slavery was esteemed. This radical change of heart definitively exhibits the power of true conversion (Rom. 1:16).

Everything changes when a soul is brought into the very presence of the Living God! Therefore, Moses was gladly forfeiting the pleasure of sin for the joy of righteousness in God, and thus he departed from the Egyptians to join the Israelites. He genuinely felt that the Egyptians were poor and the Israelites were rich. Why? Moses saw Jehovah in the midst of Israel (“seeing Him who is invisible” – Heb. 12:27)! In leaving Egypt, he joined the mighty chorus of the redeemed, saying, “The LORD is the portion of mine inheritance” (Ps. 16:5)! Even so, neither did Moses cower in fear of the Pharoah of Egypt, only because the dread sovereign of all the earth was clearly in view before him! Just one glimpse of the Living God changes everything. “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.” (Matt. 5:8).