The Impossibility of Repentance

Previously we have described how our Lord Jesus submitted to judgment for our sake, and made no complaint of any injustice, acknowledging God's wrath was justified for our crimes laid upon Himself.

It seems that poor sinners can never accept the justice of God's wrath for their sin. Instead, we blame everyone but ourselves, and curse God for holding us to account for our wickedness. There is no acknowledging of God's Justice in punishing sinners. There is no repentance for the wicked, because they cannot and will not admit that God is right to judge them and they are guilty.

In the Revelation, the Apostle John describes several instances where the wicked are subject to horrible wrath at the hand of God, and yet they refuse to repent, but instead blaspheme Him. Meanwhile, God's servants readily and gladly acknowledge the rightness of God's judgment.

This lack of repentance in judgment ensures that God's wrath is never ending, because we continue to pile sin upon sin even as God begins to judge us.

Lack of repentance also ensures that sinners will disregard the sacrifice of Jesus. If they cannot accept the justice of God's wrath for their own sin, they certainly will take offense at God's wrath directed upon the innocent substitute the Savior.

But even when God is long-suffering toward sinners, they will still not repent. Peter and Paul describe the wicked's twisted logic: the fact that God has not yet judged us proves we've done nothing wrong!

Thus, even the goodness of God is cause for sinners to refuse to repent!

Thus we are all in a pitiful state, unable to repent, and unable to exhaust God's judgment for our sin.