Text: Joel 2:12-19
Theme: “True repentance, True faith, true forgiveness”

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Intr –  Saint Augustine of Hippo was one of the great Christian leaders in church history. He lived a life of indulgence and sin, distant from the Christian faith he would later come to embrace. In his youth, he sought fulfillment in pleasure, in relationships, and in his intellect, all while being constantly rattled by a deep inner conflict. According to his witness, one day he heard a voice coming from a child playing nearby, chanting: “Tolle lege, tolle lege,” which means “Take up and read, take up and read.”

He opened the Bible, and he happened to read a passage from Romans that called him to turn away from the deeds of darkness and live for Christ. This moment, which Augustine later described as a miraculous intervention, was the beginning of the transformation of his life. There Augustine knew he was called to change, to leave behind his former ways. He would turn from his sin, not because of the weight of his guilt, but because of the grace of God that invited him to come home.

Augustine would go on to become one of the most influential theologians in the history of the Church, shaping Christian doctrine and understanding for centuries. But that moment of repentance, that turning from a life of sin to a life of grace, started when he confessed his sin and received the forgiveness that only Christ can offer.

Because true repentance, in true faith, receives true forgiveness.

On this Ash Wednesday, we come before God in a season of repentance, recognizing our sins, but also trusting in His abundant mercy. Our reading from the prophet Joel reminds us of two essential truths: God is always ready to change His mind; and true repentance comes from the heart, not from the mouth only. And true repentance, in true faith, receives true forgiveness.

The prophet Joel calls the people of Israel to repentance, reminding them that their sins have piled up, and the consequences are dire. Yet, despite the sins of the people, Joel also gives us a beautiful message: “Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love” (Joel 2:13). God is always ready to change His mind and show mercy, no matter how far we have fallen.

This idea of God being “ready to change His mind” can be illustrated by the story of the father calling his son to talk after discovering he did something wrong at school. The son, fearing punishment, hesitates to confess. But the father, looking into his eyes with love, says: “I’m upset when you make mistakes, but I’m always ready to change my mind. I’m not here to punish you, I’m here to forgive you.” That is the heart of God as expressed in Joel.

God, like the loving father, He knows we are human, and yes, we often fall short, but He is always ready to show mercy. God does not want us to fear Him in a way that keeps us from coming to Him in repentance. No, He wants us to approach Him with the confidence that He is ready to forgive, to restore, and to guide us back to the right path.

For that reason, as we enter this season of Lent, we are called not to simply go through the motions, not to merely “play act” our repentance. In the Old Testament, the people would often tear their clothes as an outward sign of repentance. But Joel warns that this outward sign alone is meaningless if the heart is not truly broken. He calls the people to “rend your hearts and not your garments“ (Joel 2:13). God sees beyond the external signs; He knows the true condition of our hearts. For true repentance, in true faith, receives true forgiveness.[1]

What is then true repentance? Here’s a way in which we can explain it:

True repentance begins with recognizing our need for change. It’s a call to hear a truth that can be hard to swallow: No matter how righteous, holy, or “good” we think we are—whether we consider ourselves saints or sinners in the eyes of the world—we all fall short. Everyone, regardless of their status, must be willing to change, to do things differently than they have been, and to acknowledge that there is always room for growth. No one is exempt from this call to repentance.

But the beauty of the New Testament is that it doesn’t leave us in despair. Alongside the challenge of repentance, there is the promise of grace through the Gospel. Jesus speaks to us saying, “Repent and believe the Gospel.”[2] In other words, turn away from your old ways, and trust in the good news I bring to you. John the Baptist, before Jesus, preached a message of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. His role was to help people realize the depth of their sin, to see themselves honestly before God, and to recognize that without God’s intervention, they are lost. But all of this was to prepare them to receive God’s grace, to accept the forgiveness and new life that only Jesus can offer.[3]

Ill: Think of a phone with a cracked screen. You can still use it, but it’s harder to see clearly, and you know it’s not working the way it should. You might try to ignore the crack, but deep down, you know it needs fixing. Repentance is like finally taking that phone to the repair shop. You have to admit the crack is there and you can’t fix it on your own. When the screen is repaired, it works as it should again. In the same way, repentance is acknowledging the brokenness in our lives, realizing we can’t fix it ourselves, and trusting God to restore us with His grace.

This takes us back to Joel’s message, which points us to the hope we have in Christ. Jesus, the promised Messiah, is the One who makes this true repentance and forgiveness possible. Through His death and resurrection, He has opened the way for us to be reconciled with God. We don’t need to put on a show; we can come before God just as we are, knowing that He will receive us with open arms, ready to forgive.

The message of Ash Wednesday is not focused on guilt or condemnation but on hope and transformation. “Return to the Lord your God”.[4] God’s forgiveness is available to us, not because of our own actions or worthiness, but because of His love for us, demonstrated in Christ. This is why we can approach Him with confidence, even in the face of our sin, knowing that He is “gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love.”[5] It reminds us of the truth that we are dust, and to dust we shall return. But also a reminder of the grace of God, who takes the dust of our lives and transforms it, who is always ready to change His mind, and who offers us the gift of forgiveness in Jesus Christ.

Cc – St. Augustine’s story is one of a lost sheep. But also of one that was found, through God’s action leading to repentance and faith in Jesus. In it, we are reminded that no one is beyond the reach of God’s grace. He is the Father always ready to receive his children. For true repentance, in true faith, receives true forgiveness. Amen.

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[1] It’s easy to pretend, to go through the motions, to say the right things and do the right things so others think we are repentant. But God sees the heart. He knows if we are really sorrowful for our sins or if we are simply trying to avoid consequences. True repentance means coming before God with a broken and contrite heart, not seeking to impress others or even ourselves, but seeking His forgiveness.

[2] Mark 1:15

[3] Luther, Martin. The Smalcald Articles, Part III, Article III. Available online at The Book of Concord.

[4] Joel 2:13

[5] Psalm 103:8