Begin Here, Remain Here (5)

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Romans 12.21

Battling against sin
Over the years, those Christians who have borne the most fruit for the Kingdom of God have waged a ferocious battle against sin and unrighteousness. This is only what the Apostle Paul told us to expect as we take up our calling as full faith followers of Jesus Christ (Eph. 6.10-20). We can learn from our forebears in the faith how to prevail in the battle that is against us each day.

Consider, for example, the Christians of the Celtic period (ca 430-800 AD).

Beginning in Ireland, with the ministry of Patrick, and spreading from there to Wales, Scotland, and most of Europe, a revival of large proportions brought renewal and awakening to cultures pagan and Christian alike. Celtic Christians were fiercely evangelistic, devoted to community and service, and skilled in the creation of glorious cultural artifacts. At their best, they were devoted to the rule of King Jesus and fervent in pursuit of His righteousness.

Underlying all their fervor and fruitfulness was devotion to a deeply spiritual way of life, including an unwavering earnestness about holiness and repentance.

The discipline of penance
Celtic Christians understood that it is not in the interest of the community or the Kingdom of God to allow sin to continue unchecked among the brethren. Especially in Ireland, Celtic communities were built around monasteries, and the disciplined lives of the men and women in monastic orders frequently spilled out into the surrounding communities as well.

One characteristic of that way of life was the vigorous use of the discipline of penance to chart a course for righteousness for those who fell into sin.

Penance is a discipline used to help someone who has departed the path of righteousness, to return to it, leaving his sin behind, and resuming his walk with the Lord accordingly. Once the Spirit of God brought a sense of conviction to a sinner, and confession and repentance had been declared, the penitent would present himself to the local pastor, soul friend in tow, to discover some “remedy” for the sinful condition. Going to one’s pastor to receive a penitential prescription is frequently equated, in the literature of that period, to going to one’s physician to cure some physical ailment.

The idea was that behavior contrary to the Law of God and the best interests of the believer and the community was to be corrected by a prescribed regimen of disciplines that would, over time, restore the fallen sinner in the path of righteousness, specifically, by prescribing corrective actions of good, contrary to the evil which had been done. As several of the existing penitential handbooks summarized this practice, “contraries are cured by contraries.” To overcome sin and evil in one’s life, one had to take up a contrary pattern of spiritual and righteous behavior. This typically consisted of two components.

Components of penance
First, following the Law of God, some kind of “restorative” behavior was prescribed. A person with a sharp or lying tongue, for example, might be required to recite so many psalms a day for a specified period of time, to bridle his tongue for praise and thanksgiving. One who had become lazy and irresponsible would be given a particular regimen of work to do at some place in the community.

At the same time, a fast was also typically prescribed – not a total abstinence from food, but a selective fast, to be kept for a specified time, often exceeding that of the restorative behavior. The purpose of the fast, begun within but extending beyond the period of penance, was to remind the penitent of his discipline and to reinforce his ability to subdue his body for spiritual purposes.

Penance, as thus practiced, was not a sacrament, and it had nothing to do with earning salvation or merit in the eyes of God. Rather, it was a spiritual discipline that came into play whenever wrong behavior came to light and could not be corrected by confession and repentance alone. Penance was thus an extension of repentance, designed to overcome particularly troublesome or besetting sins in a member of the community.

Contrary behaviors were cured by contrary prescriptions of righteous conduct; Celtic Christians thus worked to overcome the evil in their lives with good conduct, based on the Word of God.
Manuals of penance – like counselor’s handbooks – survive from every century of this period, showing just how serious Celtic Christians were about getting their faith right. The blessing of God that accompanied their efforts – and that, as Thomas Cahill put it, saved civilization (How the Irish Saved Civilization) – should say to us that there’s something to this practice that could benefit us in our own pursuit of full faith as well.

For reflection
1.  Do you agree that the practice of penance, as Celtic Christians observed it, sounds like a proper understanding of Romans 12.21? Explain.

2.  Penance does not earn the believer anything. Rather, it brings discipline to bear on certain aspects of a believer’s life for the purpose of bringing holiness to completion in that area (2 Cor. 7.1). Can you see any ways this might be useful in your own life?

3.  In practical terms, what has overcoming evil with good looked like in your walk with and work for the Lord?

Next steps: What might be some situations in which penance would be appropriate to restore yourself or a fellow believer to the path of righteousness? Talk with a church leader about this question.

T. M. Moore

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This week’s ReVision study is Part 3 of a 10-part series, “Full Faith.” You can download “Begin Here, Remain Here” as a free PDF, prepared for personal or group study. Simply click here.

Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.