That’s a new term I learned from Dr. David Powlison after watching the video below. Atmospheric repentance is based on the initial cry of the Reformation as articulated by Martin Luther in the first of his 95 Thesis:
When our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, said “Repent”, He called for the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.
The point is that the expectation of every follower of Christ is to experience Godward change and transformation that begins with the heart. The means by which we become more and more like Christ is through repentance and faith as the gospel mode of operation. Christians are commonly called “believers” because of faith in Jesus Christ. Christians should also commonly be called “repenters” because we are daily turning from sin and self-reign to glad submission to the reign and rule of Christ as King. Our response to Christ is simultaneously a repenting faith or believing repentance, and when that characterizes the predisposition of a follower of Christ, it is atmospheric.
[vimeo 25518676]
A better choice of words would be attitudinal repentance. American preachers battling for recognition amongst a din of voices often “coin” phrases when what they really need is an old fashioned ANOINTING of the Holy Spirit’s presence to open the deaf ears of the lost.
Case in point Tim Kellor’s “missional”. A catchy new way to say the same old thing that no one is doing for real – winning souls. We do not need a new word for missionary what we need are people so dedicated to Christ they are impassioned to serve Him by being missionaries.