What is Concupiscence and Does it Require Repentance?

The aim of this paper is to clarify the meaning of the Reformed doctrine of concupiscence with a view to answering the personal and pastoral question: Is concupiscence something we should mourn or something of which we should repent? The impetus for this paper lies in the fact that, in recent years, the doctrine of concupiscence has been at the storm center of discussions around the use of sexual identity labels and the moral status of human desires. My paper will begin by outlining the Reformed understanding of concupiscence (in contrast with the Roman Catholic view) and, by drawing on both Scripture and Augustine, distinguish it from both inherited corruption and actual sin, but (with Article XI of the 39 Articles) affirm that it “hath itself the nature of sin.” For this reason, I will argue that concupiscence does requires repentance but that, unlike actual sin, the way repentance is to be expressed is in the form of lament and resistance – i.e., lamenting our fallen condition and resisting the temptations that arise from it. Finally, I will clarify that concupiscence (1) that concupiscence is a reality for all human beings and all sexual desires; (2) that concupiscence is not only relevant to sexual desires but all desires; and (3) that concupiscence does not mean that believer cannot cultivate godly desires.