Body: | What is Bible Repentance?
Repentance is the act of changing one's mind. Webster defines the word as
"to feel sorry for or reproachful for what one has done or has not done".
Webster also gives the definition as to feel such regret and
dissatisfaction over some past action or intention as to change one's mind
about it or to change one's way.
Repentance involves changing one's affections - from earthly things to
heavenly things. It involves turning to the living God from a god of self.
It is looking unto Christ instead of looking unto another.
Repentance requires the right attitude towards sin. This is Godly sorrow.
Repentance is the right attitude toward God, it is a return to God.
Repentance is the right attitude toward self. The Prodigal Son came to
himself. Repentance is the right attitude toward others. The Phillipian
jailer took Paul and Silas the same hour of the night and washed their
stripes.
Repentance is not just Godly sorrow. Paul told the Corinthians in II
Cornithians, Chapter 7, verse 10, that Godly sorrow worketh repentance to
salvation not to be repented of. Repentance is not gloomy despair. When
Judas sold his Master for thirty pieces of silver, he was filled with gloom
and despair, so much that he committed suicide, but he did not repent.
Repentance is not quitting a sin for a season, it is totally turning from
that act of sin. It is a complete one hundred-eighty degree turn.
Repentance is not concealing sin. David tried to conceal his sin, but God
exposed it. The story is told in Numbers Chapter 32, verse 23. We even know
about David's sin today. Concealing sin is like trying to cover up spilled
seed in order to hide it. The seed comes up and is exposed.
Repentance must be followed by works proving that change. In Acts Chapter
19, verse 19, the repentance was evidenced in the bringing of books valued
at fifty thousand pieces of silver and burning them before all men. This
let all men know of the change. The Thessalonians showed their sincerity by
turning from idols to serve the one true God, First Thessalonians, Chapter
1, verse 9. Paul wrote the first letter to the Corinthians and included a
scathing denunciation of their sinful deeds. However, part of the second
letter to them was written commending them for turning from their vile way
of living. A certain man had two sons, and he said unto one, "Go work today
in my vineyard", and he answered, 'I will not': but afterward he repented
and went". This story is told in Matthew Chapter 21, verses 28 and 29.
Whatever this young man did, Jesus said he repented. Jesus called his
actions repentance. The young man reflected over the matter, he came to
know that he was wrong, realizing that he had sinned against his father.
Having arrived at this conclusion, the young man faced about in an opposite
direction and did according to his father's request.
All men need to repent. All men sin and as a result, all men need to turn
from sin and turn to righteousness. When Paul was speaking from Mars Hill
to the Athenians and reasoning with them concerning the living God, he told
them that in times past God had winked at such ignorance as the Athenians
were then involved in, but now commanded all men everywhere to repent. This
story is told in Acts Chapter 17, and reference here is made to verse 30 of
that Chapter.
Unrighteous people need to repent. In Acts Chapter 8, the story is told of
a man who obeyed the gospel, he was baptized, but later for the love of
gold and popularity, he wanted to buy the gift of the Holy Spirit. At this
time it seems apparent that Simon's heart was not sincere and pure. God,
knowing the hearts of all men and certainly knowing the heart of Simon on
this occasion, directed Peter by the Holy Spirit to tell Simon to "repent
therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of
thine heart may be forgiven thee". Acts 8: 22. Simon was not even directed
to pray first. The thing that was first and that was indispensable was to
repent or change his attitude and desire. Simon was commanded to exercise
proper sorrow for this act and to abandon his plan or principle or action.
This lets us know today that all unrighteous men are exhorted to repent.
This is their first work. They are not told to wait, to read, to pray, to
receive an experience, to relate a revelation in the expectation that
repentance will be given to them. Such unrighteous beings are to repent, to
change their affection, and to turn to the living God. Then prayer will be
acceptable. Then, and only when man repents, will God hear and answer. When
man comes loving his sins and resolving to continue practicing them, God
will not hear him.(John 9: 31, I Peter 3: 12).
There is a blessing in repentance. For the one who has never been baptized
into Christ, turning to the living God is the initial step of his response
to the love of God which he has heard, and believed, by hearing the life of
Jesus Christ, the Savior of man. For those who have, like Simon, been
directed by the love of power and the love of the world, it is that initial
act that leads one to be restored to his former relationship with the
Father.
When man sins, he must either repent or perish. It is just that simple. It
is as either, or proposition. Man must face judgement and that is the
reason God has commanded all men everywhere to repent. "God has appointed a
day in which He will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom He
hath ordained whereof he has given assurance to all men in that he has
raised Him from the dead" Acts 17: 31. The goodness of God should lead any
man to repentance. Peter in writing his second epistle, in Chapter 3, and
verse 9, stated that God is not willing that any should perish, but that
all should come to repentance. This is the goodness of God, This is the
love of God.
Repentance is a change in our affection, a turning to God. Leaving Satan
and serving the Savior causes one to avoid destruction. Christ said and
Luke wrote it down in Chapter 13, verse 3 of his account of the gospel of
Christ, "I tell you nay, unless you repent, you shall all likewise perish".
It is bad to sin, but it is worse to sin and not repent.
Repent Or Perish
One of the hardest things for men and women to do is to repent of their
sins. Repentance is a direct challenge to man's will power. It demands that
he humble himself before God, and give up everything that is contrary to
his will. The holy demands of repentance have kept many of the highminded
out of the kingdom of God.
Repentance is a duty imposed upon all mankind. It is a plain command of
God, and no man can refuse to repent without bearing the responsibility
that must come upon him. When Jesus gave the world-wide commission, He
said, "That repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name
among all nations . . . (Luke 24:47). Paul said that, "God now commandeth
all men every where to repent" (Acts 17:30). Can anyone read these
scriptures and conclude that he can be saved without repentance? Surely
not!
Let us clear away some of the misunderstanding about repentance by learning
what it is NOT. In the first place, repentance is not simply being afraid.
Paul convicted Felix of his sins, Felix trembled with fear but he did not
repent and turn (Acts 24:25). There are many people today who are afraid
when they think of their sinfulness, but they, like Felix, refuse to
repent, and die without hope.
In the second place, repentance is not simply being sorry that one has
sinned. The murderers of Jesus sorrowed on Pentecost at Peter's preaching.
They were pierced in their hearts by godly sorrow. Yet they were told to
repent (Acts 2:38). Their sorrow was godly because it was produced by their
faith in gospel preaching; but it was not repentance. In the third place,
repentance is not simply and solely a reformation of life, A man may quit
sin and yet not repent toward God. He may quit because that particular sin
renders him unpopular in his business or among his associates. Thus, he may
reform his life for selfish reasons, but such reformation is not
repentance. Simply stated, repentance is a change of mind, or will, based
upon godly sorrow (II Corinthians 7:10), and resulting in a manner of life
directed by Christ (Acts 26:20).
Our Lord gave us an example of repentance which we can all understand, He
said, "A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son,
go work today in my vineyard, He answered and said, I will not: but
afterward he repented, and went" (Matthew 21-28-29). This boy began to
reflect on what he had done, and he realized that he had disobeyed his
father, He became conscious of the fact that he sinned against his father,
who was responsible for his very existence, and when he came to himself, he
acknowledge that wrong, and then corrected it. He changed HIS MIND
(repented) and did that which he said he would not do. Jesus said that was
repentance.
Christ said to the Pharisees that, "The men of Nineveh shall rise in
judgement with this generation, and shall condemn it; because they repented
at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here"
(Matthew 12:41). Jesus here says that the men of Nineveh repented at the
preaching of Jonas. The Bible says: "God saw their works, that they turned
from their evil way (Jonah 3:10). The preaching of the prophet of God
changed the mind of the Ninevites, and this change led them to turn from
their evil way. This change of mind was repentance.
The Lord has given men two motives as the means of bringing them to
repentance. The first motive is fear. The Bible writers say, "We must all
appear before the judgement seat of Christ; that everyone may receive the
things done in his body, according to that he has done, whether it be good
or bad. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men" (II
Corinthians 5:10-11). This statement, and all the warnings in the Bible are
intended to move us to repent of our sins.
The second motive God uses to bring about repentance is love. The Bible
says, ". . . not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to
repentance" (Romans 2:4). The goodness of God is revealed in the life and
death of His only Son, Jesus Christ. As we study the life of our Lord, and
see the beauty of holiness manifested through His earthly pilgrimage, then
follow Him to Calvary and watch Him suffer there, dying for our sins,
making it possible for poor sinners to be saved, and to become children of
God, we ask why all this flow of love, why all this display of goodness?
What wondrous love, 0 my soul! And the answer comes back in the Bible, "The
goodness of God leadeth these to repentance."
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