Featured What is Repentance?

Repentance is a change of mind or belief. When the Bible commands us to repent, it is to change our mind from a false belief that will not save us, to believing on Jesus.

Mat 3:7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
8 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:
9 And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.

Usually, when you see the word repent or repentance in the scriptures, if you keep reading you will see what you are to change your mind about. In Mat 3:7-9 we see the Pharisees and Sadducees come to John the Baptist to be baptized. What did John tell them to repent of?

John told them not to say within themselves they have Abraham for their father. This was their false hope for salvation, they believed that simply being the physical descendants of Abraham guaranteed they were saved. John tells them to repent of this false belief.

Another example is found in Luke 13;

Luk 13:1 There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.
2 And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things?
3 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
4 Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem?
5 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

Here is one of the most misquoted and misinterpreted passages in scripture. Is Jesus telling these persons they must stop sinning or perish? NO, he is telling them they must repent of the false belief that they are righteous because nothing bad has happened to them.

Many Jews thought that when some bad event happened to a person, this proved they were a very wicked sinner and that God was punishing them. They believed that those persons whom Pilate killed, and the eighteen persons whom were killed when a tower fell on them were such terrible sinners.

Jesus tells them to repent of this false belief, and not to think they were righteous simply because nothing bad has happened to them.

We see the disciples also believed this false belief when they encountered the blind man.

Jhn 9:1 And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth.
2 And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?
3 Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.

The disciples had the same false belief as those persons in Luke 13, they asked Jesus who had sinned, this man, or his parents that he was born blind.

Jesus tells them it had nothing to do with this man or his parents sinning, but that he could manifest God's works by healing this man.

So, repentance means to turn from false belief, especially concerning salvation. You can not inherit salvation from your parents, or because you follow a certain religion. Every man must realize he is not righteous, we are ALL sinners. You must trust Jesus and him alone to save you.

Repentance does not mean to stop sinning. If so, no one has ever repented.

 

Repentance, in it's simplest form, is a mourning or sorrow over sin that causes one to change their actions. It's a change of mind that results in a change of life. It is also seen as turning from false gods and turning to Jesus.

To say it has nothing to do with turning from sin slaughters the clear meaning of John the Baptist's words:

But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not presume to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father,' for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. - Mat 3:7-10 ESV

And Jesus' words in Revelation:

But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. - Rev 2:4-5 ESV

And the apostles teaching/preaching:

"Therefore, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, but declared first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all the region of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with their repentance. - Act 26:19-20 ESV

It is absolutely essential.

and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel." - Mar 1:15 ESV

So they went out and proclaimed that people should repent. - Mar 6:12 ESV

Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, - Act 3:19 ESV

The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, - Act 17:30 ESV

 

11 Cor 7:9 Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing.

10 For a godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death
One must have sorrow to repent. There are two kind of sorrow, a sorrow that the world worketh to repentance of natural things as a man might be sorry for a crime he committed after he got caught and there is a sorrow that God worketh in the heart called a godly sorrow that leads to salvation.

 

Repent does not mean to turn from sin, else God is a sinner.

Jon 3:10 And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.

This verse is not actually saying God turned from evil, as God never sins, but it is saying he changed his mind and did not destroy Nineveh.

Gen 6:6 And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.

This verse also does not mean God turned from sin, but that God was sorry he had created man, and that sinful man grieved him to his heart.

Exo 32:14 And the LORD repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people.

Again, this verse does not mean God stopped sinning, but God changed his mind and did not destroy the Israelites when they sinned in the wilderness.

To repent does not mean to stop sinning, there are more scriptures that say God repented in the Bible than verses that say man repented. It means a change of mind or belief, as when God changed his mind and did not destroy the people for their sin.

If we have to stop sinning to be saved, then we are saved by works.

 

Repentence is salvation it is admitting we can not run our lives and that we need Jesus as Lord and commit our lives to Him, if we commit our lives to Him then He will lead us away from sin.

 

What do you mean by a change of mind about sin? Did you believe sin was good before you trusted Jesus?

All I'm saying is that if we have to quit sinning to be saved, then salvation is by works. Isn't that so? You are saying your personal performance determines whether you are saved or not.

Salvation is a FREE GIFT. You simply receive it. What you must repent of is the false belief that you can MERIT IT.

Mar 1:15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.

We are told to repent and believe the gospel. And what is the gospel?

1 Cor 15:1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

Does Paul tell us to quit sinning here? No, he tells us the gospel is that Jesus died for our sins according to the scriptures, he was buried, and that he rose again the third day. This is what we are to believe, and this is how we are saved.

 

Lots of folks think John the Baptist was telling people to quit sinning, but that is not what he preached at all. We are told what he meant by repentance in Acts 19.

Acts 19:4 Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.

Was John telling the Jews they must stop sinning to be saved? NO, he told them they must believe on him which should come after him, which was Jesus Christ.

If you stop sinning, you will be the first person ever who has done so, and that still won't save you. The only way to be saved is to trust, depend, or rely on Jesus alone to save you.

 

Yes, sometimes the scriptures are telling us to turn from a particular sin. But when it comes to salvation, we are to turn from useless works and believe on Jesus alone to save us.

Always read the context. You saw in Acts 19 that Paul was telling us that what John the Baptist was preaching was to believe on Jesus, not turn from sins.

Nobody truly turns from sins. And again, if you have to turn from sin to be saved, then that is salvation by works.

If you believe you have to stop sinning to be saved, then you must be absolutely perfect. If you sin any sin, you are guilty of all.

Gal 3:10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.

Good luck not sinning.

 

What is the difference?

You are going to get all caught up in Lordship Salvation. These folks are always implying if you sin you are not saved, but they can never tell you how often you must sin, or what degree of sin you must sin to be lost.

What usually results is that you sin so much you can't stand it, so then you convince yourself you don't sin at all. Then you spend all your time being a "fruit counter" judging other folks.

I knew a fellow that told me some folks in his church had not sinned in years. He was dead serious.

One day I got fed up and bet him he couldn't go 24 hours without sinning. He said, Oh, that's easy! I can go 24 hours without sinning no problem.

I said, Well the Bible says boasting is a sin, and you just boasted.

He got angry and turned red in the face, I actually thought he was going to hit me. After that he barely ever spoke to me again.

But that's what happens when you get all wrapped up in Lordship Salvation. You'll either be miserable with no assurance, or you will be self-righteous and nobody will be able to stand you.

 

You are saying what I was saying now. It is turning from the false belief that you can save yourself, and trusting in Jesus Christ alone.

Read about the Samaritan woman at the well. She had five husbands and was living in sin with another man when Jesus spoke to her. Did he tell her she had to give up her lover to be saved?

Jhn 4:10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.

Jesus knew all about this ladies sin. Did he tell her she had to stop sinning to be saved? NO, he told her all she had to do was ASK, and he would give her living water.

We don't get better to get saved, we get saved to get better.