REPENTANCE CONSIDERED

I. REPENTANCE CONSIDERED ALONE

from: http://www.ntslibrary.com/PDF Books II/Simmons
- A Systematic Study of Bible Doctrine.pdf

1. ORIGINAL WORDS These two words are "metanoeo"
(corresponding noun form being "metanoia")
and "metamelomai"
(the noun form of which does not occur in the New Testament).

Only the former word is associated with salvation.

The latter word is used in Matt. 21:29
(in the case of the son that first refused
to obey his father's command to work in the vineyard,
but "afterward ... repented himself and went );
Matt. 21:32; 27:3 (in the case of Judas);
Rom. 11:29; 2 Cor. 7:8,10; and Heb. 7:21.

Concerning these two words, Thayer says:

"That 'metanoeo' is the fuller and nobler term,
expressive of moral action and issues,
is indicated not only by its derivation,
but by the greater frequency of its use . . ."

2. TWO KINDS OF REPENTANCE

There is an evangelical repentance and there is also a legal repentance.

Legal repentance comes about wholly
through fear of the consequences of sin.

This is the kind Judas experienced.

Evangelical repentance is accompanied by godly sorrow
and is wrought in the heart by the regenerating Spirit of God.

It is evangelical repentance that we are considering in this chapter.

3. THE CONSTITUENT ELEMENTS OF REPENTANCE

(1) Sin Admitted-Conviction Man must see himself as unlike God
and in rebellion against God.

He must see the opposition between his condition and the holiness of God.

He must see that God abhors his condition and state.

The recognition of sin that enters into repentance unto salvation
is concerned primarily,
not with the fact that sin brings punishment,
but with the fact that sin offends God.

There is, of course, a fear of the eternal consequences of sin;
but this is not the primary thing.

This recognition of sin is conviction,
and it constitutes the intellectual element in repentance.

(2) Sin Abhorred-Contrition. Godly sorrow enters into repentance.
When one sees himself as he appears before God
he is brought to regret his sin and to abhor it.

This is the emotional element in repentance.

(3) Sin Abandoned-Conversion. Repentance is not complete
until there is an inward abandoning of sin
which leads to an outward change of conduct.

This is the voluntary or volitional element in repentance.

Thus repentance concerns the whole inner nature:
intellect, emotion, and will.

4. REPENTANCE IS INWARD

While true repentance always manifests itself outwardly;
yet repentance of itself is inward, according to the meaning of the original.

The Scripture distinguishes between repentance and "fruits worthy of repentance
(Matt. 3:8; Acts 26:20).

...

6. REPENTANCE IS A GIFT OF GOD
The three following passages prove this:
"Him did God exalt with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour,
to give repentance to Israel, and remission of sins"
(Acts 5:31).

"And when they heard these things, they held their peace,
and glorified God, saying,
Then to the Gentiles also hath God granted repentance unto life"
(Acts ll:18).

"The Lord's servant must not strive, but be gentle towards all,
apt to teach, forbearing, in meekness
correcting them that oppose themselves;

if peradventure God may give them repentance
unto the knowledge of the truth"
(2 Tim. 2:24,25).

The meaning of this is simply that repentance is wrought in man
by the quickening power of the Holy Spirit, as we have noted, here;

Ephesians 2:1 "And you hath he quickened,
who were dead in trespasses and sins".