Repentance

[Moriah]

Accidentally posted twice while trying to edit.

 

[Moriah]

The Bible does not teach to repent of your sins, particularly all of your sins.
The Bible does not teach that repentance is sorrow or sorry for your sins.
--Judas was sorry for his sin, went out and hung himself. He was not saved just because he was sorry for his sins. That is the false teaching that does much harm.
You don't have a proper definition of repentance. How do you expect to teach others on this subject?

A person must be sorry for their sins and believe in the forgiveness of God. Judas would have to believe that God forgave him.
It does not make sense that a person would repent and not be sorry for their sins. It makes even less sense to believe God would give His Spirit to someone who is not sorry for their sins. Repenting of sins is to turn away from the sin. Do you know why John the Baptist was arrested? Read about it, and maybe you will understand that one must be sorry for their sins and turn from them.
As for you constantly saying, “The Bible does not teach to repent of your sins, particularly all of your sins,” the Bible does say repent of your sins.

 

[DHK]

As for you constantly saying, “The Bible does not teach to repent of your sins, particularly all of your sins,” the Bible does say repent of your sins.

The Bible may teach repentance, but it does not teach about being sorry for one's sins. Being sorry for your sins won't get you anywhere. It certainly won't get one to heaven. It didn't get Judas to heaven. I am sure that at the end of his life the "other thief" was sorry for what he had done, but it didn't help him either.

 

[annsni]

Right DHK - Someone can be sorry for doing something wrong but they will continue to do it over and over again like an addict. Repentance is a different story. It's actually making a decision to make a 180 turn - to turn away from the direction you were going in and heading in a different direction. Yes, it has an aspect of sorrow for your sins because otherwise, why would you want to turn? But just being sorry doesn't equate with repentance.

 

[Tom Butler]

Here's the way I look at it. Repentance involves suddenly seeing your sin and your sinfulness the same way God looks at it, and being horrified by it. Confessing your sin is basically saying, I see my sin the same way God does, and I'm a dead as a result.

There is also some fear there, at least in my experience. When the Holy Spirit showed me my sin (at age 9), all those sermons about Hell I had heard came flooding in, and it scared the living daylights out of me.

It also involves some degree of despair, so that you run as hard as you can (figuratively, of course) to the One who has promised to deliver those who trust Him.

 

[annsni]

Here's the way I look at it. Repentance involves suddenly seeing your sin and your sinfulness the same way God looks at it, and being horrified by it. Confessing your sin is basically saying, I see my sin the same way God does, and I'm a dead as a result.

There is also some fear there, at least in my experience. When the Holy Spirit showed me my sin (at age 9), all those sermons about Hell I had heard came flooding in, and it scared the living daylights out of me.

It also involves some degree of despair, so that you run as hard as you can (figuratively, of course) to the One who has promised to deliver those who trust Him.

Amen!! :applause:

 

[Moriah]

Right DHK - Someone can be sorry for doing something wrong but they will continue to do it over and over again like an addict. Repentance is a different story. It's actually making a decision to make a 180 turn - to turn away from the direction you were going in and heading in a different direction. Yes, it has an aspect of sorrow for your sins because otherwise, why would you want to turn? But just being sorry doesn't equate with repentance.

Ann, you agree with me on something.

Let us see if DHK goes against you for saying "it has an aspect of sorrow..."

 

[annsni]

Ann, you agree with me on something.

Let us see if DHK goes against you for saying "it has an aspect of sorrow..."

But didn't you say that someone can't be saved unless they are sorry for their sins? I don't believe that. I believe the repentance comes from the quickening that God does to our hearts in the moment of salvation. I do not believe that one comes to repentance on their own then goes running to God without the Spirit working on their hearts first. No man seeks after God and I do not believe that a natural man feels repentance. Yeah, they may feel sorry for their sins but it won't change anything. They just keep doing it and doing it and that sorrow doesn't lead to repentance. It's a worldly sorrow that will lead to death.

So we're not quite as much on the same page as you think. LOL

 

[Moriah]

But didn't you say that someone can't be saved unless they are sorry for their sins? I don't believe that. I believe the repentance comes from the quickening that God does to our hearts in the moment of salvation.

The Bible does not say that anywhere.

I do not believe that one comes to repentance on their own then goes running to God without the Spirit working on their hearts first. No man seeks after God and I do not believe that a natural man feels repentance.

Calvinists keep repeating those scriptures that they were lead away with…when you say, “No man seeks after God…” that scripture Paul used to explain that the Jews who were God’s chosen sinned just like the Gentiles. What is King David saying where Paul quotes? At that time, it is a sad state of affairs inside Israel. When the day arrived, no one searched for God. Later, they repented, and searched for God. During slavery in Egypt, the Jewish people asked God, if he had forgotten them. How could they do so, if THEY were not wondering where He had disappeared? In the New Testament, when Jesus arrived, people shouted: “Son of David, have mercy on me”. They were looking for the Messiah. In the New Testament a blind man was searching for the Son of God, the prophet’s had said would come.

Yeah, they may feel sorry for their sins but it won't change anything. They just keep doing it and doing it and that sorrow doesn't lead to repentance. It's a worldly sorrow that will lead to death.

Worldly sorrow is sorrow over not being rich enough, or not being famous, etc…
Of course, we must feel sorry for our sins. What do you mean they keep doing it and doing it? You sound like you never gave up any sins because of Jesus.
What do you think repent or perish means?

 

[DHK]

Of course, we must feel sorry for our sins. What do you mean they keep doing it and doing it? You sound like you never gave up any sins because of Jesus.
What do you think repent or perish means?

What do you think repent or perish means.
I can guarantee you if they had simply apologized and said: "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," they would have perished.
Being sorry for your sins is not repentance. That is not a proper definition of repentance. Instead of me defining it again for you, go back and read the many posts and see how many have already defined it for you. You are not paying attention to what others are telling you what repentance is.

I am not a Calvinist. I don't agree with some of what is said here concerning regeneration and salvation. But we all agree on the basic definition of repentance, and you don't understand what it is. It is not being sorry for your sins.

 

[Moriah]

What do you think repent or perish means.

Repent are perish means just that, repent from your sins or perish. What do you think it means? Tell me so we can see what the Word says.

I can guarantee you if they had simply apologized and said: "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," they would have perished.

Are you saying that they are sorry for their sins, or are you saying they are just saying it to say?

Being sorry for your sins is not repentance. That is not a proper definition of repentance. Instead of me defining it again for you, go back and read the many posts and see how many have already defined it for you. You are not paying attention to what others are telling you what repentance is.
I am not a Calvinist. I don't agree with some of what is said here concerning regeneration and salvation. But we all agree on the basic definition of repentance, and you don't understand what it is. It is not being sorry for your sins.

I do not agree with you, it does not mean I do not understand. It means I do not agree with you. You keep talking nonsense about repenting. We have to be sorry for our sins and turn from them. Please read this definition from the dictionary, and stop finally saying repent does not mean being sorry for sins.

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/repent

re•pent 1 (r -p nt )
v. re•pent•ed, re•pent•ing, re•pents
v.intr.
1. To feel remorse, contrition, or self-reproach for what one has done or failed to do; be contrite.
2. To feel such regret for past conduct as to change one's mind regarding it: repented of intemperate behavior.
3. To make a change for the better as a result of remorse or contrition for one's sins.
v.tr.
1. To feel regret or self-reproach for: repent one's sins.
2. To cause to feel remorse or regret.

 

[Steadfast Fred]

thefreedictionary.com is a dictionary that has many modern definitions.

Over the years, word meanings have changed. Webster's 1828 Dictionary gives this definition of repentance:

Webster's 1828 Dictionary [K-Z]
repentance
REPENT'ANCE, n.

1. Sorrow for any thing done or said; the pain or grief which a person experiences in consequence of the injury or inconvenience produced by his own conduct.

2. In theology, the pain, regret or affliction which a person feels on account of his past conduct, because it exposes him to punishment. This sorrow proceeding merely from the fear of punishment, is called legal repentance, as being excited by the terrors of legal penalties, and it may exist without an amendment of life.

3. Real penitence; sorrow or deep contrition for sin, as an offense and dishonor to God, a violation of his holy law, and the basest ingratitude towards a Being of infinite benevolence. This is called evangelical repentance, and is accompanied and followed by amendment of life.

Repentance is a change of mind, or a conversion from sin to God.

Godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation. 2Cor. 7. Matt. 3.

Repentance is the relinquishment of any practice, from conviction that it has offended God.

As one can see, the definition from 1828 to present has not changed dramatically. Prior to 1828, the word may have had a different meaning.

But it is evident over the last century the definition has indeed meant a sorrow, whether worldly or godly, for sin.

 

[Fred's Wife]

2 Corinthians 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.
2 Corinthians 7:10 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.

Godly sorrow concerns itself with God. It means to change one's mind and attitude toward God, to sorrow for the fact that one has sinned against Him. It is the product of the Word of God. Godly sorrow results in a change in one's actions.

Acts 20:21 Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.

On the other hand, the sorrow of the world concerns itself with self and with temporal lose. It is merely to sorrow for the trouble that one's sins have brought upon one's self and upon others. The sorrow of the world does not result in salvation or sanctification, but only in death. It's "I'm sorry I got caught"....worldly remorse. Judas Iscariot had the sorrow of the world over his actions, and he hung himself. Had he had godly sorrow, he would have turned to God in repentance and faith and been saved.

 

[The Biblicist]

2 Corinthians 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.
2 Corinthians 7:10 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.

Paul says "godly sorrow WORKETH repentance" he does not say "godly sorrow" IS repentance!

Furthermore, the "repentance" Paul speaks about is "to salvation NOT TO BE REPENTED OF" In other words it is effectual to salvation that will not change! Bibical "repentance" is INSEPARABLE from justifying faith. To turn FROM sin is to turn TO Christ for salvation from sin.

Last, it is not repentance of "SINS" plural but of "sin" singular!

 

[DHK]

Godly sorrow concerns itself with God. It means to change one's mind and attitude toward God, to sorrow for the fact that one has sinned against Him. It is the product of the Word of God. Godly sorrow results in a change in one's actions.

Acts 20:21 Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.

Notice that the verse you quoted deals with repentance toward God and faith toward Jesus Christ.
But "Godly sorrow" only comes from a passage in 2Cor.7 which is written to Christians. The unsaved cannot have Godly sorrow. If we change your definition just a little you have one of the most accurate definitions of repentance yet posted.

Repentance concerns itself with God. It means to change one's mind and attitude toward God, to realize the fact that one has sinned against Him. It is the product of the Word of God. Repentance results in a change in one's actions.
--That is a good definition of what repentance is.
It is a change in one's mind and attitude toward God. Once the mind was rebellious in his attitude toward God. Then a change occurred (salvation). Now the mind is submissive in his attitude toward God. There has been a change--a 180 degree turn about. Once the sinner was bound to hell, now he is a saint bound to heaven. Once he was in a state of rebellion to God; now he is in a state of submission to God. That is repentance.

 

[DHK]

Repent are perish means just that, repent from your sins or perish. What do you think it means? Tell me so we can see what the Word says.

Look in post #55

Are you saying that they are sorry for their sins, or are you saying they are just saying it to say?

Being sorry for your sins doesn't make the cut. Many people feel sorry for their sins. That doesn't make them saved.

I do not agree with you, it does not mean I do not understand. It means I do not agree with you. You keep talking nonsense about repenting. We have to be sorry for our sins and turn from them. Please read this definition from the dictionary, and stop finally saying repent does not mean being sorry for sins.

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/repent

re•pent 1 (r -p nt )
v. re•pent•ed, re•pent•ing, re•pents
v.intr.
1. To feel remorse, contrition, or self-reproach for what one has done or failed to do; be contrite.
2. To feel such regret for past conduct as to change one's mind regarding it: repented of intemperate behavior.
3. To make a change for the better as a result of remorse or contrition for one's sins.
v.tr.
1. To feel regret or self-reproach for: repent one's sins.
2. To cause to feel remorse or regret.

These are modern-day secular definitions. They are not Biblical definitions. Find a Biblical definition for repentance. I have given you one in post #55.

 

[Steadfast Fred]

A Biblical Definition?

Would one from ISBE suffice?

II. New Testament Terms.

1. Repent--"to Care," "Be Concerned":

The term metamelomai, literally signifies to have a feeling or care, concern or regret; like nacham, it expresses the emotional aspect of repentance. The feeling indicated by the word may issue in genuine repentance, or it may degenerate into mere remorse (Mt 21:29,32; 27:3). Judas repented only in the sense of regret, remorse, and not in the sense of the abandonment of sin. The word is used with reference to Paul's feeling concerning a certain course of conduct, and with reference to God in His attitude toward His purposes of grace (2Co 7:8 the King James Version; Heb 7:21).

2. Repent--"to Change the Mind":

The word metanoeo, expresses the true New Testament idea of the spiritual change implied in a sinner's return to God. The term signifies "to have another mind," to change the opinion or purpose with regard to sin. It is equivalent to the Old Testament word "turn." Thus, it is employed by John the Baptist, Jesus, and the apostles (Mt 3:2; Mr 1:15; Ac 2:38). The idea expressed by the word is intimately associated with different aspects of spiritual transformation and of Christian life, with the process in which the agency of man is prominent, as faith (Ac 20:21), and as conversion (Ac 3:19); also with those experiences and blessings of which God alone is the author, as remission and forgiveness of sin (Lu 24:47; Ac 5:31). It is sometimes conjoined with baptism, which as an overt public act proclaims a changed relation to sin and God (Mr 1:4; Lu 3:3; Ac 13:24; 19:4). As a vital experience, repentance is to manifest its reality by producing good fruits appropriate to the new spiritual life (Mt 3:8).

3. Repent--"to Turn Over," "to Turn Upon," "to Turn Unto":

The word epistrepho, is used to bring out more clearly the distinct change wrought in repentance. It is employed quite frequently in Acts to express the positive side of a change involved in New Testament repentance, or to indicate the return to God of which the turning from sin is the negative aspect. The two conceptions are inseparable and complementary. The word is used to express the spiritual transition from sin to God (Ac 9:35; 1Th 1:9); to strengthen the idea of faith (Ac 11:21); and to complete and emphasize the change required by New Testament repentance (Ac 26:20).

There is great difficulty in expressing the true idea of a change of thought with reference to sin when we translate the New Testament "repentance" into other languages. The Latin version renders it "exercise penitence" (poenitentiam agere). But "penitence" etymologically signifies pain, grief, distress, rather than a change of thought and purpose. Thus Latin Christianity has been corrupted by the pernicious error of presenting grief over sin rather than abandonment of sin as the primary idea of New Testament repentance. It was easy to make the transition from penitence to penance, consequently the Romanists represent Jesus and the apostles as urging people to do penance (poenitentiam agite). The English word "repent" is derived from the Latin repoenitere, and inherits the fault of the Latin, making grief the principal idea and keeping it in the background, if not altogether out of sight, the fundamental New Testament conception of a change of mind with reference to sin. But the exhortations of the ancient prophets, of Jesus, and of the apostles show that the change of mind is the dominant idea of the words employed, while the accompanying grief and consequent reformation enter into one's experience from the very nature of the case.

Those are ISBE's definitions for the New Testament word "Repentance.

ISBE also defines other elements of Repentance:

Intellectual
Emotional
Volitional

From the above definitions, one can still see sorrow for ones sins is one of the elements that make up a godly repentance.

 

[Steadfast Fred]

The Complete Word Study Dictionary of the New Testament has a rather lengthy article concerning the word "Repentance". Here is just a portion of that article:

G3341. μετάνοια metanoia; gen. metanoias, fem. noun from metanoeō (G3340), to repent. A change of mind, repentance (Heb. 12:17).

Repentance, change of mind from evil to good or from good to better (Matt. 3:8, 11; 9:13 [TR]; Mark 2:17; Luke 3:8; 5:32; 15:7; Acts 5:31; 20:21; 26:20; Rom. 2:4; Heb. 6:6; 12:17; 2 Pet. 3:9). In the NT, used with reference to nous (G3563), mind, as the faculty of moral reflection (Acts 11:18; 20:21; 2 Cor. 7:9, 10; 2 Tim. 2:25; Heb. 6:1).

It is combined with aphesis (G859), remission of sins (Luke 24:47 [cf. baptism of repentance Matt. 3:11; Mark 1:4; Luke 3:3; Acts 13:24; 19:4]) which identifies one as having repented.

While in the Synoptic Gospels, repentance as a rule covers the whole process of turning from sin to God (as in Luke 24:47), it also includes faith which is a part of the process, the last step of it. This application is also used in the discourses of the early chapters of Acts. In these, the comprehensive condition of admission to the brotherhood of believers and of participation in the life of the Spirit is repentance (Acts 2:38; 3:19; 5:31). Faith is not mentioned, though, in the nature of the case, it is included. In the Gospel of John, the reverse is the case. There faith is the condition of salvation (John 3:15, 16, 36), and while repentance is not specifically mentioned, it is included in the notion of faith. Faith is the trustful commitment of oneself to God for forgiveness of sins, deliverance from sin, and victory over sin; but it is impossible to commit oneself thus to God without renouncing and turning away from all that is contrary to God. This impossibility is expressed or implied in the discourses of the Gospel of John. They clearly set forth the moral conditionality of faith. A man cannot exercise faith whose heart is not right (John 5:44). Faith is the condition of entrance into the experience of salvation, the enjoyment of eternal life; but repentance is the psychological and moral condition of faith. As eternal life is unattainable without faith, faith is unattainable without repentance. If repentance means to change from the self-centered life to the God-centered life, then Jesus is the Author and Inspiration of repentance. No other was ever able to reach down deep enough into human nature to effect this change.

 

[Moriah]

Look in post #55

Being sorry for your sins doesn't make the cut. Many people feel sorry for their sins. That doesn't make them saved.

These are modern-day secular definitions. They are not Biblical definitions. Find a Biblical definition for repentance. I have given you one in post #55.

It is basic knowledge that even a fool can understand…repent is feeling sorry for sins. I gave you the English dictionary meaning of repent and you still do not believe. Calvinism has seeped in to the so-called non-Calvinists. John Calvin is the one who said that repentance is repenting of not believing in God. Think about it, Jesus says repent of sins, and someone comes along and says God does not mean repent of your sins…such confusion at work! Think about this too, the confusing and harmful teaching of telling people they cannot be sorry for their sinful actions, not until after Jesus saves them can they feel remorse. It is confusion and mockery.

Repentance - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Repentance
The Protestant reformer John Calvin said that repentance "may be justly defined to be “a true conversion of our life to God, proceeding from a serious fear of God ...

 

[DHK]

It is basic knowledge that even a fool can understand…repent is feeling sorry for sins. I gave you the English dictionary meaning of repent and you still do not believe. .

It is fools that reject knowledge.
The Bible was not written in English.
We don't carry the mentality: "If the KJV was good enough for Paul then it is good enough for me."
The NT was written in Greek, and therefore we gain our definitions from the Greek words used.

In the post above some of the definitions of those words were posted. Here is one of them posted by Steadfast Fred:

The word metanoeo, expresses the true New Testament idea of the spiritual change implied in a sinner's return to God. The term signifies "to have another mind," to change the opinion or purpose with regard to sin. It is equivalent to the Old Testament word "turn."

It is close to the same as I gave you. But you don't want to hear the truth do you. You reject truth.

Calvinism has seeped in to the so-called non-Calvinists. John Calvin is the one who said that repentance is repenting of not believing in God.

Can you prove that? Or is it slander? Why don't you look up John Calvin's commentaries and see. His commentaries are on the internet. Look up what he says on John 3:16.

Think about it, Jesus says repent of sins, and someone comes along and says God does not mean repent of your sins…such confusion at work!

Who says that? I don't know of anyone. More slander.

Think about this too, the confusing and harmful teaching of telling people they cannot be sorry for their sinful actions, not until after Jesus saves them can they feel remorse. It is confusion and mockery.

Sorrow for sin is not repentance. But you cannot be taught. You won't even listen to a dictionary.