What is repentance?
Repentance is a change of mind that leads to a change of direction: turning from sin and turning to God. It is the necessary companion of faith: to believe the gospel is to turn from the sins it forgives. Repentance is God's gift and the doorway to a new life.
This question arose from studying What is the gospel?.
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Not a summary of these passages: the passages themselves. Read them, then come back to the study below.
The study
What the Scripture says
Repentance is a turn toward God
Jesus' first word was 'repent, and believe in the Good News.' Paul declared that people should 'repent and turn to God, doing works worthy of repentance.' It is not just feeling sorry; it is changing direction, from sin and toward God.
and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand! Repent, and believe in the Good News.”
but declared first to them of Damascus, at Jerusalem, and throughout all the country of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, doing works worthy of repentance.
For they themselves report concerning us what kind of a reception we had from you; and how you turned to God from idols, to serve a living and true God,
It is a gift, not a self-made resolution
God exalted Jesus 'to give repentance to Israel, and remission of sins,' and the church rejoiced that 'God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life.' Repentance is not something we must produce by force of will; it is something God works in us.
God exalted him with his right hand to be a Prince and a Savior, to give repentance to Israel, and remission of sins.
When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, “Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life!”
in gentleness correcting those who oppose him: perhaps God may give them repentance leading to a full knowledge of the truth,
Godly sorrow fuels it
'godly sorrow works repentance to salvation, which brings no regret,' unlike worldly sorrow that only grieved over being caught. It is sorrow over sin, toward God: the broken and contrite heart He will not despise.
For godly sorrow works repentance to salvation, which brings no regret. But the sorrow of the world works death.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit. A broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
It is about turning, not just feeling
'Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out.' Ezekiel calls Israel to 'cast away from you all your transgressions… and make yourself a new heart and a new spirit.' Repentance that stops at emotion is not yet repentance; it must turn.
“Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, so that there may come times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord,
Therefore I will judge you, house of Israel, everyone according to his ways, says the Lord Yahweh. Return, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin. Cast away from you all your transgressions, in which you have transgressed; and make yourself a new heart and a new spirit: for why will you die, house of Israel?
He who conceals his sins doesn’t prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.
Repentance and faith are two sides of one turn
Paul preached 'repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus.' Luke sums up the mission as 'repentance and remission of sins' proclaimed in His name. You cannot turn to Jesus while refusing to turn from what grieves Him.
testifying both to Jews and to Greeks repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus.
and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament, mourn, and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he will exalt you.
As you read, you may wonder…
Scripture raises the next question
Studying the Word naturally opens more of it. Follow what you just read: it leads somewhere.
Continue this trail
Does grace mean I can live however I want?→“What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? May it never be! We who died to sin, how could we live in it any longer?”What does it mean that Christ's righteousness is 'imputed' to us?→“For him who knew no sin he made to be sin on our behalf; so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”Is it okay to have doubts sometimes?→“Immediately the father of the child cried out with tears, “I believe. Help my unbelief!””Is repentance a one-time decision or a lifelong posture?→“Therefore produce fruit worthy of repentance!”What is the kingdom of God?→“and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand! Repent, and believe in the Good News.””What is the difference between grace and mercy?→“for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, that no one would boast.”How are justification and sanctification related?→“Being therefore justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ;”What does it mean to walk by faith and not by sight?→“for we walk by faith, not by sight.”How do I know my repentance is genuine?→“For godly sorrow works repentance to salvation, which brings no regret. But the sorrow of the world works death.”Did God choose me to be saved before I chose Him?→“even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and without defect before him in love;”Can anyone resist God's grace?→“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up in the last day.”What price can buy forgiveness?→“none of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give God a ransom for him. For the redemption of their life is costly, no payment is ever enough,”What does it mean that God remembers our sins no more?→“and they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know Yahweh; for they shall all know me, from their least to their greatest, says Yahweh: for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin will I remember no more.”What are the parables of the kingdom about?→“He set another parable before them, saying, “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field; which indeed is smaller than all seeds. But when it is grown, it is greater than the herbs, and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in its branches.””Explore further
What happens when I sin after I've come to Christ?→Our Walk with Him trail“My little children, I write these things to you so that you may not sin. If anyone sins, we have a Counselor with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous. And he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the whole world.”How do I fight sin in my life?→Our Walk with Him trail“Thus consider yourselves also to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Therefore don’t let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. Neither present your members to sin as instruments of unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God, as alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin will not have dominion over you. For you are not under law, but under grace.”We haven't written this one yet. Take it to your church or small group: the Word answers it wherever it is asked. If we study it here later, all the better.
Hold onto these
Verses to meditate on
“Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, so that there may come times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord,
For godly sorrow works repentance to salvation, which brings no regret. But the sorrow of the world works death.
and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand! Repent, and believe in the Good News.”
Cast away from you all your transgressions, in which you have transgressed; and make yourself a new heart and a new spirit: for why will you die, house of Israel?
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