Repentance: a change of mind, to think
differently, to reverse your thinking
Matthew 3:7, 8 “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:”
Note: Spoken by Jesus to pharisees, in rebuke.
He called them to repentance and to demonstrate the changes that would reveal
the repentance as authentic. No problem with that. Repentance in the pharisees
would have had dramatic changes in their religious practices of oppressing
people.
Lu 15:7* I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one
sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which
need no repentance.
Lu 24:47* And
that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name
among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
Ac 5:31* Him hath
God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to
give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.
Ac 11:18* When they heard these things, they held their peace, and
glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles
granted repentance unto life.
Ac 13:24* When
John had first preached before his coming the baptism
of repentance to all the people of Israel.
Ac 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.
Note: Repentance at it’s basic core is turning
from unbelief to belief in Jesus. Obviously that turn impacts EVERY aspect of
my life and behavior… but that impact happens for the rest of my life over a
long time of growth spiritually.
Ac 20:21*
Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward
God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.
Ac 26:20* But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and
throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they
should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.
Note: Here, repentance and turning to God should
then result in a person doing “works meet for repentance” or in other words, a
lifestyle change should result. Again, how many works, how quickly, how to
measure those works—those are not questions I can answer… God may be doing a
work on someone’s heart and life that is not visible or measurable to me. That
doesn’t mean there isn’t repentance.
Ro 2:4* Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and
longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee
to repentance?
God’s goodness is one
of the big factors that LEADS us to repentance. This is a great example of how
repentance may not always involve emotional remorse or sorrow. My change of
heart and behavior may not be motivated by sorrow, but simply by HOW MUCH
BETTER God is than my sin!
Ro 11:29* For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.
Note: When God calls and gifts us, He doesn’t remove
or reverse that call or gift.
2Co 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.
2Co 7:10* For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation
not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.
Note: Paul’s rebuke created sorrow. They
responded well to their sorrow because they repented. Sorrow (remorse, regret,
painful consequences, or grief over our sin before God) often leads us to
repentance—to change our thinking about our sin and to reverse our thinking and
behavior.
2Ti 2:25* In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God
peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the
truth;
Note: This is a verse
dealing with Timothy teaching both believers and unbelievers. The context is
that repentance is again, a change of thinking—opposing themselves to
acknowledging the truth. Of course that repentance would lead to a change in
the behaviors that were destructive.
Heb 6:1* Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us
go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation
of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,
Heb 6:6* If they shall
fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to
themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.
Note: Both references to eternal security,
that repentance unto salvation is a one time thing.
Heb 12:17* For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited
the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance,
though he sought it carefully with tears.
Note: Esau made decisions that did not allow
for repentance (reversal or change.) In other words he regretted his decisions
and wish he could change the outcomes and consequences.
2Pe 3:9* The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count
slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish,
but that all should come to repentance.
Note: God’s desire for all to come to
salvation.
Summary: Those who
redefine repentance as a certain level of remorse or sorrow or a certain level
of visible immediate change of behavior are expanding the biblical definition
of the word. They are usurping God’s Word in the heart of a believer and attempting
to manufacture visible fruit rather than letting the Holy Spirit do that work
over time.
Repentance is
something that you will do for the rest of your life as a Christian—continually
growing in grace, acknowledging sin, and letting God purge bad behavior and
replace it with good fruit.
PS. Repentance is a change of mind toward sin and Christ which produces a change in behaviour ("But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance" [Acts 26:20]). Those professed repentant sinners who struggle with sin are living in the carnality expressed in Rom. 7 rather than in life in the Spirit of Rom. 8. If one is not constantly attempting to be filled with the Spirit (Eph. 5:18), one will live in carnality.
