Repentance is not I repeat NOT a work.
Saying, “Sorry,” being sorry, or even
feeling sorry are not the same as repenting. A person can feel emotionally
sorry for something without addressing the underlying issue. “Godly sorrow
brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly
sorrow brings death” (2 Corinthians 7:10). Judas felt great remorse
over what he had done to Jesus, but he did not repent. Instead, he committed
suicide (Matthew 27:3–5). Peter also felt great remorse
over his denial of Christ (Matthew
26:75), but in his case it did result in genuine repentance and a change of
direction, as later he boldly proclaimed Christ in the face of persecution (see
Acts
4).
When a person is doing something that he has chosen to do and may even enjoy a great deal, but then, based on his exposure to the Word of God, he repents, it means he has changed his mind about it. The repentant person comes to believe what she once loved is wrong and that she should stop doing it. In accepting the gospel, repentance is the flip side of faith. It is possible that someone can become convinced that what he has been doing is wrong and then attempt to “mend his ways”—and he may even succeed. But if such a person does not place his faith in Christ and the righteousness He provides, then he is simply trusting his own moral reformation. Biblical repentance is the recognition that we are helpless to save ourselves—it is turning from sin and to the One who paid for it and can forgive it.
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Repentance is not, I repeat, NOT a work.
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12 Signs of a Repentant Heart
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Without repentance, a man cannot be saved.
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“What
is repentance and is it necessary for salvation?”
Many understand the term repentance to mean “a turning from sin.” Regretting sin and turning from it is related to repentance, but it is not the precise meaning of the word. In the Bible, the word repent means “to change one’s mind.” The Bible also tells us that true repentance will result in a change of actions (Luke 3:8–14; Acts 3:19). In summarizing his ministry, Paul declares, “I preached that they should repent and turn to God and demonstrate their repentance by their deeds” (Acts 26:20). The full biblical definition of repentance is a change of mind that results in a change of action.
What, then, is the connection between repentance and
salvation? The
book of Acts especially focuses on repentance in regard to salvation (Acts
2:38; 3:19;
11:18;
17:30;
20:21;
26:20).
To repent, in relation to salvation, is to change your mind regarding sin and
Jesus Christ. In Peter’s sermon on the day of Pentecost (Acts chapter 2), he
concludes with a call for the people to repent (Acts
2:38). Repent from what? Peter is calling the people who rejected Jesus (Acts
2:36) to change their minds about that sin and to change their minds about
Christ Himself, recognizing that He is indeed “Lord and Christ” (Acts
2:36). Peter is calling the people to change their minds, to abhor their
past rejection of Christ, and to embrace faith in Him as both Messiah and
Savior.
Repentance involves recognizing that you have
thought wrongly in the past and determining to think rightly in the future. The
repentant person has “second thoughts” about the mindset he formerly embraced.
There is a change of disposition and a new way of thinking about God, about
sin, about holiness, and about doing God’s will. True repentance is prompted by
“godly sorrow,” and it “leads to salvation” (2
Corinthians 7:10).
Repentance and faith can be
understood as two sides of the same coin. It is impossible to place your faith
in Jesus Christ as the Savior without first changing your mind about your sin
and about who Jesus is and what He has done. Whether it is repentance from
willful rejection or repentance from ignorance or disinterest, it is a change
of mind. Biblical repentance, in relation to salvation, is changing your mind from
rejection of Christ to faith in Christ.
Repentance is not a work we do to earn salvation. No
one can repent and come to God unless God pulls that person to Himself (John
6:44). Repentance is something God gives—it is only possible because of His
grace (Acts
5:31; 11:18). No one can repent unless God grants
repentance. All of salvation, including repentance and faith, is a result of
God drawing us, opening our eyes, and changing our hearts. God’s longsuffering
leads us to repentance (2 Peter 3:9), as does His kindness (Romans
2:4).
While repentance is not a work that earns salvation,
repentance unto salvation does result in works. It is impossible to truly
change your mind without that causing a change in action. In the Bible,
repentance results in a change in behavior. That is why John the Baptist called
people to “produce fruit in keeping with repentance” (Matthew
3:8). A person who has truly repented of his sin and exercised faith in
Christ will give evidence of a changed life (2
Corinthians 5:17; Galatians
5:19–23; James 2:14–26).
To see what repentance looks like in real life, all we
need to do is turn to the story of Zacchaeus.
Here was a man who cheated and stole and lived lavishly on his ill-gotten
gains—until he met Jesus. At that point he had a radical change of mind: “Look,
Lord!” said Zacchaeus. “Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor,
and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the
amount” (Luke
19:8). Jesus happily proclaimed that salvation had come to Zacchaeus’s
house, and that even the tax collector was now “a son of Abraham” (verse 9)—a
reference to Zacchaeus’s faith. The cheat became a philanthropist; the thief
made restitution. That’s repentance, coupled with faith in Christ.
Repentance, properly defined, is necessary for salvation. Biblical repentance is changing your mind about your sin—no longer is sin something to toy with; it is something to be forsaken as we “flee from the coming wrath” (Matthew 3:7). It is also changing your mind about Jesus Christ—no longer is He to be mocked, discounted, or ignored; He is the Savior to be clung to; He is the Lord to be worshiped and adored.
What is repentance and is it necessary for salvation?
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“What
does the Bible say about repentance? What does it mean to repent?”
The word repentance in the Bible literally
means “the act of changing one’s mind.” True biblical repentance goes beyond
remorse, regret, or feeling bad about one’s sin. It involves more than merely
turning away from sin. Eerdmans Bible Dictionary includes this
definition of repentance: “In its fullest sense it is a term for a
complete change of orientation involving a judgment upon the past and a
deliberate redirection for the future.”
In the Old Testament, repentance, or wholehearted
turning to God, is a recurring theme in the message of the prophets. Repentance
was demonstrated through rituals such as fasting, wearing sackcloth,
sitting in ashes, wailing, and liturgical laments that expressed strong sorrow
for sin. These rituals were supposed to be accompanied by authentic repentance,
which involved a commitment to a renewed relationship with God, a walk of
obedience to His Word, and right living. Often, however, these rituals merely
represented remorse and a desire to escape the consequences of sin.
When the ancient prophets beckoned the people to repent and return, they were calling for a complete turnaround inspired from within the heart and will of the individual. The prophets called both the nation of Israel and individual people to surrender their lives, to turn away from a life ruled by sin to a relationship with God, the sovereign ruler over all:
Joel Chapter 2
The theme of repentance continues in the New Testament, beginning with John the
Baptist (Matthew
3:2) and then Jesus Christ (Matthew
4:17); both urgently called people to repent because the arrival of the
Kingdom of God was at hand. Many chose this radical reorientation of their
lives and demonstrated repentance through baptism (Mark
1:4) and profound changes in lifestyle and relationships (Luke
3:8–14).
Three Greek words used in the New Testament help us understand the full meaning
of repentance in the Bible. The first is the verb metamelomai,
which denotes a change of mind that produces regret or even remorse for wrongs
done, but not necessarily a change of heart and action. This word is used in Matthew
27:3 to describe the guilt Judas felt over betraying Jesus.
The second verb, metanoeo, means “to change
one’s mind and purpose, as the result of after knowledge.” This verb and its
related noun, metanoia, denote true biblical repentance, which is
characterized by four elements:
1) True repentance involves a sense of awareness of one’s own guilt,
sinfulness, and helplessness (Psalm
51:4–10; 109:21–22).
2) True repentance apprehends or takes hold of God’s mercy in Jesus Christ (Psalm
51:1; 130:4).
3) True repentance means a change of attitude and action regarding sin. Hatred
of sin turns the repentant person away from his or her sin to God (Psalm
119:128; Job 42:5–6; 2
Corinthians 7:10).
4) True repentance results in a radical and persistent pursuit of holy living,
walking with God in obedience to His commands (2 Timothy 2:19–22; 1
Peter 1:16).
The focus of Jesus Christ’s mission was to call
sinners to repentance: “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to
repentance” (Luke 5:32). His call of absolute surrender
goes out to all people: “But unless you repent, you too will all perish.” (Luke
13:5). In His farewell to the disciples, Jesus commanded that they take His
message of repentance and faith to all the nations (Luke
24:47).
Repentance in the Bible involves a complete and irreversible change of mind, heart, and actions. Repentance recognizes that our sin is offensive to God. To repent means to make an about-face, heart-directed turn away from self to God, from the past to a future ruled by God’s commands, acknowledging that the Lord reigns supreme over one’s existence.
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“Is
repentance a change of mind or a turning from sin?”
Technically,
repentance is a
change of mind, not a turning from sin. The Greek word translated “repentance”
is metanoia, and the meaning is simply “a change of mind.” In common
usage, however, we often speak of repentance as “a turning from sin.” There is
a good reason for this.
Repentance is often associated with salvation
in Scripture. What happens when the Holy Spirit begins His work to bring a
person to salvation? The Spirit gives the sinner a personal understanding and
infallible conviction that the facts concerning his spiritual state are true.
Those facts are his personal sin, the eternal punishment due him for his sin,
the substitutionary nature of Jesus’ suffering for his sin, and the need for
faith in Jesus to save him from his sin. From that convicting work
of the Holy Spirit (John 16:8), the sinner repents—he changes his
mind—about sin, the Savior, and salvation.
When a repentant person changes his mind about sin,
that change of mind naturally leads to a turning from sin. Sin is no longer
desirable or fun, because sin brings condemnation. The repentant sinner begins
to abhor his past misdeeds. And he begins to seek ways to amend his behavior
(see Luke
19:8). So, ultimately, the result of the change of mind about sin is good
deeds. The sinner turns away from sin toward faith in the Savior, and that
faith is shown in action (see James
2:17).
The change of mind (repentance) is not precisely the
same as the active turning from sin and visible performance of good deeds, but
one leads to the other. In this way, repentance is related to turning from sin.
When people speak of repentance as a turning from sin (rather than a change of
mind), they are using a figure of speech called metonymy. In metonymy, the name
of a concept is replaced with a word suggested by the original.
Metonymy is quite common in everyday language. For
example, there is a television program called Suits that is about
lawyers. But instead of naming the program Lawyers, the producers used
metonymy to name the program after the suits that identify the working lawyer.
News reports that begin, “The White House issued a statement today,” are also
using metonymy, as the name for the building where the President lives is
substituted for the name of the President himself.
In the Bible we can see other examples of metonymy.
Mark 9:17
“And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have
brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit;”
King James Version (KJV)
The evil
spirit itself is not dumb spirit. The evil spirit
causes the boy to be dumb spirit. The spirit is named
after the effect it produces: a dumb spirit child. The metonymy
here replaces the cause with the effect. Similarly, using the word repentance
to mean “a turning from sin” replaces the cause with the effect. The cause is
repentance, a change of mind; the effect is a turning away from sin. A word is
replaced by a related concept. That’s metonymy.
In summary, repentance is a change of mind. But the full biblical understanding of repentance goes beyond that. In relationship to salvation, repentance is a change of mind from an embrace of sin to rejection of sin and from rejection of Christ to faith in Christ. Such repentance is something only God can enable (John 6:44; Acts 11:18; 2 Timothy 2:25). Therefore, true biblical repentance will always result in a change of behavior. Maybe not instantly, but inevitably and progressively.