REPENTANCE

"DEFINITION"

Webster defines repentance: " to feel sorry or self-reproachful for what one has or has not done; to feel so contrite over one's sins as to change, or decide to change one's ways. " Repentance is used two ways in the New Testament:
1) METAMELLOMAI- means to regret, to care afterwards, be sorry for.
2) METANAEO- means to think differently, to change one's mind, purpose, or opinion.

"WHAT IS REPENTANCE?"

When the world repents, they feel sorrow. But feeling sorrow over one's sins is not enough. We must turn from our sins and change our lives and the way we live. Judas repented of having betrayed Jesus (Matthew 27:3 ), but his was only regret, not a change of mind. In Genesis 6:6, God repented that He made man but He did not change His mind. When a child is punished, the parents may feel sorrow that the discipline was necessary, but that sorrow does not cause them to change their minds. In Matthew 3:2-9, John the Baptist acknowledges that the Pharisees were followers of the law; but just a resemblance of godliness was not enough. They had to repent and turn from their sin. Repentance actually has three parts:

1. A TURNING FROM SIN. This turning must be both in heart ( emotion ) and mind ( thinking ). We must both feel sorrow in our hearts and support that sorrow with the resources of our minds.

2. A SPIRIT OF ABHORRENCE TO SIN. This attests to a desire to turn away from our old ways and find new ones, and hatred for the thought of sin, as well as a desire to be holy.

3. A SPIRIT OF HONOR TOWARDS GOD. God told Abram, " I am the Almighty God, walk thou before me and be thou perfect." And again He said, " I am holy, be ye therefore also holy."

"ONLY GOD CAN CALL TO REPENTANCE!"

1. ROMANS 2:4 states that the goodness of God leads to repentance.

2. 2 CORINTHIANS 7:10 also notes that godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation.

3. JOHN 6:44,45,65 says, " No man can come to me, except the Father...draw him...Every man therefore that has learned of the Father, cometh unto me. No man can come unto me, except it were given him of my Father."

"WHAT ABOUT SIN?"

Sin not only brings about physical death, but spiritual death as well. Jesus said, " I have come that ye might have life, and that more abundantly." Spiritual death is eternal separation from God.

1. JAMES 1:15-" Sin, when it is finished, brings forth death."

2. ROMANS 6:23- " The wages of sin is death."

"SCRIPTURAL REFERENCES ON REPENTANCE"

1. MARK 1:14-15- " Repent ye and believe the gospel. "

2. 2 PETER 3:9- " God is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance."

3. ACTS 17:30- " Command all men everywhere to repent."

4. Luke 13:3- " Except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish."

"THE RESULTS OF REPENTANCE"

The Word of God is very clear about repentance. When we repent as we have discussed above, we get results! God forgives!

1. EPHESIANS 4:32- God for Christ sake hath forgiven you.

2. COLOSSIANS 2:13- Forgive you of all trespasses.

3. ACTS 5:31- To give repentance unto Israel and the forgiveness of sins.

4. COLOSSIANS 1:14- In whom we have the forgiveness of sins.

(1 John 1:7 KJV) "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin."

(1 John 1:8 ) "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us."

(1 John 1:9 ) "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

"REPENTANCE FOR THE SAVED"

After you are born again, there will be times of failure, mistakes and yes, even sin! We deal with these times in our lives just like we did when we first came to the Lord - we repent! Paul said, " I die daily. " He meant that he repented daily. He tried to live in the Spirit and not in the flesh. No one is perfect. We must strive for perfection.