Post by ambassador on Aug 12, 2009 18:51:39 GMT -5
What About Repentance?
Originally written 24 February 2009
Let me first say that this is a rather difficult topic to discuss because the Bible has a definition for “repentance,” and religion has a definition for “repentance.” The Catholic Church has invented “penance” (suffering for your sins, such as flagellation, or beating yourself with a strap); Protestants have a doctrine called “penitence” (guilt/being sorry for your sins). Neither of these religious doctrines is in the Bible; unfortunately, people have confused Biblical repentance with religion’s penitence and penance. My intention here is to sort out this mess!
It is important to note what Biblical repentance IS and what Bible repentance IS NOT. Biblical repentance IS NOT “turning from one’s sins” and Biblical repentance IS NOT “feeling sorry for one’s sins.” These are religious definitions, and we have no concern for tradition or denominationalism. We need the Bible’s definition of “repentance,” NOT some religious authority’s opinion. After all, God’s Word carries the most weight in eternity!
In Genesis 6, God beholds a wicked world filled with murder and other violence. Up to this point, over 1600 years have elapsed since Adam’s fall, and humanity is slipping further and further morally and spiritually. So, as Genesis 6:6 KJV says, “it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.” Did God repent of sin? Was God turning from His sin? Did God feel guilty because of sin? God is GOD, and He has no sin, so obviously “repentance” does not refer to turning from sin or feeling sorry for sins. When God had repentance, He had a change in thinking—A CHANGE IN MIND. Biblical repentance is simply a change in the way you think about something. You view it a different way than you previously did.
Go to Exodus 13:17 KJV: “And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, Lest peradventure the people repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt:” Notice that word “repent.” Had the Jews saw the war in the land of the Philistines, they would have wanted to go back to Egypt. The Jews would have had a change in thinking, wanting to return to Egypt. It had nothing to do with feeling sorry for sins or turning from sins.
Exodus 32:14 KJV: “And the LORD repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people.” Again, the LORD was not repenting of sin; He was going to chastise Israel, but then He decided not to do so—it was a change in thinking. Jumping up to Romans 11:29, the Bible tells us that once God promises something, He will not repent; that is to say, He will not go back on His word and break the promise.
John the Baptist’s message to Israel in Matthew 3:2 KJV is, “Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Israel had been murdering God’s prophets for centuries, and now John the Baptist was saying, “You better start thinking differently about God, and start obeying Him!” Quit being rebellious, and have a change in your thinking, because your Messiah and King is coming! By the way, it is interesting to note that the Greek word for “repent” literally means “change in mind, reconsider.”
In Acts 2:36-38 KJV, the Apostle Peter is urging Israel on the day of Pentecost: “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” They could not undo the crucifixion, but they could change their way of thinking about Jesus of Nazareth. Peter was telling them that they should now embrace Jesus as their Messiah/Christ, the same Jesus they refused and murdered 50 days before. When Peter preached, “repent,” he was telling Israel to think differently—stop rejecting Jesus as an imposter, and start embracing Him as your Messiah because He is coming back!
Now, turn to Acts 17, where the Apostle Paul is confronting Athenian philosophers on Mars’ Hill. In verses 22 through 28, Paul notices these pagans have an altar with an inscription that reads, “TO THE UNKNOWN GOD.” Paul tells them “we ought not to THINK that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device [thought]” (Acts 17:29 KJV). In verse 30, Paul says that God now “commandeth all men everywhere to repent.” Did you notice the word “think” in verse 29? “Repent” in verse 30 correlates with verse 29’s word “think.” These philosophers had to change their way of THINKING—stop thinking of God dwelling in a manmade temple and stop thinking about the Godhead as if it were a dumb idol. Change your thinking!
Turn to 2 Timothy 2:25 KJV to read, “…if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth.” A change in thinking will result in you coming to the truth. You do not come to the truth by feeling sorry for your sins or turning from your sins. You repent (have a change in thinking), and THEN you live right.
Okay, we will look at one more reference. The church at Corinth had a wealth of problems (attested by the fact that Paul had to write a 16-chapter epistle we now know as “First Corinthians”). His follow-up letter is Second Corinthians, writing to commend and encourage the Corinthians for straightening out that long list of problems that existed over a year earlier. I want you to pay close attention to what is found here in 2 Corinthians 7:8-13.
After chiding the Corinthians in his first letter, Paul admits that he felt “repentance” (see 2 Corinthians 7:8). Paul, after sending the letter of First Corinthians, had second thoughts about sending it. But, when Paul saw it had its affect on the Corinthians, he no longer had second thoughts (“I do not repent, though I did repent”). In verses 9 and 10, the Corinthians “SORROWED TO REPENTANCE.” Notice verse 10 says “godly sorrow worketh repentance.”
Notice what the Bible said. Godly sorrow IS NOT repentance; it brings about repentance (change in mind). Worldly sorrow, feeling sorry for your sins or feeling guilty, “worketh death” (2 Corinthians 7:10). In contrast, godly sorrow addresses the situation, brings you to repentance (a change in mind), and that in turn brings about a change in lifestyle. So, because of godly sorrow, the Corinthians repented (had a change in thinking); this change in mind brought about the change in their lifestyle. Let me clarify this too: the change in lifestyle is NOT repentance—repentance is the CHANGE IN MIND that brings about the change in lifestyle.
I will address one more question, which is asked: “Is repentance necessary for salvation today in this Dispensation of Grace?” And the answer is NO! NO! NO! So what about Acts 2:38? It was spoken to Jews, the entire Nation Israel, not us (Acts 2:36); it was in the Dispensation of Law, separate from our current Dispensation of Grace! Before Jews could be saved in Christ’s earthly ministry, they needed repentance (Matthew 3:3; Luke 13:3-5; Acts 2:38; etc). Today, repentance is a RESULT of salvation.
Read this verse in Romans 3:26 KJV: “To declare, I say, at this time Christ’s righteousness: that He might be just [fair], and the justifier of him who believeth [trusts] in Jesus.” Notice, you did not see “he who believes and repents, or he who is baptized, or he who has joined the church, given money, walked the aisle, etc....” Repentance is not necessary for salvation today: it is a result of salvation. Repentance will cause you to have a change in thinking because you will become a new creature in Christ, and you now have the indwelling Holy Spirit (Romans 8:1-2; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Titus 2:11-12)!
In fact, here is how repentance relates to us today as members of the Body of Christ. Look at what Paul wrote in Ephesians 4:23 KJV: “And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;” This, beloved, is Biblical repentance. Our Apostle, Paul, also writes in Romans 12:1-2 KJV (take special notice of Biblical repentance in verse 2):
“1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
To summarize and emphasize:
Repentance is changing your thinking, your thought processes, having a renewed mind brought on by the indwelling Holy Spirit. Repentance will cause you to think differently, and the change in lifestyle follows. Remember that Biblical repentance IS NOT “turning from your sins” and Biblical repentance IS NOT related to penance or penitence. Repentance was necessary for salvation for Israel in time past, but it IS NOT necessary for salvation today (it is a result of salvation). Hopefully, you have a better understanding of repentance as the Bible describes it. We all need to change our thinking—throw away the denominational definitions we have been taught for so long, and rely on God’s definitions that will last all eternity!
Originally written 24 February 2009
Let me first say that this is a rather difficult topic to discuss because the Bible has a definition for “repentance,” and religion has a definition for “repentance.” The Catholic Church has invented “penance” (suffering for your sins, such as flagellation, or beating yourself with a strap); Protestants have a doctrine called “penitence” (guilt/being sorry for your sins). Neither of these religious doctrines is in the Bible; unfortunately, people have confused Biblical repentance with religion’s penitence and penance. My intention here is to sort out this mess!
It is important to note what Biblical repentance IS and what Bible repentance IS NOT. Biblical repentance IS NOT “turning from one’s sins” and Biblical repentance IS NOT “feeling sorry for one’s sins.” These are religious definitions, and we have no concern for tradition or denominationalism. We need the Bible’s definition of “repentance,” NOT some religious authority’s opinion. After all, God’s Word carries the most weight in eternity!
In Genesis 6, God beholds a wicked world filled with murder and other violence. Up to this point, over 1600 years have elapsed since Adam’s fall, and humanity is slipping further and further morally and spiritually. So, as Genesis 6:6 KJV says, “it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.” Did God repent of sin? Was God turning from His sin? Did God feel guilty because of sin? God is GOD, and He has no sin, so obviously “repentance” does not refer to turning from sin or feeling sorry for sins. When God had repentance, He had a change in thinking—A CHANGE IN MIND. Biblical repentance is simply a change in the way you think about something. You view it a different way than you previously did.
Go to Exodus 13:17 KJV: “And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, Lest peradventure the people repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt:” Notice that word “repent.” Had the Jews saw the war in the land of the Philistines, they would have wanted to go back to Egypt. The Jews would have had a change in thinking, wanting to return to Egypt. It had nothing to do with feeling sorry for sins or turning from sins.
Exodus 32:14 KJV: “And the LORD repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people.” Again, the LORD was not repenting of sin; He was going to chastise Israel, but then He decided not to do so—it was a change in thinking. Jumping up to Romans 11:29, the Bible tells us that once God promises something, He will not repent; that is to say, He will not go back on His word and break the promise.
John the Baptist’s message to Israel in Matthew 3:2 KJV is, “Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Israel had been murdering God’s prophets for centuries, and now John the Baptist was saying, “You better start thinking differently about God, and start obeying Him!” Quit being rebellious, and have a change in your thinking, because your Messiah and King is coming! By the way, it is interesting to note that the Greek word for “repent” literally means “change in mind, reconsider.”
In Acts 2:36-38 KJV, the Apostle Peter is urging Israel on the day of Pentecost: “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” They could not undo the crucifixion, but they could change their way of thinking about Jesus of Nazareth. Peter was telling them that they should now embrace Jesus as their Messiah/Christ, the same Jesus they refused and murdered 50 days before. When Peter preached, “repent,” he was telling Israel to think differently—stop rejecting Jesus as an imposter, and start embracing Him as your Messiah because He is coming back!
Now, turn to Acts 17, where the Apostle Paul is confronting Athenian philosophers on Mars’ Hill. In verses 22 through 28, Paul notices these pagans have an altar with an inscription that reads, “TO THE UNKNOWN GOD.” Paul tells them “we ought not to THINK that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device [thought]” (Acts 17:29 KJV). In verse 30, Paul says that God now “commandeth all men everywhere to repent.” Did you notice the word “think” in verse 29? “Repent” in verse 30 correlates with verse 29’s word “think.” These philosophers had to change their way of THINKING—stop thinking of God dwelling in a manmade temple and stop thinking about the Godhead as if it were a dumb idol. Change your thinking!
Turn to 2 Timothy 2:25 KJV to read, “…if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth.” A change in thinking will result in you coming to the truth. You do not come to the truth by feeling sorry for your sins or turning from your sins. You repent (have a change in thinking), and THEN you live right.
Okay, we will look at one more reference. The church at Corinth had a wealth of problems (attested by the fact that Paul had to write a 16-chapter epistle we now know as “First Corinthians”). His follow-up letter is Second Corinthians, writing to commend and encourage the Corinthians for straightening out that long list of problems that existed over a year earlier. I want you to pay close attention to what is found here in 2 Corinthians 7:8-13.
After chiding the Corinthians in his first letter, Paul admits that he felt “repentance” (see 2 Corinthians 7:8). Paul, after sending the letter of First Corinthians, had second thoughts about sending it. But, when Paul saw it had its affect on the Corinthians, he no longer had second thoughts (“I do not repent, though I did repent”). In verses 9 and 10, the Corinthians “SORROWED TO REPENTANCE.” Notice verse 10 says “godly sorrow worketh repentance.”
Notice what the Bible said. Godly sorrow IS NOT repentance; it brings about repentance (change in mind). Worldly sorrow, feeling sorry for your sins or feeling guilty, “worketh death” (2 Corinthians 7:10). In contrast, godly sorrow addresses the situation, brings you to repentance (a change in mind), and that in turn brings about a change in lifestyle. So, because of godly sorrow, the Corinthians repented (had a change in thinking); this change in mind brought about the change in their lifestyle. Let me clarify this too: the change in lifestyle is NOT repentance—repentance is the CHANGE IN MIND that brings about the change in lifestyle.
I will address one more question, which is asked: “Is repentance necessary for salvation today in this Dispensation of Grace?” And the answer is NO! NO! NO! So what about Acts 2:38? It was spoken to Jews, the entire Nation Israel, not us (Acts 2:36); it was in the Dispensation of Law, separate from our current Dispensation of Grace! Before Jews could be saved in Christ’s earthly ministry, they needed repentance (Matthew 3:3; Luke 13:3-5; Acts 2:38; etc). Today, repentance is a RESULT of salvation.
Read this verse in Romans 3:26 KJV: “To declare, I say, at this time Christ’s righteousness: that He might be just [fair], and the justifier of him who believeth [trusts] in Jesus.” Notice, you did not see “he who believes and repents, or he who is baptized, or he who has joined the church, given money, walked the aisle, etc....” Repentance is not necessary for salvation today: it is a result of salvation. Repentance will cause you to have a change in thinking because you will become a new creature in Christ, and you now have the indwelling Holy Spirit (Romans 8:1-2; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Titus 2:11-12)!
In fact, here is how repentance relates to us today as members of the Body of Christ. Look at what Paul wrote in Ephesians 4:23 KJV: “And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;” This, beloved, is Biblical repentance. Our Apostle, Paul, also writes in Romans 12:1-2 KJV (take special notice of Biblical repentance in verse 2):
“1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
To summarize and emphasize:
Repentance is changing your thinking, your thought processes, having a renewed mind brought on by the indwelling Holy Spirit. Repentance will cause you to think differently, and the change in lifestyle follows. Remember that Biblical repentance IS NOT “turning from your sins” and Biblical repentance IS NOT related to penance or penitence. Repentance was necessary for salvation for Israel in time past, but it IS NOT necessary for salvation today (it is a result of salvation). Hopefully, you have a better understanding of repentance as the Bible describes it. We all need to change our thinking—throw away the denominational definitions we have been taught for so long, and rely on God’s definitions that will last all eternity!