Is the phrase “Repent and turn from sin” Biblical? Hopefully, this lesson will clarify a few things. Not only did Jesus Christ command us to go forth and make disciples of all nations, He also taught that Christians are to warn the people of other countries that they too must repent and turn to God while there is yet time. There are several historical and Biblically documented examples when complete cities and entire states ran out of time without changing their sinful, abominable ways.
Proverbs 1:23 guides us by saying, “Come and listen to my counsel. I’ll share my heart with you and make you wise.” John 3:17-18 assures believers and condemns non-believers. “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
Acts 3:19 provides inspired guidance applicable to all, sinners and saints alike! “Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away.” Not to be trite, but think of that as the 'Carrot' portion of the phrase 'the carrot or the stick,' which refers to a method of persuasion or coercion that uses rewards or punishments as motivators. Luke 13:3 can be considered to be an example of the 'Stick!' “No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as well!”
Repentance is a modification of your mind and attitude about accepting Jesus as your personal Savior. With faith and repentance, you embrace what He has done for you, and you wish and strive to conquer your personal demons that cause you to sin. A newfound, genuine repentance can change you, wholly. The essence of your soul will be denatured. You will delight in God, in Christ, in His Law, and in His people.
Rosaria Butterfield, an Ohio professor of English Literature, confessed of her battle with sin. “One very difficult aspect of sin is that my sin never feels like sin to me. My sin feels like life to me, plain and simple. My heart is an idol factory, and my mind is an excuse-making factory.”
On the whole, her words ring mostly true to me. However, my sin usually feels like sin to me. Maybe, in the heat of the moment, it does not, but the stain of sin seeps into my heart, and the stings of conscience torment my mind. Thus I know by ignoring my own sin, I wallow in shame.
It is good to confess our sins daily—for Christ is always faithful and willingly shields our sin from the eyes of God. Repentance is not a 'One and Done' type of contrition. Repentance in prayer is something that should be done daily, even multiple time daily. Now others, saved or unsaved, might say that since your sins are forgiven for the past, present, and future—you should not or need not repent often or more than once for the same sin. Sorry, that view is not in my heart. I know I'm forgiven, but my prayers are ongoing confessions of my shortcomings and expressions of my love for what Christ has endured for me.
Few humans, on their own, succeed in wholly turning away from sin. Still, your change of heart and attitude will lead to positive changes. A repentant heart does not lust to live a wicked life anymore. But your mind may still let you down. Think of those times as minor stumbles. You are not totally falling away from Christ. However, do try to turn away and resist sin every moment it raises its demon head and regurgitates Satan's vile lies.
When Jesus started His public ministry, He also called for repentance. Matthew 4:17 records, From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” John the Baptist preached the same message of repentance as found in Matthew 3:2, Mark 1:15, and Luke 3:3, 8.
Jesus says of repentance, “I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent” (Luke 15:7). Now I ask you, “Who do you know that needs not to repent? I know of no one.
Mark 6:12, relates that the disciples also “went out and preached that people should repent.” This preaching continued in Acts. Peter preached to Jews, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:38). Paul preached to Gentiles, “Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent.” (Acts 17:30). And later he testified, “how I kept back nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it to you, and taught you publicly and from house to house, testifying to Jews, and also to Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Acts 20:20-21). And, similarly, “I preached that they (all) should repent and turn to God and demonstrate their repentance by their deeds” (Acts 26:20).
“It is not the absence of sin but the grieving over it which distinguishes the child of God from empty professors.”?Arthur Pink, a mid-twentieth century English Bible teacher, is also credited for having said, “The Christian who has stopped repenting has stopped growing.”
Repentance is not defined by completely turning away from sin. Help is near! Actually, help is always close at hand! You just have to call upon the Lord. Acts 3:19 “Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.”
No matter how often or completely you repent, your repentance does not save you. Biblical Scriptures provide crystal clear statements that salvation is by faith in Christ alone. Galatians 2:16 ESV. “Yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ, and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.”
Here's another; Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Possibly, the most often quoted verse, among the 31,102 Bible verses, is John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
If anyone says you have to stop sinning to be saved, that is a form of salvation by works. So, do not listen! No matter how well you know the person voicing that opinion, you are hearing one of Satan's many lies. Certainly, you should stop sinning, but Jesus fully paid the price for the sins of the world when he gave up his human life on the cross. We humans, with all our faults, it is near impossible to turn from all our sin. Thank God for His grace in allowing His only begotten Son to suffer and die for total payment of our sins. Hallelujah!
Colossians 2:14 is a blessed assurance. “Having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.”
1 Peter 2:24 “and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.” Biblical repentance is a change of mind and heart about sin. It’s an alteration of your mind about who Jesus Christ is and what He has done for you, and it leads to a turning away from sin. Is repentance a work? No, does repentance save you? No, but you can’t place your faith in Christ for salvation without first having a change of mind. We must be extremely careful that we never understand repentance as a work.
John 6:44, “For no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them to me, and at the last day I will raise them up.” Repentance and salvation are made possible by two primary means: the activity of the Holy Spirit upon the hearts of men and women, and your personal, proclaimed acceptance of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is through these two means that God grants us undeserved repentance.
Charles Spurgeon, a renown Baptist preacher of the mid to late 1800, said, “A sinner can no more repent and believe without the Holy Spirit’s aid than he can create a world.” And to paraphrase another of his astute quotes; 'The true penitent person repents of sin against God, and would do so even if there were no punishment. When a person is forgiven, he/she repents of sin more than ever; for one sees more clearly than ever the wickedness of offending so gracious a God.'
We are saved by faith in Christ alone. This is totally apart from our works. It is God who grants us repentance. You can’t come to the Lord unless He brings you to Himself. Repentance is the result of the acceptance of a true salvation in Christ. True faith will make us anew. God bids all men to repent and believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Genuine repentance will lead to a new found outlook towards our personal sins. Dishonest repentance never leads to your spurning completely away from sin. Often, an unrepentant person might say that Jesus died for my sins, but who cares? I’ll do as I please now and repent later.
The effects of the evidence that you are truly forgiven will show your life has changed. Matthew tells us, “You will know these people because of what they do. Good things don’t come from people who are bad, just as grapes don’t come from thorn bushes, and figs don’t come from thorny weeds. In the same way, every good tree produces good fruit, and bad trees produce bad fruit. Repentance does not mean that a Christian will always genuinely over come all struggles with sin. But there’s a difference between resisting or diving head first into sinful situations. To do so, shows that someone is a false convert.
Because sin is so embedded with the devil, it is vital for a person to receive a change of mind from the Holy Spirit before receiving a cleansed and renewed heart. Many mourn their sins, yet do not truly repent of them and continue to be in league with them. To repent of your sins, you must acknowledge your sinfulness and feel true sorrow that you abide in sin. The next step is to confess the shameful things you do. All sins are against God. But if you have sinned against a spouse, neighbor, or an acquaintance—then, if you have the force of will to do so, confess to them as well. Not surprisingly, to do that will be a helpful reinforcement not to commit the same types of sin.
Confession can help you lift your mind, body, and soul away from the evil clutches of the devil's demons. Forever! From any sin you truly wish to break free from. Repentance, as such, is a trait of a Christian gaining strength. Outspoken confession is like adding another layer of God's armor protecting your heart. Such repentance is an inextricable companion of your saving faith in Christ's grace.
True repentance is not a halfhearted matter. It is an exhaustive change of heart about sin. Far too many sinners hold on to false illusions that the passage of time can cancel the sins of their past. While the passage of time may ease your personal the guilt of a specific sin, it does nothing to erase the shame and staining of your sin across the eyes and heart of Jesus.
Christ, who suffered and died for you—shed tears on the cross for those with unrepentant sin. Also, Acts reports that Jesus is the only way to remove your sins. “This promise is for you. It is also for your children and for the people who are far away. It is for everyone the Lord our God calls to himself.”
I can think of seven essential steps that advance you along the path of glorious repentance; Recognize your transgression(s), Acknowledge your sinfulness, Truly want to abstain, Willingly confess, and Make restitution. But wait, 'seven steps' were stipulated, but only five have been listed—so far. What's up with that? Yes, those stated five are more or less linear, but you can introduce number six anywhere and anytime you want to—Ask for forgiveness. Many Christians can guess what number seven might be, can you? Non-Christians have a tough time with the answer! So I'll give everyone a clue. Most likely Step Seven has already happened, invoked—if you will? But you might not recognize it until 'The End?' Note: if you cannot distill what my esoteric mind categorizes as 'Step Seven'—the final step or the fitting conclusion of repentance, email me for an answer. My Bible study group had trouble with that one as well.
Repentance should be an absolute departure from your sinful habits. You should experience a change of mind and spirit, reflecting sorrow blended with heartfelt, humble confession under the grace of God. You should manifest a seething hatred and aversion of all sin. If you can!
But counterfeit repentance leads to self-delusions, self-pity, and, ultimately, worldly and eternal sorrow. We should be in constant battle to overcome our reoccurring sins. Repentance does not mean that we will miraculously become free from future struggles. Not while the devil and his demon roam this world seemingly unchecked. Because their allures and enticements are tailored to our specific weaknesses, we sometimes, or often, fall short of our own expectations—let alone God's. But the Christian feels shame over our sin and hate it passionately. Believers can rest assured in the perfect grace and forgiveness found within the cloak of Christ.
Oh yes, sin is easy to dislike and often even easier to ignore—but sometimes, try as we might, we fall back into the same black habits. Quite possibly, William Beveridge, a 17th century Bishop, offered the most poignant quote relating to humankind's failures. “I cannot pray, except I sin. I cannot preach, but I sin. I cannot administer, nor receive the holy sacrament, but I sin. My very repentance needs to be repented of and the tears I shed need washing in the blood of Christ.”
Most, if not all, Christian backslide from time to time. But Christians strive to rise above their personal states of sin. And all should heed the biblical words of warning—for God will bend His children to repentance and even discipline them as necessary.
It's a good thing 'Step Seven' has been invoked? Isn't it?
So who grants us repentance? Is it Father God, Jesus the Christ, the Holy Ghost? Or is it only the Catholic Pope that can do so? Nope to the Pope!
The Bible is quite clear on the point of repentance granted. We are told that God grants repentance to those people who believe in Christ. It is part of God choosing a person for salvation and the Holy Spirit drawing them to Christ. John 6:65 reveals that God the Father grants the privilege of allowing a person to come to Christ. Then that person's repentance naturally follows. Above all, grace is freely offered to everyone by God the Father. Out of God’s grace, He wants to grant us repentance.
Let's just examine just a few of the many inspiring verses concerning repentance.
1 John 1:9 “But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.”
Luke 5:32 I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners and need to repent.
Luke 13:3 And you will perish, too, unless you repent of your sins and turn to God.
Revelation 2:5 “Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.”
Revelation 2:20-21 “Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teachings, she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling.”
Revelation 9:20-21 “The rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood—idols that cannot see or hear or walk. Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their thefts.”
But those last few verses were more 'stick' than the carrot. So, counter balancing the perils of not repenting, let's close out this lesson by presenting the blessings of 2 Corinthians, chapter 4 for your consideration.
Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart. But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth, commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.
For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus’ sake. For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed— always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So then death is working in us, but life in you.
And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed and therefore I spoke,” we also believe and therefore speak, knowing that He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus, and will present us with you. For all things are for your sake, that grace, having spread through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God.
Therefore, we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.
God Forgives You! (Step Seven)
The End
For copies of this lesson or any of my free Christian essays, or to see my novels and children's books, please visit: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/DennisDKing
Once there, scroll down until the many book titles appear.
Apple Books, Barnes and Nobles, and Sermoncentral.com also freely offers my Christian essays read in over 135 countries.
Thank You!
