What does repentance mean?

The biblical definition of repentance is a change of mind. It does not mean turn away from sin.

In the following verse, the Lord repented not because He sinned, but there was a change of mind.

Genesis 6:6: “And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.”

Three Categories of Repentance

  1. General – It is just a change of mind over anything in general.
    It has nothing to do with their sinful nature.

    Exodus 13:17: “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:”

  2. Concerning Sin

    Revelation 2:15-16: “So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate. Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.”

  3. Salvation
    It cannot be repeated constantly.
    Here they are as sinners who recognize their lost, sinful nature. They have a change of mind about that, and they now turn to Jesus Christ to believe and receive Him for their salvation. There is a change of mind from a lost sinner to a saved saint.

Some would call this genuine repentance or true repentance.

2 Corinthians 7:10: “For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.”

Salvation and Repentance

2 Corinthians 7:9-10: “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. For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.”

Two Types of Repentance Concerning Salvation:

  1. Worldly sorrow – being sorry
  2. Godly sorrow – being sorry according to a godly manner or God’s way

Worldly sorrow is when one feels sorry for what he has done.

Godly sorrow is when one is sorry for what he is, not for what he has done. One can feel sorry for his sins, but it should be more than that. He should also be sorry for everything he is, being a lost sinner on his way to hell.

When one realizes how wicked he is, he will repent in a godly manner.

Job 42:6: “Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.”

Isaiah 6:5: “Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.”

Herein lies the process of converting sinners to repentance.

Men recognize who they are, how wicked they are, and that there is no other solution. They cannot clean up their own life. They cannot commit suicide, but they can put their faith in Jesus Christ and ask Him to save them.

Acts 20:21: “Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Errors on Repentance

In the Christian life, after the repentance and becoming saved, there are other occasions when we need to repent for the sins we have done. Our understanding of repentance should not be equated with sorrow, penance, insincerity, or forsaking some sins.

  1. Repentance is not sorrow.

    It does not matter how a person looks at his life or how long he cries. He will not be saved by doing that because it is not the right way to repent. Repentance towards God does not end there. People need faith in Lord Jesus Christ. They cannot earn their salvation through crying. It is sorrow that leads them to faith in Jesus Christ that will save them.

    Hebrews 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.”

  2. Repentance is not penance.

    People try to pay back their sins through good works or shedding blood.

    Matthew 27:3: “Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,”

    When the Bible says repentance and faith towards Lord Jesus Christ and salvation, it is faith alone. There is not one dime of good work involved. Salvation by faith is a gift already paid for by Jesus Christ. People do not need to pay for it with good deeds. There is nothing wrong with good deeds, but it gets wrong when they rely on a single good work for their salvation. It should be all on Jesus Christ.

    Ephesians 2:8: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:”

  3. Repentance is not insincerity.

    Notice that the Pharoah repented. It looks like it, but it seems like he is more concerned about the punishment/judgment, not about his sinful condition. There is no genuine sorrow here. In v34, when the hail and thunder stopped, he and his servants sinned even more.

    Exodus 9:27-28,34: “And Pharaoh sent, and called for Moses and Aaron, and said unto them, I have sinned this time: the Lord is righteous, and I and my people are wicked. Intreat the Lord (for it is enough) that there be no more mighty thunderings and hail; and I will let you go, and ye shall stay no longer. And when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunders were ceased, he sinned yet more, and hardened his heart, he and his servants.”

    When men have repentance for salvation, it has sincerity with signs of good works:
    – Attitudes of anger over sin
    – Forsake or fear sin
    – Desire to not sin
    – Be more careful in what they do

    2 Corinthians 7:10-11: “For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.”

  4. Repentance is not forsaking specific sins.

    Some Corinthians did not repent for their wicked sins, but Paul considered them as saved.

    2 Corinthians 12:19: “Again, think ye that we excuse ourselves unto you? we speak before God in Christ: but we do all things, dearly beloved, for your edifying.”

    Repentance for salvation is in childlike simplicity. It does not go into complicated specifics, such as wrong imaginations, lying, or stealing. Jesus Christ wants salvation to be like a simple-minded child.

    Matthew 18:3: “And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.”

    The devil’s job is to complicate the gospel.

    2 Corinthians 11:3: “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.”

Necessity of Repentance

It is still necessary to repent as one progresses in the Christian faith. The idea of repentance could be misinterpreted by believers sometimes. Here are a few:

  1. Repentance is required before one believes in Christ for eternal salvation.

    If there is repentance involved, one can then accept the gift of salvation and believe.
    How can a person believe or trust Christ to get rid of his sins if he does not recognize his sin problem?

    Matthew 21:32: “For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.”

  2. Repentance of sins is in line with the forgiveness of sins.

    If one is not willing for his sins to be forgiven by Jesus Christ, how can Jesus forgive and get rid of his sins with His blood?

    Luke 24:47: “And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.”

  3. Repentance with signs of good works.

    To do works that shows one’s repentance is a natural sign showing from your repentance

    Acts 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.”

  4. Repentance over a wicked sinner is required to escape the damnation.

    Luke 13:2: “And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things?”

  5. God commanded repentance; thus, it is necessary.

    Acts 17:30: “And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:”

  6. Repentance is the burden and will of God.

    2 Peter 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.”

 

Where was “repentance” mentioned in the Bible?

In the first book written in the Bible, Job mentioned repentance. There was also a demonstration of repentance, but it doesn’t always come with tears etc, it’s a state of the heart.

Job 42:6: “Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.”

Solomon mentioned repentance during the greatest prosperity of Israel’s kingdom and at the height of their richness.

1 Kings 8:47: “Yet if they shall bethink themselves in the land whither they were carried captives, and repent, and make supplication unto thee in the land of them that carried them captives, saying, We have sinned, and have done perversely, we have committed wickedness;”

The very first message that John the Baptist preached was about the message of repentance.

Matthew 3:2: “And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

The first word of Jesus’ first sermon was repent. He repeated calls for repentance.

Matthew 4:17: “From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Jesus preached on repentance more than anybody else in the Bible.

Matthew – Acts

Jesus Christ commanded His disciples to include repentance when He sent them out to preach during their first commission.

Mark 6:12: “And they went out, and preached that men should repent.”

When the church officially started, Peter preached about repentance.

Acts 2:28: “Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance.”

In the historical change when the Gentiles heard and received salvation/eternal life, Peter preached about repentance.

Acts 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.”

Paul preached to New Testament Christians and churches about repentance.

Acts 17:30: “And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:”
Acts 20:21: “Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Acts 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.”

Nature of Repentance

  1. An intellectual element: touches the intellect or mind

    A change of mind from seeing the wretchedness of sin into desiring to do what is right.

    Matthew 21:29: “He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went.”

  2. An emotional element: touches the emotions

    A change of mind over one’s sinful condition that he would grieve over its wretchedness and be sorry for it.

    2 Corinthians 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.”

  3. A will element: touches the will

    A change of mind that one would act upon it, turn from sin, and turn to God.
    It is a two-fold act that is an experience. Many people have reformed, but that is just turning away from sin. Regeneration is turning from sin and turning to God.

    1 Thessalonians 1:5: “For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.”
    1 Thessalonians 1:8-9: “For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing. For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God;”

Ways to Produce Repentance

  1. A gift of repentance from God

    Acts 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.”
    2 Timothy 2:25: “In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;”

  2. By the conviction power of the Spirit

    People get convicted and want to get saved when they hear the gospel.

    Acts 2:37-38: “Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, 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.”

  3. The goodness of God upon a sinner

    God is so good that a person will feel bad and become aware of his sinful condition. He knows that God is blessing him over and over again. He knows that there has to be a God, so he finally repents and gets saved.

    Romans 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?”

  4. Chastisement over sins

    When people go through judgment and realize that they messed up, they repent and get things right with God.

    Revelation 3:19: “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.”

     

    For further reading,

    – Definition of faith