You cannot
truly believe this gospel without repenting.
Mark 1
Jesus Preaches in Galilee
14 (13)
Now after John had been taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, (14)
preaching the gospel of God,
15 and saying, "(15)
The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; (16)
repent and believe in the gospel."
2 Chronicles 7:14
Job 28:28 And unto man he said,
Behold, the fear of the LORD, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is
understanding
Job
34:33
Should God then reward you on your terms,
when you refuse to repent? You must decide, not I; so tell me what you
know.
(Whole Chapter: Job
34 In context: Job
34:32-34)
Isaiah
59:20
"The Redeemer will come to
(Whole Chapter: Isaiah
59 In context: Isaiah
59:19-21)
Luke 3
7John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, "You brood
of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8Produce
fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We
have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you that out of these stones God can
raise up children for Abraham. 9The ax is already at the root of the
trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and
thrown into the fire."
10"What should we do
then?" the crowd asked.
11John answered, "The man with two tunics should share with him
who has none, and the one who has food should do the same."
12Tax collectors also came to be baptized. "Teacher," they
asked, "what should we do?"
13"Don't collect any more than you are required to," he
told
14them. Then some soldiers asked him, "And what should we
do?"
He replied, "Don't extort money and don't accuse people falsely--be
content with your pay."
Isaiah 55:7
55:7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts:
and let him return unto the LORD,
and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
Acts
Acts
Matthew 3
John the Baptist Prepares the Way
1In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the
"A voice of one calling in the desert,
'Prepare the way for the Lord,
make straight paths for him.' "[1]
4John's clothes were made of camel's hair, and he had a leather belt
around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. 5People went
out to him from
7But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where
he was baptizing, he said to them: "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to
flee from the coming wrath? 8Produce fruit in keeping with
repentance. 9And do not think you can say to yourselves, 'We
have Abraham as our father.' I tell you that out of these stones God can raise
up children for Abraham. 10The ax is already at the root of the
trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and
thrown into the fire.
11"I baptize you with[2]
water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose
sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and
with fire. 12His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear
his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff
with unquenchable fire."
Verse 5
states that many came to be baptized:
They would confess their sins, and John would baptize them for
repentance:
Acts
19:4
Paul said, "John's baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the
people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus."
(Whole Chapter: Acts
19 In context: Acts
19:3-5)
However, instead
of baptizing many of the Pharisees, he told them to go “8Produce
fruit in keeping with repentance”. He then goes on to correct their “once a son
always a son” theology; where they based their righteousness with God on
history, instead of a repentant heart.
Repentance is dealing with the future, and not only remorse for the
past. True repentance bears fruit, or
behavioral evidence of a changed life: Wicked behavior is replaced by Godly
behavior on a daily basis.
Repentance is not just shedding a few tears. Repentance is staying on your knees until you
make contact with God. And until you
know God has forgiven you and you get up with a determination “I will not be
what I was, I refuse to live the way I did, I will be what God wants me to be!”
if you have not come to this point you have not really repented.
-Pastor Tom Peters,
Nehemiah 9
The Israelites Confess Their Sins
1 On the twenty-fourth day of the same month, the Israelites
gathered together, fasting and wearing sackcloth and having dust on their
heads. 2 Those of Israelite descent had separated themselves from
all foreigners. They stood in their places and confessed their sins and the wickedness of their fathers. 3
They stood where they were and read from
the Book of the Law of the LORD their God for a quarter of the day, and spent another quarter in confession and in
worshiping the LORD their God.
2 Corinthians
Matthew 5:4
5:4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
Isaiah 66:1,2
66:1 Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my
footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of
my rest?
66:2 For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have
been, saith the LORD: but to this man
will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth
at my word.
Luke 1: 7
15:7 I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner
that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no
repentance.
Ezekiel 18
29 Yet the house of
30 "Therefore, O house of
Ezekiel 18
31 Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a
new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, O house of
Isaiah
30:15
This is what the Sovereign LORD , the Holy One of Israel, says: "In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your
strength, but you would have none of it.
(Whole Chapter: Isaiah
30 In context: Isaiah
30:14-16)
Psalm 34:19
34:18 The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such
as be of a contrite spirit.
34:19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him
out of them all.
2 Corinthians 5:17
Time-sensitive response
required
Revelation 3
19Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and
repent. 20Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears
my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. 21To
him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I
overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne.
Jeremiah 3:22
Ezek 33:12-20
12 "Therefore,
son of man, say to your countrymen, 'The righteousness of the righteous man
will not save him when he disobeys, and the wickedness of the wicked man will
not cause him to fall when he turns from it. The righteous man, if he sins,
will not be allowed to live because of his former righteousness.'
13 If I tell
the righteous man that he will surely live, but then he trusts in his
righteousness and does evil, none of the righteous things he has done will be
remembered; he will die for the evil he has done.
14 And if I say
to the wicked man, 'You will surely die,' but he then turns away from his sin
and does what is just and right--
15 if he gives
back what he took in pledge for a loan, returns what he has stolen, follows the
decrees that give life, and does no evil, he will surely live; he will not die.
16 None of the
sins he has committed will be remembered against him. He has done what is just
and right; he will surely live.
17 "Yet
your countrymen say, 'The way of the Lord is not just.' But it is their way
that is not just.
18 If a
righteous man turns from his righteousness and does evil, he will die for it.
19 And if a
wicked man turns away from his wickedness and does what is just and right, he
will live by doing so.
20 Yet, O house
of
Jeremiah 34:8
Recently you repented and did what is right in my sight:
Each of you proclaimed freedom to his countrymen. You even made a covenant
before me in the house that bears my Name. 16 But now you have
turned around and profaned my name; each of you has taken back the male and
female slaves you had set free to go where they wished. You have forced them to
become your slaves again.
17 "Therefore, this is what the LORD says: You have not obeyed
me; you have not proclaimed freedom for your fellow countrymen. So I now
proclaim 'freedom' for you, declares the LORD -'freedom' to fall by the sword,
plague and famine. I will make you abhorrent to all the kingdoms of the earth. 18
The men who have violated my covenant and have not fulfilled the terms of the
covenant they made before me, I will treat like the calf they cut in two and
then walked between its pieces. 19 The leaders of
21 "I will hand Zedekiah king of
Biblical And Historical Proof
by Emon
Thompson
Webster’s Third
New International Dictionary states that Repentance is a religious term that
denotes a redirection of a person’s mind, will and actions as indicated in the
Greek word metanoia-a change of mind.
Repentance is both sorrow for sin and the act of turning
away from it.
-Encyclopedia
The turning from sin is emphatically a matter of conduct,
but it is also a matter of the heart. -Dictionary of the Bible, by James
Hastings, Vol, IV, p.225.
Repentance in the ethico-religlous sense is turning away
from sin and back to God. Interpreters -Dictionary of the Bible, Edition 1962,
Vol. IV, p.33.
The nature
of repentance is not only a turning from, but also a turning to. It will cause
a person to stop a wrong action and begin a right one.
Ezekiel
announced, "Thus sayeth the Lord God REPENT, and turn yourselves from your
idols; and turn away your faces from all your abominations." Eze. 14:6.
John the Baptist preached, "REPENT YE: for the kingdom of heaven is at
hand." Mat. 3:2. God COMMANDETH all men everywhere to REPENT. Acts
Jesus
commissioned, as He opened the understanding of His disciples to the Scripture,
"That REPENTANCE and REMISSION of sins should be preached in His Name
among all nations beginning at
Certainly
true repentance is a command of God, and necessary for Divine forgiveness;
therefore, it is definitely an important step in God’s wonderful plan of
salvation for man.
1.
Conviction Of Sin
Before
there can be true repentance, a sinner must have an understanding and
acknowledgement that he is guilty of sin. "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered
into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that
all have sinned." Rom.
The
knowledge of God’s Word will reveal sins in a person’s life, which will bring
conviction. When Peter preached on the day of Pentecost, they that heard God’s
Word were pricked (convicted) in their heart. Acts
Also
experiences of God’s chastisements add to conviction. God said in His Word,
"As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and
repent." Rev. 3:19. Although conviction of sin brings an uncomfortable
feeling of shame and guilt, when followed by true repentance, it will lead to
great rejoicing!
2.
Godly Sorrow
Feelings of
deep sorrow, regret and remorse over sin must accompany an individual’s
repentance. One should not sorrow for personal hardship brought on by sin, but rather
remorse over the hurt he has caused a loving, forgiving God. Paul wrote to the
Corinthians, "Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye
sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner ... For
godly sorrow, worketh repentance to salvation . . . but the sorrow of the world
worketh death." 2 Cor. 7:9.10. (Also Joel 2:12; Ps. 34:18.)
3.
Will to Repent
The
prodigal son came to himself and said. "I WILL arise and go to my father,
and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before
thee." Luke 15:18. If a sinner is willing to repent, God is willing to
forgive him of his sins. "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your
sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the
presence of the Lord." Acts
4. Plead for Mercy
The first
thing David said in his prayer of repentance was, "Have mercy upon me, O
God, according to thy loving kindness: according unto the multitude of thy
tender mercies blot out my transgressions." Ps. 51:1. Divine forgiveness
is not based upon the accumulated merits of man, but only on the love and mercy
of God. ..... While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Rom. 5:8.
"The publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto
heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a
sinner." Luke 18:13. In approaching God, we must cast ourselves without
reservation upon His mercy.
5.
Confession to God
"He
that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh
them shall have mercy." Pro. 28:13.
A person
must be honest; admit his sins; confess them openly to God: not to man.
"If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the
righteous." 1 John 2:1.
6. Forsake all Sin
Ezekiel
said, "Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have
transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit." Eze. 18:31.
Jesus said to the woman taken in adultery, "...Go, and SIN NO MORE."
John 8:11. (Also 1 Thes. 5:22; 2 Cor. 6:14-17; 1 John 2:15-16; Titus 2:11-12.)
Repentance
is actually a crucifixion of one’s sinful nature at an alter of self denial
(Ro. 6:6; Mark
7. Ask God for Forgiveness
After a
sinner has surrendered all to God, he should simply ask God to forgive him for
all his sins. The Bible said, "Take with you words, and turn to the Lord:
say unto Him, Take away all iniquity (sin)." Ho. 14:2. "If we confess
our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and cleanse us from
all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9.
8.
Receive God’s Forgiveness
To receive
God’s forgiveness, you must forgive others. "For if ye forgive men their
trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you." Mat. 6:14. Also,
you must forgive yourself and forget your sinful past. Paul said,
"Forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those
things which are before, I press toward the mark for the high calling of God in
Christ Jesus." Phil. 3:13,14. When you have truly repented, accept God’s
forgiveness and praise Him! "Though your sins be as scarlet, they SHALL BE
WHITE AS SNOW; though they be like crimson, they SHALL BE AS WOOL" Is.
1:18. "For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in
mercy. Ps. 86:5.
1.
Great Joy
When the
prodigal son repented, there was much rejoicing. Luke 15:23. Jesus said,
"I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that
repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no
repentance." Luke 15:7. There is great joy in knowing God’s wonderful
forgiveness! When the Samaritans gave heed to Philip’s preaching, there was
great joy in that city. Acts 8:5-8.
2.
New Birth
Now that
the old sinful man is dead through repentance, a believer is ready for the
"new birth," which consists of the two elements, water and spirit.
Jesus said to Nicodemus, "Except a man be born of WATER and of the SPIRIT,
he cannot enter into the
a. Water Baptism
Of course, following a death there must be a burial. The old
sinful man must be put away. "Therefore we are BURIED with Him (Jesus
Christ) BY BAPTISM into death." Rom. 6:4. (Also Col. 2:12.) Repentance
must be followed by water baptism in the Name of Jesus Christ for the REMISSION
OF SINS (Luke 24:47; Acts
b. Holy Spirit Baptism
The Holy Spirit Baptism is promised to all who will obey the
Word of God. (See Acts 2:4,38,39;
3.
Total Cleansing
John said,
"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 1:7. (Also 1 Pet. 1:19; Rev. 1:5.) When God cleanses us from
all sin we are totally clean. "As
far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our transgressions
from us." Ps. 103:12.
If you
desire a new life in Christ, I urge you to repent of all your sins and
experience the wonderful, powerful "new birth" of water and the
Spirit! God is willing and waiting to change your life for the better, today!
"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." 2 Pet. 3:9.
Originally
submitted by: Emon Thompson
Order From: Know the Truth Literature
I moved the section on the new birth from the Holy Spirit Baptism section into the new birth section. I did this because I believe that the Holy Spirit Baptism can also be a separate, subsequent experience after the new birth. I also wrote the italic part. -ThisGospel.com