The Way of Repentance
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The call to repent was the first and fundamental summons in the preaching of the whole Bible.
John the Baptist .
2 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
Jesus
17 From that time Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
The Twelve
12 And they went out and preached that people are to repent.
Peter at Pentecost
38 Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Paul to the Gentiles
30 So having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now proclaiming to mankind that all people everywhere are to repent,
And the glorified Christ to five of the seven churches in Asia.
5 Therefore, remember from where you have fallen, and repent, and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and I will remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent.
It was part of Jesus’ summary of the gospel that was to be taken to the world
47 and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
It corresponds to the constant summons of the Old Testament prophets to Israel to return to the God from whom they had strayed.
22 “But if they had stood in My council, Then they would have announced My words to My people, And would have turned them back from their evil way And from the evil of their deeds.
Repentance is always set forth as the path to remission of sins and restoration to God’s favor, impenitence as the road to ruin.
1 Now on that very occasion there were some present who reported to Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices.
2 And Jesus responded and said to them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans just because they have suffered this fate?
3 No, I tell you, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.
4 Or do you think that those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them were worse offenders than all the other people who live in Jerusalem?
5 No, I tell you, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”
In Fact, the word “Repent” is the key word of the whole book of Acts:
20 but continually proclaimed to those in Damascus first, and in Jerusalem, and then all the region of Judea, and even to the Gentiles, that they are to repent and turn to God, performing deeds consistent with repentance.
So a simple glace at scripture shows us with no doubts the sheer impostance of Repentance.
But what does it actually mean? And what is the Way of Repentance?
The New Testament word for repentance means changing one’s mind so that one’s views, values, goals, and ways are changed and one’s whole life is lived differently.
The change is radical, both inwardly and outwardly; mind and judgment, will and affections, behavior and life-style, motives and purposes, are all involved.
Repenting means starting to live a new life.
Repentance is both an act of faith and of obedience to Jesus Christ in light of who He is.
Jesus must be BOTH of what He is.
First: Jesus is our Savior.
First: Jesus is our Savior.
As our Savior only He can save us.
12 And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among mankind by which we must be saved.”
If we turn to Jesus and look to Him as our Savior, we shall be saved.
However, to look to Jesus as Savior has another aspect.
Because Jesus is not ONLY a Savior, but He is aslo LORD.
Because Jesus is not ONLY a Savior, but He is aslo LORD.
18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.
11 for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you.
13 looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus,
Salvation has both a positive and a negative aspect.
Salvation has both a positive and a negative aspect.
The positive is the turning to God.
The negative is the turning from Sin.
The positive is the putting your faith in God.
The negative is the removing of faith from self.
Salvation is both the turning to Jesus as Savior AND the turning from sin as Jesus as Lord.
As Savior Jesus says “Come to me all you that are weary”.
As Lord Jesus says “Go and sin no more”.
So Repentance is a persons responce to the Lordship of Jesus over their lives.
In repentance, says the Westminster Confession,
a sinner, out of the sight and sense not only of the danger, but also the filthiness and odiousness of his sins, as contrary to the holy nature, and righteous law of God; and upon the apprehension of his mercy in Christ to such as are penitent; so grieves for, and hates his sins, as to turn from them all unto God, purposing and endeavoring to walk with him in all ways of his commandments. (XV.2)
What does Biblical Repentance look like?
What does Biblical Repentance look like?
Scripture shows us 3 dimensions of true repentance:
a. An intellectual element.
a. An intellectual element.
There is a change of view, a recognition of sin as involving personal guilt, defilement, and helplessness.
It is designated in Scripture as epignosis hamartias (knowledge of sin).
20 because by the works of the Law none of mankind will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes knowledge of sin.
It must be understood that as neccesery as “The knowledge of sin” is - it is not, on its own, sufficient as the kniowledge of sin does not mean a hatred of sin.
If this is not accompanied by the following elements, it may manifest itself as fear of punishment, while there is as yet no hatred of sin.
b. An emotional element.
b. An emotional element.
There is a change of feeling, manifesting itself in sorrow for sin committed against a holy and just God.
2 Wash me thoroughly from my guilt And cleanse me from my sin.
In the NT we read:
10 For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death.
This element of repentance is indicated by the word metamelomai.
This is when the knowledge of sin becomes the guilt of sin.
c. A volitional element.
c. A volitional element.
There is also a volitional element, consisting in a change of purpose, an inward turning away from sin, and a disposition to seek pardon and cleansing.
This includes the two other elements, and is therefore the most important aspect of repentance. It is indicated in Scripture by the word metanoia.
38 Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
4 Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and restraint and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?
Conclusion:
Conclusion:
So we see then that Repentance invloves the whole person:
Their intelect, their heart and their will.
All 3 must be reorientated away from sin and towards God.
And if this does not happen Jesus has the sternest of warnings:
3 No, I tell you, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.
