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Sunday, May 23, 2010

REPENTANCE WHAT IS?

What is repentance and is

it necessary for salvation?


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Question: "What is repentance and is it necessary for

salvation?"

Answer:
Many understand the term repentance to mean

“turning from sin”

This is not the biblical definition of repentance In the Bible,

the word repent means


“to change one’s mind.” The Bible also tells us that true

repentance

in a change of actions (Luke 3:8-14; Acts 3:19). Acts 26:20

declares,

“I preached that they should repent and turn to God and

prove their

repentance by their deeds।”

The full biblical definition of repentance is a change of

mind that results in a change of action


What, then, is the connection between repentance

and salvation?

The Book of Acts seems to especially focus on

repentance in regards

to salvation (Acts 2:38; 3:19; 11:18; 17:30; 20:21;

26:20). To repent,

in relation to salvation, is to change your mind in

regard to Jesus

Christ। In Peter’s sermon on the day of Pentecost

(Acts chapter 2),

he concludes with a call for the people to repent

(Acts 2:38)। Repent from what? Peter is calling

the people who

rejected Jesus

(Acts 2:36) to change their minds about Him, to

recognize that He

is indeed “Lord and Christ” (Acts 2:36). Peter is

calling the people

to change their minds from rejection of Christ as

the Messiah to

faith in Him as both Messiah and Savior


Repentance and faith can be understood as

“two sides of the same coin”

It is impossible to place your faith in Jesus Christ

as the Savior without

first changing your mind about who He is and what He has done

Whether it is repentance from willful rejection or repentance

from ignorance or disinterest, it is a change of mind

Biblical repentance, in relation to salvation, is changing your

mind from rejection of Christ to faith in Christ

It is crucially important that we understand repentance

is not a work we

do to earn salvation। No one can repent and come to

God unless God pulls

that person to Himself

(John 6:44). Acts 5:31 and 11:18 indicate that repentance

is something God

gives—it is only possible because of His grace

No one can repent unless God grants repentance

All of salvation, including repentance and faith,

is a result of God drawing us, opening our eyes,

and changing our hearts

God's longsuffering leads us to repentance

(2 Peter 3:9), as does His kindness (Romans 2:4).

While repentance is not a work that earns salvation,

repentance unto salvation

does result in works। It is impossible to truly and fully

change your mind without

that causing a change in action। In the Bible, repentance

results in a change in behavior That is why John the Baptist

called people to “produce fruit in keeping with repentance”

(Matthew 3:8). A person who has truly repented from

rejection of Christ to

faith in Christ will give evidence of a changed life

(2 Corinthians 5:17;

Galatians 5:19-23; James 2:14-26)। Repentance, properly defined,

is necessary for salvation Biblical repentance is changing your

mind about Jesus Christ and turning to God in faith for salvation

(Acts 3:19)। Turning from sin is not the definition of repentance,

but it is one of the results of genuine, faith-based repentance

towards the Lord Jesus Christ।

Recommended Resource: So Great Salvation by Charles Ryrie.

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Related Topics:

What does the Bible say about

restitution?

What is justification?

What is the meaning of Christian

redemption?

What is Christian reconciliation?

Why do we need to be

reconciled with God?

What is propitiation?


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1 comment:

  1. My question is: what about repentance?

    Simply believing without repentance is not salvation at all! Luke 13:3-5

    "Rrepentance" regarding WHAT? Greek verb is metanoew. Greek "meta" means "change" and "noew" means THINKING. So "change-thinking" is literally the meaning. So you CHANGE YOUR THINKING about Christ, Mark 1:15. THAT is what "repentance" means in Gospel verses. Only believers have the luxury of repenting to God from sins, 1John 1:9, Psalm 32:5, 66:18 -- because sin is against God.

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