By the Scripture’s Own Writers
Repentance
Definition
Recognition and admission of a wrong condition or course of action, and a sincere sorrow with determination, motivated by a wholehearted desire to conform to right principles, to turn forever from such wrong course and take a course in harmony with God’s will. Repentance that brings a right standing with God necessitates an accurate knowledge of God’s provisions and requirements and conforming oneself thereto by definite works of faith in harmony therewith. Sometimes repentance is used to mean a change from a favorable to an unfavorable action toward another.
An Elementary Christian Teaching
Hebrews 6:1 “Now that we have left the elementary doctrine about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying a foundation again, namely, repentance from dead works, and faith toward God.”
All Must Recognize Their Inherited Sinful State and Need of a Redeemer
Romans 5:12 “Through one man sin entered into the world and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men because they had all sinned.”
Psalm 51:5 “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.”
Romans 11:32 “God has shut them all up together because of disobedience, that He might show all of them mercy.”
Repentance of Real Merit Requires Instruction; Leads to Knowledge, Service of God, Freedom
2 Timothy 2:25, 26 “Instructing with mildness those not favorably disposed, as perhaps God may give them repentance leading to an accurate knowledge of truth, and they may come back to their proper senses out from the snare of the devil, seeing that they have been caught alive by him for the will of that one.”
Required of All Persons Who Will Be Saved
Psalm 34:18 “Jehovah is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart, and saves such as are of a contrite spirit.”
Isaiah 57:15 “For thus says the high and lofty One that inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite.”
Isaiah 66:2 “To this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and that trembles at My Word.”
A Prerequisite to Dedication, Baptism, and Service of God
Acts 2:38 “Peter said to them: ‘Repent, and let each one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the free gift of the holy spirit.’ “
Acts 3:19 “Repent, therefore, and turn around so as to get your sins blotted out, that seasons of refreshing may come from Jehovah and that He may send forth the Christ appointed for you, Jesus.”
God Blots Out, Forgets Sins of Repentant Ones Who Accept Christ
Isaiah 1:18 “Come now, and let us reason together, says Jehovah : though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”
Hebrews 8:12 “I shall be merciful to their unrighteous deeds and I will by no means call their sins to mind any more.”
Revelation 7:14 “These are the ones that come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”
True Repentance Brings God’s Favor
2 Corinthians 7:10 “For sadness in a godly way makes for repentance to salvation which is not to be regretted.”
Luke 15:7 “I tell you that thus there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner that repents than over ninety-nine righteous ones who have no need of repentance.”
Replaces Sorrow, Mourning, Distress with Joy and Happiness
Matthew 5:3 “Happy are those who are conscious of their spiritual need, since the Kingdom of the heavens belongs to them.”
Isaiah 61:1-3 “The spirit of the Lord Jehovah is upon me; because Jehovah has anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek;… to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them a garland for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.”
True Repentance Manifests Itself by Good Fruits; Deathbed Repentance Unable to Do This
Luke 3:8 “Produce fruits that befit repentance.”
2 Corinthians 7:11 “For, look! this very thing, your being saddened in a godly way, what a great earnestness it produced in you, yes, clearing of yourselves, yes, indignation, yes, fear, yes, longing, yes, zeal, yes, righting of the wrong!”
Ezekiel 33:14, 15 “When I say unto the wicked, You shall surely die; if he turn from his sin, and do that which is lawful and right; if the wicked restores the pledge, gives again that which he had taken by robbery, walks in the statutes of life, committing no iniquity; he shall surely live, he shall not die.”
Matthew 21:28-31 ” ‘A man had two children. Going up to the first he said: “Child, go work today in the vineyard.” In answer this one said: “I will, sir,” but did not go out. Approaching the second, he said the same. In reply this one said: “I will not.” Afterwards he felt regret and went out. Which of the two did the will of his father?’ They said: ‘The latter.’ “
Selfish Regret Is Not True Repentance, Brings No Favor from God
2 Corinthians 7:10 “The sadness of the world produces death.”
Matthew 27:3-5 “Then Judas, who betrayed Him, seeing He had been condemned, felt remorse and turned the thirty silver pieces back to the chief priests and older men of influence, saying: ‘I sinned when I betrayed righteous blood.’… So he … went off and hanged himself.”
Hebrews 12:17 “You know that afterward also when he [Esau] wanted to inherit the blessing he was rejected, for, although he earnestly sought a change of mind with tears, he found no place for it.”
Persons Trying to Gain Life by Fulfilling the Ten Commandments Overlook the Need of Repentance
Romans 3:23 “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
Matthew 19:17, 20, 21 “He said to him: … ‘If, though, you want to enter into life, observe the commandments continually.’ The young man said to Him: ‘I have kept all these; what yet am I lacking?’ Jesus said to him: ‘If you want to be complete, go sell your belongings and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven, and come be My follower.’ “
Without Repentance One Cannot Appreciate Need of Christ’s Ransom Sacrifice
Romans 10:3 “Because of not knowing the righteousness of God but seeking to establish their own, they [the Jews] did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God.”
John 9:41 “Jesus said to them: ‘If you were blind, you would have no sin. But now you say, “We see.” Your sin remains.’ “
Isaiah 64:6 “All our righteousnesses are as a polluted garment.”
Jews Needed Repentance from Not Only Inherited Sins, but Also Sins Against the Law Covenant
Matthew 3:1, 2, 11 “In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying: ‘Repent, for the kingdom of the heavens has drawn near.’ ‘I, on the one hand, baptize you with water because of your repentance.’ “
Luke 3:3 “He came into all the country around the Jordan, preaching baptism of those repenting for forgiveness of sins.”
Galatians 3:13 “Christ by purchase released us from the curse of the Law by becoming a curse instead of us.”
Having Repented, One Must Not Look Back on Former Life
Luke 9:62 “Jesus said to him: ‘No man that has put his hand to a plow and looks at the things behind is well fitted for the Kingdom of God.’ “
Luke 17:32 “Remember the wife of Lot.”
Hebrews 10:39 “Now we are not the kind that shrink back to destruction.”
Ephesians 4:22 “You should put away the old personality which conforms to your former course of conduct.”
Having Repented, One Must Not Brood over Former Sins
Philippians 3:13, 14 “Forgetting the things behind and stretching forward to the things ahead, I am pursuing down toward the goal for the prize of the calling above.”
Zechariah 7:1-10 “They … sent… men,… saying, Should I weep in the fifth month, separating myself, as I have done these so many years? .. . Thus has Jehovah of hosts spoken, saying, Execute true judgment, and show kindness and compassion every man to his brother.”
Nehemiah 8:9-12 “This day is holy unto Jehovah your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept when they heard the words of the Law. . . . neither be ye grieved; for the joy of Jehovah is your strength. And all the people went their way to eat, and to drink, and to send portions, and to make great mirth, because they had understood the words that were declared unto them.”
No Repentance from “Sin Against the Holy Spirit” Possible
Mark 3:28, 29 “All things will be forgiven the sons of men, no matter what sins and blasphemies they blasphemously commit. However, whoever blasphemes against the holy spirit has no forgiveness forever, but is guilty of everlasting sin.”
Hebrews 6:4-6 “For it is impossible as regards those who have once for all been enlightened and who have tasted the heavenly free gift and who have become partakers of holy spirit and who have tasted the right Word of God and powers of the coming system of things, but who have fallen away, to revive them again to repentance, because they impale the Son of God again for themselves and expose Him to public shame.”
Willfully Wicked Are Too Hardened to Repent
1 Timothy 4:1, 2 “In later periods of time some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to misleading inspired utterances and teachings of demons, by the hypocrisy of men who speak lies, marked in their conscience as with a branding iron.”
Hebrews 10:29 “Of how much more severe a punishment, do you think, will the man be counted worthy who has trampled upon the Son of God and who has esteemed as of ordinary value the blood of the covenant by which He was sanctified, and who has outraged the spirit of undeserved kindness with contempt?”
Exodus 7:3, 14; 10:1 “I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and multiply My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt. And Jehovah said unto Moses, Pharaoh’s heart is stubborn, he refuses to let the people go.” “Go in unto Pharaoh: for I have hardened his heart, and the heart of his servants, that I may show these My signs in the midst of them.”
We Must Forgive Our Brothers Who Express Repentance for Offenses
Matthew 6:12-15 ” ‘Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.’.. . For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: whereas if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”
Luke 17:3, 4 “If your brother commits a sin give him a reproof, and if he repents forgive him. Even if he sins seven times a day against you and he comes back to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”
Matthew 18:21, 22 “Then Peter came up and said to Him: ‘Master, how many times is my brother to sin against me and am I to forgive him? Up to seven times?’ Jesus said to him: ‘I say to you, not, Up to seven times, but, Up to seventy-seven times.’ “
See also: Matthew 18:23-35; Luke 6:37.
God Does Not Repent of Any of His Stated Purposes, or Turn from His Righteous Principles
Malachi 3:6 “I, Jehovah, change not.”
1 Samuel 15:29 “The Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent; for He is not a man, that He should repent.”
Isaiah 46:11 “I have spoken, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed, I will also do it.”
Hebrews 6:17, 18 “God, when He purposed to demonstrate more abundantly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His counsel, stepped in with an oath, in order that, through two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to the refuge may have strong encouragement to lay hold on the hope set before us.”
If One Turns Against God, God Will “Repent”, Turn Against Him
1 Samuel 15:10, 11, 26 “Then came the Word of Jehovah unto Samuel, saying, It repents Me that I have set up Saul to be king; for he is turned back from following Me, and has not performed My commandments. . . . you have rejected the word of Jehovah, and Jehovah has rejected you from being king.”
God Changed Course from Being Man’s Creator and Benefactor to Being His Destroyer at the Flood
Genesis 6:5-7 “And Jehovah saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented Jehovah that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him at His heart. And Jehovah said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the ground.”
God May in Mercy Turn from Bringing Just Punishment if a Person Changes from a Wicked Course
Jonah 3:10 “And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil which He said He would do unto them; and He did not do it.”
Jeremiah 18:8 “If that nation, concerning which I have spoken, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them.”
Exodus 32:14 “And Jehovah repented of the evil which He said He would do unto His people.”
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