Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Spotify | TuneIn | RSS | More
Text: Matthew 4:17
The word and its variations appear a little over one hundred times in the Bible; almost one third of those deal with God repenting. The first time the word shows up in the Bible it is God doing the repenting. 62 times New Testament and 16 times Paul is prescribing it.
Before we make our own definition of repentance such as turning from sin, we also have to consider that God is the first one in the Bible to repent.
Repentance is not salvation and salvation is not repentance. Salvation is believing on the Lord Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. If the thoughts and actions against God have made you in opposition to God, you can’t continue in your opposition to God with Jesus.
Genesis 6:6 God looked at the situation on earth and he was sorry he made man. From this verse we can begin to get a Biblical definition of repentance.
- Repentance is considering the end of a course of action you’ve taken.
- Repentance is not salvation. (But it will be necessary for salvation)
- Repentance is not an outpouring of emotion although grief and sorrow are a part of it.
- Repentance is taking steps to change direction. God was sorry about making man and so he destroys man. Repentance is not the flood, but the flood was the step God took to correct the thing that brought him grief.
- See Exodus 32:14
- See 1 Samuel 15:35
Feeling sorry about sin is not repentance
- People are often sorry about things they’ve done.
- Matthew 27:3 – Judas
- Hebrews 12:17 – Esau
- 2 Corinthians 7:9-10 repentance to salvation
Repentance has been preached from John the Baptist to Paul
- Matthew 3:1-2 – John preaches repentance
- Matthew 4:17 – Jesus preaches repentance (KOH), Mark 1:14-15 (KOG). Repent and believe the gospel
- Luke 24:47
- Acts 3:19 – Peter and John preach repentance
- Acts 20:21
- Acts 26:19-21 – Paul preaches repentance
- Romans 2:4-5
Repentance is a condition of forgiveness
- Some preachers these days have made repentance a work, more specifically, a disqualifying work. If you call repentance a work then you have to say calling upon the name of the Lord is a work.
- Luke 17:3-4
- Acts 2:38
