Repentance

[Sister Alvear]

I am looking for some deep Bible studies on this subject...Maybe someone has a good reference.
You see so much apathy and flippancy about repentance I sometimes wonder if we really know what it cost our Lord for us to be forgiven.
I will be glad to translate any good Bible studies on repentance.
Thanks,

[Michael The Disciple]

Repentance is a forgotten teaching nowadays. It basically looks like this:

26: If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.
27: And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.
28: For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?
29: Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him,
30: Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.
31: Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?
32: Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace.
33: So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple. Luke 14: 26-33

It is a life of surrender to the will of Yeshua Messiah. Far more than a few tears at an altar altho that is not a bad thing. Its just far short of the radical change involved in true repentance.

[TK Burk]

Here is a study I did for a discipleship course:


Repentance is the act in which one turns away (repents) from his sin; and then by faith he walks toward a relationship which is built upon his belief in his being forgiven through the work of Jesus Christ on Calvary.

In Acts 20:21, Paul is quoted as saying that he was, “Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.” Where he mentions faith and repentance, is he saying that they are two things totally distinct and different? Or are they somehow one in the same?

The reason why the question is important is that both great Reformers, Martin Luther and John Calvin, taught that sola fide ("faith alone") was all that was necessary for salvation. They taught that repentance was only needed to bring one into a more harmonious relationship with the Lord. Yet that is not the testimony of the biblical witness. There we find that repentance and faith are two sides of the same coin. This can be more easily seen in the following examples:

Matthew 3:2
(2) And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Matthew 4:17
(17) From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Mark 1:15
(15) And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.

Mark 6:12
(12) And they went out, and preached that men should repent.

Luke 13:3
(3) I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

Acts 2:38
(38) Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Acts 3:19
(19) 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 17:30
(30) And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:

Revelation 2:5
(5) Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.

Revelation 3:19
(19) As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

VOCABULARY

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. (Webster's Third New International Dictionary)

Repentance is both sorrow for sin and the act of turning away from it. (Encyclopedia Americana, Edition 1983, Vol. 21, pg. 495)

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, pg. 225)

Repentance in the ethico-religious sense is turning away from sin and back to God. (Interpreters Dictionary of the Bible, Edition 1962, Vol. IV, pg. 33)

The Jews believed that repentance caused the Messiah to draw nigh. John the Baptist, a Jew, was sent as the forerunner to the Messiah, Jesus. What was John’s message? Repentance! Jesus’ message paralleled John’s. He taught: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel” (Mark 1:15).

Rabbi Eli'ezer is credited with saying: "Repent one day before you die." Being confused his students asked: "Does anyone know on what day he will die?" Eli'ezer responded: "Then he should certainly repent today lest he die tomorrow. Thus one will be in constant repentance" (See Avot 2:11). Eli’ezar’s words are not referring to repenting over and over again about the same sins. He is talking about men and women focusing daily on their mortality through open communication with God. Such interaction can turn a believer away from their sin and toward a walk toward Christlikeness. Without doubt, such repentance was occurring over 2,000 years ago on the Day of Pentecost. The Jews there were looking for Jesus’ promised arrival. They knew for them to draw near to Him, they must first turn (repent) toward Him and then—by faith—move forward into His presence.

REPENTANCE BY FAITH

The commandments of God fall into three categories. These are described as follows:

The first are the Mishpatim. These are literally translated judgments which are ethical or moral laws. We can easily understand them as they are part of our moral and civil disciplines. They include scriptures such as: thou shalt not kill; thou shalt not steal; thou shalt not lie; etc...

The second type is called Edos. These are literally translated witnesses. They are a “witness" because they are commands that relate to rituals and festivals. These teach us important truths from their types and shadows. A good example of this would be Jesus being the Passover lamb, or His death happening on Passover. Through the study of the Edos commands of Passover we could better understand what significance these occurrences would have for us.

The third type is known as the Chukim. These are literally translated decrees. These “Chukim/Decree” commandments are hard for us to understand because they don’t always make sense to our minds since they do not seem to have a logical reason as to why we must obey them. Yet we should obey them because God commands us to. The Children of Israel understood this to be true. That is why they responded to the giving of God’s commands by saying, “All that God says, we will do and we will obey.” (Exodus 24:7) The word “obey” is the Hebrew word “Shema.” Shema literally means to hear, listen, or obey. (See Deuteronomy 6:4) This is why repentance, baptism in Jesus’ name, and receiving the Holy Ghost is of FAITH! Even though we don't see it by sight, or understand it by our intellect, we are still commanded by the Lord to obey. Obedience doesn’t always come from understanding thereby causing it to be through faith.

The Apostle John echoed this when he made this statement about how we show our love to God.

1 John 5:3
(3) For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

STORY

A salesman was new to his territory and wasn’t too sure of the directions to his next appointment. He decided to ask the client he was with if he knew the folks and where they lived. The man said, “Well sure I know them. You go a spell down the road and you will see a house with a red pick-up truck and an old black dog. When you see them you need to turn at the next road to the right. Then they would be the next house you see.” The salesman was really confused now and asked, “What if the truck and dog aren’t there?” The man replied, “Well, you’d still turn right at that road.”

This funny story helps us see that when seeking direction in truth, what matters it is not what you see or feel, but what the reality of that truth is according to its unchanging given facts! Biblical truth is the same; for it refers to an unchanging noun—Jesus Christ! He said our obedience to His Word is how He gauges our love for Him. This obedience does not originate from what we see or feel, nor is it decided by a popular poll; but it comes from Jesus’ Word and is enacted in our active obedience to that Word. God isn’t affected by men’s ideas or feelings, and neither is His Word!

God said that a turning, returning, or a conversion is necessary for entrance into the kingdom of God.

Matthew 18:3
(3) And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Luke 13:3
(3) I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

Repentance is a turning away from our sin, disobedience, and rebellion and a turning back to God and His ways.

Matthew 9:13
(13) But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

In a more general sense, repentance is to change one’s mind.

Genesis 6:6-7
(6) And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.
(7) And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.

It's a feeling of remorse or regret for past conduct.

Matthew 27:3
(3) Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,

1 of 2

[TK Burk]

2 of 2

True repentance is a “godly sorrow” for sin. It is an act of turning around and going in the opposite direction. This type of repentance leads to a fundamental change in a person’s relationship to God.

2 Corinthians 7:10
(10) For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.

Many times the subject of RESTITUTION comes up when speaking on repentance. Why? Because some people have things (mistakes/sins) in their past for which they feel guilty or responsible. These feelings or thoughts cause them to desire a way to "make things right." Here is how Noah Webster defines "restitution":

Noah Webster's 1828 Dictionary of American English

RESTITU'TION, n. [L. restitutio.]
1. The act of returning or restoring to a person some thing or right of which he has been unjustly deprived; as the restitution of ancient rights to the crown.
• Restitution is made by restoring a specific thing taken away or lost.
2. The act of making good, or of giving an equivalent for any loss, damage or injury; indemnification.
• He restitution to the value makes.
3. The act of recovering a former state or posture. [Unusual.]
• Restitution of all things, the putting the world in a holy and happy state. Acts 3.

Nave's Topical Bible gives us several areas where this biblical principle is found. Here is that list:

RESTITU'TIONTo be made for injury to life, limb, or property
Exodus 21:30-36; Leviticus 24:18

To be made for theft
Exodus 22:1-4; Proverbs 6:30-31; Ezekiel 33:15

To be made for dishonesty
Leviticus 6:2-5; Numbers 5:7; Job 20:18; Ezekiel 33:15; Luke 19:8

This last one (Luke 19:8), is dealing with Jesus and Zacchaeus. This was a story about a tax collector who was SHORT on honesty and stature. Remember, this was still during the time of Law, as were all these other examples given by Naves. But the Law is for sinners. And when you wrong or defraud a person you are sinning against them.

The 1599 Geneva Bible Translation Notes says this about this story of Zacchaeus' restitution: "The example of true repentance is known by the effect."

Restitution is a New Covenant principle that should always happen when and where it can; because making things right with man is a BIG part of making things right with God!

Matthew 3:8
(8) Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:

Acts 26:20
(20) But showed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.

Acts 26:20 AMP
(20) But made known openly first of all to those at Damascus, then at Jerusalem and throughout the whole land of Judea, and also among the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works and live lives consistent with and worthy of their repentance.

"'That they should repent.' He preached more than a theory; he preached a new life." (The People's New Testament [1891] by B. W. Johnson)

The positive, or merciful, side of repentance is seen in these words:

Luke 15:10
(10) There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.

Repentance is a turning from wickedness and dead works.

Acts 8:22
(22) Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee.

Without repenting of our sins we cannot be saved.

Luke 13:3
(3) I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

Jesus’ disciples continued His message of repentance and faith (See Acts 2:38; 3:19; 20:21; 26:20).

Repentance is more than telling God you’re sorry for sin. It’s a mindset whose goal is to purposefully remove any obstacle that causes one to stray from the straight and narrow, and then to deliberately walk toward the salvation and maturity that’s found only in Jesus Christ. Consequently, sometimes a person needs to repent more than once to turn their lives toward Jesus’ direction. That doesn’t mean any repentance they did before was unacceptable to God; but that they still have issues blocking them from completely moving away from their sin and toward God. For a man or woman to walk the straight path and go through the narrow gate, they must live a life of repentance, for repentance helps correct variances they will have on their journey to Christlikeness.