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God's Plan of Salvation : Repent

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Vine defines the most predominant Greek word for repentance as signifying: "...to change one's mind or purpose; always, in the NT, involving a change for the better, an amendment, and always, except in Luke 17:3-4, of 'repentance' from sin." This is not a temporary or one-time action. Once that change takes place it must stay in place; else we would repent of our repentance.

Like love and faith, repentance motivates action. It motivates us to hate sin and love righteousness, and thus it motivates us to flee from sin and to "bring forth fruit ... worthy of repentance."

Unless You Repent . . .

One day several people came to Jesus and, like each one of us, they were trying to justify themselves by comparing themselves to some really bad people (Luke 13:1f). They felt that because these other people had been punished so severely, they most certainly were wicked people.

Jesus response to them must have been quite surprising. He taught that they should not be concerned with others while they were not right with God. And so Jesus stated to them: ^{3 "} I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish." He was telling them that they would find themselves in the same situation as the worst of sinners if they did not turn from their own sinful ways.

If such was a condition of salvation for these ordinary people, why would it not be for us? Is God a respecter of persons (Acts 10:34)? Indeed, when Peter was asked by the multitude to which he preached on the day of pentecost,"What shall we do?", his response was quite definitive (Acts 2:38): ³⁸ " And Peter said to them, "Repent, and let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins;..."

The process of repentance is not easy, and for that reason it stands between many people and their salvation. In Romans 6:6, Paul compared repentance to a crucifixion: "...⁶ knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, that our body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin;"

The longer one goes without repentance, the more difficult this becomes. Think how difficult it would be to get to the end of your life and have to admit that you have been serving Satan. Perhaps literal crucifixion would be easier for many in this condition.

As we see in the rest of Romans 6 Paul does not describe this "crucifixion" as something that can be neglected once it is accomplished. Speaking to Christians, he implores: ¹² "Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body that you should obey its lusts." As Christians we have dedicated ourselves to be living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God (Rom. 12:1). We will sin (1 Jn. 1:8f). But, we should fight that sin with every fiber of our being, knowing that God has something much better than sin prepared for us. Read Hebrews 11:40 and 12:1 to see just what that is.

Have you ever heard it said?? . . .

You must repent . . . but John the Baptist commanded (Matthew 3:8):

⁸ "Therefore bring forth fruit in keeping with repentance;"

Technically, the first statement is accurate; however, John the Baptist's statement implies that it might not go far enough.

Most people are honest enough to be able to look back in sorrow at some consequences that they have had to suffer because of their own sin. Consequences always produce a type of sorrow. The person who robs the local store and gets caught is sorry that he ever conceived of the plan. But this is a sorrow for getting caught, not one motivated by a genuine desire to change.

John goes on to tell them not to take pride in their heritage. They would not be able to practice business as usual if they were going to be ready for the Messiah. We find them rejecting John's rebuke, and eventually they were not even able to comprehend what Jesus was all about (see Mt. 13:10-17).

Repentance is a most painful process, and the longer we put it off, the more painful it becomes. Yet, when we allow God's word to work in us we learn what Jesus meant by a "light yoke" (Mt. 11:28) and Paul by "...the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension," (Phil. 4:7).

Repentance is a turning away from sin as a result of godly sorrow; confession is its positive counterpart.

 Adapted primarily from David Brown"s "Think on These Things"
Scripture quotations taken from the NASB (New American Standard Bible).

Last updated: Tuesday, September 26, 2006

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