What is repentance?
 

I have noticed that repentance is missing in many professed conversions. Repentance is vital for our relationship with God, but yet so many only think of it as an apology. talk is cheap and God is looking at our actions.

Re: What is repentance?
 

Im glad you asked that question. This is Biblical New Testament repentance.

Luke 14:25-27

25And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them, 26If 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. 27And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.

Its when one surrenders their life to Christ. They die to all other competing interests.

Much different than saying Im sorry

Re: What is repentance?
 

Jonah 3:9 Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?
10 And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.

We are not to think that God is ever sorry. In order to be sorry there must be a mistake. God does not mistakes and there is nothing for Him to be sorry for, but yet He does repent. Repentance means to change your mind. Because the people of Ninevah changed their minds from doing evil and thus changing their evil actions; God also changed His mind from destroying them.

Repentance isn't being sorry it is changing your mind from doing evil. Godly sorrow worketh repentance. being sorry for sin will many times bring you to the place where you want to make that change, but to repent we must make up our minds that we are going to serve the Lord and no longer our own lustful desires.

Re: What is repentance?
 

Lets get where the rubber meets the road. To repent means to stop sinning. It includes an apology for we owe God an apology but it also means liars quit lying, fornicators quit fornicating, etc etc.

There is also the idea of restitution (where possible and beneficial).

But the basic idea is to change your course.

Re: What is repentance?
 

:nod

Re: What is repentance?
 

Faith in Jesus Christ is what God wants. So if you want to know what repentance really is.... it's simply believing in Jesus Christ.

Re: What is repentance?
 

There is only one way to "stop sinning" and that is to believe in Jesus Christ.

Re: What is repentance?
 

Michael is on the right track. It's about believing in Jesus. Also, as the book of James says (such "faith without works is dead")

Re: What is repentance?
 

AMEN!

:thumbsup

Re: What is repentance?
 

This is false. belief and repentance aren't the same thing. belief may lead a person to repentance, but it isn't repentance. There are many who believe, but yet never change their lifestyle and I consider that rebellion. To believe that God doesn't want you to do something and for you to do it anyways is wrong. To think that God will pardon you because of your belief is ludicrous and doesn't rightly divide the word.

I must first believe and then I must obey. Every time scripture speaks of faith it is understood that obedience is present. Paul understood this, but we live in a generation who doesn't. We must be clear about this because people have taken this saved by faith and totally misrepresented what the Bible teaches. We must strive to be more like the one we believe in.