What is Repentance?
What is Repentance?
The Oxford dictionary describes it as: "to feel sorry for something bad that you have done".
Luke 24 v46-47
The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations beginning at Jerusalem.
Jesus had to suffer and die on the cross shedding his blood so that we can be reconciled to God.
God cannot tolerate sin, he is is Holy and the only way that we can become reconciled to Him is by being cleansed through the blood of Jesus His only Son.
Sin fills us with deep regret or guilt, it can eat away at our very being leaving us miserable and ashamed.
God longs for us to come to him and say we are sorry for our wrong doing no what it is, so he can restore us and give us inner peace and a sense of belonging.
Luke 5:32
I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.
Jeremy Walker, What is Redemption, 2015
We are at least as much drawn to repentance by divine goodness as we are driven by personal guilt.
Repentance belongs to predominantly to the gospel by way of gift, command, promise, motive and purpose.Â
It is a matter of grace and fruit of mercy.
Mercy is offered to the lost and miserable. There are no pre-conditions. There are no pre-conditions. The repentance required for sin from us is not vague.
It's too easy to denounce sin as an abstract thing rather than repent of concrete sins that occur in real situations and really offend God as well as damage other real relationships.
When we come under conviction of sin and begin to repent, we name and shame our sins. We see the Holy lines that God has drawn and how we haver trampled over and across them.
John 1:1-9
If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Other verses about repentance.
Acts 2 38
Luke 15 7
Acts 17 30
Acts 26 20
Psalm 51 - Davids Repentance
This is more than sorrow but being turned around and going in a different direction.