Repentance Definition?

[enoob57]

You don't need to feel guilty when you believe in Jesus work.  You need to feel thankful!

 

 I think one should feel guilty - because we are.

 If we don't believe we are worthless, wretched sinners - with nothing to offer - we won't feel the need for a savior. 

 It's like Ray Comfort once said: People who don't believe they are sick, will never seek a doctor. 

Difference in beliefs at that point then.  I believe we become sinless once we believe in the Lord.

1 John 1:7-10

7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light,

we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of

Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves,

and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins,

he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to

cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that

we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word

is not in us.

KJV

Then how do you deal with this statement in John's writings?

Love, Steven

by following what it says 'confessing your sins and be cleansed from all unrigteousness'

in the same book it defines what unrighteousness, if you will.  1 john 5:17 "All unrighteousness is sin"

but your comment before this is that

I believe we become sinless once we believe in the Lord.

John is speaking to believers! Love, Steven

[Mr Nice]

Luk 3:8-14  "Therefore bear fruits in keeping with repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham for our father,' for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham.  (9)  "Indeed the axe is already laid at the root of the trees; so every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."  (10)  And the crowds were questioning him, saying, "Then what shall we do?"  (11)  And he would answer and say to them, "The man who has two tunics is to share with him who has none; and he who has food is to do likewise."  (12)  And some tax collectors also came to be baptized, and they said to him, "Teacher, what shall we do?"  (13)  And he said to them, "Collect no more than what you have been ordered to."  (14)  Some soldiers were questioning him, saying, "And what about us, what shall we do?" And he said to them, "Do not take money from anyone by force, or accuse anyone falsely, and be content with your wages."

 

Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.  Repentance is nothing without the fruit.

 

Luk 5:29-32  And Levi gave a big reception for Him in his house; and there was a great crowd of tax collectors and other people who were reclining at the table with them.  (30)  The Pharisees and their scribes began grumbling at His disciples, saying, "Why do you eat and drink with the tax collectors and sinners?"  (31)  And Jesus answered and said to them, "It is not those who are well who need a physician, but those who are sick.  (32)  "I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance."

 

Those who are righteous, who are bearing fruit, do not need a physician for they have already been healed through Christ.  There heart of stone has been replaced with a heart of flesh and they are lead by His Spirit.  The sinner is not lead by the Spirit and still needs a physician.

 

Christ continually searches for the lost sinners, leaving the righteous in the arms of God.  There is great joy in heaven over one who repents.

 

Luk 15:4-10  "What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the one which is lost until he finds it?  (5)  "When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.  (6)  "And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!'  (7)  "I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.  (8)  "Or what woman, if she has ten silver coins and loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it?  (9)  "When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin which I had lost!'  (10)  "In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."

 

Paul was sent to open the eyes of the Gentiles so that they may turn from darkness to light, from the dominion of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified.  Notice that turning from darkness and the dominion of Satan are required for forgiveness and the inheritance (eternal life).  Repentance must be accompanied with good fruit or it is will not profit you anything.  

 

Act 26:18-20  to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.'  (19)  "So, King Agrippa, I did not prove disobedient to the heavenly vision,  (20)  but kept declaring both to those of Damascus first, and also at Jerusalem and then throughout all the region of Judea, and even to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds appropriate to repentance.

 

A repentant heart must not be producing the deeds it did before.  It is to obey the truth.  They are those who persevere in doing good and seek glory and honor and immortality.  Their reward is eternal life.  Glory, honor, and peace are rewarded to those who do good. Those who continue to not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness (sin), their reward will be wrath and indignation.  Tribulation and stress comes to those who do evil.  It is repentance with deeds worthy of repentance that benefits you.  Anything short is not accepted for there is no partiality with God.

 

Rom 2:4-11  Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?  (5)  But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God,  (6)  who WILL RENDER TO EACH PERSON ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS:  (7)  to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life;  (8)  but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation.  (9)  There will be tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek,  (10)  but glory and honor and peace to everyone who does good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.  (11)  For there is no partiality with God.

 

Those who repent due to godly sorrow prove themselves to be innocent in the matter which means they are no longer doing what they had done.

 

2Co 7:9-11  I now rejoice, not that you were made sorrowful, but that you were made sorrowful to the point of repentance; for you were made sorrowful according to the will of God, so that you might not suffer loss in anything through us.  (10)  For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death.  (11)  For behold what earnestness this very thing, this godly sorrow, has produced in you: what vindication of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what avenging of wrong! In everything you demonstrated yourselves to be innocent in the matter.

 

Repentance leads to the knowledge of the truth so that they may escape from the snare of the devil.  Repentance is granted by God.

 

2Ti 2:24-26  The Lord's bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged,  (25)  with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth,  (26)  and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.

 

Repentance is something that should be left behind, an elementary principle that we needed to learn in the beginning because we could not discern between good and evil.  Those who need to repent are dull of hearing and are not accustomed to the word of righteousness.

 

Heb 5:11- 6:2 Concerning him we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing.  (12)  For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food.  (13)  For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant.  (14)  But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.  Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God,  (2)  of instruction about washings and laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment.

 

It is what God wishes all men to do, not continue to do.  God is patient waiting for your true repentance.  Those who have repented and know the destruction that is coming are to conduct themselves in holy conduct and godliness.  Those who have repented are to be found in peace, spotless and blameless which requires turning from that which we have done to serve God, doing the will of the Father.

 

2Pe 3:9-15  The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.  (10)  But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.  (11)  Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness,  (12)  looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat!  (13)  But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.  (14)  Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless,  (15)  and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you,

 

God is patient but expects us to produce fruit lest we will be cut down and we will perish.  The fertilizer is His Spirit and if we do not take into us what we have been given and produce fruit we will be cut down.

 

Luk 13:2-9  And Jesus said to them, "Do you suppose that these Galileans were greater sinners than all other Galileans because they suffered this fate?  (3)  "I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.  (4)  "Or do you suppose that those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them were worse culprits than all the men who live in Jerusalem?  (5)  "I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish."  (6)  And He began telling this parable: "A man had a fig tree which had been planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and did not find any.  (7)  "And he said to the vineyard-keeper, 'Behold, for three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree without finding any. Cut it down! Why does it even use up the ground?'  (8)  "And he answered and said to him, 'Let it alone, sir, for this year too, until I dig around it and put in fertilizer;  (9)  and if it bears fruit next year, fine; but if not, cut it down.'"

 

We are to repent and return so that our sins might be washed away.  God sent His Son to bless us by turning us from our wicked ways.  This blessing is His Spirit, the Spirit of promise.

 

Act 3:19-26  "Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord;  (20)  and that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you,  (21)  whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time.  (22)  "Moses said, 'THE LORD GOD WILL RAISE UP FOR YOU A PROPHET LIKE ME FROM YOUR BRETHREN; TO HIM YOU SHALL GIVE HEED to everything He says to you.  (23)  'And it will be that every soul that does not heed that prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.'  (24)  "And likewise, all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and his successors onward, also announced these days.  (25)  "It is you who are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant which God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, 'AND IN YOUR SEED ALL THE FAMILIES OF THE EARTH SHALL BE BLESSED.'  (26)  "For you first, God raised up His Servant and sent Him to bless you by turning every one of you from your wicked ways."

 

We are to turn from the wickedness of our hearts so that we may be forgiven.  After we have repented and been forgiven we cannot remain in the gall of bitterness and in the bondage of iniquity.

 

Act 8:20-24  But Peter said to him, "May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money!  (21)  "You have no part or portion in this matter, for your heart is not right before God.  (22)  "Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray the Lord that, if possible, the intention of your heart may be forgiven you.  (23)  "For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bondage of iniquity."  (24)  But Simon answered and said, "Pray to the Lord for me yourselves, so that nothing of what you have said may come upon me."

 

We are to repent and do the deeds we did at first lest our lampstand be removed.  If we do not turn from and overcome our wicked ways we will not eat of the tree of life in the kingdom of God.  Repentance is not just sorrow.  

Rev 2:4-7  'But I have this against you, that you have left your first love.  (5)  'Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place--unless you repent.  (6)  'Yet this you do have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.  (7)  'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God.'

 

God judges us according to our deeds.  If we are still in them then we will be judged accordingly, therefore we are to repent of, turn from, and overcome our wicked ways.  It is not simply "God please forgive me for I have sinned".  He expects us to no longer serve or obey sin.

 

Rev 2:19-26  'I know your deeds, and your love and faith and service and perseverance, and that your deeds of late are greater than at first.  (20)  'But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray so that they commit acts of immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols.  (21)  'I gave her time to repent, and she does not want to repent of her immorality.  (22)  'Behold, I will throw her on a bed of sickness, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of her deeds.  (23)  'And I will kill her children with pestilence, and all the churches will know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts; and I will give to each one of you according to your deeds.  (24)  'But I say to you, the rest who are in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not known the deep things of Satan, as they call them--I place no other burden on you.  (25)  'Nevertheless what you have, hold fast until I come.  (26)  'He who overcomes, and he who keeps My deeds until the end, TO HIM I WILL GIVE AUTHORITY OVER THE NATIONS;

 

If repentance is not joined by good deeds (fruit of the Spirit) then we are lukewarm and God will spew us out of our mouth.  We must overcome to be with Him in the end.

 

Rev 3:15-21  'I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot.  (16)  'So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.  (17)  'Because you say, "I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing," and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked,  (18)  I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see.  (19)  'Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent.  (20)  'Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.  (21)  'He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.

 

Repentance is turning from that which we have done and turning to Christ to do the will of the Father.  There is no forgiveness otherwise for God will not forgive us if we continue to sin.

Edited January 12, 2015 by Mr Nice