What is Repentance?
by Mihran Kulhanjian
Dear Friends,
Our lesson today is repentance. We start with Matthew 4:17 "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. The first word Jesus said when He began His ministry "repent."
Lesson: Repent of your sins, for the kingdom of heaven [God] is near.
Jesus was a preacher, a rabbi and teacher. He was also a prophet, is High Priest, and King. Repentance was the message of all the prophets in the Old Testament and of the Saints in the New Testament. We are commanded by Jesus to repent. Time in this life is short, but the next life is eternal. Turn from your wicked ways and receive the way, the truth and the life. The way to the Father, the truth of Jesus and the life everlasting. Repentance is turning from your sin, going in the opposite direction. Stop sinning and live holy. Knowing you have offended God with your evil has separated you from God. "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:26). Thus, all must repent if salvation is the objective. We repent [turn from our sin], put our trust [submit] to God and put our faith in Jesus and what He did for us. We receive Jesus as our Lord and Savior.
How important is repentance? Repentance is the first condition to salvation. Thus, repentance is the first message, the first word, Jesus proclaimed when he began His ministry. Repent was the first word John the Baptist preached. Jesus again, commanded repentance in Revelation 3:19: "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent." This is a harsh and last warning, repent!
Repent
Without repentance there is no reconciliation with God. Therefore, we must repent. I believe many professing Christians do not understand or are incorrectly taught the meaning of repentance. Repentance is turning away from one's sin. It means going in the opposite direction, and making a conscious decision to not sin, but to love God. If you love God, you want to please Him, you want to obey Him. If you are not compelled to obey God or turn from your sin, then you are probably not saved at all and the Spirit is not in you. Where is your faith? Without repentance there is no reconciliation with God. In fact, repentance is a gift from God (Acts 11:18). If we want salvation, repentance is the first condition. There is a cost to salvation. You must give up your old life and start living a new life with Christ in you. (1 Thessalonians 1:5).
To repent means to turn from you sin, you make a conscious decision to obey God. You stop willful, sinful activity. When you realize that sin is, rebellion against God, and that sin is unhealthy spiritually and physically, and that sin is a product of Satan, that it is filthy and dark, and that sin has separated you from God, you should put all your efforts into removing sin from your life, for the rest of your life if you want communion with God. God is holy and to have fellowship with Him we must be in alignment with Him. This means we must be holy, sanctified, righteous. Our righteousness in through Jesus. We are the righteousness of Jesus in us.
Not putting God first in your life is a sin. First, kill your pride and humble yourself to God. No more lying, stealing, drunkenness, jealousies, adultery, idolatry, uncontrolled anger, hatred or disdain of others, fornicating, lusting, cussing, lewdness, sorcery, selfish ambitions, dissension, using God's name in vain, no more cheating, no coveting, no more greed, selfishness, self-conceit, puffed up pride and envy, unforgiving, gluttony, ungodly fear, not doing the things you know you should do, idol worship, not honoring your parents, cheating your boss by not putting in an honest day's work, and the list could go on and on. You change your conduct, your attitude, your behavior. You change your mind and go in the opposite direction of your old sinful self. Your new desire is God, pleasing Him and seeking His will for you. As the apostle Paul says, you mortify the old man in you and now you begin to pursue holiness by living holy, with new desires, a new objective, with Christ in your heart. This is an inward change. As you character changes inwardly, it will then manifest outwardly--wanting to do good things for Christ and for others. Remember, we are not saved by good works, but we are saved for good works. Rely on the Holy Spirit to direct you in life. To do this you must be born again (John 3:3-6), regenerated to receive the Holy Spirit.
Jesus said: "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel" (Mark 1:15). When you repent you begin to obey God; you submit to Him. You rely on Him for direction., and become a disciple of Christ. The word disciple means "pupil" or "student." We follow, obey, learn and instruct others in the truth of salvation and the gospel message. As a pupil of Christ, we repent and live holy, for this is the way God wants us to live. It is for our good. Can you see this? When you live in the will of God many, if not all of your concerns, fears, worries and problems will vanish. Yes, because you have God to lean on--you have peace with God as a child of God when you carry out His will for you. God will show you the truth and your life will change because the truth has been revealed to you. The truth has set you free from sin and condemnation. Who is the truth? That's right, Jesus is the truth. By accepting what Jesus did on the cross, by His blood, you have been set free of sin He loved you first. Love Him now with praise and thanksgiving. You can love God. Open your heart and receive Him and submit one hundred percent of yourself to Him and He will reveal Himself to you. Seek and you shall find. Ask and you shall receive. When Jesus knocks on the door, open it wide, all the way and let Him in. Don't let Him squeeze through a small crack. Rip the door off the hinges and let Him in. He will come in and make His home in you. How great a salvation is this? He will live in you. All you have to do is let Him in and let Him take over. Here I am. Use me. Send me. I am ready. Are you?
How important is repentance? Jesus said to His disciples: "Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, 47 and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem" (Luke 24:46-47). Jesus said this after His resurrection. Repentance is the first condition. As Christians we must preach what Jesus instructed; and He preached repentance and commanded His apostles [the twelve, the seventy-two and many others] to preach repentance. You see, God accepts everyone as they are, but if you are grateful for what God has done you, you will change, you will repent
An unrepentant sinner is an unbeliever in the truest sense. You cannot keep on living in an unrepentant, sinful state and call yourself a Christian and follower of Christ. God will not leave you the way you are if you have a contrite heart for Him. But you must seek Him honestly with a true and pure heart. God wants you holy. He wants you to turn from your sin, because He wants the best for you and for you to be in heaven with Him. However, God will not leave you the way He received you. Sin can and does destroy. Sin is filth to God. God has no tolerance for sin. Keep always in mind that sin is a transgression of God's law. Should you have any doubt about the law keep your mind on the Ten Commandment [Exodus 20]. This is why Jesus came. Jesus came to save sinners, to clean the filth from us, to wash us, to purify us so that we could have communion with God as the children of God. "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23) and "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23). By His death and resurrection Jesus did what nobody else could do. He did it all and there is nothing else to be done by Him. It is time for you to fully receive Him and receive all that God has in store for you. There is an afterlife. There is a Hell and there is a Heaven. You have a choice. God gave you free will to choose Him and glorification. Why would you want Hell and judgment. It is a horrible thing to turn from God and not receive the gift He generously has given. He gave His own and only Son to us. He loves us so much. The unrepentant, unbelievers end up in Hell for eternity. This is no joke. Do not take this lightly. Seek Jesus today and know the truth behind salvation. There is only one way to God the Father and to Heaven, and that way is through Jesus Christ. Jesus is Lord.
Acts 2:27-28
37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?”
38 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Acts 20:20-21
20 how I kept back nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it to you, and taught you publicly and from house to house, 21 testifying to Jews, and also to Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.
The first message Jesus gave when He started His mission was on repentance:
Jesus said: "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel" (Mark 1:15).
And the last message Jesus gave to the church was on repentance:
"As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. 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 dine with him, and he with Me. 21 To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne" (Revelation 3:19-21).
What better promise is there "To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne." Again, Jesus speaks of repentance: "be zealous and repent" before the promise of the throne is rewarded to overcomers. Will you be an overcomer and persevere to the end? I certainly hope you will.
When King David sinned with Bathsheba he prayed a prayer of repentance
Have mercy upon me, O God,
According to Your lovingkindness;
According to the multitude of Your tender mercies,
Blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I acknowledge my transgressions,
And my sin is always before me.
4 Against You, You only, have I sinned,
And done this evil in Your sight—
That You may be found just when You speak,
And blameless when You judge. (Psalm 51:1-4)
This is the first part of the pray of his repentance when David realized his sin was against God. All sin is against God. You can use this prayer or portions of the entire prayer as an example of a prayer you might want to draft.
God wants the best for you. He does not want you to destroy yourself. Repent and receive the complete salvation, His promises and blessings and live holy in communion with God and with Lord Jesus. The alternative is unthinkable. Repent now! Turn to Jesus--repent and believe.