REPENTANCE

1. Repentance is a tenet of the gospel (MAT 3:1-2; MAR 1:14-15; LUK 24:46-47; ACT 20:20-21).
2. Repent - To affect (oneself) with contrition or regret for something done; to change one's mind
with regard to past action or conduct through dissatisfaction with it or its results.
a. Contrition – The condition of being bruised in heart; sorrow or affliction of mind for some
fault or injury done; spec. penitence for sin.
b. Contrite – Crushed, broken in spirit by a sense of sin, and so brought to a complete
penitence (PSA 51:17).
c. Repentance involves sorrow over what was done, not just sorrow over being caught (2CO
7:9-11; MAT 27:3).
d. It involves a change of mind (1KI 8:46-48; MAT 21:28-31).
3. Repentance is obedience to a commandment of God (ACT 17:30).
a. God gives the ability to repent (ACT 5:31; PHI 2:13 w/ EZE 33:11; 2TI 2:25).
b. Repentance evidences that one is indwelt by God (1JO 3:24).
4. The Christian life begins with repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ
(ACT 20:21; 1TH 1:9-10).
5. Repentance is an ongoing experience in the Christian life (2CO 7:9-11; REV 2:5, 16, 22; 3:3, 19).
6. Repentance is demonstrated by works (ACT 26:20; LUK 3:8, 10-14).
a. The changed mind demonstrates itself in changed behaviour.
b. Repentance leads to baptism and a life of obedience to God (ACT 2:38; LUK 3:3).
c. Repentance is essentially change!
i. It is an experience in something new and different.
ii. We rise from the baptism of repentance to walk in the newness of life (ROM 6:3).
iii. Repentance results in putting off old practices of sin and putting on new practices
of righteousness (EPH 4:17-32).
1. We must stedfastly practice righteousness until it becomes habitual, until it
becomes our manner.
2. Consider the marvelous capacity of habit. When we do something long
enough, it becomes part of us.
7. Repentance results in the forgiveness of sins and fellowship with God.
a. There are two forgivenesses of sin.
b. There is the judicial forgiveness of all sins committed throughout life whether before faith
in Christ or after faith in Christ.
i. This forgiveness is entirely unconditional on the part of those forgiven.
ii. This forgiveness was obtained forever by the sacrifice of Christ so that He entered
heaven having obtained it for us (COL 1:14; TIT 2:14; HEB 1:3; 9:12; 10:14-18).
iii. This forgiveness is judicial in that it results from the demands of the law for the
punishment of the sinner being satisfied in the death of Christ (GAL 3:13).
iv. As a result of this forgiveness, the elect are justified from all their sins, made sons f
God, and given eternal life (ROM 5:9-10; GAL 4:4-5; JOH 17:2; COL 2:13; TIT
3:7).
c. There is the forgiveness of sins of those who are the sons of God and have eternal life.
i. God’s children that have already been eternally redeemed and forgiven their sins
are called upon to return to their God (ISA 44:22).
ii. The forgiveness is conditioned upon repentance (ISA 55:6-7; ACT 3:19; 26:16-18).

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 iii. This forgiveness results in God’s sons having fellowship with their Father God,
having assurance of their eternal salvation, and rewards at the judgment seat of
Christ (ACT 2:38, 40-42; 1JO 1:3-9; 1TH 1:4-6; 2PE 1:10; 1CO 3:14; REV 11:18).
iv. This is the Father forgiving His errant, but penitent child and restoring him to
fellowship (MAT 6:9-15; LUK 15:11-32).
v. When we first repent of the sins of our past and believe on Jesus Christ, all the sin
of the past is forgiven and we are admitted into fellowship with God (MAR 1:4-5;
ACT 2:38; 3:19; 10:43). Therefore, the sins of our past committed in ignorance
and repented of do not deprive us of reward at the judgment seat of Christ.
vi. If we do not repent, we do not lose eternal salvation, but we lose fellowship with
God, assurance of salvation, and rewards at the judgment seat of Christ (1CO 3:15)
8. Consider why people do not repent.
a. They fear the new and the unknown.
b. They fear giving up something they too much cherish. In other words, they fear the cost.
c. They fear men (JOH 12:42-43).
d. Their pride will not permit them to admit they were wrong.
e. Speaking of repentance, F.W. Krummacher wrote: “And let no one suppose that there is
any thing dishonorable in it. On the contrary, it is the language of manly self-deliverance
from the net of delusion ̶ of courageous homage offered to truth ̶ and of a resolute return
from the way of darkness to that of light and salvation. One of the most cunning artifices of
the prince of this world, by which he is able to bind his victim to his standard, consisted,
from ancient times, in endeavoring to represent repentance to mankind as something
unworthy, degrading, and effeminate. In our view, on the contrary, nothing is more
contemptible than intentionally to avoid the mirror, which shows us things as they are, and
to find comfort on the couch of a miserable self-deception.”
9. The following points outline how to deal with the sin that you repent of.
a. Deal with all sin as one sin leads to another (ROM 6:19; EZE 16:49-50).
b. Watch and pray lest you enter into temptation (MAT 26:41).
c. Flee lust in its inception and avoid occasions to sin (2TI 2:22; ROM 13:14).
d. Persevere in dealing with sin (ROM 2:7; GAL 6:9).
i. It takes continual practice to establish habits.
ii. We must deny ourselves daily (LUK 9:23).
e. Trust in the mercy of God (PSA 103:8-18).
i. Sin mixes itself with all we do (ROM 7:21).
ii. God's mercy is upon those who fear Him. He bears with their imperfections!
iii. God promised to be merciful to our unrighteousness (HEB 8:12).
iv. We do not despise a man because he limps when he walks or stutters when he talks.
f. Be strong in the Lord (JOS 1:7; 1CO 16:13; EPH 6:10; 2TI 2:1).
i. Our combat is a wrestling match. When the enemy has hold of us, we must either
resist or fall.
ii. We become strong through:
1. prayer (HEB 4:16; PSA 86:16).
2. faith (ROM 5:2; 1JO 5:4).
3. intake of Bible doctrine (DAN 11:32; COL 1:10-11; 1JO 2:14; PRO 24:5).
4. using the strength God gives and obeying His word (HEB 5:13-14; JAM
1:25; GAL 5:16).
g. Consider the intelligence report of JAM 4:7: Satan can be beaten!

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 h. Consider that you may be stronger when you struggle with a stubborn temptation than
when you conquer a lesser one. Is a man weaker because he cannot run as fast with a 100
lb. weight as without?
10. At the Judgment Seat of Christ Christians are going to answer for what we built upon our
profession of Jesus Christ (1CO 3:13-15).
a. God will judge us for what we did with the gifts, responsibilities, time, and
opportunities He gave us as Christians.
b. This refers to the judgment that believers in Christ will meet with.
c. If you realize that since becoming a Christian you have yet wasted too much of your life
on things that do not profit and you feel shame and regret for it, this is the essence of
repentance and is something you can build on the foundation of Jesus Christ that is of
great value in the eyes of God (ISA 57:15; 66:2; PSA 51:17).
i. Heaven rejoices over the repentance of a sinner (LUK 15:7, 10).
ii. As surely as God lives, He takes pleasure in the repentance of a sinner (EZE
33:11).
d. If you realize you have been foolish in your former life, then wise up for the latter end
(PRO 19:20).
11. Consider the repentance of the thief on the cross (LUK 23:39-43).
a. All his former life was loss, but in the end he realized eternal gain and set a sterling
example of repentance for all the world to see.
b. His past was forgiven upon his repentance and he was admitted into fellowship with
Christ and received personal assurance of his eternal salvation.
c. These are the elements of the thief’s repentance:
i. He ceased his mockery of Jesus Christ (MAT 27:41-44).
ii. He expressed the fear of God, which is the whole duty of man (ECC 12:13).
iii. He confessed his sin and its just condemnation (NEH 9:3, 33; MAR 1:4-5).
iv. He confessed the sinlessness of Jesus Christ, which was essential to His being
able to redeem us from our sins (1JO 3:5; 2CO 5:21).
v. He confessed the Lordship of Jesus Christ (ROM 10:9; 1CO 12:3).
vi. He besought the Lord to remember him. God never forgets His own (ISA 49:15).
vii. He expressed hope in the afterlife (1PE 1:3-4).
viii. He believed the gospel of the kingdom of God, which is what Christ preached
men should do (MAR 1:14-15).
ix. He reproved the other thief for mocking Christ. Christians are taught to reprove
the works of darkness (EPH 5:11).
x. He was not ashamed to own His Lord, but rather defended Him (MAT 10:32-33;
MAR 8:38).
xi. “The righteous thief is a sterling example of how to capitalize upon the
opportunities of discipleship God blesses us to have.” Justin Grant Sperry
12. Ministers fear finding church members being impenitent (2CO 12:20-21).
a. They are humbled by this.
b. They bewail those who do not repent.
13. The alternative to repentance is perishing in time or eternity (LUK 13:1-5; ROM 2:4-5).
a. God is not willing that His children should perish temporally (2PE 3:9).
b. The wicked who do not repent store up wrath against themselves.
i. They despise the goodness of God to them.
ii. They blaspheme God for His judgments (REV 16:9-11).
iii. Whether God do them good or evil in this life, they will not repent.

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