Repentance.
Repentance means a change of mind, and with a genuine change of mind comes a change of action. It means confessing our sins and turning away from a destructive path into God’s plan, as stated in His Word. Luke 13:3 warns, “Unless you repent, you will likewise perish.”
All people deserve God’s just punishment for their sins, but God offers undeserved favor through Christ’s substitutionary restitution. The basis for removing guilt is Christ’s finished work on the cross - dying for our sins.
For a person to be saved, the necessary response is repentance and faith. Both are two aspects of conversion. Repentance doesn’t mean we will never struggle again with sin. The life of a Christian is one of daily repentance as God gradually reveals to us the flaws we have as humans through His Word. God has appointed a day on which he will judge all the world for righteousness. This alone should call us all to urgent repentance.
A vital measure of a Christian is the reality of Godly sorrow and repentance. Too many Christians sin, damage other people in the process, then brush it off and pretend it never happened. This is a sign of honoring self, not God. God expects confession and repentance of a wrong. Correcting the sin without confession and repentance is called course correction, not repentance, and is a form of pretending and a lack of humility.
What Is Repentance? by Ligonier Ministries (article) - he Old Testament is clear that visible actions cannot replace the inward conviction that God demands of His people (1 Sam. 16:7). But when inner sorrow is present, outer deeds often display our true repentance.
What Is Biblical Repentance? by John MacArthur (article) - Repentance is no more a worthy work than its counterpart, faith. It is an inward response. Genuine repentance pleads with the Lord to forgive and deliver from the burden of sin and the fear of judgment and hell.
Handout Theology: Repentance by John Gerstner (video) - Dr. John Gerstner provides an in-depth overview of systematic theology. He explores what God has revealed in Scripture about Himself, mankind, the fall, redemption, the church, and many other essential doctrines of the Christian faith.
The Doctrine of Repentance by Grace to You (article + audio) - When you start talking about true repentance and call on sinners to abandon their sin and turn from it for good, you’re talking about something very different. People want to hold to their sin while having it conveniently forgiven. That’s not repentance, not at all.
Repentance: Seeking God’s Glory Through Self-Confrontation by Association of Certified Biblical Counselors (article) - This essay presents a model for biblical repentance. A person first determines that change should happen. He then designs a change plan. And then he starts doing what he has resolved to do.
What Does Repentance Look Like? by R.C. Sproul (article) - I would recommend that all Christians memorize Psalm 51. It is a perfect model of godly repentance. When we feel overwhelmed by our guilt, words fail us as we seek to express ourselves in repentance before God. It truly is a blessing to have the words of Scripture themselves upon our lips on those occasions.
Does repentance require confession? by R.C. Sproul (video + article) - Repentance certainly involves confession. It is not simply a resolve to change and behave differently in the future from what I do today. I don’t believe I need to confess every sin I’ve ever committed to everybody in the world or all the people in my family.
An Unlikely Convert: An Interview with Rosaria Butterfield by Ligonier Ministries (article) - Repentance and belief go together, as both are gifts of God and fruit of Christian living. Without repentance, there is no salvation.
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You can get someone to believe in Jesus, but they are not yet genuinely saved if they have not repented. We are reminded that David would not have repented if he hadn’t trembled under the words of Nathan. Repentance will never come if we aren’t living under the law of the Ten Commandments.
On the road of repentance, we turn back from the far country of sin into the loving embrace of our Father. In this episode, Barry Cooper traces the steps along this daily path of growth and healing.
Repentance is a threatening word for many in the church. It shouldn't be. Repentance is often taught and discussed in an unhelpful way. In this episode, Jon and Justin consider repentance from a biblical and Reformed perspective. Repentance, at its heart, is an agreement with God and a siding with God against our sin. The turning we do in repentance is always a turning to Christ. And, it is possible to be repentant even amid ongoing sin.
Free Audiobook by J.C. Ryle included with Premium: Indifference leaves people alone and allows them to go their own way. It is tender love that warns them and raises the cry of alarm. The cry of “Fire! Fire!” at midnight might sometimes rudely, harshly, and unpleasantly startle a person out of his sleep, but who would complain if that cry was the means of saving his life? The words Except you repent, you will all likewise perish might initially seem stern and severe, but they are words of love and could be the means of delivering precious souls from hell.
The Doctrine of Repentance by Thomas Watson
This book stresses the need for ongoing repentance, daily repentance, and a lifestyle of repentance. Knowing what repentance is and repenting are essential to authentic Christianity. Jesus Christ himself said that we will perish if we do not repent! It is vital, therefore, to read and study what Scripture has to say about this theme. Few better guides have existed in this or any other area of spiritual experience than Thomas Watson. He was a master of Scripture and the human heart and wrote directly.
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