What Does The Bible Say About How To Repent
This article will explore five basic steps of the repentance process. Those steps are:
Step 1: Recognize that Gods thoughts are higher and better than ours.
Step 2: Acknowledge our personal guilt of sin.
Step 3: Turn from our sinful thoughts and ways.
Step 4: Seek to live by every word of God.
Step 5: Continue to seek repentance and rely on Christs sacrifice.
What Jesus Said About Repentance
The very first thing Jesus preached was, Repent, because the kingdom of heaven has come near! . The verse before helps underscore what he says, quoting the prophecy from Isaiah about Jesus, The people who live in darkness have seen a great light, and for those living in the shadowland of death, light has dawned.Jesus is light, truth, and the new way. Jesus is saying, change your mind and believe something new.
In the sermon on the mount in Matthew 5, Jesus repeats, You have heard it said and but I tell you a new way. In light of these verses, I think Jesus in Matthew 4:17 might be saying repent as in, Check it out! Wrap your mind around this! Get on board! And believe in a new way.
Repentance Instances Of Judas
(Now this man acquired a field with the price of his wickedness, and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle and all his intestines gushed out.
Then when Judas, who had betrayed Him, saw that He had been condemned, he felt remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” But they said, “What is that to us? See to that yourself!” And he threw the pieces of silver into the temple sanctuary and departed and he went away and hanged himself.
Brethren, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit foretold by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus.
testifying to both Jews and Greeks of repentance toward God and
and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.
For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance
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God Wants Repentance From Everyone
For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord God so turn, and live. Ezekiel 18:32
The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. Acts 17:30
The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. 2 Peter 3:9
How To Repent: 5 Steps
The importance of repentance is hard to overstate. After all, Jesuss first public exhortation was Repent! and if it was that high on Jesuss list, we probably should pay attention too.
But how do we repent well? Psalm 32 is a wonderful place to explore the nature and process of deep repentance. Here are five vital steps.
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Where Do We Read About The Need For Repentance In The Bible
In the New Testament, repentance was preached by John the Baptist , Jesus , the twelve disciples , Peter , and Paul.
In 2 Corinthians 7:10, Paul wrote one of my favorite verses about repentance: 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. Godly sorrow leads to genuine repentance, and repentance leads to conversion .
Further, the book of Revelation admonishes us to repent as well .
Fourth Step In Repentance Confess Your Sins To God
The fourth step in repentance is to confess your sins to God. If we return to Davids confession of sin in Psalm 32:5, we learn that he admitted his sin to God.
I acknowledged my sin to You,And my iniquity I did not hide I said, I will confess my transgressions to the LORD And You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah.Psalm 32:5
In this verse we learn that he confessed his sin. In Psalm 51 he admits his sin and asks God to forgive him and to wash him whiter than snow.
Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,And in sin my mother conceived me.Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being,And in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom.Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.Make me to hear joy and gladness,Let the bones which You have broken rejoice.Hide Your face from my sinsAnd blot out all my iniquities.Psalm 51:5-9
In the New Testament 1 John 1:9 explains that we must confess our sins to God.
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9
And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous . . . 1 John 2:1
So, God the Father promises to forgive Christians when they and repent of their sins and confess their sins. Jesus Christ will defend Christians against false accusations of sin. Anything less than believing and trusting Him is another sin.
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What Is Repentance In The Bible
All Christians know they need repentance. The call to repent is ubiquitous in the Bible and is a prerequisite to salvation. But what does it mean precisely?
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines repentance as the action or process of turning from sin and dedicates oneself to the amendment of ones life. While the Oxford dictionary says, its feeling or expressing sincere regret or remorse about ones wrongdoing or sin.
As always, the Bible defines it a bit differently. Biblical repentance is more than turning away from sin it also involves a return to something. And its more than a feeling or expression of regret it is a complete change of mind. For further understanding, lets look at the original Hebrew and Greek Words.
Keep Repenting Constantly Without Ceasing
Constant repentance makes our father happy and pleased with us and He is always ready, fighting and helping us in our walk that devil does not devour us.
We commit so many sins each passing second even other sins we do not know, reason we must constantly keep repenting.
If we fail to repent constantly, the devil takes authority and drives us far away from God. He makes sure that we do not have a close relationship with God by making us sin more and more.
Sin then overpowers and enslaves us. Then he goes ahead to tell us that God does not need a sinner: which is a lie.
If we sin, Jesus Christ is the advocate who paid the price for our sins. 1 John 2:1That you sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
He paid the ransom for our past, present and future sins that we live always righteous by grace through having great faith in Him.
This does not mean we keep sinning. The more you sin, the more Satan drives you away from Christ and the deeper he drives you to sin and the more captive to sin you became.
If you continue sinning there is no light in you. 1 John 1:6: If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not live according to the truth.
To have fellowship with him, we have first to repent our sins and stop walking and living in sin.
Watch the season we are living in. Look at what is happening to Israel, it is time to repent. Time is at hand and Jesus is standing in the clouds soon.
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Where Does The Bible Talk About Repentance
The Bible talks a lot about repentance but I want to give you two examples, one from the Old Testament and one from the New.
Old Testament
If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land .
This is a very popular Scripture and it really defines what repentance is, even though it doesnt use the word. There are four key words that really answer the question of how to repent. I will flush it all out later. For now, here are the four words: humble, pray, seek, turn.
At this moment lets just look at the last word, turn. Notice God says turn from their wicked ways. This is what repenting is. Notice he didnt say to feel bad about your wicked ways he said turn from them. There cannot be forgiveness of sin unless you have a sincere desire to turn from your sin. This does not mean that you wont sin in that area again, it means you have a real desire not to.
New Testament
Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first .
Notice again something very interesting about repentance it requires action. Notice what Jesus is saying here:
Consider Think about where you are and what you are doing.
Repent Ask for forgiveness and change your mind about what you are doing.
Do Dont just change your mind, change your actions.
S To Repentance: Why Im Writing About It
Repentance is not a popular topic. It came to my attention this week because of a a restless feeling I had. I knew I was in some kind of disobedience and I couldnt figure out what. When I sought the Lord, He moved in my heart and showed me where I had gone astray.
Search me, O God, and know my heart Try me, and know my anxieties And see if there is any wicked way in me,And lead me in the way everlasting.
David understood the importance of asking the Lord to search his heart. Lullaby Lark writes an excellent post about knowing the condition of your heart.
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Conviction Always Result In Actions
Both of these actions are interdependent.
I cannot put my faith in Jesus and continue in my sins. Simultaneously, it is impossible for me to stop sinning without putting my faith in Jesus Christ.
This is how the Lord confers His goodness on us through His Words which lead us to repentance .
Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?
Romans 2:4
Repentance always starts with a decision. It begins with the mind but it ends with the heart.
What Does Repent Mean
A biblical definition of repenting means to change your mind or change your direction and move in a different direction. As you can see that is a little bit different than the common dictionary definition. While it may involve remorse or guilt because of your sin, it still goes a little further. The major difference between repentance and remorse is the source. Heres what I mean. Remorse can happen not because you feel bad, but because you got caught. The remorse is a result of the consequence of the action, not because of a genuine desire to change it.
I was driving with my family to Niagara Falls and the speed limit on the road was 65. I was going a little bit faster than the speed limit, I was only doing 84 . As I was cruising along on the highway I noticed a state trooper and before I could go back to the speed limit of 65 , he caught me with the radar. Eventually he pulled me over and gave me a ticket. When he pulled me over and gave me the ticket I felt remorse I felt bad because I got caught and I knew this would mean a fine and possibly points on my license. I didnt feel bad because I was speeding, I only felt bad when I got caught. This is not repentance.
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How To Teach Repentance To Children
When my firstborn was very young, I was told that unless a child cries, they are not truly repentant. This false teacher convinced me that caring for my child spiritually meant making her feel bad.
So when my daughter got into trouble, if she didnt cry, I would scold and shame her until she cried. Even if she apologized it wasnt enough.Fortunately, God transformed my thinking and I believed that she could learn and change her behavior without shame and tears. I stopped trying to make her cry and became a more godly parent.
Is Water Baptism Necessary For Salvation
Matthew 3:11
11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance. but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:
Baptism was about repentance. God has shown in the Bible how there are two things He uses to purge the world. Water and fire . So water baptism is about purging or showing a clean conscience.
There is something people miss though. Some people think that water baptism comes before repentance. John made it clear this was not the case. And we have just seen that Salvation can come before water baptism in the verses before.
Matthew 3:7-8
7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:
It is clear that John did not see water baptism as a means of repentance. Instead repentance meant doing good and not evil. So what is water baptism for if not salvation?
Matthew 3:13-15
13 Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. 14 But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? 15 And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.
1 Peter 3:20-21
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What Does The Bible Say About Repentance
1. Luke 15:4-7 If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Wont he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders. When he arrives, he will call together his friends and neighbors, saying, Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep. In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and havent strayed away!
2. Luke 5:32 I have not come to call righteous people, but sinners, to repentance.
How Do I Repent To God
Start by simply deciding to repent. Change direction from the past. Talk to God. Its that easy, thanks to Jesus. You dont need eloquent words. He simply desires to hear our voice and see changed actions those speak even louder.
But what if you dont believe in Jesus? Through His death on the cross, people find reconciliation to God from sin. When we realize life isnt going well or that something is missing, when we know weve made poor or hurtful choices and we desire to change, God stands ready to accept our repentance.
If Jesus isnt yet your Savior, and you feel that tug from God to turn from old or familiar ways and embrace Him instead, start with a prayer for salvation. Become a child of God. Thats the ultimate repentance and the foundation for our walk with Jesus Christ. Here are four prayers for salvation. Pray one of these or use your own heartfelt words. Either way, God welcomes your heart and words.
Kristi Woods is a writer and speaker but mostly a Jesus girl. She writes weekly and offers faith-building tools for a deeper walk with God at www.KristiWoods.net. She contributes regularly at iBelieve.com and Crosswalk.com and is published in various print and online publications. Kristi, her handsome, retired-from-the-Navy husband, and their three children survived a nomadic, military lifestyle and have set roots in Oklahoma–where she keeps a close watch for tornadoes and good chocolate. Connect with Kristi at KristiWoods.net.
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What In Gods Sight Demonstrates That Our Repentance Is Genuine
Then said to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him, Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance Every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire .
First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and to the Gentiles also, preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds .
Genuine repentance produces a change in the way we live, even in the way we think. Those who say they have repented but produce no fruits worthy of repentance deceive themselves. They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him . For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does .