Repentance
© 01-12 Colin Melbourne
Repent, repentance; what do these crucial words mean?
Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel. Holy Bible Mk. 1:14-15 KJV
Christ commissioned Paul, and all believers, to be busy;
Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks (Gentiles), repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. Acts 20:21 KJV
Nominal 'Christians' (Christian in name, but not in fact) are encouraged by their false-teachers, to gloss over repentance, they basically ignore it, and so delude themselves that they are believers.
On the other hand, many genuine Spirit-filled Christians imagine that repenting means; getting on your knees, or face, weeping and crying out to God for mercy and, as my mate puts it, "Eating carpet".
Listen to me: you can do all of that without a shred of repentance.
Repentance is simply a change of mind, so that what you think lines up with what God thinks.
By consulting God's Word, the Holy Bible, we are left in no doubt what God thinks on every important matter.
You'll agree that there's a lot you cannot change about yourself. But you can always change your mind. God has made repentance that easy. When a person genuinely changes their mind; their will and actions will soon correspond with it, and they will comply with what God wants them to do. That's repentance.
It is that simple
You can pray and bawl to God all day long, yet still not have your mind changed. For some Christians, this becomes a 'holy routine' they feel they must go through regularly.
That is not repentance.
If a change in will and action does not follow: then you have not repented.
Paul spent his Christian life... Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. Acts 26:21 KJV
It is important to establish the following Gospel fact.
The only 'act' of repentance that saves, is repentance from unbelief in the Lord Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour.
I emphasise this because people sometimes get the idea;
I'll become a Christian. I'll quit doing drugs, drink, and fooling around, and be real good from now on. I'll read my Bible, go to church, get baptised, pray every day, be nice to folks, and help handicapped kids, or some other charity work.
Go ahead, do all of that, but you will still die in your sins and go to Hell, unless those actions spring from genuine heart-repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Religiously indoctrinated people find this very hard to accept, but it is the heart of the Gospel, the only way to be at peace with God, and yourself. In their hearts they believe that God accepts them because of their religious observance, their creeds or rites, and good works. They need to repent of such religious delusion and believe in the only salvation available to sinners. The Good News that whoever truly believes in the LORD Jesus Christ and His finished work, is redeemed.
Conclusion
Repentance is a change of mind so that what we think is the same as what God thinks. Whenever someone genuinely does so; their will and actions will naturally correspond with it, and they will comply with what God wants them to do.
Increase Your Word Power Even More
How to Repent and Believe in Christ:
It's easier than you think
<< Once you grasp these Gospel basics you will walk in a new realm with God. This book is a wonderfully clear account of what redemption is, how to get it, and what it means in your daily walk.
