Salvation and Repentance
  1. Repentance is commanded  Mark 1.15  Acts 17.30
  2. Repentance is part of the Gospel message Luke 24.46-47
  3. Those who don't repent will be denounced, perish, and face Gods wrath  Matthew 11.20  Luke 13.5  Romans 2.4-5
  4. Repentance is turning from ones ways (Isaiah 53.6) and what one has done (Rev 16.11) and to God (Acts 3.19, Acts 20.21).  It is deciding to turn from doing what I want and turn to deciding that in the future I'll do want God wants me to do
  5. After salvation God wants proof of repentance Matthew 3.8, Acts 26.20
  6. Repentance comes from God 2 Timothy 2.25-26
  • Matthew 3.8   Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.
  • Matthew 11.20  Jesus began to denounce the cities in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent.
  • Mark 1.15 Repent and believe the good news!
  • Luke 13.5, But unless you repent, you too will all perish.
  • Luke 24.46-47 The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name.
  • Acts 2.37-38  what shall we do?  Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
  • Acts 3.19 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord,
  • Acts 16.30-31  what must I do to be saved?  Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved--ou and your household.
  • Acts 17:30 he commands all people everywhere to repent.
  • Acts 20.21 I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus. 
  • Acts 26.20 I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds.
  • 2 Timothy 2.25-26 Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.
  • Isaiah 53.6  We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

 

  • Matthew 21:32  tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.
  • Luke 5.32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
  • Luke 15:10 In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."
  • Acts 5:31  God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel.
  • Acts 11:18  When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, "So then, God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life.
  • Acts 19.14 Paul said, "John's baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus."
  • Hebrews 6:6  if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.
  • Revelation 16:11  and cursed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, but they refused to repent of what they had done.

Combining the two senses of repentance used in the Old and New Testament, the prayer of repentance can be described as an inner change of mind that results in an outward change of action that moves us towards a completely new direction in God.1


Repentance Prayer is Making Jesus Lord

“Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” Now when they had 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?” 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 2:36-38)


Repentance Prayer Bears Worthy Fruit

”Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance” (Matthew 3:8)


True repentance bears fruit. You know you have truly repented when the fruits of repentance are evident in your life. Others around you see the change and notice the attitude of humility and submission to God’s purposes in your words and actions. You are completely sold out and wholly given to God. There is no hypocrisy in your faith. You are the same person on Sunday as you are on Monday. You do what you say, and you say what you do.


4 Evidences of Repentance Prayer

To bear fruits worthy of repentance (Matthew 3:7-8) means there is evidence, which proves that our repentance is genuine and true. What are these evidences?


Conviction

Unless someone is convicted of sin they can not truly repent from sin. May your conscience (John 8:9), the Word of God (Titus 1:9), and the Holy Spirit (John 16:8) convict your heart of the sin in your life.


Contrition

To have contrition is to have deep, godly sorrow and humility of heart because of the sin you have committed. King David had a broken and contrite heart before God over his sin of adultery. He owned his sin, grieved his sin and thoroughly repented of it. (Psalm 51:17) We must do the same.


Confession

To confess means to agree with God that your sin is unacceptable. I heard someone once say, “Holding on to un-confessed sins in the soul is like keeping a bullet in the body.” We must be held accountable to confess our sins to God (Psalm 51:4), confess our sins to one another (James 5:16), and confess our sins publicly (Matthew 5:15-17) according to the degree of confession needed in each situation.


Commitment

To be committed in the Biblical sense is to wholeheartedly obey God’s commands. There is no use in saying sorry, if we do not actually turn from our wicked ways and do what is right. We walk out our repentance by forsaking sin and like Zacchaeus pay back restitution and reconcile with those we have wronged (Matthew 5:23-24). Restitution, reconciliation and walking in truth will demonstrate our repentance with works (Eph 4:28-29).


Repentance Prayer is Confessing You Can’t, But He Can

“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” (Romans 10:9-10)

1 Rev. H. Kong, Laying Foundations (Published by City Harvest Church, 1998 p. 22)

 


3 / 1000 comments
Apr 29, 2009  ( 1 comment )  
4/29/2009
11:35pm
Elizabeth Dierks (lizzy)
Excellent work with your bible study.  Glad it's on K & S for future reference.
Apr 30, 2009  ( 2 comments )  
4/30/2009
8:36am
Julie Carr (beekielou)
Great share!  Wonderful collection of scripture to ponder and remember.
4/30/2009
12:03pm
Kathy Carr (kathy)
Great share; thank you!!!
    Report Objectionable Content   
Select a Color