REPENTANCE
AS DEFINED IN GOD'S WORD
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
I) THE
GREEK WORDS METANOEO (VERB) AND METANOIA (NOUN) RENDERED "TO REPENT"
AND "REPENTANCE" MEAN A CHANGE OF THE MIND. THEY DO NOT
INCLUDE OTHER SPHERES OF ACTIVITY OUTSIDE OF THE MIND, SUCH AS A CHANGE
OF BEHAVIOR, WITHOUT OTHER WORDS PRESENT IN THE TEXT AT HAND TO
DESIGNATE THIS
A)
[Compare 2 Tim 2:24-25]:
II)
REPENTANCE RELATIVE TO FORGIVENESS OF SINS UNTO ETERNAL LIFE IN THE
ETERNAL KINGDOM OF GOD MEANS TO CHANGE THE MIND - TO TURN FROM A BELIEF
SYSTEM WHICH IS NOT SOLELY IN CHRIST ALONE TO ONE WHICH IS
A) The
Old Testament Prophets, John The Baptist And His Disciples, And The LORD
Jesus Christ And His Disciples Before His Ascension Preached To Israel,
"Repent For The Kingdom Of God Is At Hand" - In The Sense Of
Believing In The Coming Messiah / Savior In Order For Them To Receive
Forgiveness Of Sins Unto Eternal Life In The Eternal Kingdom Of God,
Which Would Commence Should All Israel Believe. The Context Of This
Repentance Unto Forgiveness Of Sins Did Not Include Producing Fruit,
I.E., Doing Godly Works, Such As Water Baptism; Nor Did It Include A
Committment To Do Godly Works, As Some Contend
1)
[Compare Mk 1:14-15]:
2)
[Compare Ex 30:17-21]:
3)
[Compare Dt 21:1-9]:
4)
[Compare Heb 9:9-10]:
5)
[Compare Mt 3:1-8]:
6)
[Compare Acts 19:4]:
7) [Compare Acts 26:20]:
8)
[Compare Jn 1:29-31]:
9)
[Compare Mk 1:4, 14-15]:
10)
[Compare Mt 4:12, 17]:
B)
In The Case Of The Message Of The Gospel After Christ's Ascension,
Beginning With The Apostle Peter, The Greek Word "Metanoeo" ("Metanoesate")
Rendered "Repent" Continued To Signify A Change From Not
Believing To Believing Alone In Jesus Christ (Now Having Been Revealed
In His Resurrected Humanity To The World) As LORD And Christ / The
Messiah For Forgiveness Of Sins Unto Eternal Life In The Eternal Kingdom
Of God; Which Kingdom Would Commence Should All Of That Generation Of
Israel Believe. Plus In This Time There Was Begun The Reception Of The
Gift Of The Indwelling Holy Spirit In All Who Believed - Jew And Gentile
Alike. But Sometime After His Address To The Jews In Acts Chapter 2,
Peter Indicated That Heaven Must Receive Jesus Christ, The Holy One,
Until The Times Of Restoration Of All Things, I.E., Until A Future Time
When The Eternal Kingdom Of God Would Commence Upon All Of A Future
Generation Of Israel Repenting / Believing In Christ
1)
[Compare Acts 2:36-38]:
a)
Peter's Answer To The Jews' Question Of What They Should Do Relative To
Jesus Christ Being Their LORD And Christ, Their Messiah / Savior, Was
To Repent In The Sense Of Changing Their Minds To Believe In Him For
Forgiveness Of Sins Unto Eternal Life In The Eternal Kingdom Of God;
Which Kingdom Would Commence Should All Of That Generation Of Israel
Believe. Whereupon They Were To Be Water Baptized Symbolizing This And
By Water Baptism The Jews In This Transition Period To The Church Age
Were To Receive The Gift Of The Holy Spirit, (Later By Faith Alone).
Absent Is Any Exhortation To Behave Better Or Feel Remorse Or Commit To
A Holy Lifestyle
i)
[Compare Acts 3:11-21]:
ii)
[Compare Acts 2:41-44]:
iii)
[Compare Acts 19:4]:
b)
Peter's Answer To The Jews' Question Of What They Should Do Relative To
Jesus Christ Being Their LORD And Christ, Their Messiah / Savior,
Included Being Water Baptized - But To Symbolize And Not To Be Part Of
Repentance As Some Contend; Nor To Be Causative Of Being Forgiven Of
Ones Sins Unto Eternal Life In The Eternal Kingdom Of God. On The Other
Hand During The Transition To The Church Age, Water Baptism For The
Jews Who Believed Was To Be Causative Of Receiving The Gift Of The
Indwelling Holy Spirit
i) [Compare Heb 9:9-10]:
ii)
[Compare Acts 2:38 Interlinear]:
iii)
[Compare Acts 2:41-44]:
iv)
[Compare Acts 3:11-21]:
v)
[Compare Acts 5:30-32]:
vi)
[Compare Acts 10:34-47]:
2)
[Compare Acts 13:13-39]:
3)
[Compare Acts 26:12-18]:
4)
[Heb 6:1]:
a) THE INFANT HEBREW CHRISTIANS ARE ADMONISHED NOT TO LAY AGAIN A
FOUNDATION OF REPENTANCE FROM DEAD [USELESS] WORKS, I.E. REPENTANCE FROM
PERFORMING SACRIFICES IN ORDER TO BE SAVED
i)
REPENTANCE = CHANGE THE MIND
ii) SO "REPENTANCE"
IS APPLIED HERE TO NOT HAVING ONCE AGAIN TO CHANGE ONES MIND
FROM DOING DEAD, I.E., USELESS WORKS FOR SALVATION WHICH DON'T
ACCOMPLISH THAT END BECAUSE THEY ARE DEAD, TO ONCE AGAIN
UNDERSTANDING THAT THEY ALREADY EXPRESSED "FAITH IN GOD" THAT
GAVE THEM SALVATION
b)
REPENTANCE FROM DEAD [USELESS] WORKS LEADING TO FAITH IN GOD - IN A
MOMENT OF FAITH ALONE IN HIS SON ALONE UNTO ETERNAL LIFE IS THE
FOUNDATION OF SALVATION UNTO ETERNAL LIFE. ONCE EXPRESSED IT IS NO
LONGER NEEDED TO BE LAID
i) [1
Cor 3:11]:
III) SINCE
BELIEVING IN CHRIST, TURNING TO GOD AND REPENTING RELATIVE TO
FORGIVENESS OF SINS ALL RESULT IN FORGIVENESS OF SINS, THEN THEY ARE
SYNONYMOUS, IN EFFECT, TWO SIDES OF THE SAME COIN
A)
REPENTANCE AND BELIEF RELATIVE TO SALVATION ARE TWO SIDES OF THE SAME
COIN - A CHANGE OF MIND FROM NOT BELIEVING TO BELIEVING
1)
[Compare 1 Thes 1:8-10]:
2)
[Compare Acts 10:43]:
3)
[Compare Acts 3:19]:
4)
[Compare Acts 2:38]:
B)
THE WORD 'FAITH' CAN BE USED IN PLACE OF 'REPENTANCE' RELATIVE TO
SALVATION UNTO ETERNAL LIFE WITH NO CHANGE OF MEANING
1)
[Compare 2 Pet 3:9]:
2)
[Acts 2:37-38]:
3)
[Compare Acts 3:19]:
4)
[Compare 2 Cor 7:10]:
5)
[Compare Mk 1:15]:
6)
[Compare 2 Tim 2:24-25]:
IV)
SINCE REPENT AND BELIEVE RE: SALVATION ARE SYNONYMOUS AND SINCE
BELIEVING IN THE SON IS SYNONYMOUS WITH ACCEPTING THE TESTIMONY OF GOD
ABOUT HIS SON, I.E. A MENTAL ASSENT THEN REPENTING UNTO SALVATION IS A
MENTAL ASSENT
A) BELIEVING
UNTO SALVATION = A SIMPLE MENTAL ASSENT IN THE TRUTH OF THE GOSPEL
1)
FAITH BELIEVE TRUST DEFINED
a)
ENGLISH DICTIONARY DEFINITION OF FAITH
i)
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary:
faith
\Faith\, n.
believe
\Be*lieve
trust
\Trust\, v. t.
b)
NT GREEK DICTIONARY DEFINITION OF FAITH
c)
SCRIPTURE DEFINES SAVING FAITH AS A MENTAL ASSENT TO THE TESTIMONY OF
GOD ABOUT HIS SON
i)
[1 John 5:9-13]:
V) REPENTANCE
UNTO SALVATION DOES NOT INCLUDE AN EMOTIONAL RESPONSE OF ANY KIND - SUCH
AS FEELING SORRY OR GUILTY
A) ANOTHER
GREEK WORD WHICH MEANS REGRET IS NOT STIPULATED ANYWHERE IN SCRIPTURE AS
A REQUIREMENT TO BE SAVED
1) [Compare
Heb 7:21]:
2) [Compare
Mt 21:29, 32]:
3) [Compare
Mt 27:3]:
4)
[Compare 2 Cor 7:8-10]:
B) EMOTIONAL
REACTION IS A CONTRIBUTION ON THE PART OF THE INDIVIDUAL = A WORK WHICH
IF CONSIDERED PART OF WHAT ONE MUST DO TO BE SAVEDCANCELS OUT SALVATION
BY GOD'S GRACE GIFT
1)
[Compare Eph 2:8-9]:
2)
[Compare Ro 10:14-17; 11:6]:
C) FEAR,
TERROR, GODLY SORROW, REMORSE AND OTHER EMOTIONS MAY OR MAY NOT LEAD TO
REPENTANCE, I.E., SAVING FAITH, BUT THEY ARE NOT REPENTANCE ITSELF NOR A
REQUIREMENT TO BE SAVED
1)
[Compare Acts 16:29-31]:
2)
[Compare Mt 21:32]:
3)
[Compare 2 Cor 7:8-11]:
4)
[Compare Jn 6:70-71; 13:27; Mt 27:3-5; Jn 17:12]:
5)
[Compare John chapter 3]:
6)
[Compare Jn 11:21-28]:
D) EVEN IF
SORROW, GOOD BEHAVIOR OR A COMMITTMENT TO TURN FROM SIN WERE REQUIRED
THESE BEING NECESSARILY GODLY ACTS - ALL SUCH ACTS BY AN UNBELIEVER ARE
DISQUALIFIED AS FILTHY RAGS AND UNACCEPTABLE TO GOD
1) [Compare
Isa 64:4-6]:
2) [Compare
Ro 8:5-8]:
3) [Compare
Titus 3:4-5]:
4)
[Ephesians 2:8-9]:
VI) TURNING
FROM SIN, TURNING FROM IDOLS RELATIVE TO SALVATION MEANS TO TURN TO GOD
AND TRUST IN HIS PLAN THROUGH FAITH ALONE IN HIS SON ALONE - IT DOES NOT
HAVE SOME KIND OF ACTION OR EMOTIONAL RESPONSE IN VIEW
A)
[Compare Titus 3:5]:
B)
[Compare 1 Thes 1:9]:
VII) TO
TRUST ALONE IN CHRIST ALONE AS SAVIOR IMPLIES THAT YOU HAVE A SIN
PROBLEM WITH GOD AND NEED A SAVIOR - SO A FORMAL ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF ONE'S
SIN PROBLEM WITH GOD IS NOT ADDITIONALLY NECESSARY TO THE FAITH PLACED
IN CHRIST AS SAVIOR
VIII)
REPENTANCE FOR THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS UNTO ETERNAL LIFE DOES NOT
INCLUDE MAKING JESUS LORD OF ONES LIFE, NOR FOLLOWING JESUS NOR DECIDING
TO NOT ENTERTAIN SIN IN ONES LIFE
A)
REPENTANCE FOR THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS UNTO ETERNAL LIFE DOES NOT
INCLUDE MAKING JESUS THE LORD OF ONES LIFE
1)
[Compare Acts 2:36-38]:
B)
REPENTANCE FOR FORGIVENESS OF SINS UNTO ETERNAL LIFE DOES NOT INCLUDE
FOLLOWING JESUS
1)
[Compare Jn 1:43]:
C)
REPENTANCE FOR THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS UNTO ETERNAL LIFE DOES NOT
INCLUDE A DECISION NOT TO ENTERTAIN SIN NOR A COMMITMENT TO LEAD A
FAITHFUL LIFE
RETURN
TO STUDY ON SAVED BY GRACE AND THE WORD BELIEVE 
OR
CONTINUE STUDY OF REPENT FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
IX)
THE CONCEPT OF REPENTANCE FROM THE OLD
TESTAMENT POINT OF VIEW IS THE SAME AS IT IS FOR THE NEW TESTAMENT
A)
[Compare Mt 3:2]:
B)
[Compare Acts 19:4]:
C)
[Compare Mt 4:17]:
D)
[Compare Acts 13:23-24]:
E)
[Compare Mt 5:20]:
F)
[Compare Mt 22:1-7]:
G)
[Compare Mt 21:43-44]:
H)
[Compare Mt 23:37-38]:
I) [Compare
Acts 2:36-38]:
J)
[Compare Acts 3:17-19]:
X)
REPENTANCE IN THE LIFE AND EXPERIENCE OF THE BELIEVER
[
on fellowship with God]
A)
[2 Cor 7: 8-10]:
RETURN
TO SAVED BY GRACE/ FAITH DEFINED STUDIES
