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A reader sent me a link to the following written by Michael Brown:

The Lost Art of Repentance

March 30, 2023

The Hebrew word for repent means “to turn” or “turn back.” Over and over the prophets proclaimed, “Turn back to God and He will turn back to you!” Turn away from your sins and turn back to God, and He will turn away from His anger and turn back to you. Or, when Israel repents, God relents.

But repentance was not only the theme of the Hebrew prophets. It was the foundation of Jesus’ own message (“The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!” {Mark 1:15} “Unless you repent, you too will all perish.” {Luke 13:3}) and the heart of the great commission (“Repentance and forgiveness of sins must be preached to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.” {Luke 24:47}). It was the key to Peter’s preaching (“Repent and be baptized, every one of you!” {Acts 2:38}) and the essence of Paul’s gospel (“God calls all men everywhere to repent.” {Acts 17:30}) Without repentance and faith, no one can be saved. https://stream.org/the-lost-art-of-repentance/

While I do have major theological differences with Michael Brown, such as those he considers to be actual Christian leaders, he is correct that without repentance, one cannot be saved.

Notice something that happened on Pentecost after the Holy Spirit had been given to Peter and the other faithful apostles and Peter had preached about Jesus:

37 Now when they 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?”

38 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. 39 For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” (Acts 2:37-39, NKJV throughout, unless otherwise specified)

Those who God calls MUST repent. Jesus tied repentance in with the Kingdom of God:

15 “The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the gospel!” (Mark 1:15, NET)

Without repentance, one will not be in God’s Kingdom–which is real. That is basically the message Jesus began to proclaim as the good news.

When one repents, one not only is sorry for one’s sins, one must change and obey God.

Related to salvation, notice the following from Peter and the apostles:

29. … Peter and the apostles answered and said, “We are obligated to obey God rather than men.

30. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus Whom you killed by hanging Him on a tree.

31. Him has God exalted by His right hand to be a Prince and Savior, to give repentance and remission of sins to Israel.

32. And we are His witnesses of these things, as is also the Holy Spirit, which God has given to those who obey Him.” (Acts 5:29-32, AFV)

We need God for many reasons, including the fact that the minds of humans are susceptible to the pulls and deceptions of Satan.

6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. 8 So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. (Romans 8:6-8)

Yet, the spirit of God, which is given to those who have been properly baptized after true repentance, is more powerful than Satan and can and will give us the strength to obey!

6 But He gives more grace. Therefore He says:

“God resists the proud,
But gives grace to the humble.”

7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. (James 4:6-10)

Cleansing one’s hands and lament means sorrowful repentance. Humility shows a willingness to change to God’s better ways than our own ways.

Getting back to the Apostle Paul’s writing in Romans, notice that without the Holy Spirit one is not a Christian:

9 … Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. 10 And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.  (Romans 8:9-10)

What is righteousness? Here is what the Bible says:

172 My tongue shall speak of Your word,
For all Your commandments are righteousness.  (Psalms 119:172)

Let me also add that scholars know that all faithful early Christians believed that they were to strive to obey the Ten Commandments.

Now, are only those who keep God’s commandments saved? The last book of the Bible teaches:

14 Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. 15 But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.  (Revelation 22:14-15)

In his article, Michael Brown also wrote:

Yet many of our leaders have implied, “You can have Jesus as Savior before you have Him as Lord. Jesus already died for your sins, so don’t even think about that junk. Just confess Him with your lips, believe in your heart, and it’s done!” In other words, “You can believe today and repent tomorrow!” But does tomorrow ever come? Is this how people got saved in the Bible? Does it even make spiritual sense?

Actually, this no-repentance gospel hardly resembles the message of the Scriptures, since according to the Word: 1) There is no forgiveness where there is no repentance (Acts 3:19); 2) You can no more believe without repenting than you can repent without believing (How can you believe in God without turning back to Him? And how can you turn back to God without believing in Him?); and 3) It is impossible to come to God without repenting, since repentance is the very act of coming back. For those taken captive by the devil, repentance is the only way out (2 Tim. 2:25-26).

Notice also something from the Apostle Paul (the traditional author of Hebrews):

9 … He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him,  (Hebrews 5:9)

Like the Apostle Peter, Paul also ties being a true Christian (and salvation) in with obedience.

So, let me state that the “no-repentance gospel,” is certainly not a biblical one–it is a false gospel.

The Apostle Paul warned about such things:

6 I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, 7 which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.  (Galatians 1:6-9)

Now, do actual Christians also need repentance?

Michael Brown asked that as well:

But what about repentance for those already saved? Do believers need to repent? Haven’t we become the righteousness of God in the Messiah? Aren’t we new creations in Him? … As believers, how often have we been challenged to “examine ourselves” and “test ourselves” (2 Cor. 13:5)? Have we forgotten that we must “judge ourselves” if we do not want to be judged with the world (1 Cor. 11:31-32)? Doesn’t the Word tell us plainly that we must “purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God” (2 Cor. 7:1)?

Yes, we are a new creation in Christ, but that does not mean we do not sin nor need repentance.

The Apostle John wrote:

8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us. (1 John 1:8-10)

Acts 3:9 says that we are to repent so that our sins can be blotted out.

Furthermore, Jesus told Christians, in some prophecies in Revelation, that they need to repent:

2 “To the angel of the church of Ephesus write,

‘These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands: 2 “I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; 3 and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary. 4 Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. 5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place — unless you repent. (Revelation 2:1-6)

12 “And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write,

‘These things says He who has the sharp two-edged sword: 13 “I know your works, and where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. And you hold fast to My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days in which Antipas was My faithful martyr, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. 14 But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality. 15 Thus you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate. 16 Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth. (Revelation 2:12-16)

14 “And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write,

‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: 15 “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. 16 So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. 17 Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’ — and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked — 18 I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. 19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. (Revelation 3:14-19)

Yes, Christians are to repent. Christians are to grow in grace and knowledge, which means to change as well.

Furthermore, to assist in knowing what you should repent of, the Apostle Paul wrote the following:

28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. 30 For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. 31 For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. 32 But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world. (1 Corinthians 11:28-32)

So, that was to happen just prior to the annual Passover season, which is in the Spring each year (with Passover being after sunset on April 4th in 2023).

And scripture written by the Apostle Paul points to the attitude of repentance continuing through Passover through the Days of Unleavened Bread:

6 Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? 7 Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. 8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. (1 Corinthians 5:6-8)

Glorying in sin and/or lack of repentance, like some who profess Christianity do, is not good.

The Bible is clear that one must repent to be a Christian. And Christians must examine themselves and repent annually, but also be willing to confess their sins and repent whenever they are aware that they have sinned. Psalm 51, a psalm of repentance, shows that God will accept those who truly humbly repent and rely on Him.

Here is a listing of some scriptures about this repentance:

1. Mark 1:14-15; Acts 2:38, 17:30 — we are commanded to repent, which means to change from our way to God’s way.
2. Romans 2:4; Acts 11:18 — repentance must be granted by God, who calls according to His will.
3. Romans 6: 23– the wages of sin is death.
4. 2 Corinthians 7:8-11 — sorrow that produces true repentance is far different than mere worldly sorrow.
5. Matthew 7:21; Acts 5:32; Hebrews 5:9 — attaining God’s Spirit, and salvation requires obedience to God. Jeremiah 10:23 — we cannot obey God without His help. But God will help if we draw near to Him per James 4:8
6. 2 Peter 3:9, 18 — spiritual growth is a process and doesn’t happen all at once. 1 John 1:8-10 Christians will still have issues they need to repent of and ask forgiveness for.
7. Psalm 51 –points out that God will accept those who truly humbly repent and rely on Him.

The importance of repentance cannot be overemphasized. It is a first step toward salvation–and should also be an ongoing requirement for Christians.

The Continuing Church of God is pleased to announce this sermon from its ContinuingCOG channel:

1:21:11

Real Repentance

Jesus’ message included REAL REPENTANCE. But Christ really meant it. He meant to really repent–not just experience an emotional upset or disturbance. There is a “sorrow of this world” which is merely human and physical–it is EMOTIONAL–but it leads to death. Do YOU know the difference between sheer human emotion, which would even lead some to sob and SHED TEARS as they “go down the aisle,” and GODLY SORROW which leads to real repentance? Is obedience and real repentance REQUIRED for salvation? Do YOU HAVE TO CHANGE DIRECTION? Without national repentance are the Anglo-American nations doomed? Does God have to call one for real repentance? Does Jesus expect people to give up all to be His disciple? What about Laodicean Christians? What about righteousness and the Ten Commandments? Do converted Christians still need repentance? Dr. Thiel addresses these questions and more.

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This entry was posted on Friday, March 31st, 2023 at 7:00 am and is filed under Doctrine.

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