BIBLICAL REPENTANCE

[Pastor Dale Morgan]

*BIBLICAL REPENTANCE*

David Cloud, [FBIS]

Any evangelist will have false converts. Even the apostles did (Acts
8:20-21). But something is seriously wrong when only a very tiny
percentage of one's reported "converts" exhibit any evidence of
salvation. It would seem that this would encourage a man to rethink his
methodology, but I have found that many men are content to mark up large
numbers of empty professions year after year; and rather than welcoming
a biblical re-examination of their evangelistic program, they take great
offense when someone challenges them about the reality of the reported
numbers. They would rather lash out at such a man and claim that he is
an enemy of soul winning or that he preaches "lordship salvation" or
"works salvation," and blacklist him, try to dig up dirt on him, etc.,
than face the facts from the Word of God.
For those who do this, there is little hope for change; but we praise
the Lord that there are men among our fundamental Baptist brethren are
not content to accept man-made doctrines and methodologies. They are not
afraid to examine what their schools and leaders have taught and to
reject things that are wrong even if they must reject things that are
popular with "the brethren." When I first published the article
"Pentecost vs. Hylescost" in August 1998, I received a huge volume of
response from fundamental Baptist men. Most of the replies were
extremely positive. Many of the replies came from graduates of Hyles
Anderson College and other independent Baptist Bible schools that
promote a "quick prayerism" program. These men thanked me for tackling a
very unpopular subject and for exposing an error that has seriously
weakened the fundamental Baptist movement and that has damaged many
souls. One observant pastor described the fruit of the "quick prayerism"
program as "souls betrayed in the name of soul-winning."

Biblical repentance as preached by John the Baptist, the Lord Jesus
Christ, and the Apostles, involved A CHANGE OF MIND TOWARD GOD AND SIN
THAT RESULTS IN A CHANGE OF LIFE. Note the following summary of Paul's
message: "But showed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and
throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that THEY
SHOULD REPENT AND TURN TO GOD, AND DO WORKS MEET FOR REPENTANCE" (Acts
26:20). The gospel message preached by Peter on the day of Pentecost and
by Paul after Pentecost required repentance and defined that as a
mindset to turn to God from evil works. Paul summarized His gospel
message as "repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus
Christ" (Acts 20:21). The gospel requires that the sinner exercise
repentance toward God and faith in the death, burial, and resurrection
of Jesus Christ. Biblical repentance is a change of mind toward God and
sin that results in a change of life. To say that it has nothing to do
with one's attitude toward sin is to throw away the Bible and nineteen
centuries of Bible-believing preaching.

Repentance Was Preached By Bible Preachers

Those who do not preach repentance or who make light of it or who claim
it is the same as faith or who redefine it so that it has nothing to do
with sin are not following the Bible pattern for evangelism. They are
following a manmade program. The bottom line is that Bible preachers
proclaimed repentance. If faith is the same as repentance, this would
make no sense. Those who follow the Bible will preach repentance and
will require evidence thereof.

REPENTANCE WAS PREACHED BY JOHN THE BAPTIST

"In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of
Judaea, And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. For
this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice
of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make
his paths straight. And the same John had his raiment of camel's hair,
and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild
honey. Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the
region round about Jordan, And were baptized of him in Jordan,
confessing their sins. 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? Bring forth
therefore fruits meet for repentance: And think not to say within
yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God
is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. And now also
the ax is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which
bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire"
(Matthew 3:1-10).

REPENTANCE WAS PREACHED BY JESUS CHRIST

"From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the
kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Matthew 4:17).

"But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not
sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to
repentance" (Matthew 9:13).

"Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works
were done, because they repented not: Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto
thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had
been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in
sackcloth and ashes" (Matthew 11:20-21).

"And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans
were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such
things? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise
perish. Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew
them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in
Jerusalem? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise
perish" (Luke 13:2-5).

"I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner
that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need
no repentance. Š Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence
of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth" (Luke 15:7, 10).

"And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to
suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and
remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations,
beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things" (Luke
24:46-48).

Christ's goal in dealing with men was not merely to lead them in a
sinner's prayer, but to bring them to repentance and genuine salvation.
He described salvation in terms of coming to repentance.

REPENTANCE WAS PREACHED BY THE LORD'S DISCIPLES

"And they went out, and preached that men should repent" (Mark 6:12).

REPENTANCE WAS PREACHED BY PETER

"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in
the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive
the gift of the Holy Ghost" (Acts 2:38).
"Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted
out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the
Lord" (Acts 3:19).

"Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour,
for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins" (Acts 5:31).

"Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the
thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee. For I perceive that thou
art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity" (Acts 8:22-23).

REPENTANCE WAS PREACHED BY PAUL

"And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all
men every where to repent" (Acts 17:30).

"And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have
showed you, and have taught you publicly, and from house to house,
Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward
God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ" (Acts 20:20-21).

"But showed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and
throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they
should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance" (Acts
26:20).

The Bible says that God is "longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that
any should perish, but that all should come to repentance" (2 Peter
3:9). There is no Bible example of people being saved who did not
evidence a change in their lives. The Apostle Paul, reviewing his
ministry before King Agrippa, noted that he went about preaching to Jews
and Gentiles "that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet
for repentance" (Acts 26:20). This is exactly the message we are to
preach today.

WHAT BIBLICAL REPENTANCE IS NOT

REPENTANCE IS NOT MERE HUMAN REFORMATION

Men have the ability to reform their own lives in some sense. It is not
uncommon for men who have gotten into trouble to come to their senses
and to change their ways. Drunkards have stopped drinking; wife beaters
have ceased from their violence; thieves have become honest citizens;
harlots have turned from a life of infamy. This in itself is not
biblical repentance.

First of all, reformation is man-centered and this-world-centered;
whereas repentance is God-centered and eternity-centered. The man who
merely reforms has his eyes on the people he has offended and the
consequences of his actions in his present life. The gospel, on the
other hand, calls for "repentance toward GodŠ" (Acts 20:21). The
Prodigal Son's repentance was demonstrated by his change of attitude
toward God as well as toward his father. "I will arise and go to my
father, and will say unto him, Father, I HAVE SINNED AGAINST HEAVEN, and
before thee" (Luke 15:18).

Furthermore, reformation is problem-centered, whereas repentance is
sin-centered. The man who reforms his life looks upon his actions as
problems and faults, but not as wicked sin against a holy God. Those who
repent, on the other hand, confess that they have SINNED against God.
They do not soft-peddle their sin. This is why it is crucial that people
be taught plainly what sin is from the Bible. To tell people that they
have sinned is not enough, because the sinner does not naturally think
of himself as truly evil. He will admit that he has faults, problems,
weaknesses, lack of self-esteem, etc., but this is not the same as
admitting that he is a wicked and undone sinner before God.

REPENTANCE IS NOT PENANCE

Many Catholic Bibles translate "repentance" as "do penance," according
to Catholic theology that replaces biblical repentance with a
sacramental duty. Penance is a Catholic sacrament whereby sins "done
after baptism" are absolved by the priest upon the confession and good
deeds of the penitent. The four parts of penance are confession,
contrition, absolution, and satisfaction. The satisfaction refers to
various duties prescribed by the priest, such as praying the Rosary.
Satisfaction is defined by the authoritative Addis and Arnold Catholic
Dictionary as "a payment of the temporal punishment due to sin through
works which are good and penal and are imposed by the confessor."

This is not biblical repentance. Sinners are not commanded to go to
priests for forgiveness. They are not told to confess their sins to a
priest or to do good works with the hope that their sins will thereby be
forgiven. All of the elements of Catholic penance are unscriptural.

REPENTANCE IS NOT MERE REMORSE FOR WRONG ACTIONS

The Bible tells us that men can be remorseful about their actions
without exercising genuine repentance unto salvation. This is described
as the "sorrow of the world" in 2 Cor. 7:10. There are key examples of
this in the Old and the New Testaments. King Saul is the prime Old
Testament example. He was sorry that he got caught in various sinful
acts, but he did not demonstrate repentance because his actions did not
change (1 Sam. 15:24; 24:17; 26:21). Judas is the fearful New Testament
example of a man who was remorseful but did not repent toward God (Matt.
27:3-4). Like reformation, remorse is man-centered rather than
God-centered. Those who repent change their mind about their
relationship with God and this results in a change in the way they live.
Judas regretted his actions, but he did not turn to God.

REPENTANCE IS NOT MERE CONFESSION OF OR ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF SIN

Repentance is also not mere acknowledgement of sin. Pharaoh did this,
but he did not repent toward God and his actions did not change (Exodus
9:27). While working in a county jail ministry for several years, I saw
many men and women who acknowledged that they had sinned, but most of
those did not exercise repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus
Christ.

REPENTANCE IS NOT MERELY CHANGING FROM UNBELIEF TO BELIEF

Pastor Jack Hyles, First Baptist Church, Hammond, Indiana, who is an
influential independent Baptist preacher, defines repentance to mean
turning from unbelief to belief. He stated this in his 1993 book, The
Enemies of Soul Winning. One chapter is titled "Misunderstood
Repentance: An Enemy of Soul Winning." He builds his doctrine of
repentance largely on human reasoning: since unbelief is the only sin
that sends men to Hell (so he claims), unbelief is the only sin that
must be repented of. That sounds reasonable, but the bottom line is that
it is contrary to the clear example and teaching of the Word of God.
Biblical repentance as preached by John the Baptist, the Lord Jesus
Christ, and the Apostles, involved a change of mind TOWARD GOD AND SIN.
Note the following summary of Paul's gospel message: "But showed first
unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts
of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to
God, and DO WORKS MEET FOR REPENTANCE" (Acts 26:20). The gospel message
preached by Peter on the day of Pentecost and by Paul after Pentecost
required repentance and defined that as a turning to God from evil
works. Biblical repentance is a change of mind toward God and sin that
results in a change of life. To say that it has nothing to do with one's
attitude toward sin is to throw away 19 centuries of Christian preaching.

REPENTANCE IS NOT MERE CHANGING ONE'S MIND

Another man who has widely influenced the doctrine of repentance held by
independent Baptists is the late Curtis Hutson, former editor of the
Sword of the Lord. His 1986 booklet "Repentance: What Does the Bible
Teach?" has been distributed widely. Hutson boldly denied that
repentance means to turn from sin (p. 4). He denied that repentance is
sorrow for sin (p. 8). He even denied that repentance means "a change of
mind that leads to a change of action" (p. 16). He claimed that
repentance simply is "to change one's mind" and that it did not
necessarily result in a change of life. In an attempt to build his
doctrine of repentance, Curtis Hutson quoted Scripture that appears to
support his position but he ignored the Scriptures that plainly denounce
his position. He misquoted the writings of men like his predecessor John
R. Rice. He also mixed in a heavy dose of human reasoning. For example,
he stated that repentance couldn't mean to turn from sin because man
cannot turn from all sin. That is a smokescreen, because no one has
defined repentance as turning from all sin. The historic definition of
repentance, as it applies to salvation, is a change of mind toward God
and sin that results in a change of life. Repentance is not turning from
all sin in the sense of some sort of sinless perfection; it is a change
of mind toward sin so that the sinner no longer intends to walk in
rebellion against God. Dr. Hutson also reasoned that to say repentance
involves turning from sin is a works salvation. That is nonsense. The
Thessalonians turned from the sin of idolatry (1 Thess. 1:9). Obviously,
that does not mean they thought that their works had a part in their
salvation. The fact that God requires that we turn from sin does not
mean that salvation is by works. We know that the works are the fruit of
genuine salvation, not the cause of it. Repentance, defined as turning
to God from sin, is not a works salvation, as Dr. Hutson falsely
claimed. It is the sinner's obedient response to the Holy Spirit's
conviction (John 16:8). Dr. Hutson's entire line of reasoning about
repentance was unscriptural.

REPENTANCE IS NOT MERELY THE SAME AS BELIEVING

Dr. Dwight Pentecost is among those who define repentance as merely
believing in Christ. "Repentance is not a prerequisite to salvation; for
if repentance is required, salvation is based, at least in part on
works. Š We would suggest to you from the Word of God that repentance is
included in believing. It is not a separate act which conditions
salvation, but rather it is included in the act of believing"
(Pentecost, Things Which Become Sound Doctrine, 1965, pp. 70, 71). This
sounds correct to many people, but it is wrong. First, as to repentance
being a works salvation, that is nonsense. To say that repentance
results in works is not the same as saying that repentance is works.
Saving faith also produces works, but this is not to say that saving
faith is works. Repentance, in fact, is so far from a work that it is a
gift of God's grace. "When they heard these things, they held their
peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles
granted repentance unto life" (Acts 11:18).

I will reply to the idea that repentance is the same as faith by asking
the following questions:

(1) If repentance and faith are the same, why does the Bible make such a
plain distinction between them? "Testifying both to the Jews, and also
to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus
Christ" (Acts 20:21). In reality, repentance and faith are two different
actions though they are intimately connected and cannot necessarily be
separated in time. Repentance is to acknowledge one's sin and rebellion
against God and to change one's mind about sinning against God. Faith is
to trust the finished work of Christ for forgiveness. Repentance and
faith are the two aspects of man's response to God's offer of salvation.

(2) If repentance and faith are the same, why did all of the New
Testament preachers proclaim repentance? Many arguments have been given
to justify not preaching repentance, but the bottom line is that the
Bible preachers proclaimed repentance. If repentance is totally wrapped
up in believing, why did the Lord Jesus Christ preach "except ye repent,
ye shall all likewise perish" (Luke 13:3)? Why did Peter preach, "Repent
ye therefore, and be converted" (Acts 3:19)? Why did Paul preach, "God
... now commandeth all men every where to repent" (Acts 17:30)? Or,
"[men] should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance"
(Acts 26:20)?

(3) If repentance and faith are the same, why did the Lord Jesus Christ
say that repentance is a part of the Great Commission? "And that
repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among
all nations, beginning at Jerusalem" (Luke 24:47). The answer is that
repentance is to be preached, and faith is to be preached. While these
doctrines are intimately connected, they are not the same. Biblical
salvation involves both: "repentance toward God, and faith toward our
Lord Jesus Christ" (Acts 20:21). That is what the Lord's Apostles
preached, and they are our only infallible guides. Those who claim that
repentance does not have to be preached or that it is exactly the same
as faith are denying the plain teaching of the Word of God.

THE BIBLE'S DEFINITION OF REPENTANCE

In the following study, we examine most of the Bible passages dealing
with repentance toward God. Our study is an expansion of one done by
Bruce Lackey. He defined repentance as "a change of mind that results in
a change of action." That is a biblical definition. The Bible's examples
of repentance show a clear change in people's behavior. The change
itself does not save us from sin, but IT IS the fruit of Bible salvation.

A Survey of the Bible's Teaching on Repentance

Exodus 13:17. "And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go,
that God led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines,
although that was near; for God said, Lest peradventure the people
repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt." God led Israel
through the wilderness rather than through the land of the Philistines
'lest peradventure the people repent when they see war, and they return
to Egypt.' God knew that their change of mind would result in a change
of action. In this instance, a change of mind without the resulting
change of action would have been meaningless. Repentance is defined in
this verse as turning.

Judges 21:1,6,14. "And the children of Israel repented them for Benjamin
their brother, and said, There is one tribe cut off from Israel this
day." The men of Israel had sworn that they would not give any of their
daughters as wives for the Benjamites, but they repented and gave them
wives (vv. 6,14). Again, the change of mind without the resulting change
of action would have been meaningless.

1 Kings 8:47-48. "Yet if they shall bethink themselves in the land
whither they were carried captives, and REPENT, and make supplication
unto thee in the land of them that carried them captives, SAYING, WE
HAVE SINNED, AND HAVE DONE PERVERSELY, we have committed wickedness; And
so RETURN UNTO THEE WITH ALL THEIR HEART, AND WITH ALL THEIR SOUL, in
the land of their enemies, which led them away captive, and pray unto
thee toward their land, which thou gavest unto their fathers, the city
which thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for thy name."
God promised that if captive Israel would repent He would hear them. He
defined repentance as acknowledging their wickedness and turning to God
with the whole heart.

Job 42:6. "Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes."
Here, again, we see that repentance is a change of mind that results in
a change of action. Obviously, the dust and ashes were a change of action.

Jeremiah 8:6. "I hearkened and heard, but they spake not aright: no man
repented him of his wickedness, saying, What have I done? every one
turned to his course, as the horse rusheth into the battle." Repentance
is defined as acknowledging and turning from sin.

Ezekiel 14:6. "Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the
Lord GOD; Repent, and turn yourselves from your idols; and turn away
your faces from all your abominations." God defined repentance as
turning from sin and idols. Surely, no one thinks that God would have
been satisfied if they had merely changed their minds without changing
their actions.

Ezekiel 18:30. "Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one
according to his ways, saith the Lord GOD. Repent, and turn yourselves
from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin."
Again, repentance is defined as turning from sin and idols.

Jonah 3:5-8. "So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a
fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least
of them. For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his
throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth,
and sat in ashes. And he caused it to be proclaimed and published
through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let
neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not
feed, nor drink water: But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth,
and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil
way, and from the violence that is in their hands." The word repentance
is not used in the Jonah passage, but in Matt. 12:31 Jesus said they
repented. The repentance of the people of Nineveh was witnessed in their
actions. True repentance is always observable by a change in one's
manner of living.

Matthew 3:1,8. "And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at
hand. ... Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance." John the
Baptist defined repentance as a change in life. He demanded 'fruits meet
for repentance,' which obviously meant that he wanted to see some
evidence that they had repented, before he would baptize them. The
specific changes of action are listed in the parallel passage of Lk.
3:8-14. The various kinds of people had to show different changes of
action, because their particular sins had been different.

Matthew 9:13. "But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy,
and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners
to repentance." Jesus defined repentance as a sinner changing his
attitude to sin.

Matthew 11:20-21. "Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of
his mighty works were done, because they repented not: Woe unto thee,
Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were
done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented
long ago in sackcloth and ashes." Christ defined repentance as a
dramatic change in one's attitude toward God and His Word. He said this
change of mind is evidenced by a change in action.

Matthew 12:41. "The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this
generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching
of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here." Jesus stated that
the men of Nineveh 'repented at the preaching of Jonas.' Jonah 3 shows
that they heard the Word of God, believed God, fasted, put on sackcloth,
and turned from their sin. Christ considered their actions to be a
result of their repentance. Would He have approved what they did if
there had been no change of action? The answer is obvious.

Matthew 21:28-29. "But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he
came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard. He
answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went." The
son's repentance was witnessed by his change of mind and his obedience.
A mere change of mind without a change in action would not have
satisfied the father's command.

Luke 5:32. "I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to
repentance." Christ's objective was not merely to bring men to a mental
belief in the Gospel but to bring them to repentance, which, as we have
seen, means a turning from sin, a change of mind that results in a
change of life.

Luke 13:3-5. "I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all
likewise perish. Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell,
and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt
in Jerusalem? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all
likewise perish." Christ absolutely requires repentance for salvation.

Luke 15:7-10. "I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over
one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons,
which need no repentance. Either what woman having ten pieces of silver,
if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and
seek diligently till she find it? And when she hath found it, she
calleth her friends and her neighbours together, saying, Rejoice with
me; for I have found the piece which I had lost. Likewise, I say unto
you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner
that repenteth." Again, we see that Christ requires repentance for
salvation. God and Heaven do not rejoice merely because someone prays a
prayer in the name of Christ (Mt. 7:21) or because someone makes a
mental assent to the Gospel (James 2:19-20). God and Heaven rejoice when
a sinner repents.

Luke 19:1-10. "And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold,
Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any
thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold. And
Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch
as he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man is come to seek and
to save that which was lost." Zacchaeus's repentance was a change of
mind that resulted in a dramatic change of life. The evidence of his
repentance was that he gave half his goods to the poor and restored
five-fold that which he had stolen through his tax collecting business.

Luke 24:47. "And that repentance and remission of sins should be
preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem."
Repentance is part of the Gospel message that is to be preached to the
ends of the earth. Repentance is part of the Great Commission.

Acts 2:37-41. "Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every
one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye
shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." The Jews in Acts 2 who heard
Peter's sermon repented, and the evidence of this is that they gladly
received his word, were baptized, and joined themselves with the hated
Christians. Again we see that repentance is to turn one's life from sin
and rebellion to God and obedience; it is a change of mind toward God
and sin that results in a change of life. The first church was built on
the preaching of repentance!

Acts 3:19. "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be
blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence
of the Lord." Repentance is God's requirement for every sinner who will
be saved. Repentance precedes and brings conversion and forgiveness of sin.

Acts 5:31. "Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and
a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins."
Repentance is required for and precedes forgiveness of sin. It is a work
of Christ in the heart of the responsive sinner.

Acts 8:21-22. "Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy
heart is not right in the sight of God. Repent therefore of this thy
wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be
forgiven thee." Peter warned Simon to repent of his covetousness, which
meant he was to turn from it, to reject it, to change his mind about it
and to stop it.

Acts 11:18. "When they heard these things, they held their peace, and
glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted
repentance unto life." Note that the disciples described salvation as
repentance. They thought of salvation commonly in these terms. Note,
too, that repentance is a work of God in the heart of the responsive sinner.

Acts 17:30. "And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now
commandeth all men every where to repent." Paul preached repentance to
the idolatrous people at Athens. He did not even mention faith in
Christ, but he explained that God demands repentance. The preaching of
God's holiness and righteousness and man's fallen condition and need of
repentance precedes and prepares the way for the preaching of the Cross.

Acts 20:21. "Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks,
repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ." This
verse summarizes Paul's preaching and the true Gospel message:
repentance toward God and faith in Christ. The sinner must repent about
his disobedience toward God and exercise faith in the death, burial, and
resurrection of Christ for his sin.

Acts 26:20. "But showed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem,
and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that
they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance."
Paul preached the same message as John the Baptist, so no one can limit
this to the dispensation of the law. The words of this verse, 'that they
should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance,' show
that repentance is not a work! When we preach repentance for salvation,
we are not preaching a works salvation, as some have charged. When we
say that repentance produces a change of works, it would be ridiculous
to say that the two are one. Food produces energy and strength; labor
produces sweat; but they are different things, so repentance and works
are two separate things. Repentance produces and results in good works,
but repentance itself is not works salvation. The bottom line is this:
Paul preached repentance and required that repentance produce a change
in the life. We must do the same today. Those who accept a mere prayer
as salvation and who baptize people who demonstrate no change in life
are not following the Bible pattern of evangelism.

Romans 2:4. "Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and
forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God
leadeth thee to repentance?" God does many things with the objective of
bringing men to repentance. This is another reminder that God desires
that all men repent.

2 Corinthians 7:9-11. "For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation
not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. For
behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what
carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea,
what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what
zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be
clear in this matter." Lessons: (1) Repentance is the product of God's
Word (v. 8; Jonah 3:5; Acts 2:38-41). (2) Repentance is a change of mind
that results in a change of life. The Corinthians' repentance produced a
great change in their manner of living: 'carefulness ... clearing of
yourselves ... indignation ... fear ... vehement desire ... zeal ...
revenge.' (3) Repentance is not the same as reformation or other forms
of "the sorrow of the world." Repentance has to do with God and sin,
whereas reformation has to do with other people and with conditions and
things in this world. Many people, when they get into trouble, are sorry
for the trouble and they determine to change certain things in their
lives that produced that trouble. This is not repentance, because it
does not deal with one's wickedness against Almighty God and does not
result in a change of attitude and action in relation to God. (4) True
repentance is permanent (v. 10).

2 Corinthians 12:21. "And lest, when I come again, my God will humble me
among you, and that I shall bewail many which have sinned already, and
have not repented of the uncleanness and fornication and lasciviousness
which they have committed." Repentance is not about sin in general; it
involves a change of mind and a change of action concerning specific sins.

1 Thessalonians 1:9-10. "For they themselves show of us what manner of
entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to
serve the living and true God; And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom
he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath
to come." This passage gives a perfect definition of salvation
repentance. It is turning to God from idols to serve the living and true
God. Note that repentance is directed to God (compare Acts 20:21;
26:20). Repentance results in a change of life (turning from idols to
serve God).

2 Timothy 2:25-26. "In meekness instructing those that oppose
themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the
acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of
the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will."
Repentance produces 'acknowledging of the truth' and recovery from the
snare of the devil. Repentance is a work of God in the heart of a
responsive sinner. God convicts of sin and calls the sinner to
repentance and faith in Christ, and if the sinner responds, God grants
salvation and fulfills His work of repentance in the sinner's life.

Hebrews 6:1. "Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of
Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of
repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God." The 'repentance
from dead works' is obviously a change of mind that results in a change
of action.

Hebrews 12:17. "For ye know how that afterward, when he would have
inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of
repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears." Esau 'found no
place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.' Bruce
Lackey says: "Since there is no record of Esau trying to change the sale
of his birthright to Jacob (Ge. 25:29-34), this must refer to his effort
to get Isaac to change the blessing from Jacob back to himself (Ge.
27:34). Some interpret this to mean that Esau could not repent; I think
it means that he could not get Isaac to repent of having given the
firstborn's blessing to Jacob. In either case, the meaning of repentance
would be the same. Esau found a place to change his mind, but he could
not find a place to change the action. This is one of the strongest
proofs in Scripture that a change of action must take place, or there is
no repentance."

2 Peter 3:9. "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men
count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any
should perish, but that all should come to repentance." Again, we see
that the Bible frequently describes salvation in terms of repentance.
God requires repentance for salvation.

Revelation 2:5. "Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and
repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly,
and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent."
Repentance obviously involves turning from actions that are wrong to
doing actions that are right. It means to change one's mind about a
wrong behavior so that one determines to change that behavior by God's
grace.

Revelation 2:16. "Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and
will fight against them with the sword of my mouth." The Christians at
Pergamos were instructed to repent of the sin and error that they were
allowing in the church, which meant they were to turn from the things
that Christ mentioned.

Revelation 2:21-22. "And I gave her space to repent of her fornication;
and she repented not. Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that
commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of
their deeds." Christ required that the people 'repent of their deeds.'
He surely would not have been satisfied with a change of mind without a
change of action.

Revelation 3:3. "Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard,
and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will
come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come
upon thee." The repentance Christ required produced a complete change in
attitude and action about specific sin and error.

Revelation 9:20-21. "And the rest of the men which were not killed by
these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they
should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and
stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk: Neither
repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their
fornication, nor of their thefts." From these verses, we see that
repentance that is acceptable before God is to reject and turn from sin,
idolatry, and error.

Revelation 16:9,11. "And men were scorched with great heat, and
blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and
they repented not to give him glory. And the fifth angel poured out his
vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness;
and they gnawed their tongues for pain, And blasphemed the God of heaven
because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their
deeds." These passages say that tribulation sinners will not repent 'of
their deeds.' Their lack of repentance is connected with their refusal
to turn from their evil doings. Repentance is a turning to God from sin,
a change of mind about sin that results in a change of action.

REPENTANCE DEFINED BY PREACHERS OF OLD

To define repentance merely as turning from unbelief to belief, or to
claim that repentance has nothing to do with turning from sin, ignores
not only the Bible, as seen above, but also nineteen centuries of
Bible-believing Christian scholarship. Note the following examples of
how repentance has been defined by biblical scholars. These are only a
few of the hundreds that could be given. Statements by men are not our
authority, but it is not wise to ignore what Bible-believing men of old
have believed. Though we would not agree with every detail of the
following statements, we believe they reflect the true definition of
biblical repentance in contrast to those by men today who claim that
repentance is merely turning from unbelief to belief. Note, too, that
all of the men who wrote the following statements on repentance believed
in salvation by grace alone through the faith of Christ alone, yet they
did not hesitate to define repentance in a manner that many of today's
fundamental Baptists wrongfully call a works salvation.

The following statements on repentance are listed by date, beginning
with the 16th century and coming up to the present time:

"I say it is lawful to all men that have a soul, to read the Word of
God, that they may understand the same, and specially the latter will
and Testament of Jesus Christ, whereby they may acknowledge their sins
and repent of the same, whereby they may amend their lives by faith and
repentance, and attain salvation by Christ Jesus" (Patrick Hamilton, the
first Bible believer to be burned in Scotland during the era of Henry
VIII, in February 1528; cited by Christopher Anderson, Annals of the
English Bible, II, p. 419).

"Concerning this word repentance ... the very sense and signification
both of the Hebrew and also of the Greek word is, 'to be converted and
to turn to God with all the heart, to know his will, and to live
according to his laws; and to be cured of our corrupt nature with the
oil of his Spirit, and wine of obedience to his doctrine.' Which
conversion or turning, if it be unfeigned, these four do accompany it
and are included therein: CONFESSION, not in the priest's ear, for that
is but man's invention, but to God in the heart, and before all the
congregation of God; how that we be sinners and sinful, and that our
whole nature is corrupt, and inclined to sin and all unrighteousness,
and therefore evil, wicked, and damnable; and his Law holy and just, by
which our sinful nature is rebuked: and also to our neighbors, if we
have offended any person particularly. Then CONTRITION, sorrowfulness
that we be such damnable sinners, and not only have sinned, but are
wholly inclined to sin still. Thirdly, FAITH (of which our old doctors
have made no mention at all in the description of their penance), that
God for Christ's sake doth forgive us, and receive us to mercy, and is
at one with us, and will heal our corrupt nature. And fourthly,
SATISFACTION, or amends-making, not to God with holy works, but to my
neighbor whom I have hurt, and to the congregation of God, whom I have
offended, (if any open crime be found in me); and submitting of a man's
self unto the congregation or church of Christ, and to the officers of
the same, to have his life corrected and governed henceforth of them"
(William Tyndale, "To The Reader," Tyndale New Testament, 1534).

"Repentance is the true turning of our life to God, a turning that
arises from a pure and earnest fear of him; and it consists in the
mortification of our flesh and of the old man and in the vivification of
the Spirit. It not only constantly follows faith, but is also born of
faith" (John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, 1559).

"We believe and confess, that, as the 'imagination of man's heart is
evil from his youth,' and consequently inclined to all unrighteousness,
sin, and wickedness, that, therefore, the first doctrine of the precious
New Testament of the Son of God is, Repentance and amendment of life.
Gen. 8:21; Mark 1:15)" (The Dordrecht Confession, Mennonite, 1632).

"Repentance unto life is an evangelical grace, the doctrine whereof is
to be preached by every minister of the gospel, as well as that of faith
in Christ. By it a sinner, out of the sight and sense, not only of the
danger, but also of the filthiness and odiousness of his sins, as
contrary to the holy nature and righteous law of God, and upon the
apprehension of his mercy in Christ to such as are penitent, so grieves
for and hates his sins as to turn from them all unto God, purposing and
endeavoring to walk with him in all the ways of his commandments"
(Westminster Confession of Faith, Presbyterian, 1646).

"Repentance is a grace of God's Spirit whereby a sinner is inwardly
humbled and visibly reformed" (Thomas Watson, The Doctrine of
Repentance, 1668).

"Unfeigned repentance is an inward and true sorrow of heart for sin,
with sincere confession of the same to God, especially that we have
offended so gracious a God and so loving a Father, together with a
settled purpose of heart and a careful endeavor to leave all our sins,
and to live a more holy and sanctified life according to all God's
commands" (The Orthodox Creed, Baptist, 1679).

"[Repentance is] to change their mind and to act more wisely, to break
off the worship of idols and bind themselves to the worship of the true
God. Nay, it is to turn with sorrow and shame from every sin, and with
cheerfulness and resolution to every duty" (Matthew Henry, commentary,
Acts 17:30, 1710).

"True repentance is a change of the heart, of the will and affections,
as well as of the outward conversation, a change which is accompanied
with all the fruits and graces of the Spirit of God" (Jonathan
Dickinson, "The Marks of True Repentance and Saving Faith," c. 1730).

"So saving repentance and faith are implied in each other. They are both
one and the same conversion of the soul from sin to God, through Christ;
the act of the soul turning from sin to God through Christ, as it
respects the thing from which the turning is, viz. sin, is called
repentance; and as it respects the thing to which, and the mediation by
which it turns, it is called faith" (Jonathan Edwards, "Sinners in the
Hands of an Angry God," 1741).

"This saving repentance is an evangelical grace, whereby a person, being
by the Holy Spirit made sensible of the manifold evils of his sin, doth,
by faith in Christ, humble himself for it with godly sorrow, detestation
of it, and self-abhorrency; praying for pardon and strength of grace,
with a purpose and endeavor by supplies of the Spirit to walk before God
unto all well-pleasing in all things" (Philadelphia Confession of Faith,
Baptist, 1742).

"Repentance is the carnal and corrupt disposition of men being changed
into a renewed and sanctified disposition. Š It is the nature of such
repentance to make a change, and the greatest change that can be made
here in the soul. Thus you see what repentance implies in its own
nature; it denotes an abhorrence of all evil" (George Whitefield,
"Repentance," c. 1750).

"The repentance then which is in the New Testament required of sinners
is such an entire change of mind, or of views and sentiments respecting
sin and salvation, as discovers itself by a genuine sorrow for sin, a
firm resolution to hate and forsake it, and a sincere endeavor so to
return to God in Christ as to walk with Him in newness of life: the
sincerity of which is to be evidenced by fruits meet for repentance. Š
repentance itself, instead of being a passing act, is an abiding
principle, a lasting disposition of soul, a gracious principle lying
deep in the heart, disposing a man at all times to mourn for and turn
from sin" (John Colquhoun, Repentance, 1826).

"[Repentance is] real penitence; sorrow or deep contrition for sin, as
an offense and dishonor to God, a violation of his holy law, and the
basest ingratitude towards a Being of infinite benevolence. This is
accompanied and followed by amendment of life" (Noah Webster, American
Dictionary of the English Language, 1828).

"We believe the Scriptures teach that repentance is a personal act,
prompted by the Spirit; and consists in a godly sorrow for sin, as
offensive to God and ruinous to the soul; that it is accompanied with
great humiliation in view of one's sin and guilt, together with prayer
for pardon; also by sincere hatred of sin, and a persistent turning away
from, and abandonment of, all that is evil and unholy. Since none are
sinless in this life, repentance needs to be often repeated" (New
Hampshire Confession, Baptist, 1833).

"Repentance signifies that sorrow for sin which produces newness of
life" (Charles Buck, A Theological Dictionary, 1851).

"Repentance is an evangelical grace, wherein a person being, by the Holy
Spirit, made sensible of the manifold evil of his sin, humbleth himself
for it, with godly sorrow, detestation of it, and self-abhorrence, with
a purpose and endeavor to walk before God so as to please Him in all
things" (Abstract of Principles, Southern Baptist Seminary, Louisville,
Kentucky, 1859).

"Repentance unto life is sorrow for sin, grief for having committed it,
and a turning away from it with abhorrence, accompanied with sincere
endeavours, in reliance on God's grace and the aid of the Holy Spirit,
to live in humble and holy obedience to the commands and will of God"
(John Eadie, Biblical Cyclopaedia, London, 1872).

"Just now some professedly Christian teachers are misleading many by
saying that 'repentance is only a change of mind.' It is true that the
original word does convey the idea of a change of mind; but the whole
teaching of Scripture concerning the repentance which is not to be
repented of is that it is a much more radical and complete change than
is implied by our common phrase about changing one's mind. The
repentance that does not include sincere sorrow for sin is not the
saving grace that is wrought by the Holy Spirit. God-given repentance
makes men grieve in their inmost souls over the sin they have committed,
and works in them a gracious hatred of evil in every shape and form. We
cannot find a better definition of repentance than the one many of us
learned at our mother's knee: 'Repentance is to leave the sin we loved
before, and show that we in earnest grieve by doing so no more'"
(Charles Haddon Spurgeon, "The Royal Saviour," Metropolitan Tabernacle,
London, England, Feb. 1, 1872).

"In repentance there is of necessity an intellectual apprehension of
ourselves as sinners, of the holiness of God, of his law to which we
have failed to be conformed as sinners, of the holiness of God, of his
law to which we have failed to be conformed and of his mercy in Christ;
there is a moral disapprobation of our character and conduct; a feeling
of sorrow, shame and remorse; and a purpose to forsake sin and lead a
holy life" (Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, 1873).

"True repentance leads to a holy life; and a holy life is the fruit and
proof of true repentance" (Willis Lord, Christian Theology for the
People, 1875).

"A turning from sin to holiness, or more strictly, from a state of
consecration to self to a state of consecration to God, is and must be
the turning, the change of mind, or the repentance that is required of
all sinners. Nothing less can constitute a virtuous repentance, and
nothing more can be required" (Charles Finney, "Repentance and
Impenitence," 1878).

"Šrepentance Š is a turning from sin, a loathing of it; and if thou hast
that, thou hast sure repentance; but not else. Repentance is also a
sense of shame for having lived in it, and a longing to avoid it. It is
a change of the mind with regard to sin--a turning of the man right
round. That is what it is; and it is wrought in us by the grace of God.
Let none therefore mistake what true repentance is" (Charles Haddon
Spurgeon, "Mistaken Notions about Repentance," Metropolitan Tabernacle,
London, England, April 20, 1879).

"'Metanoeo [repentance] involves: (1) to know after, (2) the change of
mind consequent on this after-knowledge, (3) regret for the course
pursued, resulting from the change of mind consequent on this
after-knowledge, (4) the change of conduct for the future, springing
from all this" (R.C. Trench, Synonyms of the New Testament, 1880).

"Repentance is a change of mind or purpose. Until a man repents he
commonly feels comfortable about himself and his ways; but when the
Saviour, through the Spirit, gives him repentance, he changes his mind
about himself, and seeing nothing good in his heart or in his works, his
whole soul cries out, 'Lord, be merciful to me a sinner' (Lk. 18:13)"
(William Cathcart, The Baptist Encyclopedia, 1881).

"Repentance and the firstfruits of repentance [baptism and other steps
of discipleship mentioned in Acts 2:38-42] were generally inseparable.
The former could not be genuine without manifesting itself in the
latter. And in the circumstances of that day a willingness to be
baptized was no slight evidence of a new heart" (Horatio Hackett,
Commentary on Acts, American Baptist Publication Society, 1882).

"To repent, then, as a religious term of the New Testament, is to change
the mind, thought, purpose, as regards sin and the service of God--a
change naturally accompanied by deep sorrow for past sin, and naturally
leading to a change of the outward life" (John A. Broadus, An American
Commentary on the New Testament, Matthew, 1886).

"The preacher who leaves out repentance commits as grave a sin as the
one who leaves out faith. I mean he must preach repentance just as
often, and with as much emphasis, and to as many people as he preaches
faith. To omit repentance, to ignore it, to depreciate it, is rebellion
and treason. Mark its relative importance: You may make a mistake about
baptism and be saved, for baptism is not essential to salvation. You may
be a Christian and not comprehend fully the high-priesthood of Jesus
Christ (Heb. 5 :11), but 'Except ye repent ye shall all likewise
perish.' So said the Master Himself. Repentance is a preparatory work.
For thus saith the Lord: 'Break up your fallow ground and sow not among
thorns.' I submit before God, who will judge the quick and the dead,
that to preach faith without repentance is to sow among thorns. No
harvest can be gathered from an unplowed field. The fallow ground needs
to be broken up. The most striking instance on record of repentance as a
preparatory work was the ministry of John the Baptist. He was sent 'to
make ready a people prepared for the Lord.' He did it by preaching
repentance, and Mark says his preaching was 'the beginning of the gospel
of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.' Here is the true starting point.
Whoever starts this side of repentance makes a false beginning which
vitiates his whole Christian profession. When true repentance was
preached and emphasized, there were not so many nominal professors of
religion. TO LEAVE OUT OR MINIMIZE REPENTANCE, NO MATTER WHAT SORT OF A
FAITH YOU PREACH, IS TO PREPARE A GENERATION OF PROFESSORS WHO ARE SUCH
IN NAME ONLY. I give it as my deliberate conviction, founded on
twenty-five years of ministerial observation, that the Christian
profession of today owes its lack of vital godliness, its want of
practical piety, its absence from the prayer meeting, its miserable
semblance of missionary life, very largely to the fact that
old-fashioned repentance is so little preached. You can't put a big
house on a little foundation. And no small part of such preaching comes
from a class of modern evangelists who desiring more for their own glory
to count a great number of converts than to lay deep foundations, reduce
the conditions of salvation by one-half and make the other half but some
intellectual trick of the mind rather than a radical spiritual change of
the heart. Like Simon Magus, they believe indeed, but 'their heart not
being right in the sight of God, they have no part nor lot in this
matter. They are yet in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of
iniquity.' Such converts know but little and care less about a system of
doctrine. They are prayerless, lifeless, and to all steady church work
reprobate" (B.H. Carroll, Baptist, Repentance and Remission of Sins, 1889).

"Repentance signifies a change of the mind from a rebellious and
disaffected state to that submission and thorough separation from
iniquity by which converted sinners are distinguished" (M'Clintock and
Strong, Cyclopaedia of Biblical Literature, 1894).

"Repentance being, as it is, an inward change of purpose resulting in an
outward change of life, cannot be performed by one person for another.
Repentance is a turning from a life of self and sin to a life of
submission and obedience to God's will. Repentance, as used in the New
Testament, means a change of mind, but it is a word of moral
significance and does not mean merely a change of opinion. Such a change
often takes place without repentance in the New Testament sense. The
will is necessarily and directly involved, as well as the emotions, but
in scriptural repentance there is a change of mind with reference to
sin, a sorrow for sin and a turning from sin. Repentance means sins
perceived, sins abhorred and sins abandoned. This change is wrought by
the power of God through the Holy Spirit, the word of truth being used
as a means to convict the sinner of sin and lead him to forsake it and
to resolve henceforth to walk before God in all truth and uprightness"
(W.D. Nowlin, Baptist Fundamentals of the Faith, c. 1897).

"There are two words in the New Testament which convey the idea of
repentance, metanoein and epistrepho Š If respect be had to their
literal meaning, the first presents repentance in its negative aspect,
as a change of mind, a turning from sin; the second, in its positive
aspect, as a turning to God. Both have, however, much the same content
of meaning" (James Hastings, A Dictionary of the Bible, 1898).

"Repentance has been described as 'a change of mind Godward that leads
to a judgment of self and one's acts' (1 Ki. 8:47; Eze. 14:6; Mt. 3:2;
9:13; Lk. 15:7; Ac. 20:21; 2 Co. 7:9,10). This would not be possible but
for the thought of mercy in God. It is the goodness of God that leads to
repentance (Ro. 2:4)" (Concise Bible Dictionary, circa 1900).

"Repentance means a return to obedience and to the performance of God's
will after a period of rebellion or neglect of duty; fear for the
terrible consequences of sin, and the love of God for His mercy and
goodness, being the constraining causes; perfect love in the end
'casting out fear'" (John Henry Blunt, Dictionary of Doctrinal and
Historical Theology, 1903).

"Repentance, in the theological and ethical sense, is a fundamental and
thorough change in the hearts of men from sin and toward God. Like faith
it is one of the necessary conditions of salvation" (Charles Barnes, The
People's Bible Encyclopedia, 1910).

"[Repentance] is only a process through which sorrow must be put away by
an act of the will wherein the Christian casts sin from himself and
surrenders himself to the grace of God" (Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of
Religious Knowledge, 1910).

"The New Testament emphasizes repentance and faith as fundamental
conditions of salvation. Repentance is a change of mind toward sin and
God, and a change of will in relation to sin and God. Repentance is not
merely sorrow. It is rather godly sorrow which turns away from all wrong
doing and enters upon a life of obedience. Faith is belief of God's Word
concerning his Son, and trust in his Son for salvation" (E. Y. Mullins,
DD., LL.D., Late President of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary,
Louisville, KY, published by The Sunday School Board of the Southern
Baptist Convention, 1920).

"We believe that repentance and faith are sacred duties, and also
inseparable graces, wrought in our souls by the regenerating Spirit of
God; whereby being deeply convinced of our guilt, danger, and
helplessness, and of the way of salvation by Christ, we turn to God with
unfeigned contrition, confession, and supplication for mercy; at the
same time heartily receiving the Lord Jesus Christ as our Prophet,
Priest and King and relying on him alone as the only and all-sufficient
Saviour" (Baptist Faith and Message, Southern Baptist Convention, 1925).

"Shallow preaching that does not grapple with the terrible fact of man's
sinfulness and guilt, calling on 'all men everywhere to repent,' results
in shallow conversions; and so we have a myriad of glib-tongued
professors today who give no evidence of regeneration whatever. Prating
of salvation by grace, they manifest no grace in their lives. Loudly
declaring they are justified by faith alone, they fail to remember that
'faith without works is dead'; and that justification by works before
men is not to be ignored as though it were in contradiction to
justification by faith before God. Š To repent is to change one's
attitude toward self, toward sin, toward God, toward Christ. Š So to
face these tremendous facts is to change one's mind completely, so that
the pleasure lover sees and confesses the folly of his empty life; the
self-indulgent learns to hate the passions that express the corruption
of his nature; the self-righteous sees himself a condemned sinner in the
eyes of a holy God; the man who has been hiding from God seeks to find a
hiding place in Him; the Christ-rejector realizes and owns his need of
life and salvation" (Harry Ironside, Except Ye Repent, 1937).

"To repent literally means to have a change of mind or spirit toward God
and toward sin. It means to turn from your sins, earnestly, with all
your heart, and trust in Jesus Christ to save you. You can see, then,
how the man who believes in Christ repents and the man who repents
believes in Christ. The jailer repented when he turned from sin to
believe in the Lord Jesus Christ" (John R. Rice, What Must I Do to Be
Saved?, 1940).

"[T]rue repentance is not a sorrow for sin apart from forsaking it,
which Paul terms the 'sorrow of the world,' nor is it a reform apart
from godly sorrow which worketh repentance to salvation. Š True
repentance works a radical change of mind--a change which is manifested
in the intellect, the feelings, and the will" (H. Orton Wiley, Christian
Theology, Vol. II, 1941).

"Metanoia [repentance] denotes primarily a change of mind, taking a
wiser view of the past, including regret for the ill then done, and
leading to a change of life for the better, which becomes in its fullest
development an intellectual and moral regeneration" (Louis Berkhof,
Systematic Theology, 1946).

"While it is true that upwards of one hundred and fifteen N.T. passages
condition salvation on believing, and fully thirty passages condition
salvation on faith ... nevertheless, repentance is an essential
condition in God's glorious Gospel. It is also true that in the last
analysis repentance and faith are one and the same act. 'Ye turned to
God from idols' (1 Thess. 1:9). Repentance is included in believing.
Howbeit, repentance is not faith, nor faith repentance. 'He that
believeth,' implies repentance. 'Repent and be converted,' involves
faith. 'The hand that clutches the assassin's knife must open 'ere it
can grasp the gift its intended victim proffers; and opening that hand,
though a single act, has a double aspect and purpose. Accepting the gift
implies a turning from the crime the heart was bent on, and it was the
gift itself that worked the change. Faith is the open hand, relatively
to the gift; repentance is the same hand, relatively, not only to the
gift but more especially to the dagger that is flung from it.' ...
Repentance is one threefold action: in the understanding--knowledge of
sin; in the feelings--pain and grief; in the will--a change of mind and
a turning around" (James Stewart, Evangelism, 1948).

"Repentance is essentially a change of mind, taking the word in a broad
sense. It has, however, three aspects, an intellectual, an emotional,
and a volitional aspect. Š The volitional element implies a change of
will and disposition. This is the inward turning from sin" (Henry
Thiessen, Introductory Lectures in Systematic Theology, 1949).

"We believe that Repentance and Faith are solemn obligations, and also
inseparable graces, wrought in our souls by the quickening Spirit of
God; thereby, being deeply convicted of our guilt, danger and
helplessness, and of the way of salvation by Christ, we turn to God with
unfeigned contrition, confession and supplication for mercy at the same
time heartily receiving the Lord Jesus Christ and openly confessing Him
as our only and all-sufficient Saviour" (Baptist Bible Fellowship,
Articles of Faith, 1950).

"Repentance is a godly sorrow for sin. Repentance is a forsaking of sin.
Real repentance is putting your trust in Jesus Christ so you will not
live like that anymore. Repentance is permanent. It is a lifelong and an
eternity-long experience. You will never love the devil again once you
repent. You will never flirt with the devil as the habit of your life
again once you get saved. You will never be happy living in sin; it will
never satisfy; and the husks of the world will never fill your longing
and hungering in your soul. Repentance is something a lot bigger than a
lot of people think. It is absolutely essential if you go to heaven"
(Lester Roloff, Repent or Perish, 1950s).

"Metanoia [repentance] can be said to denote that inward change of mind,
affections, convictions and commitment, rooted in the fear of God and
sorrow for offenses committed against him, which, when accompanied by
faith in Jesus Christ, results in an outward turning from sin to God and
his service in all of life" (Baker's Dictionary of Theology, 1960).

"Repentance and faith are inseparable experiences of grace. Repentance
is a genuine turning from sin toward God. Faith is the acceptance of
Jesus Christ and commitment of the entire personality to Him as Lord and
Savior" (Baptist Faith and Message, Southern Baptist Convention, 1963).

"Repentance is already implied in conviction of sin, for to be aware of
sin is to be dissatisfied with oneself, and so to be already seeking to
turn away from where one actually is. Š the 'turning away' of
repentance, which is a turning away from sin and thus from idols, is at
the same time a 'turning toward' God" (John Macquarrier, Principles of
Christian Theology, 1966).

"What do I mean by repent? I mean to turn your heart from your sin. Turn
from sin in your heart and start out to live for God. Š A penitent heart
that turns from your sin and turns to Jesus" (John R. Rice, "Repent or
Perish," Sword of the Lord, March 3, 1971).

"[Repentance] includes not only the act of changing one's attitude
towards and opinion of sin but also that of forsaking it" (Kenneth
Wuest, Word Studies from the Greek New Testament, Vol. III, 1973, p. 28).
"Salvation is more than just believing the facts of the gospel. It
involves being sorry for sin, turning from sin, and trusting in Jesus
Christ. The Bible calls this 'repentance toward God, and faith toward
our Lord Jesus Christ.' Š We live in a day of 'easy believism.' It is
easy to get children to hold up their hands to indicate a decision, but
that does not mean they are saved. The Bible says that no one can be
saved unless he repents. Š Repentance is being sorry enough for your
sins to want to stop doing them" (George B. Eager, Winning Children to
Christ, 1979).

"Š repentance is a radical matter, a turning within the human heart. Š
[it] includes the idea of 'resolve.' Š It describes a total change in
behavior, a reversal of one's lifestyle, a complete turn-around"
(Anthony Hoekema, Saved By Grace, 1989, pp. 124,125).

"Biblical repentance also involves changing one's mind in a way that
affects some change in the person. Repentance is not merely an
intellectual assent to something; it also includes a resultant change,
usually in action" (Charles Ryrie, So Great Salvation, 1989).

"The Greek words [for repentance] mean 'a change of mind which results
in a change of action.' When that refers to man, there is a sorrow for
sin involved. This definition is substantiated both by the scholarship
of Trench and Thayer, as well as by the New Testament usage" (Dr. Bruce
Lackey, Repentance Is More Than a Change of Mind, 1989).

"Repentance is a deep, radical change of both perspective and
commitment, resulting in a moral and spiritual transformation" (Revell
Bible Dictionary, 1990).

"Repentance means a 'turn about act,' turning with sorrow from a past
course of action--hating what we once loved and loving what we once
hated. Repentance is a change of mind concerning God, the Law, sin,
self, Christ, holiness, judgment. Repentance is manifested by its
effects, which are contrition, confession, self-abhorrence,
self-abandonment" (Robert T. Boyd, World's Bible Handbook, 1991).

"Repentance is a heartfelt sorrow for sin, a renouncing of it, and a
sincere commitment to forsake it and walk in obedience to Christ. Š
Repentance is something that occurs in the heart and involves the whole
person in a decision to turn from sin" (Wayne Grudem, Systematic
Theology, 1994, p. 713).

"Repentance is the act of expressing contrition, penitence, and
contrition for sin. Its linguistic roots point to its theological
meaning of a change of mind and life direction as a beginning step of
expressing Christian faith" (Donald McKim, Westminster Dictionary of
Theological Terms, 1996).

"The lack of preaching against sin has brought in multitudes of false
professions and false beliefs. Š In the New Testament concerning
salvation, repentance is always a change for the better and always a
repentance from sin. Biblical repentance is changing one's mind about
their sin, the Saviour, and the Scriptures, which brings about a great
change of direction in their lives (Acts 3:19)" (John L. Graf, Valiant
for Truth, March 1997).

"Scriptural repentance is a change of mind which leads to a change of
heart, a change of attitude and a change of conduct; a change of
attitude toward self, toward sin, and toward the Lord Jesus Christ. It
is an about-face of a soul that has been going away from God" (Pastor
Roger Voegtlin, "God's Command to Repent," Fairhaven Baptist Church,
Chesterton, Indiana, 1998).

"Repentance expresses the conscious turning from sin, a change of mind
and of the whole inner attitude to life, without which true conversion
is not possible" (Dr. Chris McNeilly, The Great Omission: Whatever
Happened to Repentance, 1999).

ILLUSTRATIONS OF REPENTANCE

1. Repentance is the Prodigal Son coming to himself, confessing his sin
against God and his father, and returning home. "And when he came to
himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread
enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my
father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and
before thee, And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one
of thy hired servants. And he arose, and came to his father. But when he
was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and
ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him" (Lk. 15:17-20).

2. Repentance is the Thessalonians turning to God from idols to serve
the living and true God. "For they themselves show of us what manner of
entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to
serve the living and true God" (1 Thess. 1:9).

3. Repentance is Zaccheus turning from corruption to uprightness. "And
Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my
goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by
false accusation, I restore him fourfold. And Jesus said unto him, This
day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of
Abraham" (Lk. 19:8,9).

4. Repentance is Nebuchadnezzar humbling himself before God. "Now I
Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose
works are truth, and his ways judgment: and those that walk in pride he
is able to abase" (Dan. 4:37).

5. Repentance is the Philippian Jailer running from his sin to Jesus
Christ and becoming a kind helper of Christians. "And he took them the
same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he
and all his, straightway. And when he had brought them into his house,
he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his
house" (Acts 16:33-34).

6. Repentance is the Christ-rejecting Jews at Pentecost turning to
Christ and His church. "Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be
baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission
of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Š Then they
that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were
added unto them about three thousand souls. And they continued
stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of
bread, and in prayers" (Acts 2:38-42).

7. Repentance is a sinner raising the white flag of surrender to God.
Repentance is a sinner who is at enmity with God laying down his arms,
raising the white flag of surrender, and submitting to the One against
whom he was before in rebellion.

8. Repentance is a U-Turn. Repentance is when a sinner is heading one
direction, which is the way of sin and self-will, and he stops and turns
around so that he is now going God's way. This definition of repentance
is seen in Exodus 13:17: "Lest peradventure the people repent when they
see war, and they return to Egypt." The repentance of the Jews would
mean they turned around from following God to return to Egypt. This is
the opposite of what a sinner does for salvation, but it gives the
correct definition of the term repentance.

9. Repentance is an assassin laying down the knife. "The hand that
clutches the assassin's knife must open 'ere it can grasp the gift its
intended victim proffers; and opening that hand, though a single act,
has a double aspect and purpose. Accepting the gift implies a turning
from the crime the heart was bent on, and it was the gift itself that
worked the change. Faith is the open hand, relatively to the gift;
repentance is the same hand, relatively, not only to the gift but more
especially to the dagger that is flung from it" (James Stewart,
Evangelism, pp. 48,49).

10. Repentance is the thief returning the stolen property. "I believe we
ought to make right what we can make right. What if I was staying with a
group of preachers and one of them stole my wallet while I was sleeping?
The next day he comes up to me and tells me he is terribly sorry and
asks me to forgive him. I would be glad to hear that he is sorry for
stealing my wallet, but I would certainly want and expect more than that
from a repentant thief. I would want my wallet back! I don't believe he
has really repented unless he brings my billfold back. I DON'T BELIEVE
YOU HAVE REPENTED UNTIL YOU GET RIGHT AND SAY, 'LORD, I'M GOING TO LIVE
DIFFERENT FROM NOW ON,' AND BY THE GRACE OF GOD YOU WILL LIVE DIFFERENT"
(Lester Roloff, Repent or Perish).

REPENTANCE AND FAITH

Repentance and faith are separate works of God's grace but they come
together for salvation and cannot really be separated by man. They are
two different things, but they act as one.

"Repentance is included in believing. Howbeit, repentance is not faith,
nor faith repentance. 'He that believeth,' implies repentance. 'Repent
and be converted,' involves faith. 'The hand that clutches the
assassin's knife must open 'ere it can grasp the gift its intended
victim proffers; and opening that hand, though a single act, has a
double aspect and purpose. Accepting the gift implies a turning from the
crime the heart was bent on, and it was the gift itself that worked the
change. Faith is the open hand, relatively to the gift; repentance is
the same hand, relatively, not only to the gift but more especially to
the dagger that is flung from it.' ... Repentance is one threefold
action: in the understanding-knowledge of sin; in the feelings-pain and
grief; in the will-a change of mind and a turning around" (James
Stewart, Evangelism, pp. 48, 49).

"Repentance never saved a soul by its merits; it lays the needful
foundation for the temple of faith in the heart. But all the penitential
sorrows of Adam's family would not remove one faint stain of sin. If a
man borrowed five thousand dollars, for which he gave security, and
squandered it most foolishly, and afterwards, filled with true
repentance, he solicited and expected the forgiveness of the debt
because he was sorry for it, the spendthrift would only meet with
contempt in his application; his sureties would have to pay the money.
Faith alone in the Crucified cleanses from all sin, and repentance is
God's instrumentality for leading the sinner to the Lamb of God, the
Great Remover of sin" (William Cathcart).

"While it is true that upwards of one hundred and fifteen N.T. passages
condition salvation on believing, and fully thirty passages condition
salvation on faith ... nevertheless, repentance is an essential
condition in God's glorious Gospel. It is also true that in the last
analysis repentance and faith are one and the same act. 'Ye turned to
God from idols' (1 Th. 1:9). Repentance is included in believing.
'Howbeit, repentance is not faith, nor faith repentance. 'He that
believeth,' implies repentance. 'Repent and be converted,' involves
faith. ... Repentance and faith can never be separated. 'Repentance
toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ' (Ac. 20:21). 'Ye
repented NOT ... that ye might believe Him' (Mt. 21:32). ... Repentance
is denying (negative), faith is affirming (positive). Repentance looks
within, faith looks above. Repentance sees our misery, faith our
Deliverer. Repentance is hunger, faith is the open mouth, and Christ is
the living food" (James Stewart, p. 49).

TO PREACH REPENTANCE MEANS TO DEAL PLAINLY WITH SIN

The sinner who would be saved must repent, which repentance will always
result in a changed life. This means that we cannot have the attitude
that we will only deal with specific sin after the person receives
Christ. That is the philosophy of many. If the sinner brings up his love
for liquor, or his love for immoral relationships, or his love for
gambling, some think it best to delay dealing with such things until
after that one has come to Christ. And sometimes this is the best
policy, but only if the sinner is clearly under the conviction of the
Holy Spirit about his sin and is clearly ready to turn to Christ. On the
other hand, if the sinner obviously still wants to hold onto his sin,
the personal worker must deal with the fact that he must turn from it.

When my wife and I first began our work in South Asia in 1979, our
landlord began coming to our house to have Bible studies. He was a
wealthy middle-aged Hindu and had a concubine that he spent most of his
time with, though he was married and had grown children. After we went
through the gospel a few times, he told me he was interested in
receiving Christ, but he needed to know what he would have to do about
two specific things in his life-his shady business practices, and the
illicit relationship with his concubine. I could have said, "Don't worry
about those things. Just pray to receive Christ and those things will
work out later." I don't believe that is proper biblical counsel. I
don't believe he could receive Christ and be saved unless he was willing
to repent of his immorality and his dishonesty. I told him God required
that he repent of these great evils. He argued that it was not possible
to be honest in his country and to be rich, and he never returned for
another Bible study.

During our work in South Asia, we could have gotten half the people to
pray a prayer if we had wanted to do that. If we would have approached
them by asking them if they wanted to go to Heaven if they died and if
they believed in Jesus and if so would they pray a sinner's prayer, 90%
of them would have muttered a prayer. They were accustomed to mantras,
chants, and mysterious utterances and would have seen the sinner's
prayer in the same light. If we had urged them only to "believe" without
dealing with them about repentance, we would have had a multitude of
unrepentant, "believing" Hindus on our hands-but believing in what? They
eagerly believe that Jesus is good and powerful and that he loves them;
but they commonly want to add him to their other gods, not receive Him
exclusively as the only Lord and Saviour.

During our gospel meetings there, if we would ask for a show of hands of
those who want to be saved, most of the hands would go up. But we knew
that most of these Hindus were not ready to turn to Christ FROM THEIR
IDOLS and to bear the heavy reproach and persecution of their relatives
and neighbors. In other words, they were not ready to be saved. Without
repentance, there is no salvation. "I tell you, Nay: but, except ye
repent, ye shall all likewise perish" (Lk. 13:5).

It is imperative to deal with people about their sin and about repentance.

Someone might say, "Yes, but that is in South Asia where people have
never heard the gospel. Things are different here in North America."
Sure, things are different there, but the fact is that the average
person in North America today is almost as gospel ignorant as someone in
India or Bangladesh. The average person we meet in many parts of North
America has no knowledge of the Bible's teaching, even of its stories
and basic content. His mind is filled with the myths of evolution and
humanism. Someone who has been educated in the North American public
school system and who has had no sound Bible training is actually more
prejudiced against believing that the Bible is the Word of God than a
Hindu in darkest Asia. The same is true for England and Europe.

The Bible principles of dealing with people are the same no matter where
those people are found. The Bible requires repentance.

When the Lord Jesus Christ dealt with the rich young ruler who inquired
about salvation, He did not tell him just to pray a prayer, just to
believe. He dealt with him plainly about his love for riches, his
covetousness and pride. The young man had to repent of that deep sin of
his life before he could be saved. He went away sad, the Bible says,
because of his great riches. Consider Christ's dealings with the woman
at the well. He faced her squarely with the immorality that had
controlled her life and required repentance of her in that matter. This
is the way God always deals with people, and it is the way we must deal
with them, too, if we want to follow the Bible in our gospel work. To
preach repentance means to deal with specific sins which people are
holding on to, and to tell them clearly that they must repent of those sins.

This is not "lordship salvation." This is not some kind of puritan
methodology. It is simple Bible evangelism.