Repentance and faith can be understood as “two sides of the same coin.” Repentance is turning from sin; and faith is turning to Christ. Repentance comes about through the convicting power of the word of God to cause a change of attitude, action, and affection. It is impossible to place your faith in Jesus Christ as the Savior without first of all changing your mind about Who He is and what He has done. This is repentance. Whether it is repentance from willful rejection, or repentance from ignorance or disinterest – it is a change of mind. Biblical repentance, in relation to salvation, is changing your mind from rejection of Christ, which is a sin in and of itself, to faith in Christ.
Many understand the term “repentance” to mean “turning from sin.” This is true, but it is not complete. In the Bible, the word “repent” means to "change your mind," to “think differently or afterwards,” to “reconsider.” The Bible also tells us that true repentance will result in a change of actions (Luke 3:8-14; Acts 3:19). The Apostle Paul declared in Acts 26:20, “I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds.” The full Biblical definition of repentance is a change of mind that results in a change of action.
The greatest need for any sinner is to have his sins blotted out, but a man will never have the pardon of sin while he is in love with his sin. There must be a hatred of sin, a loathing of it, a turning from it. Repentance can be described as a revolution in how one deals with one’s attitude and view towards sin and righteousness. Repentance involves a change in one’s attitude and lifestyle. Sin must become, in the eyes of the sinner, just as it is to God: exceedingly wicked and vile. Man, in his lost, sinful, and condemned state, has failed to glorify God. Until a person becomes personally exceedingly sinful in his own eyes, he will never see his need for repentance. When one sees oneself as he appears before God, he is brought to a place where there is true godly sorrow for his sin and hates it altogether. As the psalmist stated in Psalm 38:18, “For I will declare my iniquity; I will be sorry for my sin.” (Psalm 38:18)
In true repentance, there is conviction, contrition, and conversion as one turns from his sin to Christ for salvation. Salvation is deliverance of a person from his sin, not merely from a sinful environment. Jesus Christ is the Savior from not only the penalty and punishment of sin, but also the power of sin. But repentance without obedient faith is nothing more than remorse or regret. As Paul told the congregation at Corinth, “For godly sorrow works repentance to salvation not to be repented of. . . .” (2 Corinthians 7:10)
May the Lord bless you!
Many understand the term “repentance” to mean “turning from sin.” This is true, but it is not complete. In the Bible, the word “repent” means to "change your mind," to “think differently or afterwards,” to “reconsider.” The Bible also tells us that true repentance will result in a change of actions (Luke 3:8-14; Acts 3:19). The Apostle Paul declared in Acts 26:20, “I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds.” The full Biblical definition of repentance is a change of mind that results in a change of action.
The greatest need for any sinner is to have his sins blotted out, but a man will never have the pardon of sin while he is in love with his sin. There must be a hatred of sin, a loathing of it, a turning from it. Repentance can be described as a revolution in how one deals with one’s attitude and view towards sin and righteousness. Repentance involves a change in one’s attitude and lifestyle. Sin must become, in the eyes of the sinner, just as it is to God: exceedingly wicked and vile. Man, in his lost, sinful, and condemned state, has failed to glorify God. Until a person becomes personally exceedingly sinful in his own eyes, he will never see his need for repentance. When one sees oneself as he appears before God, he is brought to a place where there is true godly sorrow for his sin and hates it altogether. As the psalmist stated in Psalm 38:18, “For I will declare my iniquity; I will be sorry for my sin.” (Psalm 38:18)
In true repentance, there is conviction, contrition, and conversion as one turns from his sin to Christ for salvation. Salvation is deliverance of a person from his sin, not merely from a sinful environment. Jesus Christ is the Savior from not only the penalty and punishment of sin, but also the power of sin. But repentance without obedient faith is nothing more than remorse or regret. As Paul told the congregation at Corinth, “For godly sorrow works repentance to salvation not to be repented of. . . .” (2 Corinthians 7:10)
May the Lord bless you!
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