King James Bible Believer (KJBB)

Repentance is always the subject of a topic when it comes to salvation. Should one "repent", should one have "repentance", etc?... The answer boils down to "What does the Bible say?" 

Paul tells us in the New Testament (NT) "For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death." (2 Corinthians 7:10). 

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Here we can clearly see that "godly sorrow worketh repentance TO salvation..." Many today want to accept the modern day belief that "Repentance" or "to repent" is a mere "Change of mind" and a change of mind only. This is false and wrong! That is the "lexicon, go to the greek" man's view and opinion, and is not Biblical! 
 

Anytime we find a word or topic we don't clearly understand, the "Law of First Mention" and/or "Context" of how its used will help us come away with a clear understanding of what the biblical defintion is. 

Genesis 6:6 "[6] And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart." Here we can clearly see it is a heart issue, not a mind issue. This is where "repentance" should always begin. 

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A correct understanding of repentance is absolutely fundamental to biblical Christianity. A Christian must know what repentance means, what to repent of, and how to distinguish between real and counterfeit repentance. He or she should also have a solid understanding of how repentance relates to Godly sorrow, divine grace, and saving faith.
 

Paul informs us that  [30] And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: [31] Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead." (Acts 17:30-31)  Repentance, then, is a subject deserving of careful study. The admonition to repent is for all men of all races and nationalities, and is an essential component of the good news of the Kingdom of God. 

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To repent means, to turn, change or it can mean to feel sorry a godly sorrow. Now let me explain "godly sorrow", because there is a difference. Paul makes the distinction in 2 Corinthians 7:10. "For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death." (2 Corinthians 7:10). 

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The Bible tells us it is important that we understand the right kind of sorrow, which leads to heartfelt repentance and change. Most of us would say, “I’m sorry,” to a person we accidentally bumped into at the store. Most of us would show sorrow when we hear that a close friend has lost a loved one, and we would really feel for that person. In both cases, being sorry can truly be from the heart. But, even so, is this the kind of sorrow God is looking for when it comes to repentance? King Solomon wrote,

 

Proverbs 15: [13] A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.

 

A cheerful countenance is simply an outward expression of being happy. It’s a reaction to an inward physical emotion. But Solomon also notes that the spirit can be broken by the sorrow of the heart. The heart of a man describes the mind and the thinking of a person. What is meant by the spirit being broken? Does God require a broken spirit?

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King David wrote,  Psalm 34: [17] The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles. [18] The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. 

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God is near those whose selfish, prideful mind has been broken down, and He saves those whose spirit is crushed. 

 

"Sorrow of the world" is feeling sorrowful to and for worldly things. For instance, if a person drinks too much alcohol and is arrested for driving under the influence, and then wakes up in jail, he may be distressed or embarrassed. He may wish he wasn’t dealing with the discomfort of a hangover or be troubled that he endangered the lives of others. But then he may turn around and do the same thing again the next weekend. Once he is out of jail, no longer experiencing physical discomfort, he may give little thought to what he did. This kind of regret or sorrow is temporary—it doesn’t lead to a change in thinking or behavior! In a spiritual sense, if a person does not repent of sin, then he is still living in sin, and the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). The penalty of sin is death and is still over him; and his worldly, temporary sorrow will not lead him to a repentant change of the heart. 

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If your heart is not right with God, nothing else will be...  "O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. (Matthew 12:34)

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Jeremiah 17: [9] The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? 

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Matthew 12:35, A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. 

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So if the heart is deceitful, desperately wicked, and out of the abundace of the heart the mouth speaketh... Seems the heart is a good place to start to make sure its right with God. Clear your heart of all evil, hatred, envy, bitterness and grudges.

What did Jesus tell Paul about Repentance? 

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Jesus tells Paul himself, in Acts 26: [16] But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee; [17] Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, [18] To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me."

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Paul then says in verse 20, “[20] But shewed 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). Paul knew that the inner state of repentance, if firmly rooted and nurtured, would inevitably and eventually express itself through outward works. 

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If only the brethren would accept it. Preachers who do not believe that repentance is a requirement for salvation often believe that repentance involves an immediate turn from all sin with an immediate life of holiness being manifest. They realize how this is practically impossible for most people, so they throw out repentance altogether! If only they really believed the Bible!

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When I stand on a street corner and say, "Repent, or ye shall all likewise perish," I am not saying that my listeners can't be saved until they quit their drinking, their smoking, their fornicating, their cursing and their rock-n-rolling. I am not saying that they must stop all those things and start living a holy life before they can trust Christ. Indeed, that would constitute a works-based salvation. When I say, "repent," I am speaking of a Biblical repentance which begins with a simple change of heart (Gen. 6:6). Since the mouth speaks out of the abundance of the heart (Mat. 12:34), I can expect the candidate for salvation to say some things that indicate a changed heart about sin and righteousness. He may not overcome his smoking habit for a good while, but he readily admits that it is wrong and it displeases God. He may not immediately "break up" with his shack-up honey, but at least he now admits that God is not pleased with his way of living and some action needs to be taken. It's the change of heart that we need to seek because, if the heart changes, God has begun a work, and he will continue it:

 

Philippians 1: [6] Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

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However, let us not forget the fruits and actions that should always follow the change of heart. Jesus said, "Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them." (Mat. 7:20) I can know a person is saved by examining his fruit. If a man says he received Jesus Christ as his Saviour when a preacher visited his home a year ago, yet he hasn't read his Bible, he hasn't prayed, he hasn't attended church services, and he still lives like the devil, then he probably never received Christ. At least some fruit should be evident after a whole year! You can plant a tree and not see much growth in just a few days, but after a whole year, you'll see significant changes.

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Why don't people want to repent, and some leave it out of the salvation gospel? Jesus tells us in John 3 why, 

 

John 3: [19] And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their DEEDS were evil. [20] For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. [21] But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God. 

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Many like to bring up the excuse that "God repented so repentance can't mean to turn from anything, or equal a changed life, because God does not change nor sin". The problem is they want to compare a Holy, Righteous God, to wicked, sinful, and sometimes evil natured humans... At this point they have already failed to understand the word of God, and the whole purpose of needing a savior. Another note, that is what they call a fallacy and straw man argument.