Biblical Repentance

[Michael]

A topic rarely touched on in our churches today. And greatly misunderstood even when it is mentioned.
Delving here into the Scripture and the teaching of Jesus on the absolute necessity of walking in True Repentance before God -

https://youtu.be/LpN_Z1Wdc0U

 

[Lamb]

You don't think repentance is touched on in churches today? Do you visit many different churches to be able to claim that?

 

[Josiah]

Lutherans begin EVERY worship service with repentance....

 

[MennoSota]

Lutherans begin EVERY worship service with repentance....

...and well they should.

 

[Michael]

You don't think repentance is touched on in churches today? Do you visit many different churches to be able to claim that?

Personally, I've attended at least 50 different congregations around this country.
If & when "repentance" is mentioned, it almost exclusively is used to refer to 'feeling sorry' for sins we've committed.
Biblical Repentance means to "turn away" from our sins and stop doing them. This is the repentance God requires.

 

[Michael]

Lutherans begin EVERY worship service with repentance....

If the members of the congregation are actually 'turning away' from their sins and committing them no more, and doing righteousness rather than wickedness every day of the week, not just on Sunday, then let us say AMEN!!
Far too often' repentance' today has come to mean 'feeling sorry' for our sins and asking for forgiveness. True Biblical Repentance that God requires is an actual ceasing from our sins and walking in righteousness and holiness before Him.

 

[Michael]

Biblical Repentance (part 2)

To minister Life to God's creation.

Do you sense that call of God upon your life?

If so, our journey begins with Repentance.

https://youtu.be/5yvmgNBQrjk

 

[Lamb]

If the members of the congregation are actually 'turning away' from their sins and committing them no more, and doing righteousness rather than wickedness every day of the week, not just on Sunday, then let us say AMEN!!
Far too often' repentance' today has come to mean 'feeling sorry' for our sins and asking for forgiveness. True Biblical Repentance that God requires is an actual ceasing from our sins and walking in righteousness and holiness before Him.

It's not just about turning away...it's also TURNING TO GOD IN FAITH. That's a necessary component of Christian repentance.

 

[Lamb]

Personally, I've attended at least 50 different congregations around this country.
If & when "repentance" is mentioned, it almost exclusively is used to refer to 'feeling sorry' for sins we've committed.
Biblical Repentance means to "turn away" from our sins and stop doing them. This is the repentance God requires.

Lutheran repentance is never just feeling sorry so it seems you've never attended a Lutheran church before.

 

[MennoSota]

If the members of the congregation are actually 'turning away' from their sins and committing them no more, and doing righteousness rather than wickedness every day of the week, not just on Sunday, then let us say AMEN!!
Far too often' repentance' today has come to mean 'feeling sorry' for our sins and asking for forgiveness. True Biblical Repentance that God requires is an actual ceasing from our sins and walking in righteousness and holiness before Him.

It's not just about turning away...it's also TURNING TO GOD IN FAITH. That's a necessary component of Christian repentance.

Biblical repentance is described to us in 1 Thessalonians.

1 Thessalonians 1:8-10 For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything. For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you 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, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.

God gifted faith causes the believer to turn toward God, away from sin.

 

[Michael]

It's not just about turning away...it's also TURNING TO GOD IN FAITH. That's a necessary component of Christian repentance.

Yes, I agree! "The righteous shall live by faith (faithfulness)" to God. Those who choose to act and behave righteously in His sight demonstrate their faith in God and prove their faithfulness to Him.
Oh Glory! May each of us be turning to the Lord every day in all we say & do.

 

[Michael]

Lutheran repentance is never just feeling sorry so it seems you've never attended a Lutheran church before.

Actually I have attended Lutheran services in a couple different states.
However, True Repentance cannot happen only at church. It must happen when we are alone in our homes as well. Biblical Repentance is a ceasing from sin as Jesus commanded. "Go and sin no more."

Thank You, Lord, that we can choose to obey You and say NO to sin.

 

[Lamb]

Actually I have attended Lutheran services in a couple different states.
However, True Repentance cannot happen only at church. It must happen when we are alone in our homes as well. Biblical Repentance is a ceasing from sin as Jesus commanded. "Go and sin no more."

Thank You, Lord, that we can choose to obey You and say NO to sin.

True repentance is turning to God who forgives those sins. I notice you don't bring up His forgiveness in your posts.

 

[Michael]

True repentance is turning to God who forgives those sins. I notice you don't bring up His forgiveness in your posts.

Amen on the 'turning to God' part! I get deeper into that in Part 4 of this series.
And yes, there is forgiveness of our past sins when we come to Christ Jesus. And if we slip up we can come before the Throne and seek forgiveness. But the New Testament makes no provision for continued sin in those who claim to believe in Jesus.
As with "salvation", "forgiveness" is the beginning of our journey. As the Spirit drove Jesus into the wilderness to test and prove Him, so too does the Spirit bring us into our own personal wilderness to "test and try us to see what is in our hearts, to know whether we will obey God or not."

 

[Michael]

For those who like shorter messages, here is a brief 5-minute preview of Part 3; on the Biblical definition of Repentance.

https://youtu.be/EMM4bKithZ8

 

[Michael]

REPENTANCE (part 3)

Continuing on in our look at Biblical Repentance, a vital aspect of our Journey that is greatly misunderstood or even ignored in our assemblies at large today.

Setting aside the understanding and traditions of man, let's delve right into the Scripture, the very Word of God.

Let him who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches.

https://youtu.be/vBpcQnWbIFM

 

[Michael]

REPENTANCE (part 4)

Speaking to the saints, Jesus admonishes us -

"Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of My God. Remember, therefor, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent."
-Rev 3:2-3

This Word is for us today in the churches. May we have "ears to hear what the Spirit is saying."

Continuing on in our study of Biblical Repentance...

https://youtu.be/zVu4u54-GvM

 

[MennoSota]

True repentance is turning to God who forgives those sins. I notice you don't bring up His forgiveness in your posts.

The best example of repentance comes from 1 Thessalonians 1.

1 Thessalonians 1:2-10 We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything. For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you,
and how you 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, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.

 

[Michael]

The best example Jesus gives for repentance is found as He addresses those who have become lukewarm and comfortable in the churches, those who believe they are secure in Him because of their "salvation" even though they have not "walked worthy" and been diligent to "press in."

"Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God. 3 Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you. 4 Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with me in white, for they are worthy." - Rev 3:2-4 ESV

Will the Lord find us "worthy" in that Day, because we have truly "turned from our sin" and "held fast" to His commands? Or is the "fruit" of our life still show the deeds of our "old man" of "flesh and blood" which cannot inherit the Kingdom?

"Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance" (Matt 3:8)

Indeed, God only knows we've truly repented if He sees a change (for the better) in our behavior, choices and deeds. The "fruit" of our life will prove our repentance. Biblical repentance is not something abstract, or a feeling, or mental assent; but a change of action on our part.

May we each be bearing the fruit of righteousness today, showing God we mean business and are receiving His commands to "turn from our sin and does what is lawful and right" and "turn to the living and true God."

For without a change of behavior, God cannot know that we have turned to Him. Let us not "honor Him with our lips" and words of sorrow and repentance, unless we actually mean to "stop sinning" as Jesus has commanded us. The proof is in what we do. Jesus has done His part... will we do ours?

This is a hard Word for many to receive. As the Lord Jesus warned, "because of the increase of lawlessness, the love of many will grow cold." (Matt 24:12)

Will we "turn back and walk with Him no more" (John 6:66) because His Truth makes us uncomfortable, or will we actually "Repent and be converted, that our sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord." (Acts 3:19)

The choice is ours.

 

[MennoSota]

For without a change of behavior,
God cannot know
that we have turned to Him.

So, you say the omniscient God cannot know unless we show Him that we, by our own will, are seeking Him.
You seem ignorant of the fact that we would never turn, unless God intervened and turned us to Himself.

Romans 3:10-18,20-28
“None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” “Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive.” “The venom of asps is under their lips.” “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.” “Their feet are swift to shed blood; in their paths are ruin and misery, and the way of peace they have not known.” “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.