Bible Basics: Repentance
The call to repentance appears early in the Bible. The Apostle Peter calls Noah a preacher of righteousness (2 Peter 2:5). Though not directly stated, Noah surely preached repentance to the people of his day in an effort to save them from the flood. The Old Testament prophets continually pleaded with Israel to repent of their sins and turn to God. John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” When Jesus began his earthly ministry, He came into Galilee preaching the gospel of God and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” (Mark 1:15 NIV).
The message of God is the same in the Christian age. On the day of Pentecost, the Apostle Peter commanded the people to “repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus in order to receive the remission of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). In Jesus’ message to the 7 churches of Asia (Revelation 2 & 3), He stressed the doctrine of repentance. Eight times in these two chapters, He used the word repent or repentance. Repentance was a prime need in Bible times. It is even more needful today for those inside as well as those outside the church of our Lord.
The Greek word for repentance in the New Testament is “metanoia.” This term means to have another mind or to think again. This is a process where the mind or heart undergoes change. The person who repents changes his mind with regard to sin and sinful activities. It is equivalent to the Old Testament word “turn.” Thayer's Dictionary of Greek and English Words defines repentance as a “changing of one’s mind for the better, heartily to amend for one’s past sins.”
The story of the prodigal son is a good illustration of repentance. Jesus illustrated repentance when the younger brother’s sin is seen in his rejection of his father’s authority and home. This willful rejection led the young man to leave home and travel to a faraway country. Then he wasted his money (an inheritance obtained from his father) on sinful, foolish living. We see the depth of his sin when he has lost all of his money, friends, and food. He then stooped to the position of feeding swine. His repentance began when he came to truly realize his position. Jesus said, “He came to himself” (Luke 15:17). This would indicate that the young man finally realized the foolish and sinful pattern of his previous thinking. He understood that he had made a mess of his life and that he was lower than the lowest servant in his father’s house. This brought him to the first step of repentance, which is sorrow for sin. This sorrow for sin led him to new realizations and a change of heart. Luke 15:18 records his new conviction: “I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.” The young man changed his mind about his previous sinful thinking and behavior. He rejected his past actions and was filled with sorrow. He realized the awful price he had paid for his sinful lifestyle.
He also changed his mind about his father. This is the second phase that one goes through as repentance takes place. For repentance to be complete, there must be a change in action and lifestyle. Repentance is more than sorrow and regret. The young man could have sat there in the pig pen for the rest of his life and wallowed in his sorrow. He could have regretted his poor choices without ever making real changes. His repentance was complete when Jesus said that the young man arose and returned to his father.
Repentance is often the forgotten element with many people who think they are following Jesus, but are not. Let's be honest, everyone wants God’s help when they get into trouble. We all want God’s blessings to rain down on us. The real question is: Do we want God? Do we want to have a relationship with God that nourishes our souls? If we do, we must give up our self-serving and sinful thinking. Repentance is where we get off the throne of our hearts and allow God to occupy that place. We admit our ways are damning and seek God’s holy, righteous ways. Seek God, submit to Him, and make Him the foundation of your life. That is repentance. Keep looking up!