Repentance

Wide Sense: (contrition and faith)

Acts 2:38 38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

Acts 11:18 18 When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, “So then, even to Gentiles God has granted repentance that leads to life.”

Romans 2:4 4 Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?

2 Corinthians 7:10 10 Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.

Narrow Sense: (Contrition)

Matthew 3:1 1 In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea 2 and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”

2 Peter 3:9 9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

Hebrews 6:1 1 Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death and of faith in God, 2 instruction about cleansing rites,b the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3 And God permitting, we will do so.

Acts 20:21 21 I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.

Mark 1:15 15“The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”

Repentance is a requirement for fellowship with God

2 Kings 17:13 Yet through all His prophets and seers, the LORD warned Israel and Judah, saying, “Turn from your wicked ways and keep My commandments and statutes, according to the entire Law that I commanded your forefathers and delivered to you through My servants the prophets.”

1 Thes 1:9 For they themselves report what kind of welcome you gave us, and how you turned away from idols to serve the living and TRUE God

Psalm 34:14 Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.

Isaiah 55:7 Let the wicked man forsake his own way and the unrighteous man his own thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that He may have compassion, and to our God, for He will freely pardon.

Acts 14:15 “Men, why are you doing this? We too are only men, human like you. We are bringing you good news that you should turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them.

Repentance involves turning from sin

Psalm 51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.

2 Cor 7:8-10 For though I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it; though I did regret it—for I see that that letter caused you sorrow, though only for a while—

Job 42:6 Therefore I retract my words, and I repent in dust and ashes.

Psalm 34:18 The LORD is near to the brokenhearted; He saves the contrite in spirit.

Isaiah 57:15 For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in a high and holy place, and with the oppressed and humble of spirit, to restore the spirit of the lowly and revive the heart of the contrite.

Confession of sin

Luke 15:17-19 "But when he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have more than enough bread, but I am dying here with hunger!

Leviticus 5:5 If someone incurs guilt in one of these ways, he must confess the sin he has committed,

Psalm 51:1-3 Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your loving kindness; According to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions.

Proverbs 28:13 He who conceals his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them will find mercy.

Hosea 14:1-2 Return, O Israel, to the LORD your God, For you have stumbled because of your iniquity.

Forsaking specific sins

Ezra 10:10-11 Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, “You have been unfaithful and have married foreign wives adding to the guilt of Israel. 11“Now therefore, make confession to the LORD God of your fathers and do His will; and separate yourselves from the peoples of the land and from the foreign wives.”

Ezekiel 14:6 Therefore tell the house of Israel that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Repent and turn away from your idols; turn your faces away from all your abominations.

Acts 15:19-20 “Therefore it is my judgment that we do not trouble those who are turning to God from among the Gentiles,

Making appropriate restitution

Numbers 5:6-7 “Speak to the sons of Israel, ‘When a man or woman commits any of the sins of mankind, acting unfaithfully against the LORD, and that person is guilty,

Luke 19:8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, half of my possessions I give to the poor, and if I have cheated anyone, I will repay it fourfold.”

Repentance involves turning to God

Isaiah 30:15 For the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, has said: “By repentance and rest you would be saved; your strength would lie in quiet confidence— but you were not willing.”

Luke 22:32 But I have prayed for you, Simon , that your faith will not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”

Acts 11:21 The hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.

Acts 20:21 testifying to Jews and Greeks alike about repentance to God and faith in our Lord Jesus.

Acts 26:18 to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those sanctified by faith in Me.’

Symbols of Repentance

1 Kings 21:27 When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and fasted. He lay down in sackcloth and walked around meekly.

Jonah 3:5 And the Ninevites believed God. They proclaimed a fast and dressed in sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least.

1 Samuel 7:6 When they had gathered at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out before the LORD. On that day they fasted, and there they confessed, “We have sinned against the LORD.” And Samuel judged the Israelites at Mizpah.

Ezra 8:21 And there by the Ahava Canal, I proclaimed a fast, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask Him for a safe journey for us and our children, with all our possessions.

Nehemiah 9:1 On the twenty-fourth day of the same month, the Israelites gathered together, fasting and wearing sackcloth, with dust on their heads.

Personal Repentance

Acts 2:38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

2 Timothy 2:19 Nevertheless, God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord must turn away from iniquity.”

Call to repentance

Luke 5:32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”

James 5:19-20 My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth and one turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins

Jeremiah 25:4-6 “And the LORD has sent to you all His servants the prophets again and again, but you have not listened nor inclined your ear to hear,

Ezekiel 33:7-9 “But if you on your part warn a wicked man to turn from his way and he does not turn from his way, he will die in his iniquity, but you have delivered your life.

Mark 1:4 John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

Those who refuse God’s opportunity for repentance

Jeremiah 35:15 Time and time again I have sent you all My servants the prophets, proclaiming: ‘Turn now, each of you, from your wicked ways, and correct your actions. Do not go after other gods to serve them. Live in the land that I have given to you and your fathers.’ But you have not inclined your ear or listened to Me.

Jeremiah 5:3 O LORD, do not Your eyes look for truth? You struck them, but they felt no pain. You finished them off, but they refused to accept discipline. They have made their faces harder than stone and refused to repent.

Matthew 11:20 Then Jesus began to denounce the cities in which most of His miracles had taken place, because they did not repent.

Matthew 21:32 For John came to you in a righteous way and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.

Rev 9:20-21 The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, so as not to worship demons, and the idols of gold and of silver and of brass and of stone and of wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk

Obedience

Ezekiel 18:21-23 But if the wicked man turns from all his sins which he has committed and observes all My statutes and practices justice and righteousness, he shall surely live; he shall not die. “All his transgressions which he has committed will not be remembered against him; because of his righteousness which he has practiced, he will live. “Do I have any pleasure in the death of the wicked,” declares the Lord GOD, “rather than that he should turn from his ways and live?

Malachi 3:7-10 "From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from My statutes and have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you,” says the LORD of hosts. “But you say, ‘How shall we return?’

Repentance demonstrated by actions

Acts 26:20 First to those in Damascus and Jerusalem, then to everyone in the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, I declared that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds worthy of their repentance.

Isaiah 1:16-17 Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Remove the evil of your deeds from My sight. Cease to do evil,

Daniel 4:27 Therefore, may my advice be pleasing to you, O king. Break away from your sins by doing what is right, and from your iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed. Perhaps there will be an extension of your prosperity.”

Matthew 3:8 Produce fruit worthy of repentance.

Luke 3:8 Therefore produce fruit worthy of repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham

Repentance must be sincere

Jeremiah 3:10 Yet in spite of all this, her unfaithful sister Judah did not return to Me with all her heart, but only in pretense,” declares the LORD.

Jeremiah 24:7 I will give them a heart to know Me, that I am the LORD. They will be My people, and I will be their God, for they will return to Me with all their heart.

1 Kings 8:46-50 “When they sin against You (for there is no man who does not sin) and You are angry with them and deliver them to an enemy, so that they take them away captive to the land of the enemy, far off or near

2 Chronicles 6:36-39 “When they sin against You (for there is no man who does not sin) and You are angry with them and deliver them to an enemy, so that they take them away captive to a land far off or near,

Psalm 78:34-37 When He killed them, then they sought Him, And returned and searched diligently for God;

The Repentance of God

Jeremiah 26:3 Perhaps they will listen and turn— each from his evil way of life— so that I may relent of the disaster that I am planning to do to them because of the evil of their deeds.

Exodus 32:14 So the LORD relented from the calamity He had threatened to bring on His people.

Psalm 106:45 And He remembered His covenant with them, and relented by the abundance of His loving devotion.

Hosea 11:8 How can I give you up, O Ephraim? How can I surrender you, O Israel? How can I make you like Admah? How can I treat you like Zeboiim? My heart is turned within Me; My compassion is stirred!

Joel 2:13 So rend your hearts and not your garments, and return to the LORD your God. For He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, and abounding in loving devotion. And He relents from sending disaster.

Personal Repentance

Acts 2:38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.