Special Study Outline

REPENTANCE
It is impossible to read the Bible without being aware of its emphasis on repentance. That God demands “all men everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:30) is something which cannot be denied. The word “repentance” speaks of a change in one’s attitude and behavior. It has been defined as the changing of the mind, followed by a change of action. Our thinking and our behavior are affected when we truly repent. Although the word “repentance” is not used frequently in the Old Testament, there is no doubt that the prophets tried to get the people to change their minds and their actions—which is what repentance is. Instead of the word “repentance,” the Old Testament uses words like “turn” or “return.” The Lord instructed Ezekiel to tell the Israelites: “As I live, says the Lord, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn, turn from your evil ways; for why will you die, O house of Israel? ...But if the wicked turn from his wickedness, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall live thereby” (Ezek. 32:11, 19). God commanded the prophet Jeremiah: “Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return, backsliding Israel, says the Lord; and I will not cause my anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful, says the Lord, and I will not keep my anger forever” (Jer.3:12). God gave His people many reasons to return to Him, but for the most part, they refused to do so. Amos quotes the Lord as saying over and over, “Yet you have not returned unto me, says the Lord” (Amos 4:6, 8, 9, 10, and 11). It is clear, therefore, that the great prophets of old were preaching as forcefully as they could to get their stubborn hearers to repent. In the New Testament, the word “repentance” is used many times. The first book of the New Testament, the Gospel of Matthew, tells of the beginning of John the Baptist’s ministry by recording: “In those days came John the Baptist preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, Repent: for the kingdom of God is at hand” (Matt. 3:1-2). John the Baptist made it clear that his hearers would have to forsake their sinful ways in order to receive the Kingdom of God. The multitudes “were baptized of him in the Jordan, confessing their sins” (Matt. 3:5-6). It wasn’t long before the Jewish religious leaders came to “check out” this wilderness preacher. When he saw them he said, “O generation of vipers, who has warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring therefore fruits worthy of repentance: and think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able to of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham” (Matt. 3:7-9). The subject of repentance was a constant theme of Christ and His followers. Jesus began His ministry by calling people to repent (Matt. 4:17). Following His death, burial, and resurrection, Jesus told His apostles that repentance should be preached among all the nations (Lk. 24:48). In Mark’s account of the Great Commission, we have these words: “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.” (Mk. 16:15-16). The fact that Jesus said, “He who believes and is baptized shall be saved” does not rule out repentance, because Luke’s account includes it. “And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things.” (Lk. 24:46-48). If you compare Mark’s and Luke’s accounts of the commission, then, it is apparent that repentance, belief of the gospel, and baptism are all required for salvation. To accept two and do away with the other would not be a consistent way to interpret what Christ has said. Repentance is to be preached. Jesus mission to earth was to call sinners to repentance. “But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” (Matt. 9:13). If would have an understanding of what repentance is, we should read the story Jesus told of the Prodigal Son: “And he said, A certain man had two sons: And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living. And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want. And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him. And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.” (Luke 15:11-24). To repent is to turn away from sin and go in a different direction. This is perfectly illustrated by Jesus’ story of the son who made up his mind that he would go back to his father, and then did so. Repentance is a change of mind followed by a change of action and direction, and one cannot be saved without it. Peter obeyed the commission of the Lord by preaching repentance on the day of Pentecost to those who believed the gospel. “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” (Acts 2:38). Peter preached repentance in obedience to the Lord’s commission (Luke 24:44-49). The book of Acts reveals that repentance was preached consistently by the apostles. “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.” (Acts 3:19). “Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. (Acts 5:31). Both of these statements were made to a Jewish audience, but repentance was preached to everyone, not just Jews. Paul preached it to the Athenian philosophers: “And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: 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). Paul’s summary of his apostolic ministry reveals that he had been “testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Acts 20:21). Repentance was preached just as Jesus taught that it should be. Repentance must be preached today. In what way are repentance and faith related? K. C. Moser, in his book, The Way of Salvation, (Nashville, TN: Gospel Advocate, 1932), wrote, “From the foregoing it is seen that repentance is naturally demanded. The desired results cannot be obtained apart from it. Hence, repentance is one of the fundamental principles connected with salvation; and the Scriptures so speak of repentance, naming it as comprehending the prerequisites of salvation…Here is the logical order: repentance toward God, against whom all sins are committed, and, therefore, to whom all sinners are responsible; and faith toward Jesus Christ, God’s remedy for sins. Who will accept a remedy for sins who has not repented of his sins? How can the impenitent person trust in Christ? It is simply impossible.” (pp. 60-64). When we truly believe in Christ, we will repent of our sins and put our trust in Him as Lord and Savior. Repentance will always lead us to turn to God and forsake our own way. When we repent, we will say like Saul of Tarsus on the road to Damascus, “Lord, what do you want me to do?” This is very important, for some seem to have the idea that we can “trust Christ” and still live any way we choose. To receive Christ as Savior is to receive Him as Lord. To receive Him as Lord is to do more than call Him Lord, but it is do what He commands. The Scriptures warn us of the importance of being a diligent “doer” as opposed to a mere “hearer” of the word. Certainly we must “hear” in order to “do,” for what is “done” must be motivated by faith, and faith only comes through the word of God (Rom. 10:17). But it is not enough to hear what God says, we must do it. Consider the words of Jesus: “Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles? Then I will tell them plainly, I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers! Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.” (Matt. 7:21-26, NIV). This is also the essence of the Bible’s teaching in the first chapter of James, and could well be considered a summary of James’ message throughout. James is, therefore, no “strawy epistle” (as the reformer, Martin Luther, falsely concluded at one time). Rather, James sets forth a divine principle that is important for us to understand: We cannot claim to have faith if our lives are not directed by Christ’s word. If the Bible is not our authority, both individually and as a church, then we don’t respect Christ. God in His infinite mercy has given us His word and He expects us to obey it. This is what repentance will always lead us to do. True faith is never lifeless. It moves and breathes and causes things to happen. Trust in Christ will never leave one who exercises it the same way it found them. Faith is the most powerful force for change there is. And the reason is simple: Faith appropriates God’s power. God’s power works changes. Therefore, if our faith is real, it will lead us into ever-increasing realization of God’s transforming power. Someone has said that repentance may be the hardest command in the Bible. We are called by God to forsake our sin and embrace His way as the only way. Have you repented? Please do not claim to love and serve Christ if you are rebelling against what His word teaches. The Bible commands repentance. “If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.” (John 13:17, KJV). Bryan Dunaway Grace and Peace Ministries www.gandpministries.org

It is impossible to read the Bible without being aware of its emphasis on repentance. That God demands “all men everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:30) is something which cannot be denied. The word “repentance” speaks of a change in one’s attitude and behavior. It has been defined as the changing of the mind, followed by a change of action. Our thinking and our behavior are affected when we truly repent.

Although the word “repentance” is not used frequently in the Old Testament, there is no doubt that the prophets tried to get the people to change their minds and their actions—which is what repentance is. Instead of the word “repentance,” the Old Testament uses words like “turn” or “return.” The Lord instructed Ezekiel to tell the Israelites: “As I live, says the Lord, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn, turn from your evil ways; for why will you die, O house of Israel? ...But if the wicked turn from his wickedness, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall live thereby” (Ezek. 32:11, 19). God commanded the prophet Jeremiah: “Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return, backsliding Israel, says the Lord; and I will not cause my anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful, says the Lord, and I will not keep my anger forever” (Jer.3:12). God gave His people many reasons to return to Him, but for the most part, they refused to do so. Amos quotes the Lord as saying over and over, “Yet you have not returned unto me, says the Lord” (Amos 4:6, 8, 9, 10, and 11). It is clear, therefore, that the great prophets of old were preaching as forcefully as they could to get their stubborn hearers to repent.

In the New Testament, the word “repentance” is used many times. The first book of the New Testament, the Gospel of Matthew, tells of the beginning of John the Baptist’s ministry by recording: “In those days came John the Baptist preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, Repent: for the kingdom of God is at hand” (Matt. 3:1-2). John the Baptist made it clear that his hearers would have to forsake their sinful ways in order to receive the Kingdom of God. The multitudes “were baptized of him in the Jordan, confessing their sins” (Matt. 3:5-6).

It wasn’t long before the Jewish religious leaders came to “check out” this wilderness preacher. When he saw them he said, “O generation of vipers, who has warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring therefore fruits worthy of repentance: and think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able to of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham” (Matt. 3:7-9).

The subject of repentance was a constant theme of Christ and His followers. Jesus began His ministry by calling people to repent (Matt. 4:17). Following His death, burial, and resurrection, Jesus told His apostles that repentance should be preached among all the nations (Lk. 24:48). In Mark’s account of the Great Commission, we have these words: “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.” (Mk. 16:15-16). The fact that Jesus said, “He who believes and is baptized shall be saved” does not rule out repentance, because Luke’s account includes it. “And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things.” (Lk. 24:46-48). If you compare Mark’s and Luke’s accounts of the commission, then, it is apparent that repentance, belief of the gospel, and baptism are all required for salvation. To accept two and do away with the other would not be a consistent way to interpret what Christ has said. Repentance is to be preached.

Jesus mission to earth was to call sinners to repentance. “But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” (Matt. 9:13). If would have an understanding of what repentance is, we should read the story Jesus told of the Prodigal Son: “And he said, A certain man had two sons: And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living. And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want. And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him. And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.” (Luke 15:11-24). To repent is to turn away from sin and go in a different direction. This is perfectly illustrated by Jesus’ story of the son who made up his mind that he would go back to his father, and then did so. Repentance is a change of mind followed by a change of action and direction, and one cannot be saved without it.

Peter obeyed the commission of the Lord by preaching repentance on the day of Pentecost to those who believed the gospel. “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” (Acts 2:38). Peter preached repentance in obedience to the Lord’s commission (Luke 24:44-49).

The book of Acts reveals that repentance was preached consistently by the apostles. “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.” (Acts 3:19). “Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. (Acts 5:31). Both of these statements were made to a Jewish audience, but repentance was preached to everyone, not just Jews. Paul preached it to the Athenian philosophers: “And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: 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). Paul’s summary of his apostolic ministry reveals that he had been “testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Acts 20:21). Repentance was preached just as Jesus taught that it should be.

Repentance must be preached today. In what way are repentance and faith related? K. C. Moser, in his book, The Way of Salvation, (Nashville, TN: Gospel Advocate, 1932), wrote, “From the foregoing it is seen that repentance is naturally demanded. The desired results cannot be obtained apart from it. Hence, repentance is one of the fundamental principles connected with salvation; and the Scriptures so speak of repentance, naming it as comprehending the prerequisites of salvation…Here is the logical order: repentance toward God, against whom all sins are committed, and, therefore, to whom all sinners are responsible; and faith toward Jesus Christ, God’s remedy for sins. Who will accept a remedy for sins who has not repented of his sins? How can the impenitent person trust in Christ? It is simply impossible.” (pp. 60-64).

When we truly believe in Christ, we will repent of our sins and put our trust in Him as Lord and Savior. Repentance will always lead us to turn to God and forsake our own way. When we repent, we will say like Saul of Tarsus on the road to Damascus, “Lord, what do you want me to do?” This is very important, for some seem to have the idea that we can “trust Christ” and still live any way we choose. To receive Christ as Savior is to receive Him as Lord. To receive Him as Lord is to do more than call Him Lord, but it is do what He commands.

The Scriptures warn us of the importance of being a diligent “doer” as opposed to a mere “hearer” of the word. Certainly we must “hear” in order to “do,” for what is “done” must be motivated by faith, and faith only comes through the word of God (Rom. 10:17). But it is not enough to hear what God says, we must do it. Consider the words of Jesus: “Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles? Then I will tell them plainly, I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers! Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.” (Matt. 7:21-26, NIV).

This is also the essence of the Bible’s teaching in the first chapter of James, and could well be considered a summary of James’ message throughout. James is, therefore, no “strawy epistle” (as the reformer, Martin Luther, falsely concluded at one time). Rather, James sets forth a divine principle that is important for us to understand: We cannot claim to have faith if our lives are not directed by Christ’s word. If the Bible is not our authority, both individually and as a church, then we don’t respect Christ. God in His infinite mercy has given us His word and He expects us to obey it. This is what repentance will always lead us to do.

True faith is never lifeless. It moves and breathes and causes things to happen. Trust in Christ will never leave one who exercises it the same way it found them. Faith is the most powerful force for change there is. And the reason is simple: Faith appropriates God’s power. God’s power works changes. Therefore, if our faith is real, it will lead us into ever-increasing realization of God’s transforming power.

Someone has said that repentance may be the hardest command in the Bible. We are called by God to forsake our sin and embrace His way as the only way. Have you repented? Please do not claim to love and serve Christ if you are rebelling against what His word teaches. The Bible commands repentance. “If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.” (John 13:17, KJV).

Bryan Dunaway

Grace and Peace Ministries