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Repentance For the Forgiveness of Sins

Discussion in 'Baptist Theology & Bible Study' started by SavedByGrace, Oct 19, 2020.

  1. SavedByGrace

    SavedByGrace Well-Known Member

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    “and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.” (Luke 24:47)

    THERE IS NO SALVATION FOR ANY SINNER WITHOUT "REPENTANCE AND FAITH" (MARK 1:15)

    John Calvin

    Even though we have taught in part how to possess Christ, and how through it we enjoy his benefits, this would still remain obscure if we did not add an explanation of the effects we feel. With good reason, the sum of the gospel is held to consist in repentance and the forgiveness of sins (Luke 24:47; Acts 5:31). Any discussion of faith, therefore, that omitted these two topics would be barren and mutilated and well–nigh useless…Surely no one can embrace the grace of the gospel without betaking himself from the errors of his past life into the right way, and applying his whole effort to the practice of repentance. Can true repentance stand apart from faith? Not at all. But even though they cannot be separated, they ought to be distinguished (John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion. Found in The Library of Christian Classics (Philadelphia: Westminster, 1960), Volume XIX, Book III, Chapters 1, 5, pp. 592-593, 597).

    Thomas Watson

    Repentance is of such importance that there is no being saved without it…It is a great duty incumbent upon Christians solemnly to repent and turn unto God…That religion which is not built upon this foundation must needs fall to the ground. Repentance is a grace required under the gospel. Some think it legal; but the first sermon that Christ preached, indeed, the first word of his sermon, was ‘Repent’ (Matt. 4.17). And his farewell that he left when he was going to ascend was that ‘repentance should be preached in his name’ (Luke 22.47)…Repentance is not arbitrary. It is not left to our choice whether or not we will repent, but it is an indispensable command. God has enacted a law in the High Court of heaven that no sinner shall be saved except the repenting sinner, and he will not break his own law. Some bless themselves that they have a stock of knowledge, but what is knowledge good for without repentance? It is better to mortify one sin than to understand all mysteries. Impure speculatists do but resemble Satan transformed into an angel of light. Learning and a bad heart is like a fair face with a cancer in the breast. Knowledge without repentance will be but a torch to light men to hell (Thomas Watson, The Doctrine of Repentance (Edinburgh: Banner, 1987), pp. 12–13, 59, 77).

    Louis Berkhof

    There is no doubt that, logically, repentance and the knowledge of sin precedes the faith that yields to Christ in trusting love (Louis Berkhof, Systematic Theology (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1939), p. 492).

    John Murray

    The question has been discussed: which is prior, faith or repentance? It is an unnecessary question and the insistence that one is prior to the other is futile. There is no priority. The faith that is unto salvation is a penitent faith and the repentance that is unto life is a believing repentance…It is impossible to disentangle faith and repentance. Saving faith is permeated with repentance and repentance is permeated with faith (John Murray, Redemption Accomplished and Applied (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1955), p. 113).

    The Westminster Confession of Faith

    Repentance unto life is an evangelical grace, the doctrine whereof is to be preached by every minister of the gospel, as well as that of faith in Christ. By it a sinner, out of sight and sense, not only of danger, but also of filthiness and odiousness of his sins, as contrary to the holy nature and righteous law of God, and upon the apprehension of his mercy in Christ to such as are penitent, so grieves for and hates his sins, as to turn from them all unto God, purposing and endeavoring to walk with him in all the ways of his commandments (The Westminster Confession of Faith, Chapter XV, Sections I and II. Cited in A.A. Hodge, The Confession of Faith (Edinburgh: Banner, 1958), p. 210).

    Robert Dabney

    The manner in which faith and repentance are coupled together in Scripture plainly shows that, as faith is implicitly present in repentance, so repentance is implicitly in faith. But if so, this gives to faith the active character. Mark i:15; Matt. xxi.32; 2 Tim. ii:25 c (R.L. Dabney, Systematic Theology (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1980), pp. 606-607).

    John DeWitt

    Repentance is the first conscious step in a person’s experience of the divine grace, the entrance for all believers into life, hope, and salvation…Repentance—the repentance of which the Scriptures speak as a godly sorrow, the repentance which is unto life—is not only a persuasion of sinfulness, but it is also, and very distinctly, a turning from sin…Everywhere the Word of God reminds us that repentance is not simply honesty with oneself, or even the open confession of one’s sins; it must also lead to a forsaking of them. If it does not do that, if it is only the fear of punishment and of hell, only a trembling before the just judgment of God, without at the same time the purposing to turn away from sin and to undertake a new obedience to God, then it is not repentance at all (John Richard deWitt, Amazing Love (Edinburgh: Banner, 1981), pp. 66, 74-76).

    Charles Hodge

    Hence it is that repentance is the burden of evangelical preaching…Repentance…is the great, immediate, and pressing duty of all who hear the gospel. They are called upon to forsake their sins, and return unto God through Jesus Christ. The neglect of this duty is the rejection of salvation. For, as we have seen, unless we repent we must perish…Though repentance is a duty, it is no less the gift of God (Charles Hodge, The Way of Life (Edinburgh: Banner, 1959), pp. 153, 166-169.

    Arthur Pink

    In repentance sin is the thing to be repented of and sin is a transgression of the law (1 John 3:4). And the first and chief thing required by the law is supreme love to God. Therefore, the lack of supreme love to God, the heart’s disaffection for His character and rebellion against Him (Rom. 8:7) is our great wickedness, of which we have to repent.
    What is sin? Sin is saying…I disallow His (God’s) right to govern me…I am going to be lord of myself. Sin is rebellion against the Majesty of heaven…The language of every sinner’s heart is, I care not what God requires, I am going to have my own way. I care not what be God’s claims upon me, I refuse to submit to His authority…The Lord Jesus taught and constantly pressed the same truth. His call was ‘Repent ye and believe the gospel’ (Mark 1:15). The gospel cannot be savingly believed until there is genuine repentance.
    When the gospel first comes to the sinner it finds him in a state of apostasy from God, both as sovereign Ruler and as our supreme good, neither obeying and glorifying Him, nor enjoying and finding satisfaction in Him. Hence the demand for ‘repentance toward God’ before ‘faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ’ (Acts 20:21). True repentance toward God removes this dissatisfaction of our minds and hearts toward Him, under both these characters. In saving repentance the whole soul turns to Him and says: I have been a disloyal and rebellious creature. I have scorned Thy high authority and most rightful law. I will live no longer thus. I desire and determine with all my might to serve and obey Thee as my only Lord. I subject myself unto Thee, to submit to Thy will…Repentance…is the perception that God has the right to rule and govern me, and of my refusal to submit unto Him…As the Holy Spirit sets before me the loveliness of the divine character, as I am enabled to discern the exalted excellency of God, then I begin to perceive that to which He is justly entitled, namely, the homage of my heart, the unrestricted love of my soul, the complete surrender of my whole being unto Him.
    Many are the scriptures which set forth this truth, that there must be a forsaking of sin before God will pardon offenders…He must be crowned Lord of all or He will not be Lord at all. There must be the complete heart renunciation of all that stands in competition with Him. He will brook no rival…Thus repentance is the negative side of conversion. Conversion is a whole–hearted turning unto God, but there cannot be a turning unto, without a turning from. Sin must be forsaken ere we draw nigh unto the Holy One. As it is written, ‘Ye turned to God from idols to serve (live for) the living and true God’ (1 Thes. 1:9) (A.W. Pink, The Doctrine of Salvation (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1975), pp.45, 49-53, 56, 58, 60, 79).
     
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  2. 37818

    37818 Well-Known Member

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    True, yet in John's gospel the term is not used. That is because . . .

    . . . belief, any new belief, is impossible without a change of mind or view!
     
  3. SavedByGrace

    SavedByGrace Well-Known Member

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    Are you suggesting that because the Apostle John does not use the actual word, "repent" in his Gospel, that he did not believe it? John wrote a total of 5 Books in the NT. the Gospel, 3 Letters, and the Revelation. In his First Letter, this is what he says in chapter 1:

    "5This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us."

    If this is not what repentance means, then I don't know what is!

    In his Revelation, we read;

    Rev_2:5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.

    Rev_2:16 Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.

    Rev_2:21 And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not.

    Rev_2:22 Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.

    Rev_3:3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.

    Rev_3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

    There are FOUR Gospels that were written, and a total of TWENTY-SEVEN Books in the New Testament. It is rather foolish for anyone to suggest, that just because in ONE Book of the New Testament, the word "repent" is not used, therefore it has no part in the salvation of sinners! The Book of Esther in the Old Testament, and The Song of Solomon, does not use "God" even once; are we to say from just these TWO Books, that God does not exist!
     
  4. 37818

    37818 Well-Known Member

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    No. But guess you do not understand. The words translated, repent and repentance . . . . do not in of themself mean from sin. But Jesus warned we should, Luke 13.
     
  5. SavedByGrace

    SavedByGrace Well-Known Member

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    so what is your problem?
     
  6. 37818

    37818 Well-Known Member

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    Not my problem but those who teach repentance as a requied work in order to be saved. Such as Churches of Christ cults and Mormonism. RCC pentance.
     
  7. SavedByGrace

    SavedByGrace Well-Known Member

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    are you suggesting that repentance is not a requirement for salvation? If this is the case, then God Incarnate, the Lord Jesus Christ, is wrong to say that IT IS!

    Matthew 4:17, " From that time began Jesus to preach, and to say, REPENT ye; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (as in Mark 1:15, where "faith" is also used)

    Just incase there are some who suppose that this "repentance" is not from ones personal sins, Jesus makes it very clear in Luke 24:47, “and that REPENTANCE FOR THE FORGIVENSS OF SINS should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.”

    Peter, who preached the first Christian sermon in Acts 2, tells those who asked, "what must we DO", yes, DO, (verse 37) , "And Peter said to them, REPENT and be baptized, each one of you on the name of Jesus Christ FOR THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. And, in the next chapter, "REPENT ye therefore, and be converted, that your SINS MAY BE BLOTTED OUT, that so there may come seasons of refreshing from the presence of the Lord"

    VERY CLEAR, and YET these are those who will continue to argue rather foolishly against the Holy Bible, and equare REPENTANCE FOR THE FORGIVENSS OF SINS, with the teaching of the cults!!!
     
  8. Yeshua1

    Yeshua1 Well-Known Member
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    Change mind about what though? Their own sins, or who Jesus was?
     
  9. SavedByGrace

    SavedByGrace Well-Known Member

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    what does Luke 24:47; Acts 2:37-38; and 3:19, say? It is very clearly said to be SINS?
     
  10. Yeshua1

    Yeshua1 Well-Known Member
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    All of them? As [Peter seem to be focused on changing how they viewed Jesus!
     
  11. SavedByGrace

    SavedByGrace Well-Known Member

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    can you not see what the Acts passages say, forgiveness for sins is very clear?
     
  12. 37818

    37818 Well-Known Member

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    Biblical repentance precedes the faith, Mark 1:15. It is impossible to believe anything new without repentance, changing one's mind.
    And the term "believe" was not used or needed. Peter told them to literally to change their mind.
    Literally, "Change your mind toward the forgivness of sins."
     
  13. Steven Yeadon

    Steven Yeadon Well-Known Member
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    Having been an unbeliever as a liberal Christian. In my experience, though anecdotal, the true repentance came out of my faith. How do you not change by truly accepting the Gospel? I think there is some good in exploring the various stages of salvation, the Ordo Salutis. That said, the bible doesn't make it hard and fast and well explained.

    I also believe that in this debate, it is the works of a living faith that matter more than a confessed repentance. So, you say you have faith, prove it by your actions. That is in line with the Book of James.
     
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