Repentance.
Characteristics of true repentance.
True repentance is a gift of God. ---- Acts 5:31.
Repentance follows Godly sorrow. ---- 2 Corinthians 7:9-10.
Humility accompanies true repentance. ---- Job 42:1-6.
A hatred of sin accompanies true repentance. -- Ezekiel 36:26-31.
Shame accompanies true repentance. --- Jeremiah 31:19.
True repentance necessitates a verbal confession. -- Hosea 14:1-2.
True repentance is demonstrated by action. ---Acts 26:20
A Clear Understanding of the Gospel is needed for repentance.
True Personal Faith in Jesus is needed for repentance.
True repentance is a gift of God.
Acts 5:31.
Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Saviour, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.
Acts 11:18.
When they heard these things they became silent; and they glorified God, saying, Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life.
2 Timothy 2:23-26.
But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife. And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.
Characteristics of true repentance.
Repentance follows Godly sorrow.
2 Corinthians 7:9-10.
Yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us.
Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.
Humility accompanies true repentance.
Job 42:5-6.
My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.
A hatred of sin and shame accompanies true repentance.
Ezekiel 36:26-32.
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.
Then you will live in the land I gave your ancestors; you will be my people, and I will be your God. I will save you from all your uncleanness. I will call for the grain and make it plentiful and will not bring famine upon you. I will increase the fruit of the trees and the crops of the field, so that you will no longer suffer disgrace among the nations because of famine.
Then you will remember your evil ways and wicked deeds, and you will loathe yourselves for your sins and detestable practices.
I want you to know that I am not doing this for your sake, declares the Sovereign LORD. Be ashamed and disgraced for your conduct, people of Israel!
A hatred of sin and shame accompanies true repentance.
Jeremiah 31:19.
After I strayed, I repented; after I came to understand, I beat my breast. I was ashamed and humiliated because I bore the disgrace of my youth.
True repentance necessitates a verbal confession.
Hosea 14:1-2.
Return, Israel, to the LORD your God. Your sins have been your downfall! Take words with you and return to the LORD.
Say to him: Forgive all our sins and receive us graciously, that we may offer the fruit of our lips.
Proverbs 28:13.
He who covers his sins will not prosper, But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.
True repentance is demonstrated by action.
Acts 26:20.
I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds.
Jonah 3:5-10. So the people of Nineveh believed God, proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them. Then word came to the king of Nineveh; and he arose from his throne and laid aside his robe, covered himself with sackcloth and sat in ashes. And he caused it to be proclaimed and published throughout Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything; do not let them eat, or drink water. But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily to God; yes, let every one turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. Who can tell if God will turn and relent, and turn away from His fierce anger, so that we may not perish? Then God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God relented from the disaster that He had said He would bring upon them, and He did not do it.
Characteristics of true repentance.
A Clear Understanding of the Gospel.
Repentance without a clear understanding of Gospel truth is nothing more than temporary sadness over the pain that sin has caused you and perhaps others, it is remorse or regret or even self-pity.
The Gospel is not that someone died for your sins, but that God in the person of Jesus died for your sins.
The Gospel is not just about the cross where Jesus died, but about the cross where you die.
The modern day Gospel has been changed, those who respond to it are not converts to the Gospel of self denial that Jesus preached.
Galatians 1:6. I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel which is really no gospel at all.
What’s wrong with the modern day gospel?
Keith Green the singer ,listed some of the subtractions to the modern-day gospel in a booklet “What’s wrong with the gospel” I have adapted it to make it more concise.
The modern day Gospel has been changed.
The blood of Jesus is not preached.
The cross that Christians are to take up is not preached.
The threat and terrors of hell and the guilt of sinners are not preached.
The Law of God is not preached.
The fear of God and Judgement seat of Christ is not preached.
Repentance necessary for forgiveness is not preached.
God’s sorrow and broken heart over sin is not preached.
The necessity of holiness to please God is not preached.
What’s wrong with the modern day gospel?
The blood of Jesus is not preached.
A bloodless gospel is now preached, one that has been adapted to reach the masses. The whole concept of Jesus being the Passover Lamb has been lost, it takes too much time and thought to expound these foundation Biblical truths, in fact the Old Testament is relegated to a position of an optional extra for those interested in history.
The cross that Christians are to take up is not preached.
You cannot have more exact opposites than the Bible’s
“Christ-centred Gospel” and the modern day me-centred gospel”
AW Towzer.
Jesus said that “if any man will come after me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me.
So the cross not only brought Christ’s life to an end, it also ends the first life, the old life of every one of his true followers, this and nothing less is true Christianity. There’s only one of two things we can do about the cross, flee it or die upon it.
What’s wrong with the modern day gospel?
The threat and terrors of hell and the guilt of sinners are not preached.
We have heard people say “I’m tired of hell-fire and brimstone preaching, “well” I often reply, “When was the last time you heard any?”
Very few preach about hell anymore, it is no longer in vogue. We shouldn’t scare poor sinners. They’re just unfortunate misguided souls, right? Wrong! The Bible clearly shows that they are rebels who have robbed and dishonoured the living God and infinitely offended Him and have no right to look at themselves in any other light. What right do we have to remove things from the Gospel presentation that Jesus Christ Himself gave great place to in His own preaching?
What’s wrong with the modern day gospel?
The Law of God is not preached to convict one of sin.
When the rich young ruler came to Jesus, he asked him a very direct question: Good Master, what must I do to inherit eternal life?
Can you imagine what our preachers would answer him today?
Just admit you are a sinner, say this short prayer and accept Jesus as your personal saviour and go to church and pay your tithes and try to be good and you’re in.
But Jesus answered “You know the commandments” Matthew 19:17
Why the commandments, aren’t we living in the age of grace?
Jesus was using the commandments to convict this man of his sin of greed and did not tell him to tithe but to sell everything and give it to the poor. The commandments must be preached not as the way of Salvation ,but as a searchlight put on the sinners heart so that he can see how utterly rotten he is Galatians 3:24.
Romans 7:7.
For I would have not come to know sin except through the Law.
What’s wrong with the modern day gospel?
The fear of God and Judgement seat of Christ is not preached.
Instead of the awesome majesty of Jehovah, today the Lord is portrayed as a sort of ice cream man or Santa Claus and the church is the candy store where you can get every goodie your heart desires. Jesus himself is portrayed as a sweetie pie, so good, so gentle and loving, but what happened to “It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the Living God?”
What’s wrong with the modern day gospel?
Repentance necessary for forgiveness is not preached.
The teachings of Jesus and the Apostles are full of commands to “Repent and be saved”.
Repentance is not just being sorry and it is not merely a change of heart and a change of mind, it is a change of action.
Because there is so little conviction of sin brought about by the preaching of the modern gospel, we can’t truly require repentance anymore, if we did no one would come forward at all. For repentance is easy for him who sees how ugly and horrible sin is, but it is impossible where the Law does not convince the sinner of his wicked heart, compelling him to turn from his sins into the arms of a waiting compassionate God.
What’s wrong with the modern day gospel?
God’s sorrow and broken heart over sin is not preached.
The picture of God presented today by Evangelists is that of an optimist, a positive thinking good ole boy who lives in Heaven high above all the trouble on Earth. But the Bible paints a very different picture of God, with Jesus weeping over Jerusalem, or the pleading of God through the Prophets.
Proverbs 15:3. The eyes of the Lord are in every place watching the evil and the good. That means God saw every rape committed today, he saw every murder, every person who starved to death, every abused and battered child. How can we believe that he sees all of this and does not grieve. But the church does not want a God that is grieved with sin because then he would be grieved with them.
What’s wrong with the modern day gospel?
The necessity of holiness to please God is not preached.
Hebrews 12:4. says “without holiness no one shall see the Lord.” But a stranger than truth doctrine has been invented as a blessed refuge for the back slider called “The carnal Christian” In this crazy doctrine we are led to believe that any believer who isn’t really walking with the Lord and is indulging in the things of the world and the lusts of the flesh can still be considered a Christian, but not a 1st class Christian only a 2nd class Christian, “a Carnal Christian”
Today, possibly the greatest insult to the Gospel has been the almost total neglect of the preaching of holiness for the Christian.
Jesus does not want to make believe that we are holy, he wants to impart his holiness to us by the Holy Spirit.
Repentance.
What is “Repentance”?
Repentance is not goose-bumps or an apology, but “Metanoia” GK
which means “A change of mind”
If you repent, a transformation takes place which results in
Knowing God’s will
Walking in God’s will
Why is repentance necessary for salvation?
Many understand the term repentance (from the Greek word metanoia) to mean “turning from sin.” This is not the biblical definition of repentance. The word repent means “to change one’s mind.” Scripture also tells us that true repentance will result in a change of actions.
Acts 26:20.
I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds.
True repentance will result in a change of actions.
Luke 3:8-14.
Produce fruit in keeping with 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. The axe is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
What should we do then? the crowd asked. John answered, Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same. Even tax collectors came to be baptized. Teacher, they asked, what should we do?
Don’t collect any more than you are required to, he told them.
Then some soldiers asked him, And what should we do?
He replied, Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely, be content with your pay.
Repentance is a change of mind that results in a change of action.
Repentance.
What, then, is the connection between repentance (A change of mind) and salvation?
In Peter’s sermon on the day of Pentecost, he concludes with a call for the people to repent
Acts 2:38.
Peter replied, Repent (Have a change of mind) 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.
Repent from what? Peter is calling the people who rejected Jesus to change their minds about Him, to recognize that He is indeed “Lord and Christ” Peter is calling the people to change their minds from rejection of Christ as the Messiah to faith in Him as both Messiah and Saviour. (Acts 2:36).
Repentance at salvation, is to change your mind in regard to Jesus Christ.
Repentance and Faith are both gifts from God.
Repentance and faith can be understood as two sides of the same coin.
It is impossible to place your faith in Jesus Christ as the Saviour without first changing your mind about who He is and what He has done. Whether it is repentance from wilful rejection or repentance from ignorance or disinterest, it is a change of mind.
Biblical repentance, in relation to salvation, is changing your mind from rejection of Christ to faith in Christ.
Repentance is not a work we do to earn salvation. No one can repent and come to God unless God pulls that person to Himself
John 6:44-45.
No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day. It is written in the Prophets: They will all be taught by God. Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from him comes to me.
Repentance proceeds from faith in God and what He says.
Acts 17:26-34. From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. For in him we live and move and have our being. As some of your own poets have said, We are his offspring. Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image made by human design and skill. In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent (Have a change of mind).
For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead. When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, We want to hear you again on this subject. At that, Paul left the Council. Some of the people became followers of Paul and believed.
Repentance.
Repentance is only possible because of His grace, no-one can repent unless God grants it.
Let us put the meaning of repentance into a couple of verses.
Acts 5:31.
God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Saviour that he might bring Israel to repentance (a change of mind) and forgive their sins.
Acts 11:18.
When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, So then, even to Gentiles God has granted repentance (a change of mind) that leads to life.
Repentance is changing your mind about Jesus Christ and turning to God in faith for salvation.
Turning from sin is not the definition of repentance, but it is one of the results of genuine, faith-based repentance towards the Lord Jesus Christ.
Repentance.
All of salvation, including repentance and faith, is a result of God drawing us, opening our eyes, and changing our hearts.
God's longsuffering and His kindness leads us to repentance.
2 Peter 3:9.
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 (Have a change of mind).
Romans 2:4-6.
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 (Have a change of mind)?
But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. God will repay each person according to what they have done.
Repentance.
While repentance is not a work that earns salvation, repentance unto salvation does result in works.
It is impossible to truly and fully change your mind without that causing a change in action.
In the Bible, repentance results in a change in behaviour. That is why John the Baptist called people to “produce fruit in keeping with repentance” (Matthew 3:8).
A person who has truly repented from rejection of Christ to faith in Christ will give evidence of a changed life.
2 Corinthians 5:17.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ,
the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
The 5 R’s of Repentance.
Recognize. (i.e. Acknowledge your Sin)
Remorse. (i.e. Regret & Grief Over Sin)
Resolve. (i.e. Change Your Mind)
Reform. (i.e. Change Your Lifestyle)
Restore. (i.e. Make Amends If Possible)
The R’s of Repentance.
Recognize.
Recognize/ Realize (i.e. Acknowledge your Sin)
Repentance is the moment we acknowledge that we are responsible for sin, we are accountable for what we do.
There may be extenuating circumstances in our lives (bad childhood, social pressure etc.) but in the end we are the ones who actually commit the sins. There was a point where David finally acknowledged his terrible sins of adultery and murder to God - Psalms: 51 - in order to be forgiven. God can't forgive us our sins if we blame them on someone or something else.
How can one repent of sin that he/ she is ignorant of, or refuses to acknowledge?
Romans 7:7.
What shall we say, then, Is the law sinful? Certainly not! Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, You shall not covet.
The Thief on the cross took responsibility for his sin.
All too often people will lay the blame for their actions at someone else’s door and try to justify themselves just like Adam and Eve.
Luke 23:41. We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve.
But this man has done nothing wrong.
Genesis 3:13,14. And he said, Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?
The man said, The woman you put here with me she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it. Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done? The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.
Recognize.
We need to recognize our Guilt.
Jeremiah 3:12-13.
Return, faithless Israel, declares the LORD, I will frown on you no longer, for I am faithful, declares the LORD, I will not be angry forever. Only acknowledge your guilt you have rebelled against the LORD your God, you have scattered your favours to foreign gods
under every spreading tree, and have not obeyed me, declares the LORD.
Acts 2:37,38.
When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, Brothers, what shall we do? 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.
Remorse.
Remorse (i.e. Regret & Grief Over Sin)
Regret for sin is the sign that we truly understand and now feel the damage it has produced in our lives, the lives of others and especially the life we have with God. The prodigal son was moved to go home when the effects of his sins became apparent and he regretted what he had done.
Against himself - starving
Against his father - dishonoured
Against his God - disobeyed
If we don't feel the pain of our mistakes, we rarely are moved to do anything about them.
Remorse is not repentance in and of itself , but is a necessary part of repentance.
Remorse in and of itself does not lead to repentance, there must be godly sorrow.
Reform.
Reform. (i.e. Change Your Lifestyle) Matthew 21: 28. Jesus tells the parable of the two sons who were asked to work in the vineyard by their father. The first said he'd go but neglected to do so, the second refused to obey but repented afterwards and went to work in the vineyard. Among other things, Jesus is showing here that true repentance in one's heart is seen in a change of behaviour. Repentance requires a change in ones attitude.
Toward God - From disobedience to obedience.
Toward others - From selfishness to love.
Toward self - From pride to humility. Ezekiel 18:27–28. When a wicked man turns away from the wickedness which he committed, and does what is lawful and right, he preserves himself alive. Because he considers and turns away from all the transgressions which he committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die.
Resolve.
Resolve. (i.e. Change Your Mind) Both God and man have a hand in this as we have a free will.
The Prodigal son’s resolve.
Luke 15:18.
I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you.
David’s Resolve.
Psalm 51:7-12.
I will teach ....... Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, I Will Sing ....... my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness. I Will Praise ..... my mouth shall show forth Your praise. I Surrender ...... The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart--
Restore.
Restore. (i.e. Make Amends If Possible) The gospel teaches that everything I owe to God for my sins has been paid by Jesus on the cross - Colossians. 2: 14.
However, my sins have also hurt people, and true repentance demands that as far as I am able I should try to make right the things that I have done wrong towards others. Not to save my soul, but rather to give a witness of my faith to others and for justice's sake. That's why Christians in jail need to serve out their sentences; that's why rude behaviour needs to be apologized for; that's why Christians who are divorced should make maintenance payments and cooperate with their former spouses in family matters, etc.
Restore/ Restitution.
Our sins have cause suffering in others and although we cannot always repair the past, we can show that we are sorry and do our best to comfort those we have damaged. God provides grace to forgive our sins we can provide kindness and restitution to help others forgive us as well.
Restitution.
In the law, the Lord required that restitution, including interest, must be made to a victim
Only if the victim or his relatives cannot be found, will restitution to the Lord alone, be acceptable
Numbers 5:5-8.
The Lord said to Moses, Say to the Israelites:
Any man or woman who wrongs another in any way and so is unfaithful to the Lord is guilty and must confess the sin they have committed.
They must make full restitution for the wrong they have done, add a fifth of the value to it and give it all to the person they have wronged. But if that person has no close relative to whom restitution can be made for the wrong, the restitution belongs to the Lord and must be given to the priest, along with the ram with which atonement is made for the wrongdoer.
Restitution.
In the Old Testament, restitution was required for any wrong done to another.
Exodus 22:1.
Whoever steals an ox or a sheep and slaughters it or sells it must pay back five head of cattle for the ox and four sheep for the sheep.
Proverbs 6:31.
People do not despise a thief if he steals to satisfy his hunger when he is starving. Yet if he is caught, he must pay sevenfold, though it costs him all the wealth of his house.
Restitution.
Exodus 22:3- 7. Anyone who steals must certainly make restitution, but if they have nothing, they must be sold to pay for their theft.
If the stolen animal is found alive in their possession whether ox or donkey or sheep they must pay back double.
If anyone grazes their livestock in a field or vineyard and lets them stray and they graze in someone else’s field, the offender must make restitution from the best of their own field or vineyard. If a fire breaks out and spreads into thorn bushes so that it burns shocks of grain or standing grain or the whole field, the one who started the fire must make restitution. If anyone gives a neighbour silver or goods for safekeeping and they are stolen from the neighbour's house, the thief, if caught, must pay back double.
Restitution.
CHATHAM, Ont. — The previous owners of a general store in Chatham-Kent were amazed to hear from a penny-candy thief with a conscience, decades after the fact. Frank Bonvarlez said he and his wife Pat recently received a typewritten, anonymous letter, which stated the crime and how badly the offender felt about it.
The letter stated:
Mr. & Mrs. Bonvarlez. Years ago I stole a penny-candy from your store. I have never forgotten how wrong it was or how bad I felt afterwards. I'm sure the money was more important then than now, but I am sending this money more to make amends. Thank you. Bonvarlez said they ran the store for many years.
It closed around 1980 and the building eventually became a grocery store. (He or she) was just was making amends. It had to be bothering them all these years, he said.
Included with the letter were two $20 bills, which the couple plans to donate to charity.
Restitution (The Mirror and Daily Mail)
A THIEF felt so guilty about a watch he had stolen, he paid for it 30 years later. Shop owner Colin Brook, 60, was stunned when the man he remembered stealing the gold piece in the early 1980s, walked in, owned up and handed over £100. Colin, of Stratford-upon-Avon, Warks, said: His face came back to me after he said, I’m the man who pinched your watch and I’m here to pay for it. He said he couldn’t walk past my shop without feeling guilty. Then we shook hands and off he went.
A thief proved it's never too late to make amends after returning stolen money to a taxi driver 12 years later. Abubakar Lorgat, 49, had his wallet stolen in 2004 and lost a weekend's takings. However, the taxi driver said he had forgotten about the incident until he received an anonymous letter of apology and five £50 notes through the post at his home in Blackburn, Lancashire. The thief wrote: I am really sorry about this and hope you find in your heart to forgive me.
The rare act of repentance has warmed the dad-of-four's heart and has been praised 'as the right thing to do' by community leaders.
Restitution.
In the light of this we note the behaviour of Zacchaeus when he met Jesus.
Luke 19:1-10.
Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd.
So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today. So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. All the people saw this and began to mutter, He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.
Responsibility.
Luke 19:1-10 (continued)
But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.
Jesus said to him, Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham.
For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.
Have you accepted responsibility for your sins, are you prepared to be accountable before God today.
All of us will give an account before God, in this life we can do so and receive his Grace and Mercy.
Three Types of Repentance.
1. Repentance to Salvation.
2 Corinthians 7:10.
For having sorrow in a godly way results in repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regrets. But the sorrow of the world produces death.
2. Repentance from a Particular Sin.
The letters to the 7 Churches in the book of Revelation contains numerous calls for repentance, this is Paul’s comment regarding the Church at Corinth.
2 Corinthians 12:21.
I am afraid that when I come my God may again humble me before you and that I may have to grieve over many who formerly lived in sin and have not repented of their impurity, sexual immorality, and promiscuity that they once practiced.
3. Repentance as a Way of Life.
2. Repentance from a Particular Sin.
Acts 8:22-23.
Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord in the hope that he may forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.
Acts 8:9-24.
Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great, and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, This man is rightly called the Great Power of God. They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his sorcery. But when they believed Philip as he proclaimed the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw. When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to Samaria.
2. Repentance from a Particular Sin.
Acts 8:9-23 (continued)
When they arrived, they prayed for the new believers there that they might receive the Holy Spirit, because the Holy Spirit had not yet come on any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money and said, Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit. Peter answered: May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God.
Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord in the hope that he may forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin. Then Simon answered, Pray to the Lord for me so that nothing you have said may happen to me.
3. Repentance as a Way of Life.
Romans 12:2.
Do not be conformed to this world, but continually be transformed by the renewing of your minds so that you may be able to determine what God’s will is, what is proper, pleasing, and perfect.
Why do we as Christians continually need to repent (Have a changed mind)?
Isaiah 55:6-9.
Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near.
Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts.
Let them turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
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Unless otherwise stated, Scripture quotations are taken from the NIV:
THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV®
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™
Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Scripture quotations taken from the NASB:
New American Standard Bible®,
Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Used by permission. (http://www.lockman.org)