True Repententance

[RichardBurger]

True Repentance:
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I believe that repentance is necessary for the child of God. But that repentance is not a ritual that is done when they think they have sinned. I believe in a repentant attitude, an attitude of continually acknowledging, to God, that the sins of the flesh are always present in the mind.
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Having said the above I must state that, to some, repentance seems to mean that they perform a ritual of repentance. I do not believe that knowing you have committed a sin and then pulling down your get out of sin repentance card is true repentance. It ignores the fact that they sin in their minds all the time.
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In this article I have said what I believe true repentance to be. Some seen to have a different opinion and they are welcome to it. But that does not mean I have to share their opinion OR that they have to share mine.
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IMHO (In my honest opinion), to the religious mind, repenting of sins is something that a person does, at some time or other, to ask for forgiveness for a sin they think they have committed. I say it this way because, for them, they must pick a time and go to God in a prayer of words and ask for forgiveness for that sin. They do it only when they think they have done something wrong. For the rest of their time they rationalize that they do not sin and therefore do not have to repent.
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True repentance "IS" a "CONSTANT ATTITUDE" of the heart and is not an action that is done at some place or time. --- It is constantly acknowledging (admitting to God) that you are a sinful person in the flesh and that you need His forgiveness, the need for God, who paid for your sins, to save you from your sinful nature in the flesh. -- It is a constant humble walk with God (the Holy Spirit that lives in your heart) in honesty, without deceit. -- To be exact it is and attitude of the heart and it is not a ritual that you do at some place or time.
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1. A repenting; penitent state; feeling of sorrow, etc. especially for wrongdoing; compunction, contrition; remorse. A child of God feels remorseful that he/she sins but since they live in a body of sinful flesh there is no way they can stop from sinning in the flesh. Paul couldn’t in Romans 7 and neither can we.
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Ps 32:1-2
1 Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.
2 Blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.
(NKJ)
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Deceit = dishonesty / a person saying they have no sin is being dishonest (deceitful) with God. Therefore having a constant honest attitude of acknowledging your sinful nature to God and placing your faith, trust, confidence, and hope in God's work on the cross to save you from your sinful nature is true repentance. A person that does not acknowledge his/her sins (sinful nature) is being dishonest with God and will feel no need to have an constant attitude of repentance. IMHO they are like the Pharisee below.
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Luke 18:11-14
11 "The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank You that I am not like other men-- extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector.
12 'I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.'
13 "And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!'
14 "I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."
(NKJ)
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The tax collector was repenting, he was sorrowful, contrite, remorseful, because of his sinfulness. But that does not mean he stopped being a sinful person or a tax collector.
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Richard

 

[williemac]

In Revelations, Jesus addressed those in Thyatira whom He called His servants, who were committing sexual immorality. They were being seduced by a woman named Jezebel. In 2:21, we read..." And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent". In the next verse, Jesus said He would cast thosee who commit adultery with her into great tribulation "unless they repent of their deeds".

No matter what opinions a person has concerning repentance, the bible is the final authority on the subject. In this passage, Jesus told them to stop doing what they were doing. He used the word repent. But He did not use it alone. He said "repent OF".

The example in Luke 18 is a good one. It reveals the requirement for justification. But repentance is not mentioned in the context. Humility is. What the original post has described is not an attitude of repentance but rather humilty. God gives grace to the humble, resists the proud (James 4:6).

Repentance comes from two Greek words.."meta" (change) and "noya" (mind). It generally means to turn from something. But that something could be anything. It is not always sin. For example, it coud be from unbelief. One must take the lead from the context. In Rev.2, it is sexual immorality.

 

[RichardBurger]

In Revelations, Jesus addressed those in Thyatira whom He called His servants, who were committing sexual immorality. They were being seduced by a woman named Jezebel. In 2:21, we read..." And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent". In the next verse, Jesus said He would cast thosee who commit adultery with her into great tribulation "unless they repent of their deeds".

No matter what opinions a person has concerning repentance, the bible is the final authority on the subject. In this passage, Jesus told them to stop doing what they were doing. He used the word repent. But He did not use it alone. He said "repent OF".

The example in Luke 18 is a good one. It reveals the requirement for justification. But repentance is not mentioned in the context. Humility is. What the original post has described is not an attitude of repentance but rather humilty. God gives grace to the humble, resists the proud (James 4:6).

Repentance comes from two Greek words.."meta" (change) and "noya" (mind). It generally means to turn from something. But that something could be anything. It is not always sin. For example, it coud be from unbelief. One must take the lead from the context. In Rev.2, it is sexual immorality.

And "humilty" is not an attitude?????

 

[dragonfly]

Here is a useful BIble study on repentance: http://mp3.biblebase.com/details_19.html

Speaker: Ron Bailey - 53 mins (then the recording goes silent but runs for 8 more mins).

 

[RichardBurger]

Here is a useful BIble study on repentance: http://mp3.biblebase...details_19.html

Speaker: Ron Bailey - 53 mins (then the recording goes silent but runs for 8 more mins).

I like mine better!!!!!

 

[dragonfly]

I like mine better!!!!!

:huh: ?

Yours isn't a Bible study --- it's an opinion.

 

[RichardBurger]

:huh: ?

Yours isn't a Bible study --- it's an opinion.

That is your opinion. Your reference is only another man's opinion. Sometimes I wonder about your understanding.

So there. -_-

 

[haz]

Hi,

I agree with others here that "repentance" is regret and a resultant change of mind maintaining that new constant attitude of the heart. We see with this new "constant attitude" that it is a once only repentance. There's no turning back.

And what does scripture say of repentance?

Heb 6:1-6
"Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from DEAD WORKS and of faith toward God, [sup] [/sup]of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. [sup] [/sup]And this we will do if God permits.
[sup] [/sup]For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, [sup] [/sup]and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, [sup] [/sup]if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame."

Repentance is from dead works of self-righteousness. Our own righteousness is as filthy rags.
And if anyone falls away from Christ then it is impossible to be renewed to repentance.

 

[williemac]

And "humilty" is not an attitude?????

Yes. I actually said that it is. Please read again more carefully. I do like the original post. I merely wanted to say that it speaks of what I understand as humility rather than repentance. Repentance is a change or a turn. It is an action, so to speak. Humilty is an attitude.

 

[AndyBern]

Repentance is basically surrender towards God. It has to do with the overall sin nature rather than individual sins, so that you can't truly repent of some sins while willfully holding on to others.

For example, if I 'repent' of my casting insults at you, but I refuse to stop kicking you in the shins, then I'm not really repentant towards you.

Repentance is purely a heart change. But the fruit of repentance are the actions that come about as a result that prove there has been a heart change.

http://dtjsoft.com/disp/repentance

 

[RichardBurger]

Repentance is basically surrender towards God. It has to do with the overall sin nature rather than individual sins, so that you can't truly repent of some sins while willfully holding on to others.

For example, if I 'repent' of my casting insults at you, but I refuse to stop kicking you in the shins, then I'm not really repentant towards you.

Repentance is purely a heart change. But the fruit of repentance are the actions that come about as a result that prove there has been a heart change.

http://dtjsoft.com/disp/repentance

I think you are talking about repenting of A sin. To me, repentance is an acknowledgement TO GOD, that I am sinful in the flesh and need the salvation He provided for me (and all others) on the cross.

 

[Episkopos]

I think you are talking about repenting of A sin. To me, repentance is an acknowledgement TO GOD, that I am sinful in the flesh and need the salvation He provided for me (and all others) on the cross.

This is good but you are seeing salvation from sin as a future event. You know what Jesus did in the past and you have a hope for the future. What lacks is faith at the present time. Consider this.

 

[dragonfly]

Episkopos said

you are seeing salvation from sin as a future event. You know what Jesus did in the past and you have a hope for the future. What lacks is faith at the present time. Consider this.

Brother, sometimes people have not heard that they can believe for victory 'at the present time'. Yet this is what true repentance is all about - turning from sin wholeheartedly and permanently - circumcision of the heart.

Leviticus 26:23, 41, 42. It's about reformation. The final choice to co- operate with God lies with us.

(In the references that follow, 'ye' = all of you.)

The verses in Colossians (below), inherently acknowledge that on the cross, the sin (noun) which 'by one man entered into the world, and death by sin; ... so [that] death passed upon all men...' (Romans 5:12), was put to death through Christ's victory on the cross (Romans 6:6; John 3:14; Hebrews 2:14, 15) for the sole purpose of removing it (Hebrews 9:26b), forgiving our past sins (Romans 3:25; Hebrews 10:4; 1 John 3:5) and baptising us in the Holy Spirit with power and authority to overcome sin in our flesh (1 Peter 4:1, 2; 1 Peter 2:24b '...that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness', Romans 6:12, 13; Romans 8:13; Colossians 3:5). We desire to overcome sin so that we may remain in fellowship with our Father in heaven, by abiding in Christ. (John 14:23, 24; John 17:19, 20, 21, 22, 23) It was this fellowship, (1 John 1:5; James 1:17; 1 John 1:7), once broken by Adam's sin, which Christ died to restore, and of which Malachi 4:6 prophesied, also prophesied in Luke 1:16, 17, referring to the yet unborn John Baptist.

That was a long preamble, but all those verses justify the claim Paul makes in Colossians 2 in the past tense - that circumcision of the heart is a one-time event, just as our resurrection will be a one-time event, in advance of which we have the earnest of it, by receiving the Holy Spirit of El Shaddai (our All-Sufficiency) to enable us to walk as He walked (1 John 2:6). By the constant supply of His Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18b; Philippians 1:19, 20; 2 Corinthians 12:9), the Spirit of enabling, we can walk freed from sin if we really want to (Hebrews 12:3, 4; Matthew 7:21; 1 Peter 1:15).

Colossians 2:9 - 13
For in him dwells all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: in whom also ye are [Gr = were] circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off [or, stripping] the body of the sins of the flesh by [or, through] the circumcision of Christ: buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are [Gr = were] risen with [him] through the faith of the working [or, operation] of God who has raised him from the dead. And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, has he made alive together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses...'

If we have received the Holy Spirit, we can have as much victory over our sins as we truly desire.

Romans 12
1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you all present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, [or, set apart] acceptable to God, [which is] your reasonable service.

2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what [is] that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.


1 Peter 1:5, 6, 7; 1 Corinthians 10:13; (Paul means the cross.) 1 John 3:3; 2 Corinthians 7:1; James 1:21.

Jude 1:17, 18, 19.

 

[RichardBurger]

This is good but you are seeing salvation from sin as a future event. You know what Jesus did in the past and you have a hope for the future. What lacks is faith at the present time. Consider this.

No I am not!!!!!

I see the salvation that Jesus' shed blood on the cross makes us children of God "RIGHT NOW". But salvation, to me, does not mean my flesh has become perfect and sinless. Only the religous-selfrighteous beleve that salvation is completed by what they do in the flesh. The flesh profit nothing.

John 6:63
63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.
NKJV

 

[Watchwithme]

Spurgeon put it best when said "I need to repent of my repentance."

 

[Episkopos]

Spurgeon put it best when said "I need to repent of my repentance."

Very good!!!!

No I am not!!!!!

I see the salvation that Jesus' shed blood on the cross makes us children of God "RIGHT NOW". But salvation, to me, does not mean my flesh has become perfect and sinless. Only the religous-selfrighteous beleve that salvation is completed by what they do in the flesh. The flesh profit nothing.

John 6:63
63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.
NKJV

You have no victory RIGHT NOW because you have no faith RIGHT NOW. Which is easier....moving a mountain into the sea or overcoming a temptation? The truth is that when we are in the Spirit the temptations have very little or no power...His burden is light indeed.

 

[RichardBurger]

You have no victory RIGHT NOW because you have no faith RIGHT NOW. Which is easier....moving a mountain into the sea or overcoming a temptation? The truth is that when we are in the Spirit the temptations have very little or no power...His burden is light indeed.

This is your idea of what I have said and it is not the truth.

I am a child of God, "RIGHT NOW", not because I have made myself one by what I do, but because of what Jesus has already done on the cross. I have been washed, santified, and justified by the Holy Spirit. How can you sit back and spout out lies against me?

I believe Paul when he said, by inpiration of the Holy Spirit, that we are sealed with the Holy Spirit and ARE (present tense) children of God "IN CHRIST" but certianly not in our sinful flesh. I could post scriptures but what is the use, you can not hear and believe anything I say. You will alway come back with some stupid comment about what you want to accuss me of saying when I haven't said it.

The burden of keeping the Law is not a light burden.

 

[Episkopos]

This is your idea of what I have said and it is not the truth.
That means that those who are honest with God and know that they still sin in the flesh will not be saved, right?
I am a child of God, "RIGHT NOW", not because I have made myself one by what I do, but because of what Jesus has already done on the cross. I have been washed, santified, and justified by the Holy Spirit. How can you sit back and spout out lies against me?

I believe Paul when he said, by inpiration of the Holy Spirit, that we are sealed with the Holy Spirit and ARE (present tense) children of God "IN CHRIST" but certianly not in our sinful flesh. I could post scriptures but what is the use, you can not hear and believe anything I say. You will alway come back with some stupid comment about what you want to accuss me of saying when I haven't said it.

The burden of keeping the Law is not a light burden.

You have made yourself a child of God by what you believe. This is very much easier to do than justifying yourself through an actual effort. So your...not because I have made myself one by what I do....becomes because I have made myself one by what I believe....

Here if we measure delusion by the pound...it is far easier to justify yourself through a belief than through a work.

Wouldn't you agree?

The burden of keeping the Law is not a light burden.

That depends if you are carrying it yourself or it is Christ carrying it though you. We can carry this responsibility through Christ. It becomes HIS burden as we walk with Him. When Christ really lives in you ...He empowers you to do what HE can do in you.