Repentance: What It Is, and What It Is Not
written by William J. Lange
Good News Bible Church, Prentice, WI

 

Table of Contents

I. Overview
II. The Purpose of Repentance
III. Examples
IV. Context
V. The Difference Between "Repenting" and "Getting Saved"

 


Over the years, the word repentance has been misused and taught as a step towards salvation. One might think by reading this opening statement that the author is off his rocker. But I assure you, as you read and realize, it was Jesus who made it very clear that salvation comes as a result of believing and that repentance, "turning from sin", comes after salvation.

First of all, let’s define our terms: Repentance is not a work. It is a change of mind; an act of the will; a choice made by an individual after information has been given to him/her about his or her beliefs. When correct information is given and a person has in the past believed different information, but now changes his or her mind, that is the meaning of repentance; changing your mind from a once previously held position.

Here's an example. I was a Catholic who used to believe that my sacraments would save me. When I was shown from the Bible that the "sacraments" would not save and it was only faith in the blood of the cross, I changed my mind, "repented", and believed the Scriptures. Every place in Scripture where the word "repentance" is used, the context clearly tells us its meaning or what to repent from. It is always to change one’s mind from what the thinking was from a previously held position. Nowhere is it ever used to stop sinning to get saved.

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In 1 Kings 8:44-50, we have a clear example of God telling His people, vss. 44 - 53.

44. "When Thy people go out to battle against their enemy, by whatever way Thou shalt send them, and they pray to the Lord toward the city which Thou hast chosen and the house which I have built for Thy name,

45. then hear in heaven their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause.

46. "When they sin against Thee (for there is no man who does not sin) and Thou art angry with them and dost deliver them to an enemy, so that they take them away captive to the land of the enemy, far off or near;

47. if they take thought in the land where they have been taken captive, and repent and make supplication to Thee in the land of those who have taken them captive, saying, `We have sinned and have committed iniquity, we have acted wickedly';

48. if they return to Thee with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies who have taken them captive, and pray to Thee toward their land which Thou hast given to their fathers, the city which Thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for Thy name;

49. then hear their prayer and their supplication in heaven Thy dwelling place, and maintain their cause,

50. and forgive Thy people who have sinned against Thee and all their transgressions which they have transgressed against Thee, and make them objects of compassion before those who have taken them captive, that they may have compassion on them

51. (for they are Thy people and Thine inheritance which Thou hast brought forth from Egypt, from the midst of the iron furnace),

52. that Thine eyes may be open to the supplication of Thy servant and to the supplication of Thy people Israel, to listen to them whenever they call to Thee.

53. "For Thou hast separated them from all the peoples of the earth as Thine inheritance, as Thou didst speak through Moses Thy servant, when Thou didst bring our fathers forth from Egypt, O Lord God."

They’re already believers, but the warning here is if they backslide God will discipline them.

Another Scripture is found in 2 Chronicles 6:34-39. It’s almost identical to 1 Kings 8:44-50, where God is speaking to His people about their behavior and the discipline they were incur from Him. Again, they are already believers. God tells them to repent of their behavior, but NOT for salvation.

In Job 42:1-6 Job tells the Lord that he repents of his thinking. Job was already a saved man.

In Psalm 7:12, David speaks of a man who does not repent and that God will sharpen His sword. In this case, for the unbeliever, it is the wrath of God he faces. In the case of the believer it is the discipline that he will face.

Isaiah 1:27 speaks of "repentant one’s"; meaning coming back to the Lord and being redeemed with justice; but for the unrepented and crushed? The meaning here is physical death.

In Jeremiah 3:11-14, the Lord is telling faithless Israel and treacherous Judah to return to Him. Again, the context is their backslidden state as a nation. It was as a result of the split under Rehoboam, Solomon’s son. They were already God’s people; believers.

Jeremiah 8:3-7 speaks of His people (believers) not turning from their evil ways. It would bring God’s discipline. Their salvation was never in question. Again, we must let the context tell us what is happening.

Ezekiel 14:4-7 tells of Israel, God’s people, turning from their sin. NOT for salvation, however, but from discipline from the Lord. Lets read the context.


4. "And you shall say to them, `Thus says the Lord, "Do men fall and not get up again?  Does one turn away and not repent?

5. "Why then has this people, Jerusalem, Turned away in continual apostasy? They hold fast to deceit,They refuse to return.

6. "I have listened and heard, They have spoken what is not right; No man repented of his wickedness, Saying, `What have I done?' Everyone turned to his course, Like a horse charging into the battle.

7. "Even the stork in the sky Knows her seasons; And the turtledove and the swift and the thrush Observe the time of their migration; But My people do not know The ordinance of the Lord."

Amazing...... God’s people Israel (Old Testament), and God’s people Christians (New Testament), disobeyed/disobey God and He warns of His discipline. He NEVER takes away their salvation.

Another good example is David in Psalm 51:12. David, sinning with Bathsheba, asks God to restore to him (David) the joy of Thy salvation. Not the salvation itself, but rather, the JOY of it. His salvation was never in question.

Ezekiel 18:30-32;

30."Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, each according to his conduct," declares the Lord God. "Repent and turn away from all your transgressions, so that iniquity may not become a stumbling block to you.

31. "Cast away from you all your transgressions which you have committed, and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! For why will you die, O house of Israel?

32. "For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies," declares the Lord God. "Therefore, repent and live."

It can be clearly seen here that it was physical death that would come upon them unless they repented. Salvation was not the issue.

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The Greek word used in the New Testament to denote repentance or repent is the noun metanoia. It’s not a verb. It’s a noun. What is a noun? A person, place, or thing. It is used of true repentance; a change of mind towards God based on correct information. That is changing your thinking from a once previously held position.

Another example: I used to believe in the tooth fairy. However, after correct information, I changed my mind, meaning I had repented of my incorrect thinking. I turned around and chose a different direction in my thinking and believing.

I used to believe in mother nature. After reading the Bible, I see now that mother nature is a figurative statement about nature giving birth in the spring to animals and flowers. Not only is it false, but it doesn’t give credit to the One who has done and continues to do it all. His name is "Father God".

I’m sure you’ve heard the statement, "That person did a 180".

When I was in the Army in 1969, someone told me that they landed a man on the moon. I said, "No way is that ever going to happen". Well it did. After I saw the TV pictures and heard the facts, I repented of my thinking; I changed my mind and went in the other direction. Never again have I chosen to believe that they could never put a man on the moon, because they had...and did.

Before I became a Christian, I prayed to Mary. When I was shown in the Bible that one only prays to God through His Son Jesus Christ and that He alone is the mediator, I repented and changed my thinking about that. It was wrong and so I stopped. I chose to think in a different direction and now, I pray to my Father as Jesus said to do in Matthew 6:9 -

"Pray, then, in this way:`Our Father who art in heaven,..."

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When you use the word "repent", you must always look at the context in the Bible as to what is truly being talked about and what God is telling you to change your thinking about. If you believe something is one way, and God says it’s another way, He wants you to "repent"; change your mind and believe His way.

In Ephesians 2:8, God says,

"For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God".

Notice that, beyond a shadow of a doubt, grace is a gift. It’s a free gift. When man attempts to gain eternal life through his own works, he is no longer accepting Gods offer of eternal life as a free gift. That is, by "grace".

Galatians 2:16 says,

"Nevertheless, knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we may be justified by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law shall no flesh be justified."

God is giving us undeserved kindness. It is only by His "grace" that God will save us.

Read Ephesians 2:9:

9. "not as a result of works, that no one should boast."

Scripture tells us in Romans 4:2-5;

2. "For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about; but not before God.

3. For what does the Scripture say? "And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness."

4. Now to the one who works, his wage is not reckoned as a favor, but as what is due.

5. But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as righteousness."

God withdraws the offer of eternal life from anyone who tries to earn it through their works, thus degrading God by seeking to make Him a debtor to sinful man.

Galatians 5:4:

"You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace."

God offers everyone eternal life. WE MUST EITHER ACCEPT IT AS A FREE GIFT.....OR NOT ACCEPT IT AT ALL. To attempt to gain eternal life through the works of the law (good deeds) is to reject the only way in which God offer’s eternal life; that is, by His grace! And when a man rejects God’s gracious offer of eternal life, he is freely choosing to face eternal condemnation in hell.

The Jews thought they were automatic for heaven because they were descendant’s of Abraham. God said no, and told them to repent; change their thinking.

John the Baptist told the Jews in Matthew 3:9;

"and do not suppose that you can say to yourselves, `We have Abraham for our father'; for I say to you, that God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham."

The Jews in Christ’s time thought they were justified because of their hope in Moses.

John 5:45;

"Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father; the one who accuses you is Moses, in whom you have set your hope."

Moses was not going to save them!!! Remember the Law will not make anyone righteous. We just read that in Galatians 2:16.


I want to show you where repentance is used differently in the Bible. Still NOT for salvation, however. Rather, for staying alive and living in peace. God was disciplining "the saved covenant Jews" through their enemies.


The first place in the Bible where the word repent is used is in 1 Kings 8:46-51. Let’s read the text and see what it is that God was telling His people to do. The context here is Solomon’s Prayer....

46. "When they sin against Thee (for there is no man who does not sin) and Thou art angry with them and dost deliver them to an enemy, so that they take them away captive to the land of the enemy, far off or near;

47. if they take thought in the land where they have been taken captive, and repent and make supplication to Thee in the land of those who have taken them captive, saying, `We have sinned and have committed iniquity, we have acted wickedly';

48. if they return to Thee with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies who have taken them captive, and pray to Thee toward their land which Thou hast given to their fathers, the city which Thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for Thy name;

49. then hear their prayer and their supplication in heaven Thy dwelling place, and maintain their cause,

50. and forgive Thy people who have sinned against Thee and all their transgressions which they have transgressed against Thee, and make them objects of compassion before those who have taken them captive, that they may have compassion on them

51. (for they are Thy people and Thine inheritance which Thou hast brought forth from Egypt, from the midst of the iron furnace),

52. that Thine eyes may be open to the supplication of Thy servant and to the supplication of Thy people Israel, to listen to them whenever they call to Thee.

53. "For Thou hast separated them from all the peoples of the earth as Thine inheritance, as Thou didst speak through Moses Thy servant, when Thou didst bring our fathers forth from Egypt, O Lord God."

Now, if you notice here, this is Solomon praying to the Lord. If you look at vs. 22

22. "Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the assembly of Israel and spread out his hands toward heaven."

Now look at vs. 54....

54. "And it came about that when Solomon had finished praying this entire prayer and supplication to the Lord, he arose from before the altar of the Lord, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread toward heaven."

Now from the context, what were the people to do if and when they got into trouble? Repent!! For salvation? No! For getting freed from their enemies. These were already believing Jews who were willingly sinning and God was disciplining them through their enemies.

The next verse that uses the word repent is found in Job 42:1-6; Job's Confession. But before Job’s confession in Chapter 42, God asks Job nineteen questions in Chapter 41. Chapter 42 is Jobs response to the questioning.

1. Then Job answered the Lord, and said,

2. "I know that Thou canst do all things, And that no purpose of Thine can be thwarted.

3. `Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?'
"Therefore I have declared that which I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know."

4. `Hear, now, and I will speak;I will ask Thee, and do Thou instruct me.'

5. "I have heard of Thee by the hearing of the ear; But now my eye sees Thee;

6. Therefore I retract, And I repent in dust and ashes."

We see here that Job has changed his mind (repented) about Who God is and what God has allowed into his life.

Next we see in Jeremiah 26:3 that Judah is warned by God.

3. "`Perhaps they will listen and everyone will turn from his evil way, that I may repent of the calamity which I am planning to do to them because of the evil of their deeds."

Here God says He will change His mind if His people change theirs. The context is believers; God’s people doing right again. If not, the Lord would bring trouble into their lives. These are already saved Covenant people here.

In Ezekiel 14:6, the Lord says to the Elders, the saved leaders of Israel:

1. "Then some elders of Israel came to me and sat down before me.

2. And the word of the Lord came to me saying,

3. "Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their hearts, and have put right before their faces the stumbling block of their iniquity. Should I be consulted by them at all?

4. "Therefore speak to them and tell them, `Thus says the Lord God, "Any man of the house of Israel who sets up his idols in his heart, puts right before his face the stumbling block of his iniquity, and then comes to the prophet, I the Lord will be brought to give him an answer in the matter in view of the multitude of his idols,

5. in order to lay hold of the hearts of the house of Israel who are estranged from Me through all their idols."'

6. "Therefore say to the house of Israel, `Thus says the Lord God, "Repent and turn away from your idols, and turn your faces away from all your abominations."

Look in 18:4-32 of Ezekiel -

4. "Behold, all souls are Mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is Mine. The soul who sins will die.

5. "But if a man is righteous, "lets remember here that Paul tells us in Rom.3:10; that there is none righteous". For all have sinned and fall short .....vs.23." Here were talking to and about believers who are saved but not walking, in Ezekiel. and practices justice and righteousness,

6. and does not eat at the mountain shrines or lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, or defile his neighbor's wife, or approach a woman during her menstrual period

7. if a man does not oppress anyone, but restores to the debtor his pledge, does not commit robbery, but gives his bread to the hungry, and covers the naked with clothing,

8. if he does not lend money on interest or take increase, if he keeps his hand from iniquity, and executes true justice between man and man,

9. if he walks in My statutes and My ordinances so as to deal faithfully he is righteous and will surely live," declares the Lord God.

10. "Then he may have a violent son who sheds blood, and who does any of these things to a brother

11. (though he himself did not do any of these things), that is, he even eats at the mountain shrines, and defiles his neighbor's wife,

12. oppresses the poor and needy, commits robbery, does not restore a pledge, but lifts up his eyes to the idols, and commits abomination,

13. he lends money on interest and takes increase; will he live? He will not live! He has committed all these abominations, he will surely be put to death; his blood will be on his own head.

14. "Now behold, he has a son who has observed all his father's sins which he committed, and observing does not do likewise.

15. "He does not eat at the mountain shrines or lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, or defile his neighbor's wife,

16. or oppress anyone, or retain a pledge, or commit robbery, but he gives his bread to the hungry, and covers the naked with clothing,

17. he keeps his hand from the poor, does not take interest or increase, but executes My ordinances, and walks in My statutes; he will not die for his father's iniquity, he will surely live.

18. "As for his father, because he practiced extortion, robbed his brother, and did what was not good among his people, behold, he will die for his iniquity.

19. "Yet you say, `Why should the son not bear the punishment for the father's iniquity?' When the son has practiced justice and righteousness, and has observed all My statutes and done them, he shall surely live.

20. "The person who sins will die. The son will not bear the punishment for the father's iniquity, nor will the father bear the punishment for the son's iniquity; the righteousness of the righteous will be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself.

21. "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.

22. "All his transgressions which he has committed will not be remembered against him; because of his righteousness which he has practiced, he will live.

23. "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?

24. "But when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness, commits iniquity, and does according to all the abominations that a wicked man does, will he live? All his righteous deeds which he has done will not be remembered for his treachery which he has committed and his sin which he has committed; for them he will die.

25. "Yet you say, `The way of the Lord is not right.' Hear now, O house of Israel! Is My way not right? Is it not your ways that are not right?

26. "When a righteous man turns away from his righteousness, commits iniquity, and dies because of it, for his iniquity which he has committed he will die.

27. "Again, when a wicked man turns away from his wickedness which he has committed and practices justice and righteousness, he will save his life.

28. "Because he considered and turned away from all his transgressions which he had committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die.

29. "But the house of Israel says, `The way of the Lord is not right.' Are My ways not right, O house of Israel? Is it not your ways that are not right?

30. "Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, each according to his conduct," declares the Lord God. "Repent and turn away from all your transgressions, so that iniquity may not become a stumbling block to you.

31. "Cast away from you all your transgressions which you have committed, and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! For why will you die, O house of Israel?

32. "For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies," declares the Lord God. "Therefore, repent and live."

The condition for living a long life was for them to turn from their sin. Not for salvation since they were already saved, covenant people.

In Matthew 11:20-24, we see another situation where Jesus told of the cities that He preached in and the miracles that He did in those cities. Yet still, they did not repent; "change their mind" about who He was and who He said He was. Jesus rebukes them for their hard heart. Let’s read it and see.......The Unrepenting Cities

20. Then He began to reproach the cities in which most of His miracles were done, because they did not repent.

21. "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles had occurred in Tyre and Sidon which occurred in you, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.

22. "Nevertheless I say to you, it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment, than for you.

23. "And you, Capernaum, will not be exalted to heaven, will you? You shall descend to Hades; for if the miracles had occurred in Sodom which occurred in you, it would have remained to this day.

24. "Nevertheless I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for you."

Being shown the truth and in this case, seeing the Truth, "Jesus", and still they did not believe.

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Today we have many false churches that follow their pastor/priest/minister. People make up excuses not to check things out in the Bible because they say, "We were always taught these things this way", or "My parents believed this way", or "My grandparents believed that way." So, they choose not to look for themselves. They think the crowd is right. They won’t change their minds either. They won’t "repent".

Let’s look at another situation and how the word "repent" is used in Mark 1:14-15;

14. "And after John had been taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel", (good news) "of God,

15. and saying, "The time is fulfilled," (meaning all the prophesies concerning the coming Messiah were there, Jesus the Jewish Messiah, the King of Israel, was there for all Israel to believe on. God was willing to set up His kingdom if the Jews as a Nation would receive their Messiah) "and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel."

What was the gospel? "Good news". What Good News? The Messiah had come. He was walking among them. If Israel would have believed on Him, Christ would have set up the kingdom they had waited for; the 1000 year reign. As it was, God knew in His sovereign will, that they would reject their Messiah. As a result of their rejection, you and I were given the opportunity to believe on Israel’s Messiah, "Jesus Christ". Now we can be saved from our sins.

Look in Romans 15:7-12;

7. Wherefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God.

8. For I say that Christ has become a servant to the circumcision on behalf of the truth of God to confirm the promises given to the fathers,

9. and for the Gentiles to glorify God for His mercy; as it is written, "Therefore I will give praise to Thee among the Gentiles,

10. And again he says, "Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people."

11. And again, "Praise the Lord all you Gentiles,

12. And again Isaiah says, "There shall come the root of Jesse, And He who ARISES TO RULE OVER THE GENTILES, "IN HIM SHALL THE GENTILES HOPE."


In Matthew 4:12-17, Jesus tells the people to repent. Let’s read it;

12. "Now when He heard that John had been taken into custody, He withdrew into Galilee;

13. and leaving Nazareth, He came and settled in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali.

14. This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying,

15. "The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles

16. "The people who were sitting in darkness saw a great light,

17. From that time Jesus began to preach and say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

Now go back to .....Matthew 11:20-24;

20. "Then He began to reproach the cities in which most of His miracles were done, because they did not repent.

21. "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles had occurred in Tyre and Sidon which occurred in you, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.

22. "Nevertheless I say to you, it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment, than for you.

23. "And you, Capernaum, will not be exalted to heaven, will you? You shall descend to Hades; for if the miracles had occurred in Sodom which occurred in you, it would have remained to this day.

24. "Nevertheless I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for you."

The miracles should have caused the people to change their minds toward Jesus and believe on Him "as Messiah", but as we have seen, their hearts were hardened and Jesus gave them a stern rebuke. "Woe unto you".

Another situation was in Luke 13:1-5;

1. Now on the same occasion there were some present who reported to Him about the Galileans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.

2. And He answered and said to them, "Do you suppose that these Galileans were greater sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered this fate?

3. I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.

4. Or do you suppose that those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, were worse culprits than all the men who live in Jerusalem?

5. I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish."

Jesus told them to repent. Repent of what??? The context says these people believed the Galileans were greater sinners than they were and they needed to repent of that false thinking. Their sins were just as grievous.

Keep reading. It also says that they thought, because the tower had fallen on these people, that they were sinners. Jesus said, "No" and told them to repent of that thinking. He told them to change their mind about thinking that way. He said that they too, would perish if they didn’t realize that they were sinners as great as the Galileans were.

These men were not any worse than the people in Jerusalem. They just thought that the rest in Jerusalem (those who were not killed by the fallen tower) had apparently led good enough lives that they were not under God’s judgment. To believe this sort of reasoning, however, is to believe that salvation is earned by the works of the law. Jesus warned those who believed this way that they were facing eternal condemnation. He commanded them to repent—to abandon all hope of securing a right standing before God by the works of the Law, and trust in God alone for their salvation.

See Galatians 2:16;

16. " nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we may be justified by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law shall no flesh be justified."

The Biblical command is clear. If a man believes that his religion will get him into heaven, he must repent. Knowing that, John the Baptist told the religious leaders in Matthew 3:7-9;

7. "But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

8. "Therefore bring forth fruit in keeping with repentance;

9. and do not suppose that you can say to yourselves, `We have Abraham for our father'; for I say to you, that God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham.

Another verse that is often misunderstood is found in Acts 2, but let me set the scene before we read. Peter, along with others, had just received the Holy Spirit that Jesus said He would send in the Book of John 16:7;

"But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper shall not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you."

It was also the fulfillment of the prophet Joel 2:28-29;

28. "And it will come about after this That I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; And your sons and daughters will prophesy, Your old men will dream dreams, Your young men will see visions.

29. "And even on the male and female servants I will pour out My Spirit in those days.

Now, in Acts 2, the prophecy previously made in Joel is being fulfilled. The Jews, who are there to celebrate Pentecost, heard these Galileans speaking in their own native language (vs. 8). Thinking that these men (the Galileans) were drunk, Peter responds and testifies to the Jewish crowd in vss. 14 - 36. Lets read it and get the context.

14. But Peter, taking his stand with the eleven, raised his voice and declared to them: "Men of Judea, and all you who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give heed to my words.

15. "For these men are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only the third hour of the day;

16. but this is what was spoken of through the prophet Joel:

17. `And it shall be in the last days,' God says,

18. Even upon My bondslaves, both men and women,

19. `And I will grant wonders in the sky above,

20. `The sun shall be turned into darkness,

21. `And it shall be, that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.'

22. "Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know

23. this Man, delivered up by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death.

24. "And God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power.

25. "For David says of Him, `I was always beholding the Lord in my presence;

26. `Therefore my heart was glad and my tongue exulted;

27. Because Thou wilt not abandon my soul to Hades, undergo decay.

28. `Thou hast made known to me the ways of life;

29. "Brethren, I may confidently say to you regarding the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day.

30. "And so, because he was a prophet, and knew that God had sworn to him with an oath to seat one of his descendants upon his throne,

31. he looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that He was neither abandoned to Hades, nor did His flesh suffer decay.

32. "This Jesus God raised up again, to which we are all witnesses.

33. "Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear.

34. "For it was not David who ascended into heaven, but he himself says:  `The Lord said to my Lord,

35. Until I make Thine enemies a footstool for Thy feet."'

36. "Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ this Jesus whom you crucified."

Notice their response to Peter’s testimony, vs.37. Now see Peter’s answer!!

Vs.38; "Repent, and let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."

Now think here !!! Change your mind about what?

Vs. 36; "Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ this Jesus whom you crucified."

Now in order to know for certain that Jesus was and is their Messiah, they’re going to have to change their minds about what they had previously believed; meaning they are going to have to "repent"; Change their thinking!! About what? They’re going to have to believe what Peter told them in verses 33-36, that Jesus was and is the Lord and Christ, meaning their Messiah.

Notice verse 41.

        "They received Peter’s word, and then were baptized."

Not the water but Spirit baptism. The baptism John talked about in 1:32-34; lets read it.

32. "And John bore witness saying, "’I have beheld the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him.’"

33. "And I did not recognize Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, `He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the one who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.'

34. "And I have seen, and have borne witness that this is the Son of God."

Lets go to Eph.1:13-14;

13. "In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise,"

(This is what took place in Acts 2:41,)

14. who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of His glory."

Another Scripture is in Acts 5:27-32, where Peter and John are telling the religious leaders that they must obey God rather then men. They were telling all of Jerusalem, the Jews, about Jesus the Messiah.

27. "And when they had brought them, they stood them before the Council. And the high priest questioned them,

28. saying, "We gave you strict orders not to continue teaching in this name, and behold, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and intend to bring this man's blood upon us."

29. But Peter and the apostles answered and said, "We must obey God rather than men.

30. "The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had put to death by hanging Him on a cross.

31. "He is the one whom God exalted to His right hand as a Prince and a Savior, to grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.

32. "And we are witnesses of these things; and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him."


Now look at the context......vs.31.......grant a change of mind to Israel about who they crucified, by believing in Jesus as their Messiah, "Saviour". As a result of this, obtaining forgiveness of sin, because they obeyed God and "believed" what God had said concerning His Son. Peter was telling them in vs. 32, that the Holy Spirit is given to those who obey God by "believing". Repentance here is changing their mind about who Jesus was and is, and as a result, receiving the Holy Spirit at the point they believed, thus, "getting saved".

This is by no means an exhaustive study, but the writer believes these are sufficient Scripture to let true seekers see that repentance has to be understood in its context; To change your mind about what? Let God guide your understanding through His Scriptures. May God bless you as you search His Word.

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