To repent
means to turn around and go in the opposite direction. In the Bible, to repent means sorrow for
wrongdoing, but must include that you stop doing wrong action and start doing
what God says is right. Repentance always
involves making a change away from sin and toward God. I watched a story on the
news in which a law maker said some things while talking to his peers that was out
of line. When he realized what he said offended some people he made an attempt
to fool the listeners again by apologizing with the words “I regret that
happened” in others word he regretted that he got caught saying what he said
but doesn’t regret saying what he said. C’mon Man!
Repentance is a necessary result of the saving work of God--not
the cause of salvation. If repentance brought salvation, then what is the
point of confession, baptism, and remaining faithful? If repentance brought salvation, then salvation
is by works or rather, the ceasing of bad works. That isn't how it
works. God grants repentance to the Christian (2 Tim. 2:25). The
Christian then turns from his sin; that is, he stops sinning. He is able to
repent because he is saved--not to get saved.
In 1 John 1:9 it says, "If we confess our sins He is
faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all
unrighteousness." Confession of sin and its natural result of repentance
are necessary elements of the Christian's life. But, what about the sins that
we do not know we commit? If we do not confess them and do not repent of them,
are we still saved? Of course we are! Otherwise, we would be forced to confess
and repent of every single sin we ever commit. In effect, we'd be back under
the Law--living by a rule of absolute repentance of every detail lest you be
damned. This is bondage--not freedom. Jesus said His yoke was light--not hard Matt.
11:27-30.
So, repentance is not the cause of salvation, but it is a key
component in the salvation plan. We are saved by grace. And the Jesus bore all sin.
7 In
him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in
accordance with the riches of God's grace Ephesians 1:7
If Jesus bore that all sins on the cross and
one was not covered, then the Christian was never saved in the first place; and
the one sin is able to undo the entire work of the Christ. This cannot be.
Jesus either saves completely, or he does not.
13 For
he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom
of the Son he loves, 14 in
whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Colossians 1:13-14
