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To
Repent Is To Change
Jesus the Christ said, “Unless you repent you will all likewise
perish” (Luke 13:3,5). He told His apostles that “repentance and
remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations...”
(Luke 24:47); and this they did. Some ten days after Jesus ascended to
heaven Peter taught a Jewish crowd, “Repent, and let every one of you
be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins...”
(Acts 2:38). Is repentance important? It is just as necessary to the
salvation of the soul as baptism. Without it we’ll “perish.”
Without it there is no “remission of sins.”
To repent means to change. The word “signifies ‘to change one's
mind or purpose,’ always, in the New Testament, involving a change for
the better, an amendment...” (Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical
Words). It not only involves a change of mind but, as well, a change of
action. John the baptizer taught his audiences that they must “bear
fruits worthy of repentance.” When questioned as to what such
entailed He indicated that people must cease their sins and begin living
righteously (see Luke 3:8-14). Merely feeling sorrow for our sins, while
important, is not enough. Such sorrow must produce change. “For godly
sorrow produces repentance to salvation, not to be regretted; but the
sorrow of the world produces death” (2 Corinthians 7:10).
If a fornicator would come to Christ he must give up his sexual
immorality. If a thief would be forgiven he must stop his stealing. If a
gossip would enjoy God’s fellowship he must cease his backbiting. If a
child of God has been unfaithful in attending the services of his local
church, he must start once again “assembling...together” with his
fellow-saints (Hebrews 10:25). And on and on we could go, listing
illustrations of this gospel principle.
Are people willing to do this? Will they really give up their sinful
practices? Those who truly want to serve the Lord and go to heaven will.
Read 1 Corinthians 6:9-11. Some had been willing to quit their
fornication; others, their idolatry; still others their adultery. And
Paul goes on to mention sins such as homosexuality, thievery,
covetousness, drunkenness, reviling, and extortion, one or more of which
some of the Christians in Corinth had come out of. Are people willing to
repent of these and other sins? Those who want to go to heaven are
willing.
Would YOU be willing to repent of YOUR sins and give your life to Jesus?
If you believe that Jesus is the Son of God, we beg you to yield your
will to His and repent and be baptized that your sins might be forgiven.
If you have been baptized into Christ in the past but have fallen back
into sin we urge you to “repent therefore of this your wickedness,
and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you”
(Acts 8:22). God will forgive if we obey His conditions. Can we assist
you in any way in doing so?
--Mike Noble
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