What is Repentance?

What does it mean to repent?

Does God Repent or Can God repent?

What is the believers repentance and what is the sinners repentance?

The person quoted Exodus 32:14 and ask me to explain….because Numbers 23:19 says otherwise

Exodus 32:14 said God repented and Numbers 23:19 is saying God does not repent.

So he wants a clearer understanding.

Although scripture advocates that the sinner should repent, it does not say anywhere that he should

repent from his sins.

I’m coming to teach then.

Luke 13:5 says something wonderful, kindly post it here for me.

and 2 Peter 3:9

King James Version preferably

Luke 13:5 (AMPC)

⁵I tell you, No; but unless you repent (change your mind for the better and heartily amend your ways,

with abhorrence of your past sins), you will all likewise perish and be lost eternally.

Luke 13:5 (KJV)

⁵I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

2 Peter 3:9 (KJV)

⁹The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-

ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

So yes, there is a call to repentance but not repentance from sin.

I’ll explain as we proceed

And as we proceed with the message, you will see why this clarification is very important.

It is very common to hear sermons preached where listeners are beckoned to repent from their sins

to be saved.

Even in the church, many times, believers are beckoned to repent from their sins, so that they can

make it to heaven. What is the biblical truth concerning repentance?

And that’s what I’ll be teaching on.

Interestingly, both in the Old and New Testaments, repentance bears the same implicit meaning.

*PAY ATTENTION!!* else you may not get the understanding

There are two Hebrew words commonly translated as “repent” in the Old Testament: “nacham” and

“shuwb”.

“Nacham” means to be sorry, to pity, to be comforted or to console oneself.

In this kind of repentance, one pities and disgusts himself. It is the word translated as repent in Job

42:6.

The same word is translated as repent in Genesis 6:6 and Jeremiah 20:16.

Job 42:6 (KJV)

⁶Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.

Genesis 6:6 (KJV)

⁶And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.

Jeremiah 20:16 (KJV)

¹⁶And let that man be as the cities which the Lord overthrew, and repented not: and let him hear the

cry in the morning, and the shouting at noontide;

The next word is “*shuwb*” which means to turn back, to reverse one’s way of thought, to turn the

heart, to come to oneself or to withdraw.

It bears the same significance as the expression used concerning the prodigal son in Luke 15:17.

Luke 15:17 (KJV)

¹⁷And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough

and to spare, and I perish with hunger!

Scripture says that, he came to himself, which means that he was initially lost, confused and dazed.

This kind of repentance is as though one has been awakened from sleep.

1 Kings 8:47-48;

1 Kings 8:47-48 (KJV)

⁴⁷Yet if they shall bethink themselves in the land whither they were carried captives, and repent, and

make supplication unto thee in the land of them that carried them captives, saying, We have sinned,

and have done perversely, we have committed wickedness;

⁴⁸And so return unto thee with all their heart, and with all their soul, in the land of their enemies,

which led them away captive, and pray unto thee toward their land, which thou gavest unto their

fathers, the city which thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for thy name:

The word of God says in 1 Kings 8:47-48;

_Yet if they shall bethink themselves in the land whither they were carried captives, and *REPENT*,

and make supplication unto thee in the land of them that carried them captives, saying, We have

sinned, and have done perversely, we have committed wickedness. *AND SO RETURN UNTO THEE

WITH ALL THEIR HEART*, and with all their soul, in the land of their enemies... _

The Hebrew word for “repent” in 1 Kings 8:47-48 is “shuwb leb”, which means to turn the heart.
In the context of this verse, the children of Israel were admonished to return to God with all their

hearts.

In Jonah 3:9, both kinds of repentance are used in the same verse… kindly post the verse for me.

Who can tell if God will turn [shuwb] and repent [nacham], and turn away [shuwb] from his fierce

anger, that we perish not?

So, we can paraphrase the verse this way: “who can tell if God will change his mind and regret, and

change his mind from his fierce anger that we perish not?”

To change one’s mind and to regret are two different things.

God’s grief on a matter is different from his decision to take a reverse course of action.

Likewise, one could be aggrieved on a matter and yet, do nothing about it.

Before we make any deductions, let us take a look at the Greek words also used for repentance in the

New Testament.

I’m slowing down…

In the New Testament, two different Greek words are used for repent. The first is “*metamellomai*”

which means to regret.

This word is used in Matthew 27:3 to describe the regret that Judas felt after he betrayed Jesus. Kindly

post the verse for me.

The repentance of Judas was not a godly repentance because it led him into death and not salvation.

He felt guilty, regretted, pitied and was disgusted by himself but none of those emotions produced

salvation in him. It rather led him into committing suicide.

“*Metanoia*”, the second word, means to change the mind and heart to think differently.

“*Metanoia*” is different from “*metamellomai*” in the sense that it is a form of repentance that

produces godly sorrow and not ungodly remorse or the guilt that is of the world.

Please post 2 Corinthians 7:8

2 Corinthians 7:8 (KJV)

⁸For though I made you sorry with a letter, I do not repent, though I did repent: for I perceive that the

same epistle hath made you sorry, though it were but for a season.

For though I made you sorry with a letter, I do not repent [metamellomai], though I did repent

[metamellomai]: for I perceive that the same epistle hath made you sorry, though it were but for a

season.

There’s godly sorrow and ungodly sorrow… basically.

In 2 Corinthians 7:8, Paul speaks of an initial regret he felt which he ultimately dismissed and did not

again, have remorse for.

Sometimes, people regret for a wrong they have committed not because they believe they are at fault

but because the repercussions of their action led them to regret.

Such regrets usually is afterward disregard. Frequently, people regret or repent because their errors

get into public spectacle causing shame.

Even though they regret, it cannot be deemed as godly repentance because godly repentance

produces the fruits of repentance not hinged on regrets but rather on a change of mind and heart

which thankfully bears the fruits of repentance.

In 2 Corinthians 7:9-11, Paul switches and begins to talk about godly repentance that is unto salvation.

Please post it

2 Corinthians 7:9-11 (KJV)

⁹Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made

sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing.

¹⁰For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world

worketh death.
¹¹For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in

you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement

desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this

matter.

Can you post ESV and Amplified version too

Wow!

2 Corinthians 7:9-11 (AMP)

⁹yet I am glad now, not because you were hurt and made sorry, but because your sorrow led to

repentance [and you turned back to God]; for you felt a grief such as God meant you to feel, so that

you might not suffer loss in anything on our account. ¹⁰For [godly] sorrow that is in accord with the

will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation; but worldly sorrow [the

hopeless sorrow of those who do not believe] produces death. ¹¹For [you can look back and] see what

an earnestness and authentic concern this godly sorrow has produced in you: what vindication of

yourselves [against charges that you tolerate sin], what indignation [at sin], what fear [of offending

God], what longing [for righteousness and justice], what passion [to do what is right], what readiness

to punish [those who sin and those who tolerate sin]! At every point you have proved yourselves to

be innocent in the matter.

2 Corinthians 7:9-11 (ESV)

⁹As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For

you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us.

¹⁰For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief

produces death. ¹¹For see what earnestness this godly grief has produced in you, but also what
eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what punishment!

At every point you have proved yourselves innocent in the matter.

Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance [*metanoia*]: for ye

were made sorry after a _godly manner_, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. *FOR GODLY

SORROW WORKETH REPENTANCE* [_metanoia_] *TO SALVATION* not to be repented of: but *THE

SORROW OF THE WORLD WORKETH DEATH*. For behold this selfsame thing, _that ye sorrowed after

a godly sort_, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what

indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things

ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.

So there is sorrow after a godly sort and this wrought gracious fruits in the believers marking that

Godly repentance.

There are two kinds of sorrow that generate repentance; godly sorrow and the sorrow of the world.

Don’t get confused… you should be getting the understanding right now.

The worldly sorrow emanates from the flesh and the carnal mind which produces guilt and leads to

death.

The godly sorrow emanates from life and produces repentance (a change of mind and heart) unto

salvation.

The Bible in Basic English clarifies this:

For though my letter gave you pain, *I HAVE NO REGRET* for it now, though I had before; for I see

that the letter gave you pain, but only for a time. Now I am glad, not that you had sorrow, but that

*YOUR SORROW WAS THE CAUSE OF A CHANGE OF HEART*; for yours was a _holy sorrow_ so that

you might undergo no loss by us in anything. *FOR THE SORROW WHICH GOD GIVES IS THE CAUSE OF

SALVATION THROUGH A CHANGE OF HEART, IN WHICH THERE IS NO REASON FOR GRIEF*: _but the

sorrow of the world is a cause of death._ (2 Corinthians 7:8-10, BBE)

Judas didn’t die spiritually or?

The word of God says that the sorrow which God gives is the cause of salvation through a change of

heart, in which there is no reason for grief.

Most suicides thoughts comes out of this kind of repentance… mostly this regret.

Suicidal *^

This is because repentance means a change of thinking that is rooted in a change of heart.

Most people that commit suicides are people full of worldly sorrow…. This produces guilt eventually

leading them to take their own lives.

The repentance of the believer is different from the repentance of an unbeliever.

Kindly post Revelation 2:4-5

Revelation 2:4-5 (KJV) Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first

love.

Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will

come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.

The book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ was addressed to the church and not unbelievers. To the

Ephesian church, Jesus reprimanded them for leaving their first love and called them to repent and do

the first works.

The “first love” is the passion of one’s relational fellowship with God. This first love is the inward flame,

which drives the gracious works of the believer towards the glorious heights of his ascendant walk in

Christ.

The moment that first love is left, the believer falls from the heights of the virtue of love which used

to fuel his works in Christ.

Consequently, every one of us is to constantly review our present spiritual state of the flow of the

virtue of love and if there is a shortfall, then we must make amends by repenting to do the first works.

This restorative process demands that, such a believer repents by remembering from whence he has

fallen, and to go on to do the first works.

This height from which one has fallen, can be explained practically as the lowering of the high

standards of the virtues of the Christ life. For instance, if one in the past had a routine of praying

everyday but in the now, prays casually, then such a person has fallen.

He must repent therefore, by remembering his previous spiritual vigour and then revert and

reinvigorate that action under a renewed spirit of his first love to produce the first works.

No wonder the Bible says repent and do the first works.

This covers all aspects of Christian practice like fasting, evangelism, bible study, integrity,

trustworthiness, fidelity, eagerness, zeal, uncompromisingness, honesty, fellowship, love of the

brethren, promptness, a heart of giving, alms giving, peacefulness, hospitality, blamelessness,

righteousness, temperance, holiness, sobriety, faithfulness and the like.

This is how the believer repents.

The Greek word for “*first*” in the phrase, “*first works*”, is “*proteus*” which means “*chief* ” or

“*important*”.

It suggests that the Ephesian church, were not flowing in the virtues of the important things they were

doing initially and were now, following after the traditions of men and engaging in other things,

besides what was necessary to be done.

In doing their first works, their first love would have been restored.

In some quarters, you will hear statements like, “let us return to our first love which has been lost”.

The Bible does not intimate that at all.

Truly, the first love cannot be lost in Christ; it can only be left.

It suggests the abandonment of one’s possession like a car and choosing to walk rather than to drive.

Jesus did not say they have lost their first love but rather, they had left their first love.

The scripture succinctly said that “... *THOU HAST LEFT THY FIRST LOVE*.

*REMEMBER* therefore from whence thou art fallen, and *REPENT, AND DO THE FIRST WORKS...”*
The first love is only to be remembered and the way to return to it is to do the first works; the

important or principal works.

When a believer does his first works, true repentance has been achieved.

Accordingly, the believer repents by remembering his glorious initial heights and doing the first works.

It is these works, emanating from a heart of passionate love for Jesus and the brethren, that scripture

refers to as the fruits of repentance.

Kindly post Matthew 3:8

Matthew 3:8 (KJV) Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:

After Paul had reprimanded the Corinthian church for their folly, he indicates that the fruits of

repentance were produced in them as a result of godly sorrow which led them to godly repentance.

2 Corinthians 7:11

Post this

2Co 7:11 KJV For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it

wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what

vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be

clear in this matter.

I’ll end here and continue later. I don’t want the messages to pile up.