I'm going to share a few scriptures on repentance. Acts 5:31
31 Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.
Acts 11:18
18 When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.
Acts 20:21
21 Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.
The greek word for repentance in these verses is metanoia and means:
change of mind, repentance
Usage: repentance, a change of mind, change in the inner man.
Notice also in Acts 5 and Acts 11 the God is said to give or grant this repentance. This repentance towards God is something man doesn't have naturally, it must be furnished by God. Its Gods Gift to His Chosen People. 1
We have a choice in our salvation because God's kingdom is true love, and God is not evil to condemn people that have no choice but to reject the truth.
But no person could of come to the truth unless God called them and intervened in their life for the flesh could not do it on it's own.
The Bible says many are called but few are chosen.
We did not choose God He chose us.
No person comes to the Son unless the Father draws them.
No person says Jesus is Lord but by the Holy Ghost.
Peter said Jesus is the Christ the Son of the living God and Jesus said flesh and blood did not reveal that to him but the Father.
No person can come to the truth unless God intervenes in their life before they confess Christ so God would have to grant us repentance which is part of the truth.
The Bible says that not all people who say Lord, Lord, will be able to dwell with Jesus.
Some have a form of godliness, but deny the power thereof, ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
Not many that are noble, wise after the flesh, and mighty are called because their heart condition is too arrogant, and they have a lot of lack of love for people.
When God calls a person according to their heart condition He will work with them to get them to the truth, and if they get to the door of truth they have to decide to go through the door for God's kingdom is true love, but they would of not got to the door of truth unless God intervened in their life for He chose them they did not choose Him.
It takes God to intervene in our life to accept the truth, so it takes God to grant us repentance which is the first step in believing the truth for we repent before anything else can happen.
We cannot confess Christ but not repent, we cannot receive the Spirit but not repent, so repentance is the first step in being in the truth and it comes from God for no person comes to the truth unless God intervenes in their life when He called them.