Jesus came to call sinners to repentance

The religious people of Jesus' day complained that He ate with sinners. What was Jesus' purpose for doing this? Jesus did it to call them to repentance. He likened sinners to people who are sick and in need of a physician. Sin is a disease and a curse that only Jesus can take away. Once taken away, sinners are made clean and given a new heart, one that now seeks after God's righteousness; and continuing to knowingly sin is a thing of the past because they have received a true born again experience.

Luke 5
[29] And Levi made him [Jesus] a great feast in his own house: and there was a great company of publicans [tax collectors] and of others that sat down with them.
[30] But their scribes and Pharisees [religious leaders] murmured against his [Jesus'] disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners?
[31] And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick.
[32] I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

According to one poster repentance is a mere change of mind. "Oh! I don't think I care for this sin to day. But the other one looks a lot more interesting. I changed my mind about that one, and who knows, tomorrow I could have another change of mind! "Now let's see. There's heroin, there's cocaine, and there's fentanyl. Which one do you think will give me the most for my money?"

KJV Translation Count — Total: 34x
The KJV translates Strong's G3340 in the following manner: repent (34x).
Outline of Biblical Usage [?]

1. to change one's mind, i.e. to repent
2. to change one's mind for better, heartily to amend with abhorrence of one's past sins
   "Repentance (metanoia, 'change of mind') involves a turning with contrition from sin to God; the repentant sinner is in the proper condition to accept the divine forgiveness.

John The Baptist first called people to repent ------so they would be ready to receive the Good News that Jesus was sent to preach ------

Matthew 3:11 ESV
“I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.



Jesus also calls for repentance -----

Matthew 3:2 ESV
“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Mark 1:15 ESV
And saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

Luke 15:7 ESV
Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.

Luke 17:3-4
Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”

John the Baptist rebuked the religious people because they were not showing fruit worthy of repentance.

Matthew 3
[7] But when he [John the Baptist] saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
[8] Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:
[9] And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.

What did John the Baptist say was fruit of repentance?

Luke 3
[9] And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
[10] And the people asked him, saying, What shall we do then?
[11] He answereth and saith unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise.
[12] Then came also publicans to be baptized, and said unto him, Master, what shall we do?
[13] And he said unto them, Exact no more than that which is appointed you.
[14] And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages.

Many of today's Christians would call the fruit of repentance "works", but they're in dire error. No fruit = no eternal life, save those who are saved at the very end of their lives.

Actually, in the people's asking what should they do they were reflecting a change of mind, and were asking what should we change to? The change must first be internal for it to manifest externally.

yes he did come to call the sinner to repent so that they can have access to the so much more he is offering us. If a sinner dosent see what good things they are missing out on by continuing in their way then by what motivation would they repent of their way and believe ?

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
‭‭John‬ ‭10‬:‭10‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, Because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; He hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, And recovering of sight to the blind, To set at liberty them that are bruised,”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭4‬:‭18‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭19‬:‭10‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.”
‭‭1 John‬ ‭3‬:‭8‬ ‭NIV‬‬

It’s the people who reckon they aren’t sinners and never come to that realization never acknolwedge it who can’t hear the gospel it’s why the Pharisees who all trusted in Moses law constantly rejected everything the lord taught and accused him constantly of heresy and eventually blasphemy .

If a person acknolwedged thier sins truly they then need forgiveness , a savior and that’s what the e gospel is about . If they acknolwedge thier lack of understanding re th r than claiming to know all things then they will hear the lord teaching men true humility , acknolwedging our sins , seeing that we are lost without him is all required before we will ever repent

Alot of people simply see everyone else’s “sins “ but are blind and will never acknolwedge thier own sins or won’t be held accountable for them in tbier view

mostly when we hear Jesus teaching we don’t really want to hear it like the sermon on the Mount we can keep Ten Commandments telling us what not to do but can we walk through n the sermon on the Mount ? The things the lord actually taught himself ? That’s our light which we are to follow and we all need to be able to walk in it ourselves before we start noticing who is or isn’t

I'm not disputing what you said, but why split hairs when Jesus' message is being proclaimed? Here is the resurrected Jesus speaking to His disciples:

Luke 24
[45] Then opened he [Jesus] their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,
[46] And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:
[47] And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
[48] And ye are witnesses of these things. (KJV)

I appreciate your response and I'm not trying to be argumentative either. That one truly does come to repentance is what's most important. But often people focus on the effort on man's part of salvation in response to God's call without ever identifying the work of the Spirit in salvation. There is a real and tangible work that God does in bringing a person to Himself...a Godly sorrow that worketh repentance.

yes, if we sinned, we should feel like David did after his series of bad decisions..., awful, guilty, low..

there is s difference in being sorry about the consequences of sin, or being sorry you did something you should not have done, or vise versa...

Right. Sin is an offense against a holy God.

“Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.

Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:

so shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭55:3, 6-8, 10-11‬ ‭KJV‬‬


“A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.

And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.”
‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭36:26-27‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“Hearken unto me, my people; and give ear unto me, O my nation: for a law shall proceed from me, and I will make my judgment to rest for a light of the people. My righteousness is near; my salvation is gone forth, and mine arms shall judge the people; the isles shall wait upon me, and on mine arm shall they trust.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭51:4-5‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: but this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”
‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭31:31-34‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Not this imputation of sin

“Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭3:19-20‬ ‭KJV‬‬

But this repentance and remission of sins david writes

“Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no guile.

When I kept silence, my bones waxed old Through my roaring all the day long. For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: My moisture is turned into the drought of summer. Selah. ( david wasnt acknolwedging his sins before the lord and it was crushing his soul )

I acknowledged my sin unto thee, And mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; And thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah. For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found: Surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him.”
‭‭Psalm‬ ‭32:1-6‬ ‭

Paul is drawing from this

“Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, And whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭4:6-8‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“The law and the prophets were until John:

since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭16:16‬ ‭KJV‬‬


“Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.”
‭‭Mark‬ ‭1:14-15‬ ‭KJV‬‬


“And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.

Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, and said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:

and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭24:44-47‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.”
‭‭Mark‬ ‭16:15-16, 19‬ ‭KJV‬‬

As we learn the gospel we realize at the core of Jesus teachings for us is to be merciful towards others because all of us need grace being imperfect

At the heartbeat of the gospel is this message

“But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.

Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.

Judge not, and ye shall not be judged:

condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned:

forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:

give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall be given into your bosom.

For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭6:35-38‬ ‭KJV‬‬

When we become focused on sin too much we begin to miss what he’s teaching us to do , and how to be but we’re seeing what not to do and how not to be and being stifled before we look to the solution which is what he’s teaching us to do that offers salvstion

repentance first becomes to stop living for one’s own self interests and consider the needs of others and with that goes the drive to live opposes to God sin becomes dirty as you learn from Jesus the gospel changes us inwardly in the heart and mjnd because we believe we can learn from Jesus but often when we do it becomes a challenge to our long held beliefs of what God is really telling man

The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, i.e., the Godhead, gave all of their love to the human race by sending Jesus (the Son) to become our sacrificial offering.

2 Corinthians 7:10

A change of mind for sure. A 180. This, is where we disagree with the world and the machinations of all who follow mankind and the deceptions, the god of this world, and turn instead to God our Creator and agree with what HE states and what is revealed in His word.

I don't know why that is difficult to comprehend. The Bible is pretty straightforward unless you want to argue with it. (shrugs)

https://biblehub.com/greek/3340.htm

◄ 3340. metanoeó ►

Mickelson's Enhanced Strong's Dictionaries of the Greek and Hebrew Testaments
“Repent” is word #G3340 μετανοέω metanoeo (me-ta-no-e'-ō) v.
1. to have a change of mind and heart, i.e. to reconsider and relent.
2. (morally) to have remorse and repent.
[from G3326 and G3539] KJV: repent Root(s): G3326, G3539

Abbott-Smith's Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament
μετα-νοέω, -ῶ, [in LXX for H5162 ni., 1Sa 15:29, Jer 4:28, al.;]
to change one's mind or purpose, hence, to repent; in NT (exc. Luk 17:3-4), of repentance from sin, involving amendment

This is a great passage on repentance

Hebrews 10:26-31, “For if we sin purposely after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a slaughter offering for sins, but some fearsome anticipation of judgment, and a fierce fire which is about to consume the opponents. Anyone who has disregarded the Torah of Mosheh dies without compassion on the witness of two or three witnesses. How much worse punishment do you think shall he deserve who has trampled the Son of Elohim underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was set apart as common, and insulted the Spirit of favour? For we know Him who has said, “Vengeance is Mine, I shall repay, says יהוה.” And again, “יהוה shall judge His people.” It is fearsome to fall into the hands of the living Elohim.”

What everyone should realize which I know we all do but just a reminder is that among the first words that Jesus preached were

"Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand"

Jesus ate with sinners but he did not conform to their world and this is shown in two instances not the only instances though

1) Jesus and the woman caught in adultery
JESUS told the woman to go and not sin again....he didn't just accept her and forgive her, he told her to go and son no more

2) The woes to Chorazin and Bethsaida
The people In Chorazin and Bethsaida probably are with Jesus and talked with him and he had preached to them about repentance but the people of Chorazin and Bethsaida did not repent of the sins and that's why Jesus said it would be tolerable for Sodom that in those two towns ....

Jesus wants us to repent and be confirmed to his image of being righteous and Holy ....and we should also teach that to the people who are not saved and not just accommodate their sin or compromise with their sin...



GOD IS LOVE

true God is love and I think his love is manifested in such a manner that he has given us an easy of way repenting our many iniquities....through his son...however this phrase should not be misinterpreted that God compromises with sin...any sin is a rebellion against God

Psalms 117:1-2, " 1 Praise יהוה, all you nations! Extol Him, all you peoples! 2 For His loving-commitment is mighty over us, And the truth of יהוה is everlasting. Praise Yah!