ALL NEED TO REPENT

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Fulldeck said:
That's the point I was making in reply to the post that defined repentance as turning from sin. Indeed the scriptures don't imply God sinned. But when people say "repentance means turning from sin," people are implying God sinned by their definition according to Jonah 3:10 which says God repented.
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I agree, but, still, picky, picky. We can both understand why people say that. Because, in reality, they are turning away from sin, and back into obedience to God. Mayhaps it could be connotation vs. denotation?

Here's an explanation for some of the confusion........or denotation vs. connotation:

1: to turn from sin and dedicate oneself to the amendment of one's life

2 a: to feel regret or contrition

b: to change one's mind

transitive verb
1: to cause to feel regret or contrition

2: to feel sorrow, regret, or contrition for

So, methinks both are correct............just depends on how and when the word is being used, and who it is being used with........
 
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say, I've been dabbling in resurrecting threads that are 8 years old

I don't get why I have this strange desire, but how do I repent of this?
 
theanointedsinner said:
say, I've been dabbling in resurrecting threads that are 8 years old

I don't get why I have this strange desire, but how do I repent of this?
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IF you are sincere, you simply stop. What you were doing is disrupting the Forum with intent. That does not reflect a Christian spirit.........What was your agenda?
 
OneFaith said:
Repentance is making a u-turn away from sin- which involves a change of mind, but no simply believing is not repenting. Satan believes but does not repent.
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Believing in Christ for salvation is the new direction of this change of mind in repentance that results in salvation (Acts 11:17,18). Repentance does not mean completely stop sinning, but those who repent no longer "practice" sin and now "practice" righteousness (1 John 3:9-10).

Satan believes "mental assent" that "there is one God" (just as the demons believe in James 2:19) but they do not believe/entrust their spiritual well being to Christ; have faith/reliance in Christ for salvation. Big difference!
 
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theanointedsinner said:
say, I've been dabbling in resurrecting threads that are 8 years old

I don't get why I have this strange desire, but how do I repent of this?
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is it a sin?

if that is a sin, even if only to you personally, then it is sin

I can see how some think it is annoying

are you trying to annoy people?

if so, that could be a sin. do you think it is a sin?

if so, then it is a sin

etc

mocking others is also most likely a sin if you do so anticipating frustration and anger from the other party

sin applies as in first 2 examples

in other words, you are your own keeper. no one can reverse or forgive your sins here
 
Fulldeck said:
Did God make a U-turn from sin?

And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.
Jonah 3:10 KJV

No, God repented - he changed his mind.

However we do see what making a u-turn is in the verse above

And God saw their works, that they u-turned from their evil way. Jonah 3:10

Nineveh's repentance is here, a few verses earlier:

So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them.
Jonah 3:5 KJV

First you repent (change your mind from unbelief) and after salvation you change your ways especially if you want fellowship with God, otherwise life will be far from fun.

Jesus equates repentance with faith:
For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not; but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it , repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.
Matthew 21:32 KJV

In other words Jesus told the pharisees that even after all they witnessed they still didn't repent (change their mind) and believe.

Granville Sharp rule shows faith and repentance the same:



If God's people want to be blessed and healed, Christians must turn from their sins.

if my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
2 Chronicles 7:14 KJV
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Like I said, yes changing your mind is part of repentance. You cannot stop and turn away from what you're doing unless you change your mind. Notice that in the example you gave, God stopped what He was doing.

You can't have true repentance without a change of mind, because stopping what you're doing without changing your mind is not true repentance either. For example, if a bank robber gets arrested for pointing a gun at people in the bank, but didn't actually rob the bank, is that repentance? No because he did not change his mind. You need both a change of mind and an effort to stop in order to be true repentance.
 
Fulldeck said:
They changed their mind from unbelief.
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That is NOT all that they did. So let's stick with Bible truth and Gospel truth.

JONAH 3
5 So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them.
6 For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.
7 And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water:
8 But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands.
9 Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?
10 And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.

So believing God was the FIRST STEP.

Then they expressed their genuine repentance as follows:

1. proclaimed a fast

2. put on sackcloth

3. sat in ashes

4. Actually fasted: Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water

5. cr[ied] mightily unto God

6. turn[ed] every one from his evil way

7. and from the violence that is in their hands.

And this is exactly what God expects today from all sinners.
 
Fulldeck said:
Did God make a U-turn from sin?

And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.
Jonah 3:10 KJV

No, God repented - he changed his mind.

However we do see what making a u-turn is in the verse above

And God saw their works, that they u-turned from their evil way. Jonah 3:10

Nineveh's repentance is here, a few verses earlier:

So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them.
Jonah 3:5 KJV

First you repent (change your mind from unbelief) and after salvation you change your ways especially if you want fellowship with God, otherwise life will be far from fun.

Jesus equates repentance with faith:
For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not; but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it , repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.
Matthew 21:32 KJV

In other words Jesus told the pharisees that even after all they witnessed they still didn't repent (change their mind) and believe.

Granville Sharp rule shows faith and repentance the same:



If God's people want to be blessed and healed, Christians must turn from their sins.

if my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
2 Chronicles 7:14 KJV
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Simple. God determined to bring judgment upon these people, but these people repented . . . they turned the cat around . . . and in their repentance they were no longer subject to God's wrath - so God changed His mind and did not judge them.

God determined to bring judgment down on me . . . it was a done deal, for I was 'condemned already' (John 3:18). I turned to the Cross and Christ washed me with His shed blood. Now God can't judge me, for all his wrath was already brought down upon His Son . . . in my place . . . and I am free from the law of sin and death.
 
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I ran out of time editing, so let me redo this a different way...

A= a change of mind
B= a change of direction

Let's try a scenario with only A and a scenario with only B...

First only A...
Let's say I'm tempted to smoke a cigarette, and I'm checking for money in my purse while planning to go buy cigarettes. I happen to glance over at my bible, and start a self-examination. I think how I cannot imagine Jesus with a cigarette. I think about how I know that it is damaging to God's temple (my body), and about those I know who died from smoking, and that I risk leaving my children without a mother. I feel how it goes against my conscience in every way. I genuinely change my mind, I'm not going to do it. Right then there is a knock at the door. "Hurry, someone needs you to come to their house right away." After getting to their house and helping with a problem, I'm offered a cigarette. "Yeah sure, I could use one right now." I say. I remember my change of mind but smoke anyways.

Now only B...
I'm tempted to smoke cigarettes. I check my purse for money. I get in my car and head toward the store. At a stop light I get a phone call. "I see you're heading somewhere, but i was just on my way to tell you that someone needs you to come to their house right away." After the stoplight I turn on my blinker, turn around, and start going the opposite direction. After helping the person at their house I'm offered a cigarette. "Yeah sure, I could use one right now." I say, then I light it up and smoke it.

True repentance requires both a change of mind and a change of direction/action/effort/stopping...

Both A and B scenario...
I'm tempted to smoke. I start the process of heading to the store. I have a struggle with my conscience, and I change my mind. Right then I get a knock at the door. After going to help them I'm offered a cigarette. "No thank you." I say. On my way home, deciding to turn right or left (to the store for cigarettes or to go home). I turn the opposite way from buying cigarettes and head home. Repentance may not always involve a physical change of direction, but it always involves a change of action, effort, or planing.
 
Repentance mostly has it's purpose in salvation. I am a sinner, I agree (confess) with God that I am a sinner and I take the place of a prosecutor and tell God that He is right--I am guilty--I deserve eternal death in hell, and only Jesus Christ is my Remedy.

I change my mind about being lost and embrace the concept of salvation . . . I have repented . . . and it is for the most part simultaneous with receiving Christ as Saviour.

What I believe you are describing (from a Christian perspective) is that of conviction. The Holy Spirit convicts you that smoking is not something that a believer ought to do. Whether you listen to Him or not does not effect your salvation, but it can effect your fellowship with God.

If a person is not saved, whether they smoke, drink, take drugs, do illicit sex or whatever is not that which sends him to hell -- it is his standing with God through Christ.
 
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OneFaith said:
True repentance requires both a change of mind and a change of
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But the scripture doesn't say "repent, change your actions, and believe"

It says "Repent and believe".

The gift of salvation can't be compared to cigarettes.

The change of action doesn't come until after repenting and believing. The change of action is now on the believer's part.

Repentance is for the lost, the changing of ways is for the found. Changing ways will never do anything for the lost - "whitewashed tombs".
 
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BaptistBibleBeliever said:
Repentance mostly has it's purpose in salvation. I am a sinner, I agree (confess) with God that I am a sinner and I take the place of a prosecutor and tell God that He is right--I am guilty--I deserve eternal death in hell, and only Jesus Christ is my Remedy.

I change my mind about being lost and embrace the concept of salvation . . . I have repented . . . and it is for the most part simultaneous with receiving Christ as Saviour.

What I believe you are describing (from a Christian perspective) is that of conviction. The Holy Spirit convicts you that smoking is not something that a believer ought to do. Whether you listen to Him or not does not effect your salvation, but it can effect your fellowship with God.

If a person is not saved, whether they smoke, drink, take drugs, do illicit sex or whatever is not that which sends him to hell -- it is his standing with God through Christ.
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Exactly what I'm saying "Repentance has its purpose in salvation." If you stop repenting you stop being saved. And repentence is not just in your mind but in your actions as well. We must stop sinning. If we give up goal and effort to stop sinning we lose Christ's blood to cover our sins. We must remain in a state of repentance. "But if you sin willfully there no longer remains a sacrifice for your sins. "
 
Fulldeck said:
But the scripture doesn't say "repent, change your actions, and believe"

It says "Repent and believe".

The gift of salvation can't be compared to cigarettes.

The change of action doesn't come until after repenting and believing. The change of action is now on the believer's part.

Repentance is for the lost, the changing of ways is for the found. Changing ways will never do anything for the lost - "whitewashed tombs".
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If the Biblical definition of repent means change of action, then yes it can use the word "repent" instead of the words "change your action".

I don't understand what you mean by "salvation cannot be compared to cigarettes. "
 
OneFaith said:
Repentance has its purpose in salvation
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Yes. Repentance has its purpose in salvation because it does not mean turning from sin.

Jonah 3:10 God saw their w-o-r-k-s, that they turned from their evil ways.

not by w-o-r-k-s of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
Titus 3:5 KJV

To turn from sin is to follow the law. For sin is transgression of the law. It's the law that says turn from turn from idolatry, turn from adultery, etc. But good luck trying to justify yourself by the works of the law, for


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 3:20 KJV

I'm sorry you are trying to buy a priceless gift with filthy rags.

Works salvation believers hate context. Hebrews 10:26 is talking about the synagogue of satan trusting in the sacrifices of the law (v4) and not the final sacrifice by which the saints are irrevocably saved. The Jewish children of satan rejected salvation (v29, see also matt 23:27). This is why today they own the entire porn industry.

"the only reason that Jews are in porn is because Jesus sucks" - Al Goldstein
 
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