So what is repentance? The following six items come from Thomas Watson (a famous Puritan) who wrote about repentance. Please read this with an open Bible, so you can read each Scripture:
Seeing your sin – 1 John 1:8,10.
Sorrowing over your sin – We must do more than admit it. We must internally engage with it. Psalm 51:17; Isaiah 57:15; 2 Corinthians 7:9.
Confessing your sin – We must put our sin into words and agree with God that what we did was wrong. Psalm 51:4; Hosea 14:1-3; 2 Corinthians 7:11; 1 John 1:9.
Being ashamed of your sin – Watson: “blushing is the color of virtue.” Jeremiah 6:15; 31:19.
Hating your sin – Job 42:5-6.
Turning from your sin – Watson: “Reformation is left last to bring up the rear of repentance. It is not the heart of repentance, but the fruit of repentance.” Matthew 3:7-8; Acts 26:20.
At the very least, this means removing yourself as much as possible from places of temptation (Proverbs 4:14-17).
If your sin was against other people, then you must go to them and ask their forgiveness (Matthew 5:23-24).
If the sin involves stealing, then restitution must be made (Luke 19:8).
Repentance is necessary for God to forgive us (Acts 2:38; 3:19; 8:22). Forgiveness will not happen until these take place. If we do not repent we will perish (Luke 13:1-5).
The Gospel of Charlemagne
9 years ago
5 comments:
A willingness to confess that one is a sinner is implied in repentance but the two ideas are not synonymous. For example, in Acts 2 when Peter preached, some of those who heard him were “pierced to the heart.” It does not say they “confessed,” but obviously they and not the others at Pentecost realized they were guilty of the sin Peter charged them with; which was rejecting Messiah and having Him crucified. By asking what they should do they “confessed” that they knew they needed something. They were told to repent.
Repentance is turning from idols to serve the living God. Confession that idols (whatever we were serving in place of God) are sinful in implied. Confessing sin is something that happens for Christians:
1JO 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.
1JO 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
The reason the issue of confession comes up in evangelism is because of the old “sinner’s prayer” idea that is not Biblical. Anyone truly convicted by the Holy Spirit and regenerated is more than willing to confess he or she is a sinner. But seeking to make them confess first (as in say the sinner’s prayer) is not really Biblical. We should just preach repentance. Those who repent have implicitly admitted they are sinners who need a savior.
You cannot turn away from sin (repent) without an acknowledgment of that sin (confess).
To turn away from sin can only come AFTER confessing that sin is even there and that it is wrong.
Chad, I do no agree with the idea of an implied confession. The Bible seems to be very clear (even in the passages you cited) that confession is to be very explicit and verbal. Also, in James 5, it tells us we are to confess our sins to one another...not only to God, but also to others in the church.
So I think that confessing is indeed the first (following Holy Spirit conviction) and most important step in the process of repentance. It is to be explicit, verbal, and not only to God but also to brothers in the church.
I think we're in agreement. I said the two ideas weren't synonymous. I was responding to passages like Acts 2 where confession wasn't mentioned. My "implied" comment meant that where we're told to repent to be saved, confession was implied. That's why I included those passages that specifically mentioned confession.
Acts 19 makes it very clear that we're to confess and divulge our sins and evil practices before others.
ok. my bad in misreading you above.
Oh my gosh YES! AMEN!
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