Jesus said, "I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish" (Luke 13:3). The apostle Paul equally stressed repentance when he said, "And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent" (Acts 17:30). Without repentance one cannot obey God and be saved. It is, without doubt, a very difficult command to obey. The fact that all men have sinned and sin must be repented of, is enough to see that this subject deserves a careful study.
There are two words that are used for "repentance" in the New Testament. Both of these are used in II Cor. 7:8-10: "For though I made you sorry with a letter, I do not repent[metamelomai], though I did repent[metamelomai]: for I perceive that the same epistle hath made you sorry, though it were but for a season. Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance[metanoeo]: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. For godly sorrow worketh repentance[metanoeo] to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death."
Metamelomai is defined: "to care afterwards, i.e. regret:-- repent." This is the word used in Matt. 27:3: "Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders." Judas afterwards regretted his sin, but did not genuinely repent. True repentance is more than remorse or regret. It is more than an "If I have..." statement.
Metanoeo is the word that describes what repentance demands. It denotes a change of mind brought about by godly sorrow ("For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation...." 2 Cor 7:10), resulting in a change of will. This can be seen in Luke 15:18-19: "I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee," And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants." What good is a change of mind without a resulting change of conduct. Many claim to repent, yet they don't change their conduct. One might fool man but God knows. "For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God" (Rom 14:11-12).
Repentance must be preceded by hearing, learning and believing the truth. "No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me" (John 6:45); "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him" (Heb11:6); "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" (Mark 16:15-16). "The Lord is not slack concerning his promises, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance" (II Pet. 3:10). "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he has done, whether it be good or bad" (II Cor. 5:10).
"If any man speak let him speak as the oracles of God" (I Pet. 4:11).
Don H. Noblin
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