“And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand, repent ye, and believe the Gospel ” – Mark 1:15
Like many important Biblical topics, there is a tremendous amount of confusion today regarding repentance and it’s connective relationship to the eternal salvation of a sinner. Crucially, if we are to understand and apply repentance in a practical and veracious way, then it stands to reason that we need to know from what Greek word the term repent or repentance is translated from in the New Testament in that context (ie. Mark 1:15, Luke 13:3-5, Luke 16:30, Acts 2:38, Acts 17:30, Acts 26:20, etc). In fact, we would be remiss if we were but only to default and entertain the general modern day dictionary’s definition of the word seeing as how it has objectively changed meaning over time like many other words in our contemporary society (for instance: quit, gay, wicked, meat, charity, conversation, etc).
The Greek word translated as repent or repentance in the context of eternal salvation (ie. receiving eternal life) in the New Testament is the word metanoeo (v) or metanoia (n). The collective definition of the translated words are defined as: to think differently or afterwards, reconsider, to change one’s mind, or the reversal of a decision (Strong’s Grk #3340 and #3341). In reality, people can change their mind on any topic as changing one’s mind is not bound by moral or religious parameters. This definition it should be noted though is in stark contrast to what many modern day dictionaries define these words to be in one way or another, and that is: to feel regret, feel sorrow, compunction, penitence, remorse, etc. Therefore, it needs be recognized that although these feelings may accompany someone when they realize that they are a condemned and lost sinner incapable of saving themselves, and that Jesus Christ shed His Blood for them on Calvary to pay for their sins, they are crucially not the same thing.
The devil has without question done a marvelous job at changing the true definition of repentance into a moral work or religious formality in today’s society.
John the Apostle tells us in his Gospel in 20:30-31:
“And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through His Name.”
Evidently, from reading this verse near the end of John’s Gospel it is clear why the Holy Spirit had moved him to write it for those who would read it in the future. And that is, that they might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and by believing on Him they might have eternal life through His Name. Now having said that, one should pause at this very moment to recognize that the term “repent” or “repentance” does not appear once in the entire Gospel. Yet the word “believe” (Strong’s Grk – G4100 pisteuo: to entrust, believe, put trust in) appears over one hundred times. Why is that?
Let us also consider Paul the Apostle and Silas’ simple and clear response to the seeking Philippian jailer regarding his desire to be eternally saved in Acts 16:27-31:
“And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here. Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.”
For the reader taking this topic seriously as it should be seeing as how there are eternal consequences at stake, these clear evidences should inevitably cause them to take a step back and ask themselves: why is repent or repentance not specifically mentioned in the Gospel of John? Well beloved, the answer is quite simple, and in fact such simplicity actually allows us to accurately place the true relationship of Biblical repentance to eternal salvation.
Crucially, true Biblical repentance is properly employed when a person changes their mind and recognizes that he or she is a lost sinner and incapable of saving themselves. Once having done this, this same sinner then from their position of clarity, further changes their mind from trusting in any other way to get to Heaven, to trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ alone that He died on the cross and paid for all their sins, and that He was buried, and rose again on the third day.
So in other words, when a hopeless sinner trusts alone in Jesus as their Saviour, they have by default Biblically repented.
My friend, will you Biblically repent and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ alone for Heaven today?
All quotations taken from the King James Version.
