What Does it mean to "Repent"?

                                                                         

John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

Repentance: Acts 2:38

Then Peter said unto them,.... Being the mouth of the apostles, and being ready to give advice, and speak a word of comfort to their distressed minds:

repent: change your minds, entertain other thoughts, and a different opinion of Jesus of Nazareth, than you have done; consider him, and believe in him, as the true Messiah and Saviour of the world; look upon him, not any more as an impostor, and a blasphemer, but as sent of God, and the only Redeemer of Israel; change your voice and way of speaking of him, and your conduct towards his disciples and followers; a change of mind will produce a change of actions in life and conversation: bring forth fruits meet for repentance; and make an open and hearty profession of repentance for this your sin. And this the apostle said, to distinguish between a legal and an evangelical repentance; the former is expressed in their being pricked to the heart, on which they were not to depend; the latter he was desirous they might have, and show forth; which springs from the love of God, is attended with views, or at least hopes of pardoning grace and mercy, and with faith in Christ Jesus: it lies in a true sight and sense of sin, under the illuminations and convictions of the Spirit of God; in a sorrow for it, after a godly sort, and because it is committed against a God of love, grace, and mercy, and it shows itself in loathing sin, and in shame for it, in an ingenuous acknowledgement of it, and in forsaking it: and this is moreover urged, to show the necessity of it, as to salvation, for such that God would not have perish, he will have come to repentance; so to their admission to the ordinance of baptism, to which repentance is a pre-requisite; and to which the apostle next advises:

G3341-Strongs Exhaustive Concordance

Μετάνοια  metanoia  met-an'-oy-ah
From G3340; (subjectively) compunction (for guilt, including reformation); by implication reversal (of [another’s] decision): - repentance.

Repentance means death to selfish willfulness, and living according to the dictates of your own heart, and submitting to the dictates of the Holy Spirit and the word of God.  That is reformation and reversal.  Not submitting to the Spirit and word of God is open rebellion and the blood does not cover that.  Repentance is required!

 JESUS SHOWS MERCY- BUT COMMANDS TO REPENT

Joh 5:6  When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?

Joh 5:7  The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.

Joh 5:8  Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.

Joh 5:9  And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath.

Joh 5:10  The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, It is the sabbath day: it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed.

Joh 5:11  He answered them, He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up thy bed, and walk.

Joh 5:12  Then asked they him, What man is that which said unto thee, Take up thy bed, and walk?

Joh 5:13  And he that was healed wist not who it was: for Jesus had conveyed himself away, a multitude being in that place.

Joh 5:14  Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.

AGAIN

Joh 8:3  And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst,

Joh 8:4  They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.

Joh 8:5  Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?

Joh 8:6  This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.

Joh 8:7  So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.

Joh 8:8  And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground.

Joh 8:9  And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.

Joh 8:10  When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?

Joh 8:11  She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.

 The Gospel defined:

1Co 15:1  Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;

1Co 15:2  By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.

1Co 15:3  For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;

1Co 15:4  And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

Death, Burial, and Resurrection= the Gospel.
How do you obey that? Go here.  If the gospel is Jesus having to die, be buried and raise again, we obey by our death, burial and resurrection by repenting (dying to self lordship) burial (baptism) and resurrection (being filled with the holy spirit).  Acts 2:38.

Jesus didn’t live a life of selfish desires.  He never allowed anything to rule him above the will of God.  He never became a slave to habits/addictions.  Food was necessary but he was not a slave to food.  He drank wine, but never became addicted to it.  It didn’t take rulership of his thoughts and actions.  Could you imagine Jesus letting legitimate debts slide so he could buy lottery scratch off tickets or play Bingo?  Jesus minded the purpose of his father.  Kingdom mindedness we call it.  That’s what denying oneself and taking up his cross is all about.  If you have not turned from your own lordship of your life and turned it over to Jesus to be your lord, you have neglected your own cross, and his cross won’t help you.  You still need to repent!

Act as if you had a mother that taught you better, and you learned how to behave!

These verses just might blow your mind?

Mat 10:34  Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.

Mat 10:35  For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.

Mat 10:36  And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.

Mat 10:37  He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

Mat 10:38  And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.

Mat 10:39  He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.

Meaning: if you try to keep your old life, you lose eternal life, and if you will die to self will and submit to Jesus and his word, you will find eternal life.  Repentance is absolutely required.  It doesn't mean, "sorry I'm a sinner", but "I'm sorry enough to stop."

Luk 14:27  And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.

Disciple

G190 ἀκολουθέω -akoloutheō   From G1 (as a particle of union) and κέλευθος keleuthos (a road); properly to be in the same way with, that is, to accompany (specifically as a disciple): - follow, reach.

G3100 μαθητεύω -mathēteuō   From G3101; intransitively to become a pupil; transitively to disciple, that is, enroll as scholar: - be disciple, instruct, teach.

G3101 μαθητής -mathētēs   From G3129; a learner, that is, pupil: - disciple.

Discipline-

G3811 παιδεύω -paideuō
From G3816; to train up a child, that is, educate, or (by implication) discipline (by punishment): - chasten (-ise), instruct, learn, teach.

The Danger of Rebellion- of Not Being Disciplined

2Th 1:7  And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,

2Th 1:8  In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:

2Th 1:9  Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;

1Pe 4:11  If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

1Pe 4:12  Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:

1Pe 4:13  But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

1Pe 4:14  If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.

1Pe 4:15  But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters.

1Pe 4:16  Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.

1Pe 4:17  For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

1Pe 4:18  And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?

1Pe 4:19  Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.

Jesus came to save us FROM our sins, not IN or sins.

How are you doing?  Have you repented? 

1Co 6:12
All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.

All addictions and bad habits must be rejected, turned away from in order for them to not be ruling over you!  No more making excuses for your habits that "Jesus understands and covers by his blood"!  You only hope his blood covers your submission to another lord over your life, but I wouldn't want ot bet my eternity on it.  Are you betting your eternity on it?  Probably a bad bet.

In fact, all undisciplined areas of our lives must be brought unto subjection. 

1Co 9:27  But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.