Elder Bobby Poe

“Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Acts 20:21) Repentance is a change of mind, a change of attitude, and a change of heart toward sin. Repentance is a turning away from sin but it also involves a turning toward God. Many may quit a certain sin, but not turn to God. Biblical repentance involves both a turning from sin and a turning toward God. The words in the verse quoted above prove the point. The story of the prodigal son in Luke 15:11-21 displays the work of repentance in the life of a wayward child. The son becomes grieved about his sin. He acknowledges his sin to be against his father. He turns away from his sin and comes home to his father. He does not quit his sin and stay in the far country; he comes home. When a person has been truly convicted of his sin as being against God, he does not only want to quit, but he wants the smiling favor of God. He wants to know and experience God’s forgiveness.

Repentance is not man’s contribution in his struggle to get free from sin, it is a gift to man from God. “Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.” (Acts 5:31) “When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.” (Acts 11:18)

A person may decide that a certain sin is not good for his health or that he may lose his job, social position, or family if he persists in it. For one or more of these reasons a person may decide to quit the sin, but that is not Biblical repentance. Biblical repentance involves the idea that one’s sin has been against God, and He is the one offended. Psalm 51:4 “Against Thee, Thee only, have I sinned and done this evil in Thy sight, that thou mightest be justified when Thou judgest.” David was not concerned about his health, job, social position, or family when he was finally convicted of his sin. His concern was toward God and the fact that God had been offended.

Godly sorrow will follow a person’s conviction of sin. He will grieve over what he has done to God. “For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of; but the sorrow of the world worketh death.” (2 Cor 7:10) The sorrow of the world is someone who is sorry because he was caught. If he had not been caught, he would not have any regrets. It also involves having to quit his sin in order not to lose his health, job, social position, or family. If he could keep his sin and all the other things which are important to him, he would. Godly sorrow is caused by a personal view, through faith, of the cross and what one’s own sins did to Jesus Christ. It involves an understanding of how God looks upon one’s own personal sins with a frown and how they bring shame upon His cause and name. After being convicted of his sins and experiencing sorrow over what he has done to God, a person will turn away from his sin and turn to God for forgiveness and fellowship.