Repentance - Biblical Viewpoint

[Standing Firm In Christ]

I SAID define REPENT. There is no such thing as a definition for man and for God, neither does the Bible in ANY instance say that there is. The word means what it means.

Jonah 3:10 says that "God repented" so please explain why God would have to turn from sin...

God turned from evil, He turned from calamity He intended for Ninevah. Why did He turn from that evil? Because Ninevah repented... they turned from sin and turned to God.

I am sorry you have a problem understanding the fundamentals of the Christian faith.

[Standing Firm In Christ]

You say that repentance simply means to turn from unbelief in God to believing in God.

Why do you have a double definition of repent? Or do you believe that in Jonah 3:10 God turned from unbelief to belief?

Edited November 12, 2011 by Standing Firm In Christ

[KJV1611]

I am sorry you have a problem understanding the fundamentals of the Christian faith.

I have no problem understanding the fundamentals of the Christian Faith. And to say I handle the word of God deceitfully is insulting, but if they persecuted Jesus, then I expect no less for his servants.

You say that repentance simply means to turn from unbelief in God to believing in God.

Why do you have a double definition of repent? Or do you believe that in Jonah 3:10 God turned from unbelief to belief?

Please do not slander me in your posts. I have defined repent over and over and over again in this thread. Here are just a couple of the quotes from myself.

The word repent means "to turn" or "to change one's mind" and always means in the opposite direction / choice.

Repent always means a 180 degree turn from one thing to the opposite.

So I ask YET again, if repent means to TURN FROM SIN as you keep insisting it does, then explain how GOD REPENTED.

I have no problem whatsoever explaining it using the definition I have given over and over and over again in this thread.

[LindaR]

I will try to refrain from the red font as well. Thank you for mentioning it. If the blue font bothers you, just let me know and I will stick with just black.

Jonah 3:10 "...and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not."

If repent means to turn from sin and to turn to God as you seem to say it does every time you see the word. Please explain why God would be turning from sin in Jonah 3:10.

From Dr. Bruce Lackey's booklet: Repentance Is More Than A Change Of Mind

"Approximately 31 places in Scripture mention repentance in connection with God, most of them saying that He repented or promised to repent if man would change "Approximately 31 places in Scripture mention repentance in connection with God, most of them saying that He repented or promised to repent if man would change (Genesis 6:6-7; Exodus 32:14; Judges 2:18; 1 Samuel 15:11,35; 2 Samuel 24:16; 1 Chronicles 21:15; Psalm 90:13; 106:45; Jeremiah 18:8; 26:3,13,19; 42:10; Joel 2:13-14; Amos 7:3,6; Jonah 3:9-10: Zechariah 8:14). Such statements present at least three problems to the Bible believer: (1) How could God repent if He is unchangeable, as Mal. 3:6 teaches? (2) There would be apparent contradictions between the aforementioned Scriptures and others which teach that God does not repent (Numbers 23:19). (3) God's repentance would have to be different from man's, which involves sorrow for sin.

"When Scripture says that God repented, it shows that He is not an unfeeling machine. He has emotions (such as wrath-Hebrews 3:11) and responds to man's actions, showing approval or disapproval. A.H. Strong, in his classic book, Systematic Theology, said, `God's unchanging holiness requires him to treat the wicked differently from the righteous. When the righteous becomes wicked, his treatment of them must change. The sun is not fickle or partial because it melts the wax but hardens the clay-the change is not in the sun but in the objects it shines upon ... God's immutability is not that of the stone, that has no internal experience, but rather that of the column of mercury, that rises and falls with every change in the temperature of the surrounding atmosphere.'

"A great truth to remember in all this is that God is unchangeable in His eternal plan. The following Scriptures show that, before creation, God established a plan for all the ages (Ephesians 1:9,11; Titus 1:2; Revelation 13:8). Within this plan, God decided to make certain changes. To quote from A.H. Strong again, God's repentance describes `executions, in time, of purposes eternally existing in the mind of God. Immutability must not be confounded with immobility.'

"What we have done is to interpret one Scripture by another. Some Scriptures state basic principles of truth by which all others must be understood. The statement of Ephesians 1:11, that God `worketh all things after the counsel of His own will,' must control our understanding of other verses which describe only one of those things. Thus, each individual act of God must be considered within the overall context of Who and What He is.

"In Numbers 23:19, `God is not a man that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent,' Balaam was not describing God generally, but specifically, in relation to His plan for Israel. That is, Balaam was not saying that God would never repent of anything, but that He would not repent of His promises to Israel.

"In 1 Samuel 15:29, `And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent,' Samuel was not saying that God would never repent of anything, but was referring to God's statement that He would remove Saul from being king (v. 11). God would not repent of that promise.

"In Psalm 110:4, `the Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek,' God is speaking of His promise to Christ.

"Rather than present impossible problems, the biblical statements that God repented teach wonderful truths: (1) God is not an unfeeling machine; he responds to man's actions. He has emotions. `We have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities' (Hebrews 4:15). (2) Scripture is true when it says that God repented; there is no need to use questionable methods of interpretation. His repentance was purposed when He originally planned all things. (3) Everything that God does is so much higher than man's corresponding action that there is almost no comparison."

BTW, the blue is too bright too. Edited November 12, 2011 by LindaR

[Standing Firm In Christ]

I am explaining it one more time. Please read it slow and allow it to sink in.

Repentance is a turning away from and a turning to. For man, it is turning from sin and turning to God. IF that man has not turned from sin, then that man's profession doesn't amount to a hill of beans. Faith, being alone, is dead.

When a man repents, that man turns from sin and turns to God.

When God repented in Jonah, He turned from the calamity He had declared for Ninevah and turned to good for Ninevah.

[KJV1611]

I am explaining it one more time. Please read it slow and allow it to sink in.

Repentance is a turning away from and a turning to. For man, it is turning from sin and turning to God. IF that man has not turned from sin, then that man's profession doesn't amount to a hill of beans. Faith, being alone, is dead.

When a man repents, that man turns from sin and turns to God.

When God repented in Jonah, He turned from the calamity He had declared for Ninevah and turned to good for Ninevah.

I have no problem understanding what you are saying. The problem is that you are defining repentance in more than one way where you see fit and you dont seem to see the problem with it.

To repent, simply means to turn. That can be applied to EVERY single time it is used in the Bible. You CHOOSE to "tack on" the part "from sins" to fit your own beliefs.

If God repented of the evil ..................He turned from it.
If God repented of the good.................He turned from it.
If man repents of evil............................He turns from it.
If man repents of good..........................He turns from it.

It is the same for man and for God. The word doesnt magically change definitions in difference spots of the Bible. The verse / context says what the person is turning from or to. In the above it is from evil or from good.

Hebrews 6:1 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,

The above verse is talking about "turning" from dead works and "turning" to faith in God. Or, another way to put it, would be from unbelief to believe. They were trusting their works instead of Christ, and they turned to trusting Christ instead of their works. 180 degree turn.

You can "tack on" from your sins every time you see the word repent, but you are adding to God's word something that is not there.

[KJV1611]

I am explaining it one more time. Please read it slow and allow it to sink in.

Repentance is a turning away from and a turning to. For man, it is turning from sin and turning to God. IF that man has not turned from sin, then that man's profession doesn't amount to a hill of beans. Faith, being alone, is dead.

When a man repents, that man turns from sin and turns to God.

When God repented in Jonah, He turned from the calamity He had declared for Ninevah and turned to good for Ninevah.

Notice the contradiction in your statements above. In Jonah you define it correctly, he turned from evil and turned to good. Those are 180 degree opposites. The "repent" simply meant to turn.
But above that you put your own "added" definition to the word repent by saying it means "turning from sin and turning to God". First those are not opposite, second, the word repent still means to turn so where did the from sins part come from besides you own opinions.

[Standing Firm In Christ]

For man, a godly repentance is turning from sin and turning to faith in Christ. What is so hard to understand about that? My brother drank 40 years of his life and died a drunkard even though he had professed a belief in Christ. Now, I don't know about your Bible, but mine states that drunkards shall not inherit the kingdom of God. I am assured by the Word of God that my brother, though he believed in Christ, died and went to a devil's hell with no hopes of entering the kingdom of heaven.

But where your theology lead? It dismisses 1 Corinthians 6 and allows the drunkard into heaven merely because he believed in Christ. Your theology allows that which defiles into God's Holy City, because your theology tells people they don't have to repent of their sin they just have to believe in Christ.

[KJV1611]

Also notice in Hebrews 6:1 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,

The FOUNDATION is repentance from dead works, and faith toward God.
Works are good deeds or actions. They are not sins. They are dead works because they cannot save. They have no life in them. If the foundation was "turning from sins", then why doesn't God say so here? He says it is FROM dead works and faith TOWARD God. Notice the to and from. No mention of SINS. From trusting dead works for salvation to trusting Christ for salvation. 180 degree opposite turn.

[Standing Firm In Christ]

Notice the contradiction in your statements above. In Jonah you define it correctly, he turned from evil and turned to good. Those are 180 degree opposites. The "repent" simply meant to turn.
But above that you put your own "added" definition to the word repent by saying it means "turning from sin and turning to God". First those are not opposite, second, the word repent still means to turn so where did the from sins part come from besides you own opinions.

There is no contradiction in my statements. None whatsoever. The problem lies within your reasoning. You don't believe a man needs to turn from sin. Therein lies the problem.

[Standing Firm In Christ]

Turning from what? Buttermilk to orange juice? Peanut Butter to Marmite? What is he turning from? A godly repentance is a turning from sin to faith in Christ... no matter how many times you say it ain't.

Edited November 12, 2011 by Standing Firm In Christ

[KJV1611]

Also notice in Hebrews 6:1 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,

The FOUNDATION is repentance from dead works, and faith toward God.
Works are good deeds or actions. They are not sins. They are dead works because they cannot save. They have no life in them. If the foundation was "turning from sins", then why doesn't God say so here? He says it is FROM dead works and faith TOWARD God. Notice the to and from. No mention of SINS. From trusting dead works for salvation to trusting Christ for salvation. 180 degree opposite turn.

Please read what I said in the quote above explain how repentance means "turn from sins" in Hebrews 6:1. It plainly says REPENTANCE FROM DEAD WORKS.

[Standing Firm In Christ]

Having eyes to see ye see not and having ears to hear ye hear not.

[KJV1611]

Having eyes to see ye see not and having ears to hear ye hear not.

I had to laugh when I saw this!

Just go ahead and explain why Hebrews 6:1 says "repentance from dead works" instead of "repentance from sins" like you would like it to!

[Standing Firm In Christ]

Hebrews was not speaking to the unsaved. Hebrews 6 is addressing a saved people who were not growing, but holding on to dead works.