Now God loves you he's given his son. What do you have to do?
You have to do something. What is it?
First you have to repent of your sins
I have studied this book for 20 years and according to the teaching of this book
Not my own ideas this book
There are three things that you have to do
Before you can be forgiven of your sin and before you can get to heaven the first
Jesus said except you repent ye shall likewise perish
Repentance, what is that? I've heard a lot about repentance. You say what is it? All right, repentance is this I
Recognize that I have broken the law of God. I
Recognize that I have sinned I'm ready to acknowledge it. I'm ready to confess it
But that's not all of repentance. It means that I also
Must renounce my sins. I must be willing to give up my sins
Does someone need to repent of their sins in order to be saved and Jonah chapter 3 kind of deals with this
I want to answer this question
repentance and
Salvation does someone need to repent of their sins to be saved now today
Many preachers and even very well-known preachers teach that someone must repent of their sins
In order to be saved God is willing to have mercy upon you. He's willing to bestow his grace upon you
He's willing to forgive you if you willing to repent of your sin and that phrase is used a lot
Repent of your sins repent of your sins repent of your sins and
Because that phrase is used so commonly repent of your sins because it's used so often
people will assume
People will assume that anytime they see the word repent or
Repentance in the Bible that it is referring to repent of your sins
in fact, many people believe that the only thing you can repent of is your sins, so I see the word repent and
They assume repent of your sins that's repentance has that happened to you
Are you sure that you've repented? I?
Tell you if I wasn't sure that I had repented of my sins
You couldn't drag me out of Madison Square Garden tonight till I was settled
You know and sometimes, you know, we'll talk to someone we'll tell them
Hey salvation is believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and not shall be saved salvation is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ
You know and they'll say well no, well you got to repent of your sins in order to be saved
You know, I've done this many times or I've told people show me that
Show me in the Bible where it says that someone has to repent of their sins to be saved and they'll take me to a verse
Like this go to Matthew chapter 4
It's not always this verse it's often this verse but they'll usually take me to a verse like this Matthew chapter 4 verse 17
Because someone will say well, of course, you got to repent of your sins to be saved
I'll say oh show me that show me in the Bible where it says you have to repent of your sins to be saved
Matthew chapter 4 verse 17 first sermon Jesus ever preached was repentance
Scripture says he began to preach and to say repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand
From that time Jesus began to preach and to say repent
For the kingdom of heaven is at hand and they'll say see and I'll say I missed it
Where does it say repent of your sins?
To be saved. Oh, there was as repent that I see repent
What I'm not seeing is where it says of your sins
to be safe
well
It's talking about your sins when it says repent is talking about your sins because preachers say repent of your sins repent of your sins
Repent of your sins so people get this idea anytime the Bible use the word repent
It's of your sin Jesus took your place as a substitute now
God says repent of your past sins believe in him trust in him commit your life
Surrender your soul to him and thou shalt be saved
Here's the problem with that go to Joe go back to Jonah chapter 3 the problem with assuming
That every time you see the word repent
It's in reference to your sin. The problem with that is that in the Bible
The person who repents more than anyone in the Bible is God Almighty God himself
Jonah chapter 3 verse 9. I'll give you one example multiple examples throughout the Bible Jonah 3 9
knows what the Bible says who can tell if God will turn and
repent
Turn away from his fears anger that we perish not notice verse 10
God saw their works that they turn from their evil way notice don't miss this and
God
Repented of the evil that he had said that he would do unto them and he did it not
Those of you that will receive Christ
Those of you that will accept him those of you that will trust him
Those of you that promise to live for him from now on
You are receiving him as your Lord and Savior. You're making sure that if you died you'd go to heaven
By an act of repentance and faith. Well, every time he says repent it means you're proud of your sin
Okay, the God repent of his sins
God doesn't sin
God is holy. God is without sin
So when you have this assumption that every time you see the word repent, it must be of sin. You've got a wrong assumption
Because the person who's repenting the most and the Bible is God who doesn't sin
So there's a problem when you go to all these verses that say repent and then you add to it of your sin
Because not every time the Bible use the word repent is it talking about repenting of your sin?
Here's what you need to understand the word repent means to turn
It means to rethink to reconsider or to change your mind
Let me prove it to you look at verse 9 again who can tell if God notice the wording will turn and
repent and
Turn away from his fears anger that we perish not did you get your place there in 2nd Chronicles chapter 6?
Look at verse 37 2nd Chronicles chapter 6 verse 37 notice what it says
Here Solomon is talking about people repenting
2nd Chronicles chapter 6 verse 37 says this yet if
They notice these words notice this word
Yet if they be think
Themselves in the land whether they are carried captive
God here's that once God's judgment comes in there carried captive if they reconsider if they change their mind
yet if they be think themselves in the land whether they are carried captive and
Turn and pray unto thee in the land of their captivity saying we have sinned we have done amiss and have dealt
Wickedly, what's what are they doing there?
They're repenting because they be think because they turn see the word repent means to turn it means to be think it means to
Reconsider it means to think again. It means to change your mind
So look the phrase repent of your sins, here's what's interesting
The phrase repent of your sins because you hear all these preachers are about repent of your sins repent of your sins repent of your sins
You step across that line
That has been drawn in the sand by our Lord Jesus Christ
And he says repent of your sins. The interesting thing is that the phrase repent of your sins
That you can't even find that phrase in the entire Bible
You can find the word repent and repentance you can find the word sin
But you can't find this sentence structure repent of your sins, you can't find that
You can't find that syntax
If you if you pull up like a like like a word like a Bible, you know
Software where you can search different things. I use the Bible software e sword and on e sword
It will allow you to put a phrase in there and you can you can you know choose
To look for the exact phrase meaning I want to see if I can find this phrase in the Bible
You put the words repent of your sins
You you set it to choose to look for the exact phrase you hit enter says no verse is found
Because that phrase repent of your sins isn't even in the Bible
Isn't even in the in the word
So here's the problem if repent of your sins means to turn from you know
Means to turn from sins if you believe that in the context of salvation
If someone has to repent of their sins in order to be saved the problem with that is that you're adding works to
There is nothing for the saving of your soul except one thing
That is the fact that Christ died and rose again
And you must come and repent of your sins and receive him as your Lord and Savior
Because the Bible defines it at works. Are you there in Jonah go back to Jonah chapter 3 verse 10 Jonah chapter 3 verse 10
Don't miss this and God
Saw there notice what it says works
God saw their works. What did they do that? They turned from their evil way
See these people turn from their evil way
They repented they decided to turn away from it and you say what's wrong with turning from your evil way nothing wrong with it
but I just want you to notice that God calls it works and
God saw their works that they turn from their evil way and here's the thing salvation is clearly not of works. I
Mean Ephesians 29 for by grace you say through faith and that not of yourselves
It is the gift of God not of works lest any man should boast
Titus 3 5 not by works of righteousness, which we have done
But according to his mercy, he saved us by the washing of regeneration and revealing of the Holy Ghost
You say well pastor, you know, does repentance not play a role in
Salvation go to Matthew 21 Matthew 21 because you know when when men like me preach these types of things then people fall
So they accuse us, you know, the big false accusation in regards to this doctrine is they'll say oh that church doesn't believe in repentance
They don't believe in repenting. No, wait a minute. We believe in and repentance the Bible teaches about repentance
we just don't believe in adding works to salvation and
Repenting of your sins is works and God saw their works that they turn from their evil way
You say well then what about in regards to salvation? You know, what is repentance and regards television?
Remember repentant means to turn
To be think to reconsider to change your mind Matthew chapter 21
I'm gonna give you several verses on this notice what it says Matthew 21 verse 32 for John
This is Jesus speaking for John came unto you in the way of righteousness and ye believed him not
Remember, what must I do to be saved believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved
In order to be saved you have to believe and when you believe not that's what condemns you
That's what sends you to hell notice
Jesus said for John came unto you in the way of righteousness and ye he's talking to the the Jews the Pharisees
He says ye believe them not
He says but the publicans and the harlots believed him
He said you did not believe the public and the harlots
They did believe notice and he when he had seen it repented not afterward
Always you're talking about repenting of your sins. No repented not afterward
What would if they would have repented what would have been the product of the repentance that he might believe him?
See, this is what Jesus teaching. He's saying you did not believe
But if you would have repented if you would have be thought it if you would have reconsidered and change your mind
You would have decided to go from not believing to believing
Why because what saves you believing?
What condemns you not believing he says look ye believe them not but the public and the harlots believe them and ye when he had
Seen it repented not afterwards that you might believe see in regards to salvation repentance is not repenting of your sin. That's works
It's repenting of unbelief
Mark chapter 1 verse 15 go there. You're there in Matthew next book over is mark
Mark chapter 1 and verse 15
Mark
chapter 1 and verse 15 says this and saying
The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand repent ye. Notice what he says though
and believe the gospel
Why because when someone repents in regards to salvation they have to go from unbelief to believe
They have to go from the wrong belief to the right belief go to Acts chapter 19 Acts chapter 19
You're there in Mark you know past Luke John into the book of Acts
they look when we walk up to a Catholic who believes that they're gonna go to heaven because they go to the
Confessional booth because they got baptized because they keep the sacraments because they do their trust is in those
religious acts
When they get saved they have to repent and turn
From what they were trusting in which was their works or their religion and they have to now
no longer believe or trust in those things and believe in Jesus Christ that's repentance in regards to salvation and
He repented not afterwards that you might believe him repent ye and believe the gospel acts 19 of verse 4 says this then said Paul
Paul here speaking about John's ministry because when we we preach when we talk about this repentance issue people say what John preached repentance
That is why he said unless you repent you will perish
The Apostle Paul in his famous sermon in Athens said
God now commanded all men everywhere to repent because he hath appointed a day
In which he will judge the world
Who should repent
Everybody this is what the cross calls for
The heart of the message of the cross is simple repent of perish
Okay, well, let's see what John preached according to Paul then said Paul John barely baptized with the baptism or repentance
He said it's true that he baptized with the baptism repentance
What was he saying though saying unto the people that they should believe on him?
Which should come after him that is on Christ Jesus
See repentance in regards to salvation is you're believing the wrong thing. You're trusting Joseph Smith
You're trusting Allah you're trusting whatever it is
You're believing in and you got to quit you're an atheist and you got to quit believing that and believe and and now
Repent in your mind choose to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ
That's the teaching look repenting of sin
Is works God saw their works that they turn from their evil way
So we cannot add works to salvation
But you say it does repentance play a role
Repentance plays a role if you're trusting in and believing the wrong thing
Then you have to turn from that belief system. You have to quit trusting that and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ
Let me just say this because we're gonna deal with it here in the rest of the passage
Repenting of sin does play a role in the Christian life
And God wants Christians to repent of their sins
Listen to me not to be saved that would be adding works of salvation
But once you're saved God wants you to repent of your sins
God wants you to get things right in your life. God wants you to
Start living right and start living like him
But if you're doing those things to be saved
You're not even safe because you're trusting in the wrong thing or trust in your life. He will give you eternal life tonight
You don't have to wait till tomorrow tonight
You
That's the good news, but you must receive it
How do you receive it first by repenting of sin that means to turn to change?
Your thinking to change your mind to change your attitude and to change your way of living