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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadR.A. Torrey Collection: Torrey, R.A. - What Bible Teaches (about Man): 09 Repentance
TOPIC: Torrey, R.A. - What Bible Teaches (about Man) (Other Topics in this Collection)
SUBJECT: 09 Repentance
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Ch 09 Repentance
I. THE IMPORTANCE OF REPENTANCE. Mat_3:2 — "And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Mat_4:17 — "From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Mar_6:12 — "And they went out and preached that men should repent." Act_2:38 — "Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost."
First Proposition: The keynote of the preaching of John the Baptist, Jesus, the disciples on their first missionary tour, and Peter at Pentecost, was "Repent." Act_20:21 — "Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ." Act_26:20 — "But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance."
Second Proposition: The sum and substance of Paul's testimony to Jew and to Gentile was repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Luk_24:47 RV — "And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name unto all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem."
Third Proposition: The heart of Christ's parting commission to the twelve was that "repentance and remission of sins' should be preached unto all the nations. 2Pe_3:9 RV — "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some count slackness; but is longsuffering to you-ward, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."
Fourth Proposition: The Lord's supreme desire concerning all men is that they should come to repentance. Act_17:30 — "And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent."
Fifth Proposition: God's one command to all men everywhere is "Repent." Luk_13:3; Luk_13:5 — "I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish I tell you, Nay: but except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish."
Sixth Proposition: The only door of escape from perdition for any man is repentance.
The universal call of Old Testament prophets was repentance. There surely is not the emphasis laid upon repentance in modern preaching that there is in the Bible.
II. WHAT IS REPENTANCE?
THE ETYMOLOGY OF THE WORDS USED:
The primary thought of the Hebrew word translated "repent" in the Old Testament is, to pant, to sigh, to groan, and so to lament, to grieve about one's doing. This Hebrew word occurs frequently in the Old Testament in the active form in the sense to comfort (e.g., Psa_23:4 — "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me"). The Greek word in the New Testament translated "repent" means "to change one's mind."
There is another Greek word used in the New Testament five times and translated "repent." This word means "it is a care to one afterwards," or, it "repents one." This word is also used in the Septuagint to translate the Hebrew word mentioned above. The thought of both sorrow and change of purpose is in the words.
USAGE OF THE WORDS IN THE BIBLE: Jer_8:6 — -"I hearkened and heard, but they spake not aright: no man repented him of his wickedness, saying, What have I done? every one turned to his course, as the horse rusheth into the battle." Jer_18:8 — "If that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their' evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them." Jer_26:3 — "If so be they will hearken, and turn every man from his evil way, that I may repent me of the evil, which I proposed to do unto them because of the evil of their doings." Jer_42:10 — "If ye will still abide in this land, then will I build you, and not pull you down: and I will plant you, and not pluck you up: for I repent me of the evil that I have done unto you." Eze_24:14 — "I the LORD have spoken it: it shall come to pass, and I will do it; I will not go back, neither will I spare, neither will I repent; according to thy ways, and according to thy doings, shall they judge thee, saith the LORD God." Joe_2:13-14 — "And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil." Amo_7:1-6 — "Thus hath the LORD God shewed unto me; and behold, he formed grasshoppers in the beginning of the shooting up of the latter growth after the king's mowings. And it came to pass, that when they had made an end of eating the grass of the land, then I said, O LORD God, forgive I beseech thee: by whom shall Jacob arise? for he is small. The LORD repented for this: It shall not be, saith the LORD. Thus hath the LORD God shewed unto me: and, behold, the Lore) God called to contend by fire, and it devoured the great deep, and did eat up a part. Then said I, O LORD God, cease, I beseech thee: by whom shall Jacob arise? for he is small. The LORD repented for this: This also shall not be, saith the LORD God." Jon_3:8-10 — "But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands. Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not? And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not." Mat_12:41 — "The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here."
In the usage of the words, the thought of regret and the thought of change of purpose and action are both found; but the emphasis is on the change of purpose and action, especially in the first New Testament word mentioned above.
Today we risk underestimating the importance of sorrow for sin. Sorrow for sin is not repentance, but it is an element in repentance. What the repentance or change of mind is about must always be determined by the context. Repentance of sin is such a sorrow for sin or abhorrence of sin, such a change of mind about it, that it leads the sinner to turn away from sin with all his heart.
III. HOW REPENTANCE IS MANIFESTED. Luk_10:13 — "Woe unto thee Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon, which have been done in you, they had a great while ago repented sitting in sackcloth and ashes." Joe_2:12-13 — "Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil." Job_42:5-6 — "I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear; but now mine eye seeth thee: Wherefore I abhor myself and repent in dust and ashes."
First Proposition: Repentance is manifested in deep sorrow for sin and in self humiliation and self-abhorrence. ( Luk_18:13 — "And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.") There is not enough made of this manifestation of repentance today. Hos_14:1-2 — "O Israel, return unto the LORD thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity. Take with you words, and turn to the LORD: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips." Luk_18:13-14 "And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted."
Second Proposition: Repentance is manifested in confession of sin and prayer to God for mercy. Mat_12:41 — "The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here." (Compare to Jon_3:5-8 — "So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them. For the word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed nor drink water: but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: Yea, let them turn every one from his evil way and from the violence that is in their hands.) Eze_18:30 — "Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the LORD God. Repent and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin." Eze_14:6 — "Therefore say unto the house of Israel, thus saith the LORD God; Repent, and turn yourselves from your idols; and turn away your faces from all your abominations." Isa_55:7 — "Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon."
Third Proposition: Repentance is manifested by the sinner turning from his evil way, from all his transgressions, his idols, his abominations, and his thoughts.
This is the most important and decisive manifestation of repentance, the one upon which the Bible lays the most emphasis. Note the frequency and urgency of the use of' the word "turn" in the Bible. See also Act_3:19 RV — "Repent ye therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, that so there may come seasons of refreshing from the presence of the Lord." Conversion is the outward proof of the inward repentance. (Compare to 1Th_1:9.) Act_26:20 RV — "But declare both to them of Damascus first, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the country of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, doing works worthy of repentance." 1Sa_7:3 — "And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, saying, If ye do return unto the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the Lord, and serve him only: and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines." Mat_3:8 RV — "Bring forth therefore fruit worthy of repentance."
Fourth Proposition: Repentance is manifested by two things: trusting God and bringing forth fruit worthy of repentance.
There are two sides to repentance: turning from, and turning to. Thessalonians 1:9 — "For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God."
Bringing forth fruit means not merely abstinence from evil, but performance of good. Compare to Luk_3:10-14 "And the people asked him, saying, What shall we do then? He answereth and saith unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise. Then came also publicans to be baptized, and said unto him, Master, what shall we do? And he said unto them, Exact no more than that which is appointed you. And the soldiers, likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages." Mar_1:4 — "John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins." Act_13:24 — "When John had first preached before his coming the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel." Act_2:38 — "Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost."
Fifth Proposition: Repentance is manifested by baptism.
This is God's appointed and deeply significant way of publicly professing our repentance. What right have we to substitute some other?
IV. THE RESULTS OF REPENTANCE. Luk_15:7; Luk_15:10 — "I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance .... Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth."
First Proposition: There is joy in heaven, in the presence of the angels of God, over one sinner that repents.
This is the supreme result of repentance. We should work for the repentance of sinners more because of the joy it brings to God and Christ than because of the blessings it brings to us. Isa_55:7 — "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon." Luk_24:47 — "And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem." Mar_1:4 RV — "John came, who baptized in the wilderness and preached the baptism of repentance unto remission of sins." Act_2:38 RV — "And Peter said unto them, Repent ye, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ unto the remission of your sins; and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." Act_3:19 — "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out."
Second Proposition: Repentance results in pardon — remission of sins, the blotting out of sins.
This remission is "in the name of Jesus Christ" — i.e., on the grounds of His work. Repentance is the condition upon which the remission secured by the death of Jesus Christ is made our own. Act_2:38 RV — "And Peter said unto them, Repent ye, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ unto the remission of your sins; and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost."
Third Proposition: Repentance is one of the primary conditions for receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit.
The gift of the Holy Spirit is for all those who repent and are baptized in the name of Jesus Christ unto the remission of sins. It is for them to "take" (the exact force of the word rendered "receive"). Act_3:19-21 RV — "Repent ye therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, that so there may come seasons of refreshing from the presence of the Lord; and that he may send the Christ who hath been appointed for you, even Jesus: whom the heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, whereof God spake by the mouth of his holy prophets which have been since the world began."
Fourth Proposition: The repentance of God's people will result in times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord and the sending of the Messiah.
These words were spoken to the Israelites and the implication is that the repentance of Israel will result in the coming of the Christ who has been appointed for them, even Jesus.
V. HOW REPENTANCE IS EFFECTED.
Acts 1 1:18 — "When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life."
The word rendered "granted" in this verse is the word ordinarily translated "given."
First Proposition: Repentance that brings life is a girl from God. Act_5:30-31 RV —