REPENTANCE, AN "ABOUT-FACE"

REPENTANCE

Because God can not fellowship with sin, He had to cease fellowshipping with Adam after his fall into sin in Eden. Neither can God have fellowship with a man today who still wants to continue in sin. We must turn from our old sinful ways in repentance if we wish to fellowship with God. Without repentance, there can be no hope to salvation.

1. Acts 3:19 "Repent ye therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord."

A. What is the meaning of the word, "converted."?
B. Is being "sorry about our sin" really repentance? Why not?
C. How does our text describe the sins that have been forgiven?
D. This is much like pressing the "delete" key on a computer.
E. Will we have to account for those sins when the Lord comes?
F. If we shall, how could Luke describe the Lord's coming as "times of refreshing"?

2. II Corinthians 7:10 "For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of:but the sorrow of the world worketh death."

A. What does Luke mean by the words "godly sorrow"?
B. How can we describe a person who has "repented of having repented unto salvation"? (One who has backslidden into sin)
C. In comparison, what is the "sorrow of the world."?
D. Why is it described as "worketh death"?

3. Acts 2:38 Repentance must come before baptism. "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins,"

A. Which must come first, repentance or baptism?
B. If you place baptism before repentance, then you are saying that it is the water which saves you. (Water regeneration)
C. It is not the water, it is the repentance and obedience; therefore the unrepentant candidate is not ready for baptism, whether he be a child or an adult.
D. An infant is certainly not ready for baptism. The candidate for baptism, must have repented of sin, confessed his faith and then obeyed by baptism in the name of Jesus Christ.

4. Acts 20:21 "Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ."

A. Our faith is in Christ God's Son.
B. Our repentance brings us through Jesus Christ to His Father God.

5. Acts 26:20 (Read the full verse) "That they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance."

A. To whom did Paul tell Agrippa he had preached?
B. What did he preach that they should so?
C. This would result in what? (Words meet for repentance.)

6. Acts 3:19 "Repent ye therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the time of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord."

A. Refer back to question 3.
B. What is the end result of repentance and obedience?
C. This is the same message as at Pentecost.

7. Revelation 2:5 "Repent and do the first works; or else I will come to thee quickly and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent."

A. What does verse 4 tell us they must repent of and do their first works?
B. Is this "only" a historical letter written to the Ephesian church? Or, does it have an application to us as well?
C. What would be the result of removing the candlestick? (Loss of the Light, the Holy Spirit, and Death)

8. Luke 13:3 & 5 "I tell you, Nay: but, except re repent, ye shall all likewise perish?

A. Who had perished at the hands of Pilate?
B. Were the Jews any less guilty of sin than those or the 18 of verse 4?
C. What is the end result of all unforgiven sin?

9. Luke 15:10 "Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth."

A. Read verse 7 as well. Can one compare the joy over a lost sheep or coin being found to a "lost person" being saved?

10. Revelation 2:5 "Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent."