| STUDIES IN BIBLE FUNDAMENTALS { | Prepared For Beginners and For Classes I — 5 ........................................................................................................................................................uuiN iuiiU H iH iiiiuiuiiiM iiiiM iiiiM iiiiH iiiifliniH UiI REPENTANCE
“The God of our fathers raised up Jesus . . . to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.” “They glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.” , “In meekness Instructing those that op- pose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth.” Repentance does not save a person, but it is a necessary part of saving faith. God cannot save a person who is not willing to have a change of mind in re gard to his lost condition, his sins, and in regard to God and Christ. When there has been a true, godly re pentance, what sign will there be? (Acts 26:20)-: “Repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.” May the people of God sometimes need to repent? (Job. 1:8; 42:6 ): “Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that fear- eth God and escheweth evil?” “Wherefore I abhor myself and repent in dust and ashes.” Are even churches sometimes called upon to repent? (Rev. 3 :3 ): “Remember therefore how thou hast re- celved and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will eome on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee” The fact that some salvation passages do not contain the word "repent” does not imply that it is no longer necessary to repent. It is not mentioned, for sav ing faith includes repentance, and a person who truly believes will certainly experience the “ change of mind” before God gives him a new heart. TESTIMONY “Testimony,” says Bacon, “is like the arrow from the bow, dependent upon the hand that draws the string. Argument is like the arrow from the cross-bow, strong though a child could shoot it.”
The primary meaning of the word “ repentance” is a “ change of mind” . A good illustration of the use of the word is seen in Mt. 21:28-31: “A certain man had two sons; and lie came to the first, and said, Son, g o w ork today in my vineyard.' He answered and said, I will not; but afterward he repented and went.” (He changed his mind and went.) In connection with salvation it means a change of mind in regard to God and Christ and our relations to sin. How many are commanded to repent? (Acts 17:30): “Now commandeth all men everywhere to repent.” How necessary is repentance to all men? (Lk. 13:3, 5 ): “Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.” How earnestly does God desire the repentance of all men? (2 Pet. 3 :9 ): . “He Is not willing that any should per- ish, but that all should come to repentance.” What should lead men to repentance? (Rom. 2 :4 ): “The goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance.” Is sorrow for sin necessarily repent ance? (Heb. 12:17): “Esau . . . found no place of re pentance, though he sought It carefully with tears.” Sorrow because of sin may produce repentance, or a change of mind in re gard to sin, but very often people are temporarily moved to tears because of sin and do not let it produce a perma nent change of attitude. (See 2 Cor. 7:9-10): “I rejoice not that ye were made sorry, hut that ye sorrowed unto repentance” (a real, settled change oi mind). “For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of; but the sorrow of the world worketh death.” Who inspires the true sort of repent ance in the hearts of men? (Acts 5:30- 31; 11:18; 2 Tim. 2 :25 ):
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