The words Repentance, as a noun, or Repent, as a verb, are found more than 100 times in the Old and New Testaments, and have become a familiar term in our everyday speech. The common usage, however, helps us very little in understanding the meaning attached to it in the Bible.
The dictionary defines Repentance as “A turning with sorrow from a past sinful course of action ; loosely, regret or contrition.” This defines the popular usage of the word Repentance but falls short of the more comprehensive meaning used by the inspired writers in presenting the gospel message.
Following are a few examples of how the word is used in the Scriptures :
“And it repented the Lord that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart” (Gen. 6:6).
“God is not a man, that he should lie ; neither the son of man, that he should repent . . .” (Num. 23:19). “And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for he is not a man that he should repent” (1 Sam. 15:29). “And the Lord repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people” (Ex. 32:14). “. . . For God said, lest peradventure the people repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt” (Ex. 13:17). “In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” Matt. 3:1,2).
“I tell you, Nay : but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish” (Luke 13:5). “Then Judas, which betrayed him, when he saw he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders” (Matt. 27:3).
From these passages we see the Bible does occasionally use the word Repent loosely as defined by the dictionary, merely “regret” or “contrition.” Judas “repented after he had betrayed Christ with a kiss. This was mere regret. And his sorrow was doubtless very real—so real, in fact, it led him to suicide, but it was not that sorrow that leads to the true repentance that pleases God (see 2 Cor. 7:9,10).
Some have also felt a difficulty in understanding how it could be said that God “repented” (Gen. 6:6). It has been suggested that the word here is used at man’s level that we might understand the grief God feels when men reject His mercy and disregard His laws. This thought is borne out by the words following “and it grieved him at his heart.”
God is perfect and unchanging and he is one in plan and purpose. Therefore sorrow for a mistaken action is impossible with God (see Num. 23:19, Rom. 11.29, James 1:17). But men are very imperfect and as changeable as the whim of their fleshly desires. When men disobey God’s laws they create a situation that causes God to put into operation another aspect of his plan to preserve the unity of his purpose.
We, as mortal men and women, are chiefly interested in that true repentance that effects our deliverance from death and ultimate salvation in the kingdom of God.
“Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the Kingdom of God, and saying, The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel” (Mk. 1:15). “And they (the twelve), went out and preached that men should repent” (Mk. 6:12). “Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day : and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem” (Luke 24:47).
“And the times of this ignorance God winked at ; but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:30). “. . . the Gentiles that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance” (26:20). “Then Peter saith unto them, Repent, and be baptised every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:28).
From these passages of Scripture it can be seen that true repentance is not merely a feeling of sorrow and regret for sin. The popular idea of repentance is a backward look of regret, but repentance in the gospel message is a turning to God, a forward action motivated by an affectionate understanding of God’s purpose through Abraham and Christ. Therefore, true repentance partakes more of joy than of sorrow.
There is probably no better statement on the meaning of repentance than the following found in Elpis Israel, page 316:
“Now, the repentance which results from believing the gospel of the kingdom is not ‘sorrow for sin’ ; nor does it contain the least bitterness or remorse of feeling in it. The Scripture word translated ‘repentance,’ signifies a change of mind and purpose. When such a change takes place from believing the truth, it is a disposition and mode of thinking such as characterized Abraham, who is the model of the faith and temper which precedes justification in the name of the Lord.”
“But a change of mind and purpose, however ‘evangelical,’ is only granted for repentance in the name of Jesus Christ. That is to say, though a believer of the gospel of the kingdom might possess this state of mind and child-like disposition, he would not be regarded as in repentance any more than in Jesus until the name of Christ was named upon him according to the ‘law of faith’.”
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One