Repent, What does that really mean?

There are times I love reading scripture out of the Message Bible. This is one of those times. I have been doing a study on “Repent” and what does it mean to repent.

I have been told that before we can be forgiven, we have to repent of our sins; in order to repent, we have to go and confess our sins to someone. We have to ask God to forgive us of all our sins. Then he will forgive me. Let’s look at what the word “Repent” means. Greek word-(Metanoeo) Repent

Definition-to change one's mind, i.e. to repent, to change one's mind for better, heartily to amend with abhorrence of one's past sins

Romans 5:6-10 (The Message)

6-8Christ arrives right on time to make this happen. He didn't, and doesn't, wait for us to get ready. He presented himself for this sacrificial death when we were far too weak and rebellious to do anything to get ourselves ready. And even if we hadn't been so weak, we wouldn't have known what to do anyway. We can understand someone dying for a person worth dying for, and we can understand how someone good and noble could inspire us to selfless sacrifice. But God put his love on the line for us by offering his Son in sacrificial death while we were of no use whatever to him.

9-11Now that we are set right with God by means of this sacrificial death, the consummate blood sacrifice, there is no longer a question of being at odds with God in any way. If, when we were at our worst, we were put on friendly terms with God by the sacrificial death of his Son, now that we're at our best, just think of how our lives will expand and deepen by means of his resurrection life! Now that we have actually received this amazing friendship with God, we are no longer content to simply say it in plodding prose. We sing and shout our praises to God through Jesus, the Messiah!

WHOA. Did you read that one verse...Here let me cut and paste it again so you will see it just in cause you missed that part.(when we were at our worst, we were put on friendly terms with God by the sacrificial death of his Son,)

WOW does that mean while yet in my sin that God seen me and loved me? Yes, it does.

Repent means just what it says…to change my mind on what I am doing. Now before you read on and think I have lost my mind, I want you to KEEP reading, don’t stop in the middle and hold judgment on me on what you have just read.

If I am a practicing homosexual do I have to stop before he forgives me? NO. If I am committing adultery do I have to stop before God forgives me? NO. If I am having premarital sex do I have to stop before God will forgive me? NO. Hang on here with me, don’t call me nuts and leave, keep reading….Our forgiveness does not depend on our behavior. However, once we receive the grace (Gift) that Jesus paid for us, we then in turn change our behavior. When Jesus would tell the people that their sins were forgiven, he didn’t say, “Now go sin no more, and then your sins will be forgiven” no, he said, “Your sins are forgiven now go and sin no more.” While yet in our sins God comes and deals with us about our sin.

How can I say these things? I believe that no one comes to Christ without him drawing all men unto himself.

John 6:43 (Message)

Jesus said, "Don't bicker among yourselves over me. You're not in charge here. The Father who sent me is in charge He draws people to me—that's the only way you'll ever come. Only then do I do my work, putting people together, setting them on their feet, ready for the End. This is what the prophets meant when they wrote, 'And then they will all be personally taught by God.' Anyone who has spent any time at all listening to the Father, really listening and therefore, learning, comes to me to be taught personally—to see it with his own eyes, hear it with his own ears, from me, since I have it firsthand from the Father. No one has seen the Father except the One who has his being alongside the Father—and you can see me.

So repenting to me is after God starts dealing with me about my sin, I then want to change my mind about my behavior recognize that it is wrong, and that I am guilty of sin. I then believe that Jesus paid the penalty for all my sins by taking my place in death on the cross. My salvation comes from “having been reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, we shall be saved by His life”. (Romans 5:10) Our justification or new life comes through his resurrection and our being “In Him” by faith.

Now we in our human pride as God’s messengers feel we need to go and convict people of their sins and how they need not do what they are doing. That’s not our job. We are to lift up the name of Jesus, who then in turns brings the people into salvation. It’s the Holy Spirit job to convict the sinner of his sin, and I don’t want the Holy Spirit’s job. I also believe that actions speak louder than words Live your life that is pleasing to God and people will want and ask what makes you so different; there the Holy Spirit opens the door now it’s your turn to lift up the name of Jesus.

We are to be the beacon in the dark that brings the ships' home safely, not the anchor (condemnation) that holds them in their sins.

God’s grace is a wonderful gift.