The importance of Repentance (Part 4)

l
By Charles E. Wigg

Repentance, the First step: It will be noticed in all the scriptures that we have drawn attention to, that repentance always comes first. It is repentance, then faith in our Lord Jesus, never the other way around. The word Repent is described in Strong's concordance as follows:

3340 metanoew metanoeo met-an-o-eh'-o from 3326 and 3539; TDNT-4:975,636; v AV-repent 34; 34

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

In English, it means to turn around on the way that one had been going. It will be obvious that this is necessary before one can be saved. None are ever truly saved by God, so that they might continue in the way in which they were going before salvation. Isaiah 53:6 tells us that "All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned every on to his own way". Peter confirms this when he says that "We were as sheep going astray, but we have returned to the Shepherd and Bishop of our souls". 1 Pet. 2:25

The classic example of repentance is that of the so-called Prodigal son. Luke 15:11-24. When his father bestowed the portion of the goods that he was meant to inherit on his father's death, he took all, and turned his back on his loving father, and went into a far country, putting as much distance between himself and his loving father as he could. He then set about to live in debauchery, (live a sinful life), and to dissipate the wealth that his father had given him. However when the funds ran out, there arose a violent famine in that land, and he began to be in want. In the depth of his degradation and misery, he was forced to take stock of his position, and he "came to himself". He decided to retrace his steps, and to turn around. To set his face towards the one whose wealth he had dissipated, whose name he had dishonored. He repented of the way that he had gone, and the way he had lived. He made up his mind, "I will arise and go to my father and say unto him, father I have sinned". Here then is a picture of what repentance truly is, and the kind of language it produces. (A full and frank confession of sin).