Bible Question: define repentance |
Bible Answer: Repentance as described in the Greek of the New Testament is not the same as one might think in the English. 2 Cor. 7:10 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. Godly sorrow can bring about repentance but true repentance isn't sorrow. Repentance come to us from the word METANOIA in the Greek. It is a compound word from META, meaning to change and NOIA, thinking. With regards to salvation as mentioned in the verse, it actually means to change your thinking about the person of Jesus Christ and once you do this never to change your thinking again. If you are only sorry as the world is sorry, you will end up separated from God for eternity. When people are sorry for their sins, God is not the lest bit impressed with their sorrow. The only thing that God is impressed with, when it comes to sin, is what His Son did on the cross. Therefore if you want to do something that will really count with God put all your faith and trust in what Jesus did for you on the cross. Faith and repentance are two sides of the same coin and it all point to Christ. |