Repentance (Part 3)

James 4:17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin. 

This is part 3 in a series of studies on repentance.

Wikipedia has an entry on Repentance in Judaism; it defines t'shuva (repentance) as:

• confessing the sin;
• if the sin was committed against another person, asking that person's forgiveness;
• ceasing to commit the sin;
• regretting the sin;
• firmly resolving never to repeat the sin.

I am looking at the topic of repentance from a Christian perspective.  However, if I find relevant information that comes from a different perspective and I can support it from the Bible, I am for it. More important than asking, "is it 'Christian'"— which often means, "is it my culture"— is asking, "is it Biblical"?  Can we find biblical support for these five aspects of repentance?  I believe the answer is yes.


Confessing the Sin

Leviticus 26:40-42: "But if they confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their fathers, with their unfaithfulness in which they were unfaithful to Me, and that they also have walked contrary to Me,... then I will remember My covenant with Jacob, and My covenant with Isaac and My covenant with Abraham I will remember; I will remember the land. "

Nehemiah 10:1: "Now while Ezra was praying, and while he was confessing, weeping, and bowing down before the house of God, a very large assembly of men, women, and children gathered to him from Israel; for the people wept very bitterly."

Proverbs 28:13: "He who covers his sins will not prosper, But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy."

Mark 1:5: "Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins."

Luke 18:13: And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. 

James 5:16: "Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much."

1 John 1:9: "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Asking Forgiveness


The Wikipedia article (Repentance in Judaism) adds that when a sin is committed against another the offender must "ask the wronged person for forgiveness, and make it up to them. For example, if one stole an object, the stolen item must be returned, or if one has pained someone else in any way, he must be placated."

Exod 22:1 If a man shall steal an ox, or a sheep, and kill it, or sell it; he shall restore five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep. 

Numbers 5:6: "Speak to the children of Israel: 'When a man or woman commits any sin that men commit in unfaithfulness against the LORD, and that person is guilty, then he shall confess the sin which he has committed. He shall make restitution for his trespass in full, plus one-fifth of it, and give it to the one he has wronged.'"

Ezek 33:15 If the wicked restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed, walk in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity; he shall surely live, he shall not die. 

Matt: 5:23-24: "Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift."

Matt. 6:12: "And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors."

Luke 17:4: "And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, 'I repent,' you shall forgive him."

Luke 19:8: "Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, 'Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold.'" 

Ceasing to Commit the Sin

2 Chron. 7:14: "If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land."

Proverbs 28:13: "He who covers his sins will not prosper, But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy." 

Mark 9:43-48: "If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched-- where 'Their worm does not die And the fire is not quenched.' And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame, rather than having two feet, to be cast into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched-- where 'Their worm does not die And the fire is not quenched.' And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire-- where 'Their worm does not die And the fire is not quenched.'"

John 5:14 Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.

John 8:10 When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? 11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.

Regretting the Sin

Ezra 10:1:  'Now while Ezra was praying, and while he was confessing, weeping, and bowing down before the house of God, a very large assembly of men, women, and children gathered to him from Israel; for the people wept very bitterly."

Joel 2:12: "'Now, therefore,' says the LORD, 'Turn to Me with all your heart, With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning. So rend your heart, and not your garments; Return to the LORD your God, For He is gracious and merciful, Slow to anger, and of great kindness; And He relents from doing harm.'"

Matt. 21:28: "But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, 'Son, go, work today in my vineyard.' He answered and said, 'I will not,' but afterward he regretted it and went."

Matt 26:75 And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly.

Luke 6:21: "Blessed are you who hunger now, For you shall be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, For you shall laugh."

Resolving to Never Repeat the Sin

Prov. 4:14: "Do not enter the path of the wicked, And do not walk in the way of evil. Avoid it, do not travel on it; Turn away from it and pass on."

Jeremiah 35:15: "I have also sent to you all My servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them, saying, 'Turn now everyone from his evil way, amend your doings, and do not go after other gods to serve them; then you will dwell in the land which I have given you and your fathers.' But you have not inclined your ear, nor obeyed Me."

Ezekiel 18:23: "'Do I have any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?' says the Lord GOD, 'and not that he should turn from his ways and live?'"

Jonah 3:8: "But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily to God; yes, let every one turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands."

This five-step process of repentance is much more than just a feeling of regret or simply asking God for forgiveness.  It is a major reformation of character.

Matt. 9:13 But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice.' For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance (μετανοιαν)."

Matt. 11:20 Then He began to rebuke the cities in which most of His mighty works had been done, because they did not repent (μετενοησαν): 21 "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented (εν σακκω και σποδω μετενοησαν) long ago in sackcloth and ashes.

In the previous text, notice that Jesus says that Tyre and Sidon would have repented "in sackcloth and ashes" (sakko kai spoda / cilicio et cinere / saq va'efer / saco y en ceniza).  The Greek word for sackcloth is sakko; the Hebrew word is saq; and the Spanish word is saco.  The Latin word cilicium is defined in Wikipedia as "a covering made of goat's hair from Cilicia, a Roman province in south-east Asia Minor." The cloth made from the goat hair was almost black and was used for sacks, tents and also for clothing by sailors and fishermen because it was resistent to decay caused by wetness. Other definitions of these words include a "poor quality of material of goat-hair" and "a course cloth, a dark course stuff made especially from the hair of animals" and "a garment of the like material, and clinging to the person like a sack, which was worn by mourners, penitents, suppliants and also by those who like the Hebrew prophets, lead an austere life."  The exact form in which this garment was worn is uncertain.  One scholar described the saq as "like a corn-bag with an opening for the head, and another for each arm, an opening being made in the garment from top to bottom" but there are others think it was a "hairy mantle" or simply a loincloth made of the course material. Sackcloth was made of camel's hair in some regions, which adds additional significance to the Biblical description of John the Baptist's clothing.

Matt. 12:41 The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented (μετενοησαν) at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here.

The book of Jonah, in chapter 3, describes the repentence of Ninevah this way: "5 So the people of Nineveh believed God, proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them. 6 Then word came to the king of Nineveh; and he arose from his throne and laid aside his robe, covered himself with sackcloth and sat in ashes. 7 And he caused it to be proclaimed and published throughout Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything; do not let them eat, or drink water. 8 But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily to God; yes, let every one turn (shuv) from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands."  Notice the intensity in this description.

Repentance was not simply a private meditation or an internal feeling; rather, it was a very public change that was visible to all.

Hebrews 4:15 – For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.