Category: Repentance

Repentance, US Blog

Scriptures On Repentance

Aug 15, 2022 by Percy Parakh

SCRIPTURES ON REPENTANCE

Mar 1:15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.

Mat 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Act 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Act 3:19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;

Act 8:22 Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee.

Act 17:30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every

Mar 6:12 And they went out, and preached that men should repent.

Act 26:20 But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.

Rev 2:5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.

Rev 2:16 Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.

Rev 2:21 And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not.

Rev 2:22 Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.

Rev 3:3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.

Rev 3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

Mat 3:8 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:

Mar 2:17 When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Luk 3:8 Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.

Luk 5:32 I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Luk 15:7 I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.

Luk 24:47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

Act 5:31 Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.

Act 11:18 When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.

Act 20:21 Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.

Act 26:20 But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance. Rom 2:4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

2Co 7:9 Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing.

2Co 7:10 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.

2Ti 2:25 In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;

Heb 6:1 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,

Heb 12:17 For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.

2Pe 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

Repentance, US Blog

What is genuine repentance?

Apr 25, 2021 by Percy Parakh

*Genuine Repentance*

What is repentance ? And how do we know when it is genuine ? A man who came to see me said he felt so much guilt before he was saved that he couldn’t eat for days. Because he knew that I had not gone through such an intense period of grief, he said he didn’t think I had truly repented.

Another man wept when he told me that his wife had left him because of his drinking and infidelity. He tearfully professed faith in Jesus and vowed to be done with his sinful lifestyle. But when his wife returned, he soon went back to his old ways.

In a similar situation, a man confessed with little emotion what a terrible sinner he was. He admitted his need for grace and received Christ. That was the end of his old lifestyle. Which of these men genuinely repented ?

Paul said godly sorrow for sin leads to salvation and a new life, whereas the sorrow of the world — merely feeling bad about sin’s consequences_ — leaves a person unchanged and leads to death.

True repentance doesn’t mean we never sin again. But if we admit that we are helpless sinners, if we believe that Jesus died for our sins, if we are trusting Him for salvation, and *if we have a deep desire to live for Him, our repentance is genuine*.

We have been forgiven. – Herbert Vander Lugt. True repentance leaves the sin That we had loved before,_With firm resolve to turn from it And yield to it no more.-Anon. *God’s discipline is designed to make us like His Son.*

*Stay Blessed My Friend*


Penance, Repentance, US Blog

What is Repentance? What is the difference between Penance and Repentance?

Mar 22, 2021 by Percy Parakh

Sometimes folks confuse Repentance with Penance

PENANCE and REPENTANCE Question: What is the difference between penance and repentance?

Answer: The Lord Jesus summarized the Christian message in the following words: Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the 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 to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem (Luke 24:46,47).

The Gospel is the glad tidings of salvation to all people everywhere. Forgiveness and peace with God are offered to “all nations”. To show His readiness to forgive the vilest sinners, the apostles were commanded to begin their mission in Jerusalem, the dwelling place of His murderers!

Sin can only be forgiven “in His name.” There is no other fount where sinners can go to for cleansing. As prophesied in Scripture, it was necessary for Christ to suffer and die on the cross as a sacrifice for sin.

The resurrection is the Father’s seal of approval on His Son’s redemptive work. Christians are forgiven in His name and they have no other message to a lost world but the promise of forgiveness for Christ’s sake.

REPENTANCE Repentance and remission go together. As long as the sinner remains obstinate and without remorse, God will not forgive. Only when the sinner confesses his sin and turns to God, is he pardoned and reconciled.

Repentance is an inner change; the word actually means a change of mind. Yet this inner conversion shows itself outwardly. Genuine sorrow for offending God is often expressed in prayer and fasting. Life is transformed.

The selfish becomes generous and kind; the dishonest becomes just and true in his dealings with others. These are the “fruits of repentance” that John the Baptist spoke about (Luke 3:7-14) – the result and proof of true conversion.

The good works that result from repentance are not reckoned as a punishment or a payment of the legal debt owned to God’s justice. God forgives gratuitously, freely; God forgives on account of Christ’s sacrifice. Remission is in the name of Christ and not on account of anything we do.

Our tears do not appease God’s wrath but only the blood of Jesus. The repentant does not live a good life to merit forgiveness; he lives a clean and godly life because he is forever grateful to God’s forgiving grace!

PENANCE Sadly Catholic tradition distorts the biblical concept of repentance. Repentance is substituted by “doing penance” – a punishment inflicted on oneself to atone (make satisfaction) for sin.

To be fair, Catholicism also speaks of penance as an inner attitude – “that disposition of the heart in which we detest and bewail our sins because they were offensive to God.” We readily concur that genuine repentance is expressed by sorrow, and such acts as prayer and fasting, and that repentance results in “fruit” – good works that grow out of a changed mind.

The big problem with the Catholic doctrine is the intended purpose of such acts: penance is performed to make satisfaction for sin, as can be verified from the following citations from official Catholic sources: “Raised up from sin, the sinner must still recover his full spiritual health by doing something more to make amends for the sin: he must ‘make satisfaction’ for or ‘expiate’ his sins. This satisfaction is called ‘penance.'” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1459).

Penance “is meant not merely as a safeguard for the new life and as a remedy to weakness, but also as a vindicatory punishment for former sins” (Council of Trent, 14:8).”Satisfaction or penance is that prayer or other good work which the confessor enjoins on the penitent in expiation of his sins” (Catechism of Pius X, Sacrament of Penance).

Accordingly, even though a person is genuinely contrite and having confessed his sins, he is still required to atone for sin by performing various works of penance in this world and by suffering in purgatory after death. He is not fit to enter heaven until he has made complete satisfaction.

PRACTICAL EFFECTS The practical effects of the doctrine of penance are most disturbing and hurtful to the Christian religion: Faith – the Christian’s absolute confidence in the goodness of God and the sufficiency of Christ’s blood to cleanse from sin – is substituted by personal efforts and suffering.

Love – the Christian’s obedience to the commandments in response to the love of God, such as helping the poor – is mutated into a punishment! (Almsgiving is a principal form of penance).

Hope – the Christian’s joyful expectation to be in the presence of his Saviour – is changed into fear and dread in anticipation of the torments of purgatory.

Back to the Bible! May every one of us truly repent – detesting sin and turning to God, fully confident in his mercy and kindness. Let us trust completely in Christ whose blood cleanses from all sin. Let us love and do good works for no other purpose but to show our gratitude to God’s goodness. Let us hope to the end for the grace – God’s unmerited favour, our salvation – that is to be brought to us at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Repentance, Sunday School, US Blog

Sunday School Lesson May 30, 2020

May 31, 2020 by Percy Parakh

Hosea 11:1-2 King James Version (KJV)
1 When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt.
2 As they called them, so they went from them: they sacrificed unto Baalim, and burned incense to graven images.

Hosea 11:7-10 King James Version (KJV)
7 And my people are bent to backsliding from me: though they called them to the most High, none at all would exalt him.
8 How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? how shall I deliver thee, Israel? how shall I make thee as Admah? how shall I set thee as Zeboim? mine heart is turned within me, my repentings are kindled together.
9 I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger, I will not return to destroy Ephraim: for I am God, and not man; the Holy One in the midst of thee: and I will not enter into the city.
10 They shall walk after the Lord: he shall roar like a lion: when he shall roar, then the children shall tremble from the west.

Hosea 12:1-2 King James Version (KJV)
1 Ephraim feedeth on wind, and followeth after the east wind: he daily increaseth lies and desolation; and they do make a covenant with the Assyrians, and oil is carried into Egypt.
2 The Lord hath also a controversy with Judah, and will punish Jacob according to his ways; according to his doings will he recompense him.
Hosea 12:6-14 King James Version (KJV)
6 Therefore turn thou to thy God: keep mercy and judgment and wait on thy God continually.
7 He is a merchant, the balances of deceit are in his hand: he loveth to oppress.
8 And Ephraim said, Yet I am become rich, I have found me out substance: in all my labours they shall find none iniquity in me that were sin.
9 And I that am the Lord thy God from the land of Egypt will yet make thee to dwell in tabernacles, as in the days of the solemn feast.
10 I have also spoken by the prophets, and I have multiplied visions, and used similitudes, by the ministry of the prophets.
11 Is there iniquity in Gilead? surely they are vanity: they sacrifice bullocks in Gilgal; yea, their altars are as heaps in the furrows of the fields.
12 And Jacob fled into the country of Syria, and Israel served for a wife, and for a wife he kept sheep.
13 And by a prophet the Lord brought Israel out of Egypt, and by a prophet was he preserved.
14 Ephraim provoked him to anger most bitterly: therefore shall he leave his blood upon him, and his reproach shall his Lord return unto him

India Blog, Repentance, Savation

Most people believe they are pretty good. So are you a good person?

Apr 30, 2020 by Percy Parakh

ARE YOU A GOOD PERSON?
No one is good enough to go to heaven. All of us deserve to go to hell. But what God did was amazing in that we don’t have to get what we deserve (hell), and we also can have what we don’t deserve (heaven).

Around 2,000 years ago, God gave us His Son, who lived a perfect life. He was mistreated by evil people around Him, and He went to court and was punished for things He did not do. But when He went to court, and was punished for the things He did not do, He did it for us, so that we would not have to be punished for our sins.

Of course, we might have a good understanding of what Jesus did when He died on the Cross to take the punishment for our sins, but if we have never responded to God by repenting of our sins, and putting our trust in Jesus Christ as our sin bearer, it will do us no good.

We have to respond to God and the message of the Gospel. We must turn to God and be forgiven of our sins.

We commit sins every time we break God’s Commandments. God will punish every sin we have committed. When we die and stand before God, we will see our sins. If we die in our sins, we will go to hell to be eternally punished. That is bad news…

But the Good News is that Jesus died to take the punishment for our sins. He was buried in a tomb and on the third day he arose from the dead.

He is alive today and will return to the world to collect those who belong to Him.

All others will be left behind. All those who have died already, who are in Christ will be raised from the dead and will go to be with the Lord.

The ones left behind will await God’s judgment and will be cast into the Lake of Fire forever. On That Day, Jesus will either be your Advocate, or He will be your Adversary. Which one will He be for you?

Penance, Repentance, US Blog

The Difference between Repentance and Penance!! Please don’t confuse the two

Mar 20, 2020 by Percy Parakh

Some-times folks confuse Repent-ance with Penance

PENANCE and REPENTANCE

Question: What is the difference between penance and repentance?

Answer: The Lord Jesus summarized the Christian message in the following words:Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the 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 to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem (Luke 24:46,47).

The Gospel is the glad tidings of salvation to all people everywhere. Forgiveness and peace with God are offered to “all nations”. To show His readiness to forgive the vilest sinners, the apostles were commanded to begin their mission in Jerusalem, the dwelling place of His murderers!Sin can only be forgiven “in His name.”

There is no other fount where sinners can go to for cleansing. As prophesied in Scripture, it was necessary for Christ to suffer and die on the cross as a sacrifice for sin. The resurrection is the Father’s seal of approval on His Son’s redemptive work. Christians are forgiven in His name and they have no other message to a lost world but the promise of forgiveness for Christ’s sake.

REPENTANCE

Repentance and remission go together. As long as the sinner remains obstinate and without remorse, God will not forgive. Only when the sinner confesses his sin and turns to God, is he pardoned and reconciled.

Repentance is an inner change; the word actually means a change of mind. Yet this inner conversion shows itself outwardly. Genuine sorrow for offending God is often expressed in prayer and fasting. Life is transformed. The selfish becomes generous and kind; the dishonest becomes just and true in his dealings with others.

These are the “fruits of repentance” that John the Baptist spoke about (Luke 3:7-14) – the result and proof of true conversion.The good works that result from repentance are not reckoned as a punishment or a payment of the legal debt owned to God’s justice. God forgives gratuitously, freely; God forgives on account of Christ’s sacrifice.

Remission is in the name of Christ and not on account of anything we do. Our tears do not appease God’s wrath but only the blood of Jesus. The repentant does not live a good life to merit forgiveness; he lives a clean and godly life because he is forever grateful to God’s forgiving grace!

PENANCE

Sadly Catholic tradition distorts the biblical concept of repentance. Repentance is substituted by “doing penance” – a punishment inflicted on oneself to atone (make satisfaction) for sin.To be fair, Catholicism also speaks of penance as an inner attitude – “that disposition of the heart in which we detest and bewail our sins because they were offensive to God.”

We readily concur that genuine repentance is expressed by sorrow, and such acts as prayer and fasting, and that repentance results in “fruit” – good works that grow out of a changed mind.

The big problem with the Catholic doctrine is the intended purpose of such acts: penance is performed to make satisfaction for sin, as can be verified from the following citations from official Catholic sources:”Raised up from sin, the sinner must still recover his full spiritual health by doing something more to make amends for the sin: he must ‘make satisfaction’ for or ‘expiate’ his sins.

This satisfaction is called ‘penance.'” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1459).Penance “is meant not merely as a safeguard for the new life and as a remedy to weakness, but also as a vindicatory punishment for former sins” (Council of Trent, 14:8).”

Satisfaction or penance is that prayer or other good work which the confessor enjoins on the penitent in expiation of his sins” (Catechism of Pius X, Sacrament of Penance).Accordingly, even though a person is genuinely contrite and having confessed his sins, he is still required to atone for sin by performing various works of penance in this world and by suffering in purgatory after death. He is not fit to enter heaven until he has made complete satisfaction.

PRACTICAL EFFECTS

The practical effects of the doctrine of penance are most disturbing and hurtful to the Christian religion:

Faith – the Christian’s absolute confidence in the goodness of God and the sufficiency of Christ’s blood to cleanse from sin – is substituted by personal efforts and suffering.

Love – the Christian’s obedience to the commandments in response to the love of God, such as helping the poor – is mutated into a punishment! (Almsgiving is a principal form of penance).

Hope – the Christian’s joyful expectation to be in the presence of his Saviour – is changed into fear and dread in anticipation of the torments of purgatory.Back to the Bible! May every one of us truly repents – detesting sin and turning to God, fully confident in his mercy and kindness. Let us trust completely in Christ whose blood cleanses from all sin.

Let us love and do good works for no other purpose but to show our gratitude to God’s goodness. Let us hope to the end for the grace – God’s unmerited favour, our salvation – that is to be brought to us at the revelation of Jesus Christ.