Repent. Sadly, this word is not used in most of our churches in America. We have watered down the Gospel so much that it isn’t even the Gospel anymore. It’s a counterfeit. It’s a fake. Most preachers and “professing” Christians alike tell you that if you accept Jesus into your heart that your life will become wonderful, because God has a wonderful plan for your life. You just need to add Jesus to what you already have and life will be super great – you can have your best life now. Folks, this watered down false gospel is no Gospel at all (Galatians 1:6-9). But it’s easy for people to swallow down and it just as easily runs right on out of their bodies. It is worthless and all it does is coddle people all the way to Hell (2 Corinthians 4:4).
You don’t believe me? Let’s look at the Bible and see what God’s Holy Word says. 2 Peter 2:5 tells us that Noah was a preacher of righteousness. I wonder how well that went over back in his day? I wonder how well people accepted the words repent and turn back to God? Oh wait, we do know. Only Noah and his family were saved from the flood, even though it appears Noah preached for around 120 years while he built the ark. All the mockers and scoffers in his day died in their sins and the whole world went to Hell in one fell swoop, except for the eight souls on the ark.
The Israelites were constantly straying from God, foolishly seeking the little g gods of the neighboring countries around them. In 2 Chronicles 7:14, God called the nation of Israel to repent. He said, If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
King David repented after he committed adultery with Bathsheba, got her pregnant and had her husband killed in order to cover up the affair. But he couldn’t hide his sins from God. Almighty God sent the prophet Nathan to confront David. Please notice that Nathan didn’t say David, God has a wonderful plan for your life; just continue on and the Lord will bless you in all that you do. No, Nathan confronted David about his sins (2 Samuel 12:1-14). How many preachers would do that today? What was the result of Nathan being faithful to God? David recognized his sinful ways and he confessed his sins to God and God forgave him. In Psalm 51 verses 1 through 4, David cries out for God to blot out his sins; to cleanse him from his sin; he acknowledged his sins; and David recognized that ultimately, his sins were against almighty God. David cried out to God, Against you, and you only, have I sinned.
The book of Isaiah is full of warnings to the Israelites and the surrounding countries of their impending doom and destruction because of their evil ways. In other words, judgment was coming! Isaiah 1:28 states, And the destruction of the transgressors and of the sinners shall be together, and they that forsake the LORD shall be consumed. Isaiah 55:7 says Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return to the LORD… Then look at what God tells Isaiah to do in Isaiah 58:1 – Cry aloud, spare not, lift up your voice like a trumpet, and show my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins. Why would God ask us to do anything less than this?
God used Jeremiah to warn the Israelites to repent and return to God. But they wouldn’t listen and they were carried away in captivity to Babalyon where they remained for 70 years. Jeremiah 3:12-13 states: Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return, you backsliding Israel, says the LORD; and I will not cause my anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful, says the Lord, and I will not keep anger for ever. Only acknowledge your iniquity, that you have transgressed against the LORD your God, and have scattered your ways to the strangers under every green tree, and you have not obeyed my voice, says the LORD.
God set Ezekiel up as a watchman over the Israelites. Ezekiel was responsible for their blood if he didn’t speak God’s truth to them. Ezekiel 3:19 says, Yet if you warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul. Do you see how seriously God takes sin? If Ezekiel hadn’t warned the Israelites to repent, he would have been accountable to God for them. But Ezekiel did warn them. Why wouldn’t God want us to do the same thing?
Ezekiel 18:20-23 states, The soul that sins, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him. But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he has committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die. All his transgressions that he has committed, they shall not be mentioned to him: in his righteousness that he has done he shall live. Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? says the Lord God: and not that he should return from his ways, and live?
Most people have heard about Jonah and the fact that he ran from God and ended up spending three days and three nights in the belly of the large fish. But do you remember what he was running from? God told Jonah to go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me, God says in Jonah 1:2. But instead of obeying God, Jonah ran. After the large fish vomited Jonah out upon the dry land, he went to Nineveh. God had commanded him to preach to the Ninevites. He warned the people of Nineveh that God was going to destroy the city in 40 days. The city repented. From the king on down to the animals, they were all covered in sackcloth and they fasted. They believed the man of God and they repented and 120,000 lives were spared.
There are many more verses in the Old Testament about repentance, but let’s move on to the New Testament. In Matthew 3:1-2 we are told, In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, And saying, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Did you catch that? John the Baptist preached! He preached in the wilderness and he called people to repent!
Furthermore, what did he say to the religious leaders? Look at Matthew 3:7: But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said to them, O generation of vipers, who has warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Do you plan on partying Friday or Saturday night and then go to church on Sunday to ask God to forgive you for your sins? If so, then you need to repent and flee from the wrath to come. You need to truly repent by turning your back on the sins you currently love.
Remember the question: What would Jesus do? Well, let’s look at what Jesus did. Mark chapter 1 tells us about the beginning of Jesus’ ministry here on earth. Mark 1:14-15 says, Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent, and believe the gospel. Don’t miss this. The first thing Jesus did was go to Galilee and He preached the Gospel and he called people to repentance. Do you really think that people appreciated these words? Do you think they said thank you Jesus?
In addition to these, there are many more repent verses in the New Testament and we’ll go over some of them.
Matthew 9:12-13 But when Jesus heard that, he said to them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. But go and learn what that means, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
When Jesus sent His 12 disciples out, the Bible says And they went out, and preached that men should repent (Mark 6:12).
In Luke 13:3, Jesus says I tell you, Nay: but, except you repent, you shall all likewise perish.
Luke 15:10 Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repents.
Jesus said in Luke 24:46-47 Thus it is written, and thus it behooved 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 among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
When the woman was caught in adultery, they brought her before Jesus and asked about stoning her. Jesus told them that whoever was without sin should cast the first stone. They all left. What did Jesus say to the woman? Go and have your best life now, live it up since I saved you from certain death? No, He told her to go and sin no more (John 8:11). In other words, He told her to stop her adulterous ways. He called her to repentance.
Acts 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.
Acts 3:19 Repent therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.
Acts 17:30-31 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commands all men every where to repent: Because he has appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he has ordained; whereof he has given assurance to all men, in that he has raised him from the dead.
Acts 20:21 Testifying both to the Jews and to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.
Romans 2:4 Or do you despise the riches of his goodness and forebearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?
2 Corinthians 7:10 For godly sorrow works repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world works death.
Again, there are many other verses in the Bible about repentance. But why do we need to repent? Why can’t people just live their lives anyway that they want to? What harm are they doing? Why can’t you just believe what you want to believe? Why can’t you just do what you want to do? Why should you quit loving your sins? Why should you give up the things that you know are displeasing to the great God that created you?
We need to repent because our sins separate us from God. He is so Holy that sin cannot be in the presence of His glory. God is glorified in Heaven. The angels cry out Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts (Isaiah 6:3). If you foolishly die in your sins; if you die as an unrepentant sinner, then you will be cast into Hell and you will be separated from God for all of eternity. On Judgment Day, you will foolishly face God and His wrath, His anger over your sins; over your rebellion against Him. Romans 2:5 declares But after your hardness and impenitent heart you treasure up to yourself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God. You will face God almighty on Judgment Day and you will be found guilty.
You say, but you can’t judge me. I won’t judge you, God will. According to Matthew 13:40-42 at the end of this world, Jesus will send forth His angels and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend and those which do iniquity and will cast them into the furnace of fire where there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Do you understand what iniquity is? It is sin! Revelation 21:8 states that all liars will have their part in the lake of fire and brimstone. You can’t escape God’s judgment on your own. Your good works will not save you from the wrath to come. On Judgment Day you will be found guilty, guilty, guilty!
Jesus is the only Savior. Jesus paid your sin debt for you when He was beat mercilessly, when He hung on that cruel cross, when God’s anger over our sin was poured out on His sinless, obedient Son. Jesus died on that cross after He had lived a perfect life. He was buried and rose victoriously from the grave on the third day. Jesus defeated sin, death and Hell. God offers life everlasting to you, right here, right now if you will repent and put your faith in Jesus.
Remember on Judgment Day you will be found guilty, guilty, guilty! But you can be saved. You can be redeemed. Your sins can be forgiven. You can be cleansed. Your guilty conscience can be wiped clean. Your sins can be cast as far as the East is from the West. But you must turn from your sins and put your trust in Jesus. The Master has already told you that you need to repent and believe the Gospel. I’m pleading with you to turn from your sins – for you to repent, because the Bible very clearly says that you need to repent. I cry out to you to repent because the Bible says you need to do this. So right now, please believe the Gospel and Repent, repent, repent!