What is repentance?

Amidst all the chaos, the confusion, and the perversion, we need to know repentance again, not because we want to repent over and over again like the ignorant believing babes, but because we want to become the mature believers who can build on the strong foundation of repentance and leave for higher doctrine of Christ:

• Heb 5:12-14 KJV For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.  (13)  For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.  (14)  But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.  (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,  (2)  Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.  (3)  And this will we do, if God permit.  (4)  For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,  (5)  And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,  (6)  If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame ..  (10) For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.  (11)  And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end:  (12)  That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises..

Yes, Heb 6:1 above did tell us to leave the first principles or fundamental principles of the doctrine of Christ; however, it certainly does not mean casting away all the basic principles of Christ. It is because the second portion of Heb 6:1 - 'let us go on .., not laying again ..' shows us that we must still keep them; but we must not lay again and again on the foundation of repentance and the foundation of faith toward God. Well, Paul said again (in Heb 6:3) "..this will we do, if God permit.."
But, sadly many are still babes. Although they have been enlightened and they may have tasted the word of God; however, should they fall, they cannot come back to repentance again. Hence, we should be more diligent in our work and labour .. which could also be the fruits, assurance, and hope unto the end, to show that we ought to leave for higher doctrine of Christ ..     


We have all received the foundation of repentance to build our house
However, we do not build the foundation; we build the house. The foundation is the rock of salvation given by grace:

• Mat 21:42 KJV  Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?
• Eph 2:19-22 KJV  Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;  (20)  And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;  (21)  In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:  (22)  In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.
• 1Pe 2:3-6 KJV  If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.  (4)  To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious,  (5)  Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.  (6)  Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.

But the house that is on the rock, on the corner stone, or on Him is not given by grace. The house is something we must build as every believer is commanded to build his own 'house'. However, what kind of house we build will depend on how much care or effort we will put into the building, doing, and teaching, of His words. His words would include His sayings, His principles, His doctrine, and His commandments, and the law of Christ, which are all are in our hearts and minds now:

• Mat 7:22-26 KJV  Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?  (23)  And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.  (24)  Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:  (25)  And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.  (26)  And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
• 2Pe 1:5-10 ISV  For this very reason, you must make every effort to supplement your faith with moral character, your moral character with knowledge,  (6)  your knowledge with self-control, your self-control with endurance, your endurance with godliness,  (7)  your godliness with brotherly kindness, and your brotherly kindness with love.  (8)  For if you possess these qualities, and if they continue to increase among you, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in attaining a full knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.  (9)  For the person who lacks these qualities is blind and shortsighted, and has forgotten the cleansing that he has received from his past sins.  (10)  So then, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election certain, for if you keep on doing this you will never fail.
• Rev 3:15-19 ISV  'I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were cold or hot.  (16)  Since you are lukewarm and neither hot nor cold, I am going to spit you out of my mouth.  (17)  You say, "I am rich. I have become wealthy. I don't need anything." Yet you don't realize that you are miserable, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked.  (18)  Therefore, I advise you to buy from me gold purified in fire so that you may be rich, white clothes to wear so that you may keep the shame of your nakedness from showing, and ointment to put on your eyes so that you may see.  (19)  I correct and discipline those whom I love, so be serious and repent!

Please look at all the Bible verses above again. Do you see the Lord's command for our our effort, our work, or our walk in life to please God and to obey Him too? Let us focus on 2Pe 1:5 above which says, "For this very reason, you must make every effort to supplement your faith with moral character .."  
So, can we falsely accuse Peter that he is preaching self-effort based on this Bible verse too? No, there is nothing wrong with our self-effort, our every effort, or our all efforts, to do good and kindness with love in the Lord too. If Peter can teach making every effort to do good, to do kindness, and to supplement our faith with moral character (building), what's wrong if we and the churches of God teach God's laws and commandments to build moral character in a believer's life too (with tangible moral modification, change in our character, or fruits of repentance)? Will this make the churches behaving like the hypocrites or the Pharisees who wanted to just confess their sins and be baptised without any fruits of repentance? No, if we would teach and allow the people to repent like the Pharisees, we would be no difference from them:

• Mat 3:5-10 KJV  Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan,  (6)  And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.  (7)  But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?  (8)  Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:  (9)  And think 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.  (10)  And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

Yes, we cannot keep God's law; but God's grace will empower us to keep His laws. We do not want to earn God's favours with our effort and sacrifice; we just want to please God with our efforts to obey Him and do His will:

• Rom 8:7-8 KJV  Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.  (8)  So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
• 1Th 4:1-5 KJV  Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more.  (2)  For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus.  (3)  For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:  (4)  That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour;  (5)  Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God:
• 1Sa 15:22-24 KJV  And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.  (23)  For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.  (24)  And Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned: for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD, and thy words: because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice.

 
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