Repentance - A Kingdom Principle

 

Repentance is a kingdom principle

The New Testament opens with, In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. (Matt 3:1-2) John was announcing the kingdom of heaven* and calling for people to repent. This is the very essence of a kingdom principle!

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 ye, and believe the gospel. (Mark 1:14-15) The Lord began his ministry announcing the kingdom of God* and calling for people to repent.

When Jesus sent the disciples out two by two, they went out, and preached that men should repent. (Mark 6:12)

Jesus looked for repentance: 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 long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. (Luke 10:13)

Jesus said there was joy in heaven because of it: 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. (Luke 15:7)

Repent is a gospel principle

As the gospel began with repentance, it ends on the same note:

And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved 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. (Luke 24:46-47)

The first gospel message ended with this invitation: 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. (Acts 2:38)

Peter continued to preach it: Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord. (Acts 3:19)

Was this only a message for the Jews? No!

Paul preached it in Athens: And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: (Acts 17:30)

In Ephesus: Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. (Acts 20:21)

He preached it to Jews and Gentiles: 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. (Acts 26:20) Obviously a gospel principle!

 

Finally, it is a church principle

 The clearest and longest explanation of repentance is found in Paul’s second epistle to the Corinthians. We will look at that separately.

Repent occurs 12 times in the book of Revelation; 8 of those times are in chapters 2 and 3, the letters to the seven churches.

 

Repentance is a fundamental part of the kingdom of God: John the Baptizer preached it; the Lord Jesus Christ preached it; the apostle Peter preached it; the apostle Paul preached it; and it is found in the last book of the Bible!

 

* kingdom of heaven was simply a Jewish way of saying kingdom of God.

 

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