A BIBLE STUDY 
ABOUT REPENTANCE

REPENTANCE
(A Change of Heart and Mind)
By Diana Gray - Evangelist
Copyright (c) 2001, All Rights Reserved

     Acts 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;

     Repentance is a complete change of one’s heart and mind towards the things of God. It means having a contrite attitude of humility and committed surrender. As a person comes before the Lord humbly asking Him into their life they surrender their pride in a repentant attitude.  They are extremely sorry what they have done.  Faith and repentance goes hand in hand bringing about the surrender of one’s self.  Without faith repentance would only be a superficial act to impress the world but God knows the heart of man.  Nothing is hidden from Him!  True repentance has to come from the heart in full surrendered faith.  

     2 Corinthians 7:9-10 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.   For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.

     God wants us to have Godly sorrow fully repenting for our sins, not because of what our loss is but because we have grieved the Lord with our sin.  We feel sorrow and remorse over our shame and regret having ever offended our Lord.  God doesn’t want us to use fakery but a sincere contrite humbling heart.  A broken spirit!  He wants us to humble ourselves in the site of the Lord.  Only then will He lift us up forgiving us of our sins.  Anyone can apologize for something they did but a true repentant heart is broken and sorry and surrendered.  True evangelistic repentance is needed to allow the working of the Holy Spirit to help bring about a chanced attitude and heart.  
     When someone is telling you something that you don’t want to hear but you know that what they are saying will help you be a better person.  Sit with your hands turned and loosely opened toward the person.  Whatever you do don’t fold your arms and cross them over your body.  This allows sinful pride to inter in and hinder you.  Pride is so damaging to your spiritual growth, get rid of it as often as it rears it’s ugly head.   
      Then say to yourself this silent prayer, "Lord if you have something for me to learn to make we more surrendered and humbled towards you, than let me receive what instruction that you desire me to have.  Please Lord help me not to let my sinful pride keep me from receiving something of value.  I want to become what you, Oh Lord desire for me to be.  Let me receive in love and yet not be hurt so that I may become more like you.  Please Lord, let the person talking to me only see Your love in my eyes.  Thank you Lord and in Jesus name amen."

      Matthew 5:3-4 5:3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted

     This kind of mourning is from a broken spirit.  It’s recognizing that one has sinned and that they need to repent of that sin.  Pride keeps a person from openly recognizing that the sin has even happened.  Oh a person may be on the surface aware that they have sinned yet not be willing to face the full impact of that sin.  Until they are fully ready to recognize that they have sinned they won’t be able to see the truth or bring about a healing.  What needs to take place to change this situation?  A broken, contrite heart fully ready to recognize that they have sinned and be willing to repent of that sin.
     If a person truly is repentant they will resolve to change their life for the better and focus upon the things of God.   Recognizing that they are a sinner before the Lord in a repentant attitude demonstrates a broken spirit and a contrite heart.   They will feel deep regret and remorse over various sins that they have committed in their lives.  They will remember failed opportunities to have chosen not to have sinned.  This allows the fullness of the forgiveness of God through their humbled spirit to take place.  God’s desire is that we all repent (say we are sorry) and commit our lives to Him. 

     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.

     If we desire to experience the full saving grace of the Lord, then we have to all humble our pride repenting of our sins.  We need to realize fully the ramification of such an action and the enormity of what that action entails, eternity in Heaven with the Father.  God gives us time and space to repent of our sins but we need Him to give us His grace so no man may boast saying they received salvation by their own deeds.   Only by ‘grace’ are we saved!  Without grace our hearts would be too hard hearted to ever repent on our own.  The Lord will not force us but by the moving of the Holy Spirit through us we might be saved.
     Our conscience prompts us to surrender all we have and are over to the Lord when we truly repent with a sincere heart.  The Holy Spirit has been given to us and through Him spiritually prompts us through our conscience convicting us of our need for repentance. 
      In other words our consciences is really the Holy Spirit working through us to chance our attitudes and convict us of sin.  How do we know the conscience is really the Holy Spirit working through us? Look at it this way, through our conscience we are ‘never’ told to do anything bad or sinful.  Our conscience always tells us to do what is right and good for us.  We may not always agree with this prompting because we are sinful beings with carnal sinful flesh but the prompting is always what is right, good, and best for our lives.  Only by this awakening awareness of our sinful nature can we hope to come to a level of repentance and surrender.
     The Holy Spirit’s prompting is powerful and strong yet the Lord is a gentleman. He will not force us into doing anything against our own will, but allows us to make up our own minds for ourselves.   We have a decision to make.  To chose to surrender in a repentant attitude or not.  We need to recognize that we need a Savior to save us from our sins.  The chose is ours!  No one will make it for us and only we are answerable for our actions for our choises.
     Granted some people think it would be far better for us if the Lord would force and save everybody on the planet, but then our ways are not God’s ways.  He doesn’t want to force anyone into believing in Him and allows each of us to make up our own minds ourselves.  God loves us enough to allow us the choise even if we choose to walk away refusing to surrender.  This great decision is ours and ours alone to make.  Each one of us stands at a cross roads with this enormous decision.  Sadly to say that world wide, the majority of people chose the world’s ways giving up their opportunity for an eternity in Heaven.  

     Romans 2:4-7 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; Who will render to every man according to his deeds:To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:

     Only by the internal sorrow for one’s sins, and the outward sign of a changed heart towards God will true repentance be able to talk place.  The changed attitude by one’s daily life can demonstrate to others a good Christian witness.  The reformation of life and manners become more and more evident when a person daily strives to change their lives for the better.  Jokes, movies, radio, television,  books, et…all come into spiritual scrutiny as one’s attitude begins to change.  Things that once were acceptable no longer are allowed in one’s life the more they come to know and understand the mind of God through His Word the Bible.
     Think of all of the happiness they will be missing out on for a short meaningless time here on earth.  Hell is the only other place they can go to after they die.   After all we have to realize that we are all  eternal beings who has an eternal spirit residing in a fleshly body.  Our life on earth is so very short and eternity is for ever.  After we die there will not be anymore opportunity to redo our lives over again.  
     Once having refused the Salvation of Jesus Christ there are no second chances when life is over for our fleshly bodies and death is upon us.  This is why it is so very important to surrender all we have and are to the Lord.  What do we have to loose……….our sin and the ensuing rewards for that sin, an eternity in Hell?  Who wants that?  Really now think about it!  Think of who will be down there with sinners for all eternity, Satan.  Evil, evil sin ridden Satan and he hates us!  This is not a pretty picture or a happy concept to perceive.  Knowing all of this, why wouldn’t people choose life and happiness with Jesus Christ?
     So we all have a choice to make, and what will that chose be… Heaven or Hell?  Salvation is offered for everyone.  Only by the saving grace of Jesus Christ can we truly know everlasting happiness and peace.  The answer is simple yet profound! We all need to humble our pride and change our attitude in repentance.  We all need to ask Jesus Christ to come into our lives to be our Savior.  

     John 3:15-17 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

     Where do you stand on this issue?  Have you truly taken the time to ask Jesus to come into your heart?  Have you truly surrender your pride in humility repenting of your sins?  Do you know if you are truly saved?  Don’t take your Salvation for granted!  If you haven’t asked Jesus into your heart, do so right now.  What do you have to loose…….Hell?  Heaven sounds pretty good to me!  What about you, are you truly born again and know for sure that you are going to Heaven without a doubt?  Do you know for sure? Don’t take it for granted!

    PLEASE NOTE: These Bible Studies may be printed out and used for "personal use only." They are "not" for profit in commercial  or public publication.  All Copyrights are reserved.  Please don't take them for other web sites.  This ministry retains the exscluive use of them.  If you desire to publish the mateial, please "ask for permission" by contacting this writer by e-mail address.  Permission to use these "bible study's" for  individual Church group bible study "is granted as long as you "acknowledge the authorship"and do not sell, donate or distrubute. "WE DO ASK THAT YOU ACKNOWLEDGE THE AUTHORSHIP OF THIS WRITER "DIANA GRAY MINISTRIES."  MAY THEY BE A BLESSING AND ENCOURAGE YOU INTO A DEEPER SPIRITUAL GROWTH.