What does it Mean to Repent?

Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the LORD, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon. “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:7-9 NKJV)

Changing our Minds

The New Testament word for repentance has to do with a change of mind.  The Lord says to repent and believe the Gospel (Mark 1:15).  Since the word repent and the word believe both deal with the mind, there must be a link between these two words in the New Testament.   I am not a Hebrew linguist so I am not going to make suggestions about repentance or relenting in the Old Testament.  But I have become convinced that the reason that there are so many different interpretations of basic truths in one Bible is because there has been no repentance before claiming to believe.  And I am convinced that repentance has to do with the change of mind brought about by the Holy Spirit using the word of God so that the hindrances to faith in Christ can be removed.  

Salvation

We know salvation is by grace through faith.  Ephesians 2:8 says, ” For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.”  But as I read about different churches and denominations telling people how to be saved, it seems something is always added to faith in the Lord and His Word.  Some think works save, some think baptism saves, some think belonging to a church saves, some think the so-called sacraments save.  But only faith in the Lord Jesus saves.  

How do we get Faith?

The Bible says faith comes by hearing and hearing is the hearing of the word of God according to Romans 10:17.  Yes confession is the norm after believing according to Romans 10:9.  But confession doesn’t save, faith does.  Confession is the result.  Neither does praying save.  Romans 10:13 says whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved but the next verse asks. “How shall they call on Him in Whom they have not believed?  Praying doesn’t save but in this chapter it is the result of our faith.  So again, how do we get faith?  It requires us to agree with God about the thing or things that are keeping us from believening.

Peter’s Teaching on this Subject

Peter says, “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance  (2 Peter 3:9 NKJV).”  As I understand this verse, repentance must lead to faith since it is faith that saves.  Even Peter says in his first epistle, “Whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls (1 Peter 1:8-9 NKJV).”

It is Difficult to Change our Minds

We tend to tell God how to do His business and instead He wants to tell us.  He doesn’t think the way we think (thank the Lord), but in order to be saved we have to quit adding to and subtracting from His plan of salvation.  Then after we are saved, it takes the spirit of God to convince us to live and worship the way He wants us to live and worship.  

The Jews needed to repent with regard to their idolatry and self-righteousness.  They were to bring forth fruits worthy of (or  in keeping with} repentance or the change of mind that they needed.  We too should bring forth fruits in keeping with our faith.  Believers should not be disagreeing on issues of salvation, baptism, the Lord’s supper, or headship.  We should not be arguing about moral truth.  We should take a good look at the Sermon on the Mount and hang our heads in shame as we consider whether we who are believers in the Lord are living according to the New Testament principles of the heavenly kingdom which will one day be the principles of an earthly kingdom.  

Don’t Confuse Me with the Facts

When I was in the academic world, I used to hear people say, “Don’t confuse me with the facts, my mind is already made up.”  I am convinced that this is the reason why we have so many different interpretations of the Bible–partiucularly of the New Testament. 

Maybe it is time for all of us to repent (and truly believe) so that we can actually please God because without faith it is impossible to please Him (Hebrews 11:4).  Our eternal destiny depends on getting salvation right and our rewards for service also depend on us doing what God says is right and not what we or the religious world says is right.  God’s thoughts are not our thoughts.  We all need a change of mind so that we begin thinking like God thinks.

Bruce Collins

Meditation for the week of June 21, 2026

If you would like further conversation about the issues in these meditations, contact me at collinsbd@yahoo.com and I will try to accommodate you with a virtual Bible Study.