Repent!

 Bill Brinkworth

Repentance is the “… pain, regret, or affliction which a person feels on account of his past conduct …” (Noah Webster, 1828). This regretful feeling was a vital part of John the Baptist’s ministry and is important today when one is saved from their sins. 

Although a truly repentant person will change his behavior, just changing behaviors alone will not get one saved. If it were a change in lifestyle that was important, then those acts would be a type of good works, and no good works will save anyone from their sins (Ephesians 2:8-9).

John the Baptist illustrated that a broken heart over sin will produce a better life (not the other way around) when he spoke to four types of people:

 

A changed, repentant heart is a proof of one’s salvation. The areas John said should change in lives over 2,000 years ago, still should change when one’s life is truly changed by salvation today.
“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” II Corinthians 5:17

“Sin and Hell are married unless repentance proclaims the divorce.”  Spurgeon

This article was featured in the Bible View 670.

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