Roger Thrower

Repentance (metanoia, ‘change of mind’) involves a turning with contrition from sin to God; the repentant sinner is in the proper condition to accept the divine forgiveness. Repent (metanoeo) means to change one’s mind for better, heartily to amend with abhorrence of one’s past sins.
Repentance is:
1. A lost key that is found.
* “Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand.” “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.” From Matthew 3:1-3
* Repentance makes the path straight between the Lord and the repenting person. In repentance we clear our path to God; in granting us this repentance, God clears His path to us.
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2. The condition of citizenship in God’s Kingdom.
* Repentance is the insider’s way of thinking. While citizenship is the result of a second birth, all citizens must live in repentance and faith.
* Luke 5:27-32 (Jesus calls Levi)
* John 5:1-14 (Jesus heals man- v.14 Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you.”
* John 8:11 (Woman caught in adultery - … and Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”
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3. A gift that is granted.
* If then God gave the same gift to them as he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God’s way? When they heard these things they fell silent. And they glorified God saying, “Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life.” Acts 11:17-18 (Peter with Cornelius)
* 2 Timothy 2:24-26
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