What Is Genuine Biblical Repentance?

2nd Timothy 2:25-26, “In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.”

Carefully notice in our text passage of Scripture that repentance means to acknowledge THE TRUTH. This has nothing to do with turning from your sins, nor forsaking the world, nor being willing to turn from sin, nor feeling sorry for your sins, nor having a desire to forsake sinful bad habits, because these things constitute WORKS (Jonah 3:10).

Repentance is a change of mind to acknowledge THE TRUTH of two things: 1) You are a needy SINNER, and 2) Jesus is the only SAVIOR. Anyone who comes to God as a needy SINNER, and by faith takes God at His written Word in the Holy Bible—to receive Christ's sacrifice on the cross as full-payment for your sins, believing that Jesus was buried, but then raised up three days later—is instantly, irrevocably and forever saved. You have God's PROMISE of it (1st Corinthians 1:21; Titus 1:2; 1st Corinthians 15:1-6).

Most churches today have adopted a Roman Catholic interpretation of repentance, which includes penance, forsaking sinful living and changing one's ways to be saved. The Bible teaches something VERY different. Biblical repentance unto life simply means “a change of mind,” that is, a change of mind about whatever was hindering you from coming to the Lord to be saved. John 3:20 says that sin hinders people from coming to the light (Jesus, John 8:12) to be saved, because people living in sin don't want to be reproved and told they are wrong. When a man repents, he acknowledges that he is a guilty sinner in the eyes of a holy God, and so now he comes to Christ by faith to be saved.

Repentance simply means that you acknowledge your sinnership and thus need for Christ to save you. Romans 3:19, “Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.” We are saved by believing, not by repenting, but we wouldn't believe if we didn't repent. This is why the words “believe” and “believed” appear 85 times in the Gospel of John, but the word “repent” is never mentioned even once.

A person MUST repent to be saved, but repentance does NOT mean changing your sinful ways and turning over a new leaf for God. Repentance simply facilitates believing. That is, repentance makes believing possible, and they happen simultaneously. Repentance and faith are not the same thing, but they happen at the same time. The man who believes has repented; the man who repents has believed. I am worried about the salvation of umpteen Independent Baptists in our churches today, who have told me that they don't think believing the Gospel is enough to be saved. They have been caught-up into the damnable heresy of Roman Catholicism.

One Baptist man who teaches in a local Bible college said to me a few months ago, “I think there needs to be a little bit more.” That is, he believes it is NOT enough to trust upon Christ's death on the cross for our sins, His burial and bodily resurrection three days later to save us. This is the Gospel (Good News) according to 1st Corinthians 15:1-6. That foolish man also believes that you must purpose in your heart to stop living in a lifestyle of sin, to get to Heaven. The guy needs to get saved! My friend, there is a fine line between Christianity and the religion of the cults. Grace is not earned, it is offered!

Pastor Harry A. Ironside (1876-1951) correctly understood repentance . . .

“Repentance is the very opposite of meritorious experience. It is the confession that one is utterly without merit, and if he is ever saved at all it can only be through the merits of our Lord Jesus Christ, 'who gave himself a ransom for all.' Here is firm footing for the soul who realizes that all self-effort is but sinking sand. Christ alone is the Rock of our salvation.”

SOURCE: Harry A. Ironside; Except Ye Repent, p. 36)

Clearly, Ironside taught a Free Grace view of the Gospel. Harry A. Ironside correctly recognized repentance as the confession that “one is utterly without merit” and that if one is “ever saved at all it can only be through the merits of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Salvation is without works of self-righteousness. Romans 4:5 plainly teaches that a man's faith is COUNTED for righteousness, i.e., the righteousness of Jesus Christ is imputed to one's heavenly record by faith.

“Repentance is the recognition of my sinnership — the owning before God that I am as vile as He has declared me to be in His holy Word.”

SOURCE: Except Ye Repent, by Dr. Harry Ironside, chapter 3

All that God requires for salvation is that we receive Christ's death, burial and resurrection as full-payment for our sins. Concerning salvation, “repentance” does NOT mean to cease from sinful bad habits, nor turn over a new leaf, nor make a full surrender to Christ, nor to forsake the world, nor to even be willing to turn away from sinning. A person may do all of these things and yet never have believed the Gospel at all. The Gospel is Good News to simply be believed, and not conditions to be achieved.

Dr. Mark G. Cambron Is 100% Correct On Repentance

Acts 20:21, “Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Here is an excellent and needful writing by Bible Professor Mark G. Cambron (1911-2000) on the subject of REPENTANCE. Please read the following quote carefully, because Dr. Cambron is one of few theologian who gets it right, that is, he understands the simplicity of the Gospel and that repentance does not mean turning from sin as proponents of Lordship Salvation foolishly teach...

Repentance is necessary for salvation.

The Greek word for repent is metanoeo, which, translated into English is: to change ones mind. It does not mean to turn from sin. That would add works to salvation.

Repentance for salvation means a change of mind from men's ideas of salvation and religion, to an acceptance of Gods only way of salvation.

This results in a completely new creation, not a reformation of the old. The old nature remains as evil as ever after salvation and has not been reformed . . . The old nature can now be controlled by the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit.

God guarantees salvation. This is His gift to us.

God guarantees reward and fruit to the obedient son.

God guarantees chastening and loss of rewards to the disobedient son.

God does not cast out disobedient children, but in some cases, does take them home. He does not permit His children to live as they please without His discipline and guidance.
Many teach repentance for salvation incorrectly, by including some form of human effort or righteousness, such as willingness to turn from sin, or turning from sin. This is heresy and has confused many people. It adds works to salvation and causes many to not understand Gods great gift. It is probation, not salvation. It is completely unscriptural. It is Galatianism and a counterfeit of the gospel.

It is a tragedy that many Christians live shallow Christian lives. The Cambron Institute is dedicated to the task of training Christian men and women in the importance of total dedication and making Jesus the Lord of their lives not to be saved but because they are saved.
Shallow Christianity cannot be cured by adding works to salvation.

Salvation is not the result of what we do, but is by receiving what God has done for us. Acts 13:38-39; Acts 20:20: Galatians 1:8-9; Galatians 2:4; Galatians 2:21; Galatians 3:1-3; Galatians 5:1-4; Ephesians 2:8-10; II Corinthians 5:21; John 3:16-18; Philippians 3:9; Titus 3:5-8; II Corinthians 11:13-15.

SOURCE: The Cambron Institute

Professor Cambron taught at Tennessee Temple University for many years, and then went to work teaching at Florida Bible College in Tampa, Florida until his went to Heaven in 2011. Dr. Cambron was exactly right about repentance. The best way to interpret the Bible is to let it speak for itself. There is no mystery what the word “repent” means in the Greek. As Dr. Cambron points out, repent means “a change of mind,” nothing more or less.

There's Nothing About “Repent Of Your Sins” In God's Gospel Tract

John 20:31, “But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.”

To all you stupid pastors who keep telling people to "Repent of your sins" to be saved, here is God's Gospel tract according to John 20:31. See if you can find anything about "repenting of your sins" to get to Heaven! The word "repent" is not even mentioned once in the Gospel of John, but you will find the word "believe" mentioned 85 times.

The Gospel Of John

God's Amazing Grace

Genesis 6:8, “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.”

Our text passage of Scripture is the first mention of the word “grace” in the inspired Holy Bible. The only way that anyone has ever been saved is through faith by God's grace. As we all know, nothing in life is free. Even salvation isn't free, it cost God His only begotten Son. Eternal life for you and me cost Jesus His life. The only biological Son of God was also the Lamb of God of God, who was beaten beyond recognition, stripped naked, mocked and crucified to pay our massive debt of sin. Mercy is God not giving us what we do deserve; Grace is God giving us what we don't deserve. Those who have everything but grace have nothing; those who have nothing but grace, have everything.

I need to warn you about Peter S. Ruckman (1921-2016) and his bully cult of followers who foolishly teach that no one was saved or had eternal security in the Old Testament. Beware of the Bible Baptist Church in Pensacola, Ruckman's cult. One of Ruckman's most devoted cult followers is Dr. William P. Grady. Listen to yourself to Pastor Grady say that no one was ever saved in the Old Testament. That is bizarre! It's hard to believe that Dr. Grady was one of my Bible professors at Hyles-Anderson College in the late 1980's. Dr. Grady's true colors are now showing—a damnable false prophet who is wrong on Bible repentance.

The inspired Holy Bible is very clear that salvation has always been by God's grace without works, lest salvation by a debt owed by God instead of a gift provided by grace. Romans 4:4-5, “Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.” A gift cannot be purchased, because it has already been paid for by the giver.

Noah found grace in God's sight; therefore, God's mercy followed, and only the forgiven can be blessed. Titus 1:4, “To Titus, mine own son after the common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour.” Before anyone can obtain mercy from God, you must first find His grace, which is free through faith alone in Jesus Christ. Romans 5:1-2, “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”

The Christian life is all about grace! Hebrews 4:16, “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” No one can be deemed righteous in the sight of God the Father except through faith in His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ...

Philippians 3:9-11, “And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.”

Once you're in CHRIST, you're safe and have everything you need. God's grace is truly more than amazing! We hear much today in apostate Bible colleges and churches about, “Repent of your sins,” to get to Heaven, but no such teaching is taught in the inspired King James Bible (the only Bible that you can trust). All of the modern Bible revisions have been corrupted by Satan. If you don't have a King James Bible, you don't have an inspired Holy Bible!!!

To no surprise, the Devil's modern Bible revisions have completely removed God's grace...

KING JAMES BIBLE (KJB) - Romans 16:24, “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.”

NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION (NIV) - Missing

ENGLISH STANDRD VERSION (ESV) - Missing

GOD'S WORD TRANSLATION (GW) - Missing 

CHRISTIAN STANDARD BIBLE (CSB) -  Missing

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION (GNT) -  Missing 

COMMON ENGLISH BIBLE (CEB) -  Missing

EASY-TO-READ VERSION (ERV) -  Missing

NEW LIVING TRANSLATION (NLT) -  Missing

NEW ENGLISH TRANSLATION (NET) -  Missing

TREE OF LIFE VERSION TLV) -  Missing

Dear reader, it matters which Bible you use! The Devil's hands have been busy. Don't ever forget that the Devil is a pathetic liar, who works relentlessly to confuse as many people as he can. Satan's only will for your life is to hinder you from doing God's will. The Devil wants to blind you, so that you will spend eternity burning in the fires and torments of Hell with him (2nd Corinthians 4:3-4; Revelation 14:11).

Please don't get sucked into Satan's fallacy that you cannot be saved unless you're first willing to forsake a lifestyle of sinning. That is the Devil's lie of Lordship Salvation (mixing works with grace), and not the free grace of God that brings salvation. Titus 2:11, “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men...” Jesus died on the cross to pay everyone's debt of sin, so that we wouldn't have to pay for our own sins in the Lake of Fire forever. That being said, you must accept God's free gift of eternal life, by placing your childlike faith (trust, reliance) in Christ's work of redemption through Calvary's cross. Simply believe that Jesus did it all for you.

Bible repentance is changing your mind from unbelief to belief. Our only contribution dear reader in God's gift of salvation is the sin that made it necessary.

Good works are not the payment for sin, the payment for sin is death. Christ died on a cross for the sins of the whole world (1st John 2:2).

Salvation is not a reward for the righteous, it is a gift for the guilty!

Salvation is not doing your best, it is having Christ's best put to your account through receiving Him by faith.

Turning away from sinful ways would be a work. Faith puts all of the merit where it belongs, on the object of our faith, Jesus and His work.

If to “repent” means to forsake our sinful ways TO BE SAVED, but Jesus already paid for our sins by dying on the cross, then what are we repenting from?

The true Gospel always points you to CHRIST; a false gospel always points to YOU.

We must stay true to the simplicity of the Gospel. Repentance regarding salvation is a change of mind from unbelief to belief!!! We must earnestly contend for the faith (Jude 1:3).