What Is Biblical Repentance?

Mark 1, “John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.”

Baptism And Repentance

There is a great misunderstanding about “repentance.” Such verses as Mark 1:4 confuse many people because they do not take into account the rest of the Bible. Mark 1:4 reads, “John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.” By itself, this verse seems like It is teaching Baptismal Regeneration, but it certainly is NOT.

Mark 1:4 is referenced in Acts 11:16, “Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost.” And a few verses later in Acts 11:21 we read, “And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord.” This is Biblical repentance... acknowledging one's guilt of sin and turning to the Lord by faith in the Gospel to be saved. Jesus doesn't forgive sin. Jesus paid for our sins on the cross! Jesus forgives our sins by paying for them. Thus, forgiveness is a gift to those who BELIEVE THE GOSPEL.

Here's a doctrinally sound excellent book on baptism, “A Biblical Examination Of Baptism” (.pdf book by Dr. Max Younce).

The ONLY thing that you need to repent of to be saved is whatever it is that's been keeping you from coming to Christ to be saved, which is YOUR UNBELIEF. You must set aside your OWN WORKS and rest completely in Jesus Christ because of what HE DID to pay our debt of sin through Calvary's cross (Hebrews 4:10-11). Jesus shed His blood and sprinkled that precious blood upon the heavenly Mercy Seat (Hebrews 9:12, 22-24; 12:24).

Please note that NO mention of baptism is found in Acts 11 other than the one reference to John the Baptist in verse 16. Clearly, water baptism was not required for their salvation in Acts 16, just is it has never been required. John preached the same Gospel of Jesus Christ, as we preach today, that is, salvation by grace through faith in Christ's sacrifice on the cross, His burial, and bodily resurrection the third day, plus or minus nothing (Ephesians 2:8-9).
The “Repent Of Your Sins” Heresy (Awesome! The Bible says that God “repented”—was it from His sins?)

The “Repent Of Your Sins” Heresy

(excellent preaching by Pastor Steven L. Anderson)

Dr. Jack Hyles 100% correctly and Biblically states concerning repentance:

“Repentance is not some little silly, 'I'm sorry.' Repentance is not simply a fear of God. Repentance is not a monk fasting and afflicting his body in a monastery. Repentance is not remorse because of sin's consequences. Repentance is not penance performed before the pope as you kiss his toe... Repentance is not being sorry for what I've done wrong. It is not confessing one's sins to a priest. It is not just conviction of sin. It is not the signing of a pledge of abstinence. Repentance is that thing when you come before God and see yourself as you are, and see Him as he is, and say with Isaiah 'Woe is me, for I am unclean!'” —Pastor Jack Hyles (1926-2001), a quote from the timeless MP3 sermon, THE GOODNESS OF GOD LEADETH TO REPENTANCE!

Baptism Of Repentance (Or, Repentance Unto Life)

Biblical repentance is simply TURNING UNTO THE LORD by faith to receive the gift of forgiveness for one's sins. Acts 20:21 speaks of “REPENTANCE TOWARD GOD.” Acts 11:18 reads, “When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.” Repentance is a gift from God, a grace not of human works.

Notice that the Bible does NOT call this a repentance from sins. The “baptism of repentance” in Mark 1:4 is clearly not referring to water baptism, but to the “baptism of repentance.” This is the repentance unto life which can only be found in Christ Jesus. The Word of God does NOT teach that we must give up our sins to be saved.

If this were true, then no one could be saved because we are all sinners incapable of ceasing from sin. Even the best of Christians still commit sin! Believers shouldn't commit sin, but the fact of the matter is that we all do. So how can you tell an unsaved person to give up their sins to be saved? What percentage of sins must a person give up to be saved? The answer is none! Christ bore the weight of our sins upon the cross so that we wouldn't have to. Anyone who places the weight of sin upon the sinner's shoulder is preaching a false Gospel. Our part in salvation is simply to acknowledge that we are a guilty sinner in God's eyes and BELIEVE THE GOSPEL. Jesus paid it all!!!

As I mentioned, there is a woeful misunderstanding about repentance circulating in our churches today. Again, Acts 11:21 states, “And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord.” Biblical repentance is TURNING to Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of our sins. Jesus doesn't forgive sin; but rather, He paid for our sins on the cross. 1st John 2:12, “I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake.” Yet, believers are taught in 1st John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” So we see that Jesus does in fact FORGIVE SIN. It is a change of mind. Mark 1:15 proclaims, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.” Notice here that repentance led to believing the gospel—NO mention is made about making a commitment to God, nor forsaking sinful bad habits.

'Repentance From Sin' For Salvation Is Not Taught Anywhere In The Bible (by Dr. Don Boyd)

So do believers have a license to sin? In the sense that salvation cannot be lost, yes. Evangelist Ray Comfort does not believe that; but rather, he errantly says in his THE EVIDENCE BIBLE that believers are “not safe just because Jesus died on the cross.” Thus, Mr. Comfort believes that there is no eternal security for believers who choose to live in sin. God does not give permission to any Christian to continue in sin (Romans 3:21). A believer's Christian walk has absolutely nothing to do with his salvation. Eternal life is a free gift. You Are Not Saved By Repenting, You Are Saved By Your Faith In Jesus Christ (Pastor Danny Castle).

Some of the best help in understanding repentance comes from Pastor Harry Ironside. Please consider the following quotations:

Dr. Harry Ironside On Repentance

"Repentance is the sinner’s recognition of and acknowledgment of his lost estate" (Except Ye Repent, p. 11).

"No one was ever saved in any dispensation excepting by grace. Neither sacrificial observances, nor ritual service, nor works of law ever had any part in justifying the ungodly. Nor were any sinners ever saved by grace until they repented. Repentance is not opposed to grace; it is the recognition of the need of grace. ‘They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick’" (Except Ye Repent, p. 10).

"There is no saving merit in owning my true condition. There is no healing in acknowledging the nature of my illness. And repentance, as we have seen, is just this very thing" (Except Ye Repent, p. 12).

"Need I add that repentance then is not to be considered synonymous with joining a church or taking up one's religious duties, as people say. It is not doing anything." (Except Ye Repent, p. 14).

I think the following quote From Dr. Ironside is one of the best I've found on repentance:

“Which comes first, repentance or faith? In Scripture we read, 'Repent ye, and believe the gospel.' Yet we find true believers exhorted to 'repent, and do the first works.' So intimately are the two related that you cannot have one without the other. The man who believes God repents; the repentant soul puts his trust in the Lord when the Gospel is revealed to him. Theologians may wrangle over this, but the fact is, no man repents until the Holy Spirit produces repentance in his soul through the truth. No man believes the Gospel and rests in it for his own salvation until he has judged himself as a needy sinner before God. And this is repentance.” (Except Ye Repent, p. 16).

QUESTION 67: I understand that you teach that repentance is a prerequisite to salvation, that is, that a man has to show a certain amount of sorrow for sin before God will cooperate with him and save him. Is this your position?

ANSWER: It certainly is not. In the first place, repentance is not mere penitence or sorrow for sin. Repentance is simply a man's recognition of his own true condition before God. No man would desire to come to the Saviour unless he realized his need of a Saviour. The realization of this need and the acknowledgment of it is, in the truest sense, the work of repentance. Thus men repent and through believing the Gospel are eternally saved. We who are saved, however, have done more repenting since we were converted than we did before.

QUESTION 166: Is repentance the first or the second step in salvation?

ANSWER: Repentance is not a "step" at all, yet there is no salvation without repentance. But repentance is a changed attitude on the part of man. This is what takes place when he believes the Word of Truth as to his lost condition and need of a Saviour. Thus faith and repentance are indissolubly linked together. [H.A. Ironside, What's the Answer? 362 Bible Questions Answered, pp. 36, 76.]

To be saved you confess that you are a guilty sinner unable to save yourself, and you are willing to be saved in God’s way. This is repentance. And remember, it is not the amount of repentance that counts: it is the fact that you turn from unbelief to God that puts you in the place where His grace avails through believing the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

"Strictly speaking, not one of us has ever repented enough. None of us has realized the enormity of our guilt as God sees it. But when we judge ourselves and trust the Saviour whom He has provided, we are saved through His merits. As recipients of His lovingkindness, repentance will be deepened and will continue day by day, as we learn more and more of His infinite worth and our own unworthiness." —Pastor Harry A. Ironside, "Full Assurance," pp. 89-90

The following statement is from Dr. Ironside's commentary on Luke: 

"Repentance is just the sick man’s acknowledgment of his illness. It is simply the sinner recognizing his guilt and confessing his need of deliverance” (Luke, p. 253).

Thus, to Dr. Harry Ironside (1976-1951) repentance is simply the sick man acknowledging his illness; the sinner recognizing his need. It is a man realizing his utter bankruptcy before God, judging himself as a hell-deserving, lost, corrupt sinner before God. A person cannot be saved apart from this kind of acknowledgment of his sinful, lost condition before God. I agree with Dr. Ironside.

Please read the following excellent Bible commentary by Dr. John R. Rice (1895-1980) about the baptism of John:

There are those hyper-dispensationalists who think that John the Baptist preached a different Gospel from Christ when he commanded repentance (Matt. 3:2). But it is the same repentance Jesus commanded in Matthew 4:17, in Luke 13:3 and 5, and the same repentance that Paul preached in Athens that God “now commandeth all men every where to repent” (Acts 17:30 31). Repentance is not a different plan of salvation from having faith: it is part of the same plan of salvation. Or rather repentance is simply another way of describing or looking at the plan of salvation. One who turns from sin to God has done so by trusting in Jesus Christ. A change of mind toward sin is necessarily involved in saving faith.

Everyone who genuinely repented under the preaching of John the Baptist put his trust in the Saviour John the Baptist preached, and was regenerated. There is no such thing as being “a disciple of John the Baptist” in any honest sense without being a disciple of Jesus, that is, without trusting Christ for salvation. [emphasis added]

SOURCE: Evangelist John R. Rice, “Acts: Filled With The Spirit,” pp. 251-252; Sword Of The Lord, Murfreesboro, Tennessee; ©1963

To be saved, you must think differently and believe the Good News (i.e., Jesus died on the cross to pay for our sins, He was buried and physically resurrected three days later). We are saved by believing, not by repenting; but repentance makes believing possible. If you didn't change your mind about whatever it is that has been preventing you from believing, then you wouldn't have come to Christ to be forgiven and saved. The only thing you need to change your mind about is whatever has been hindering you from believing.

Unbelief is the only thing that keeps a person from believing. To require that someone commit to turning away from living a lifestyle of sin, has absolutely nothing to do with receiving God's free gift of eternal life. I hope you see that. False teachers like John MacArthur, Steve Pettit, Marty Herron, James White, Bryan Denlinger, Sam Horn, John Piper, Ray Comfort, Kirk Cameron and R.C. Sproul, unbiblically require people to forsake a lifestyle of sinning to get saved, which is heresy. Salvation is a take proposition, not a give proposition.

Out Baptist churches today are filled with people who are very ecumenical, accepting and bidding Godspeed to all manner of heresy, false teachers, counterfeit Bible versions and other gospels. Sadly, anybody who professes faith alone in Christ alone by grace alone is embraced as being a true Christian; yet many of these so-called “Christians” adhere to a very different plan of salvation than what is clearly taught in the King James Bible. I have just shown you two Baptist churches, whose Statement of Faith add turning away from sins to the Gospel, corrupting the simplicity that is in Christ by faith alone.