Well... Here's how I understand it:

Who must repent?:

Everyone (Rom 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; Rom 3:11 “There is no one righteous, not even one;
there is no one who understands,
no one who seeks God.)
Why? : Sin. We understand Sin according to the Law of God. He writes it upon our hearts, we KNOW when we sin. Since everyone sins, everyone must 'repent'

What is repentance?:

Repent- In Greek: metanoeo, In Hebrew: nacham
Both indicate a changing of mind, a regret, grief
repentance is bringing these feelings before God.

How is repentance expressed?

So very many ways... In the Old Testament we see sackcloth and ashes, we see fasting, and deep expression, and finally sacrifice. Sacrifice was atonement, the outward expression before God of repentance. Only blood would remove the stain of sin.
In the New Testament we see the same... right down to the sacrifice.

How is repentance an essential condition of salvation?:

In the Old Testament it is made clear that blood is the equal measure to sin... not just any blood but pure blood. The blood of a lamb, of a 'clean' animal. Sin equals death, and not physical death, but spiritual death. The blood renewed the covenant with God that there would be no spiritual death.

Jesus was the final blood sacrifice- just as the ancients placed their sin upon a lamb, we place our sin upon Jesus. We cannot properly do this unless we regret/grieve/have a heart to change our actions. When we choose to do that we place our sin sacrifice upon the one perfect sacrifice made for all time. The sacrifice of God himself. Without it we are still drowning, needing to be saved.


At least, that is my understanding.

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i can only say this
AMEN SISTER!!!!!!!

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Oh. I didn't realize that I needed to take my reoccuring feelings of regret to the Lord. Guess I figured He knew that I regretted it.

I think when I was younger I thought I was repentant, but maybe I wasn't truly, truly sorry . . . . for some of the sins I'd committed.

I just read something . . . "When the prodigal was far from home, he sat down among the swine, and the past came up before him. In the cold reality of retrospect he saw everything in an entirely different light. All the glamour, excitement, and intoxication of his free life had gone; completely disillusioned, he returned home to confess, "Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son" (Luke 15:21). This is the kind of repentance that creates joy in heaven, and Jesus had the satisfaction of seeing many prodigals turning from their sin to him." EVERYTHING JESUS TAUGHT by Herbert Lockyer, pg.150

I have had that feeling of regret and an understanding of how I've sinned so horribly against God. I guess I haven't really prayed about it, other than, "I'm sorry." etc.

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i believe that your restless moods are given by God
for you to find HIS truth
feeling regret is not the same as a change of mind.
Many people become emotional without a real change in their lives.
repentance is a change of mind, it is seeing who we really are through the Eyes of God ...read trough Mark chapter 7verse 20-23 and see what Jesus is saying what we have inside of us, Jeremiah 17:9 says
"the heart is more deceitful than all else, and is desperately sick;
Who can understand it?When we accept Jesus into our hearts after we have repented from sins, all that that we did without HIM.
We receive HIS Holy Spirit and then, HE starts to change the desires of our heart...you have to experience God working in you and your life, their is nothing more wonderfull then that.
The change of heart and mind thus continues!!
May you find HIS peace that surpassess everything!!
with much love, barbara Ann.

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