Is God pleased with people repenting of their sins?

[BibleBeliever1611]

Hebrews 11:6 says, "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."

What this verse tells me is that no matter how much I repented of my sins, that would not be pleasing to God if I didn't have faith. Why do people believe that repenting of sin (or willingness to turn from sin) is part of salvation if nothing but faith in Jesus Christ can please God? Obviously God must be pleased with you if he is going to let you into heaven. Many people are willing to turn from their sins but God is not pleased with them because they lack faith.

The Bible never even says that you need to repent of your sins. Repentance means turning or a change of direction. You can repent of something good, you can repent of something bad, you can repent of whatever. Repentance doesn't always have anything to do with sin. In fact the only thing you need to repent of in order to get saved is to repent of believing in a wrong thing. Having faith in yourself or your works or your lifestyle or some false religion doesn't get you saved, only Jesus can get anyone saved. He is the saviour.

 

[( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)]

Repentance and faith go hand in hand. You can't have one without the other.

 

[dzheremi]

The Bible never even says that you need to repent of your sins.

Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?”

Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” (Acts 2:37-39)

And the Lord has sent to you all His servants the prophets, rising early and sending them, but you have not listened nor inclined your ear to hear. 5 They said, ‘Repent now everyone of his evil way and his evil doings, and dwell in the land that the Lord has given to you and your fathers forever and ever. (Jeremiah 25:4-5)

Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Repent, turn away from your idols, and turn your faces away from all your abominations. (Ezekiel 14:6)

In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” (Matthew 3:1-2)

But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” (Matthew 9:13)

Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” (Mark 1:14-15)

Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. (Luke 24:46-47)

Etc., etc.

 

[Gregory Thompson]

Hebrews 11:6 says, "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."

What this verse tells me is that no matter how much I repented of my sins, that would not be pleasing to God if I didn't have faith. Why do people believe that repenting of sin (or willingness to turn from sin) is part of salvation if nothing but faith in Jesus Christ can please God? Obviously God must be pleased with you if he is going to let you into heaven. Many people are willing to turn from their sins but God is not pleased with them because they lack faith.

The Bible never even says that you need to repent of your sins. Repentance means turning or a change of direction. You can repent of something good, you can repent of something bad, you can repent of whatever. Repentance doesn't always have anything to do with sin. In fact the only thing you need to repent of in order to get saved is to repent of believing in a wrong thing. Having faith in yourself or your works or your lifestyle or some false religion doesn't get you saved, only Jesus can get anyone saved. He is the saviour.

Repentance seems to please angels, this might bring a passage back to remebrance.

Trusting God, is what brings pleasure to God, this is how He connects with us.

 

[Call me Nic]

Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?”

Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” (Acts 2:37-39)

And the Lord has sent to you all His servants the prophets, rising early and sending them, but you have not listened nor inclined your ear to hear. 5 They said, ‘Repent now everyone of his evil way and his evil doings, and dwell in the land that the Lord has given to you and your fathers forever and ever. (Jeremiah 25:4-5)

Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Repent, turn away from your idols, and turn your faces away from all your abominations. (Ezekiel 14:6)

In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” (Matthew 3:1-2)

But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” (Matthew 9:13)

Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” (Mark 1:14-15)

Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. (Luke 24:46-47)

Etc., etc.

Just because the word "Repent" is used doesn't mean that it's indicating "repent of sins." To interpret it that way adds to scripture. Repentance in it's simplest definition in scripture means a change of mind. In the OT, the one who repented the most was God, but he never repented from sin (since God is without sin). So, when the word repent appears, the context doesn't always mean to turn from sin (that is, to attempt to cease from committing it). Specifically, in the context of salvation, repentance is simply a change of mind and belief about Jesus, to be persuaded about him.

The best scriptural example that actually defines repentance in the context of salvation by using interchanged phrasing is Luke 16:30-31. "And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead."

 

[dzheremi]

Just because the word "Repent" is used doesn't mean that it's indicating "repent of sins." To interpret it that way adds to scripture. Repentance in it's simplest definition in scripture means a change of mind. In the OT, the one who repented the most was God, but he never repented from sin (since God is without sin). So, when the word repent appears, the context doesn't always mean to turn from sin (that is, to attempt to cease from committing it). Specifically, in the context of salvation, repentance is simply a change of mind and belief about Jesus, to be persuaded about him.

No. The term used in the original Greek (borrowed directly into Coptic, so our liturgies and prayers are full of it) is metanoia, which does not mean "being persuaded about Jesus" or whatever (while everyone certainly needs to believe in Christ, as a definition of the term it's not that specific), but rather a transformative change or conversion away from sin to repentance for one's sinfulness and a resolve to stay on the right path. So it makes no sense whatsoever to try to decouple it from turning away from sin when that's an integral part of what it means. You repent from sin.

Soti emmon owoh nai nan
Kyrie eleison, Kyrie eleison, Kyrie evlogison amin
Esmou eroi, esmou eroi, is ti-metanoia kho nii evol, jo empiesmou

Save us and have mercy on us. Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy, Lord bless amen. Bless me, bless me, behold the repentance, forgive me, say the blessing.

This is the concluding prayer of every liturgy, asking God to see how we have been transformed in our hearts through our transformative union with him via the liturgy and especially the sacrament of the Eucharist, and yet this plea comes in the context of not just saying "Look what we did and make note of it", but actually asking for forgiveness (essentially: bless me with the internal change/renewal/conversion needed to repent, behold the repentance in my soul, forgive me, and bless me once more), which would not make sense if we did not even at that time recognize our sinfulness.

The best scriptural example that actually defines repentance in the context of salvation by using interchanged phrasing is Luke 16:30-31. "And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead."

I don't understand why this is the best scriptural example. Because it uses the word "repent" and then talks about persuasion? Again, I don't think repentance is about persuasion so much as internal spiritual change leading to a change in behavior and outlook coming from this view of the state of things once one has placed the intellect under the control of the purified soul (what I believe the Greeks would call the nous). The potential danger in talking about persuasion in this context is that it makes it all about the intellect rather than about the true repentance of man coming from this change of heart which is to renew the intellect as well (as true metanoia is all-encompassing: body, soul, and mind), rather than being controlled by it.

People can be persuaded to believe things that are not true because they appeal to the intellect (see, e.g., Nestorius' quite reasonable protest that he could not worship a God who had once been a baby; he was still wrong), but the soul that is in communion with God knows that guidance which comes through that communion averts the snares that are placed along the road of our spiritual walk. This is a fairly constant theme in the desert fathers and mothers, which I would suggest that anyone read if they want to understand how metanoia is lived out.

 

[BibleBeliever1611]

Repentance and faith go hand in hand. You can't have one without the other.

I agree with that one. You can't have faith in Jesus without repenting of whatever you used to have faith in. You don't need to repent of your sins though.

 

[Soyeong]

Hebrews 11:6 says, "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."

What this verse tells me is that no matter how much I repented of my sins, that would not be pleasing to God if I didn't have faith. Why do people believe that repenting of sin (or willingness to turn from sin) is part of salvation if nothing but faith in Jesus Christ can please God? Obviously God must be pleased with you if he is going to let you into heaven. Many people are willing to turn from their sins but God is not pleased with them because they lack faith.

The Bible never even says that you need to repent of your sins. Repentance means turning or a change of direction. You can repent of something good, you can repent of something bad, you can repent of whatever. Repentance doesn't always have anything to do with sin. In fact the only thing you need to repent of in order to get saved is to repent of believing in a wrong thing. Having faith in yourself or your works or your lifestyle or some false religion doesn't get you saved, only Jesus can get anyone saved. He is the saviour.

Repentance from our sin is inherently an act of faith because it is turning away from doing what is right in our eyes and putting our faith in God to guide us in how to do with is right in His eyes. All throughout the Bible, God wanted His people to repent and to return to obedience to His law, and even Jesus began his ministry with that message, so it wouldn't make sense to think that God is not pleased by this.

I do not see how you can deny that the Bible says we need to repent of our sins:

BibleGateway - Keyword Search: repent sin

What we believe is expressed through our actions, which is why James 2:17-18 says that faith without works is dead and that he would show his faith by his works. In Matthew 23:23, Jesus said that faith is one of the weightier matters of the law, so obedience to it is what faith in him looks like. In Revelation 14:12, those who kept faith in Jesus are the same as those who kept God's commandments. In Romans 1:5, we have received grace in order to bring about the obedience of faith. In Habakkuk 2:4, the righteous shall live by faith, and in Isaiah 51:7, those who know righteousness are those on whose heart is God's law. In John 6:40, those who look on the Son and believe in him will have eternal life, and in Matthew 19:17, Jesus said that if we want to enter into eternal life, then obey the commandments, so obedience to the commandments is what believing in the Son looks like. Every example of someone living by faith is also an example of someone living in obedience to God's will, such as with all of the examples of faith listed in Hebrews 11. Only those who have faith in God to guide us in how to rightly live will obey His law and will be justified by the same faith, which is why Paul said in Romans 2:13 that only doers of the law will be justified, but did not say that we earn our justification by obeying the law.

 

[Dave G.]

Actually repenting and salvation go hand in hand, which happens by faith, you changed your mind about your life to follow Jesus. That's turning from your general life of sin ( as already mentioned above). You don't get one without the other. That change of mind and direction is repentance, you can't come to Christ Jesus without believing in Him by faith and the turn to Him is repenting. That's the change. You didn't but now you do what ? Believe. We are forgiven at the cross, each new sin we confess and get right back on our path with Him there after.

 

[Lost4words]

We also got the 'Our Father' prayer given to us by Our Lord Jesus Christ which says in it:

"Forgive us our trespasses"

 

[BibleBeliever1611]

Repentance from our sin is inherently an act of faith because it is turning away from doing what is right in our eyes and putting our faith in God to guide us in how to do with is right in His eyes.

Then all the Muslims and atheists are saved because they also repent of their sins.

 

[dzheremi]

Then all the Muslims and atheists are saved because they also repent of their sins.

Do they? Maybe atheists are different in Finland than in the USA (where I am), but I don't know any atheist who believes in God and hence repents of their 'sins' (sin being a religious concept). And as far as Muslims are concerned, they may repent, but their God is not the one true God, so it is an open question how well it can be mapped onto Christian ideas of God and repentance. For whatever it is worth, my Church, which is the largest Church in the Middle East/North Africa region, definitely does not believe in the same God as the Muslims, even though the Islamic of conquest has forced us to use Arabic in Church since about the 12th century. The God of Islam is a false God made up of whatever Muhammad believed or wanted sanction to do, and has no bearing on nor similarity with the Christian God outside of the similar vocabulary used to discuss religious topics (since many Arabic religious terms came from Syriac, or to a lesser extent Greek).

 

[Soyeong]

Then all the Muslims and atheists are saved because they also repent of their sins.

Our salvation is from sin and sin is the transgression of God's law (1 John 3:4), so being trained by grace to live in obedience to God's law through faith is what Jesus saving us from living in transgression of God's law looks like, however, Muslims and atheists do not obey God's law.

 

[BibleBeliever1611]

Do they? Maybe atheists are different in Finland than in the USA (where I am), but I don't know any atheist who believes in God and hence repents of their 'sins' (sin being a religious concept).

There are many atheists who are repenting of smoking, drinking, gambling, fornicating, etc. Those are all sins. Do you think that everyone who is trying is quit drinking is a born-again Christian? Do you think everyone who is quitting smoking is a saved Christian? No way. Repenting of sin doesn't get you saved.

so being trained by grace to live in obedience to God's law through faith is what Jesus saving us from living in transgression of God's law looks like

Jesus doesn't save anyone from "living in transgression of God's law". If that's what salvation is, then no-one is saved because no-one is living a perfect life without sin.

 

[Dave G.]

Then all the Muslims and atheists are saved because they also repent of their sins.

But they don't come to or by faith to the one true and Living God. Big difference. Jesus Christ is the way the truth and the life, no man comes to the Father but through Him. Period, done deal straight through eternity.

 

[Soyeong]

There are many atheists who are repenting of smoking, drinking, gambling, fornicating, etc. Those are all sins. Do you think that everyone who is trying is quit drinking is a born-again Christian? Do you think everyone who is quitting smoking is a saved Christian? No way. Repenting of sin doesn't get you saved.

In Romans 7:7, Paul said that he wouldn't know what sin is if it weren't for God's law, so sin is an inherently theistic concept that is specific to God's law. An atheist can turn away from an action that is sinful, but not because it is sinful and not out of faith in God.

Jesus doesn't save anyone from "living in transgression of God's law". If that's what salvation is, then no-one is saved because no-one is living a perfect life without sin.

If Jesus saves us from our sin (Matthew 1:21) and if sin is the transgression of God's law (1 John 3:4), then it necessarily follows that Jesus saves us from living in transgression of God's law. In Titus 2:11-14, our salvation is described as being trained by grace to do what is godly, righteous, and good, and to renounce doing what is ungodly, so God graciously teaching us to follow his laws for how to do these things is itself part of the content of His free gift of salvation. Thankfully we don't need to live a perfect life without sin in order to be saved. Repentance doesn't change the fact that we have already failed to live a perfect life, so the fact that repentance has value demonstrates that we are not required live a perfect life without sin.

 

[BibleBeliever1611]

An atheist can turn away from an action that is sinful, but not because it is sinful and not out of faith in God.

Atheists still know that sin is wrong just like Christians. Christians are not the only ones who have conscience.

If Jesus saves us from our sin (Matthew 1:21) and if sin is the transgression of God's law (1 John 3:4), then it necessarily follows that Jesus saves us from living in transgression of God's law.

No, it doesn't follow at all because Christians have two natures: the old man and the new man. The new man is perfect and completely without sin, but the old man is still there (the man you were before salvation). Christians can still sin because the old man is still just as sinful as it always was.

 

[BibleBeliever1611]

Repentance from our sin is inherently an act of faith

The problem with that is that the Bible says that we are saved through faith but salvation is not of works. So faith and works are two different things. You cannot have both at the same time.

 

[Soyeong]

The problem with that is that the Bible says that we are saved through faith but salvation is not of works. So faith and works are two different things. You cannot have both at the same time.

Every example of someone living by faith in the Bible is also an example of someone doing works, such as with all of the examples listed in Hebrews 11. While it is true that Abraham believed God, so he was credited as righteous, it is also true that he believed God, so he obeyed God's command to offer Isaac, so he was not declared righteous by his works, but rather the same faith by which he was declared righteous was also expressed through his works. So we are saved by faith and not by works in the sense that there are no works that we can do to earn our salvation, but faith is never alone because the save faith by which we are saved is also expressed through our works, which is why James 2:17-18 says that faith without works is dead and that he would show his faith by his works. In Romans 3:31, Paul said that our faith upholds God's law, which is again because our faith is expressed through our obedience, so he was not suggesting that you can't have both at the same time.

In Romans 1:8, it speaks about their faith being reported all over the world, and how else do you report someone's faith if not by speaking about the actions that they took to express their faith, as Hebrews 11 does? In Romans 1:5, we have received grace in order to bring about the obedience of faith, so how can you have the obedience of faith you can't have both at the same time?

 

[BibleBeliever1611]

Ever example of someone living by faith in the Bible is also an example of someone doing works

Wrong.

"But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." - Romans 4:5