REPENTANCE IS…

ACTS 26:15-20

“True repentance is to be no longer bound in the same sins for which He denounced death against Himself, but to

eradicate them completely from the soul. For on their extirpation God takes up His abode again in thee. For it is

said there is great and exceeding joy and festival in the heavens with the Father and the angels when one sinner

turns and repents.”

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO

REPENTANCE?

“ After I strayed, I REPENTED; after I came to understand, I beat my breast. I was ashamed

and humiliated because I bore the disgrace of my youth.”

Jeremiah 31:19

   “But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember then from what you have fallen; REPENT, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from

its place, unless you repent.”

Revelation 2:4-5

“Repentance, then, is an effect of faith. For unless a man believe that to which he was addicted to be sin,

he will not abandon it; and if he do not believe punishment to be impending over the transgressor, and salvation to be the portion of him who lives according to

the commandments, he will not reform.”

Clement of Alexandria (A.D. 195)

“We avoid repentance because we remain addicted to the drug of self-justification. “I don’t need to repent because I’m the one

righteously calling out the social and personal sins of others.” Or “If I say I am complicit, it will give my political and social enemies

leverage against me and my cause.” Or even more to the point, “If I were to really look at and then acknowledge how much self-

centeredness and pride infects even my most righteous actions, I would have to admit I’m a hypocrite and a moral failure.”

CHRISTIANITY TODAY

A WORD STUDY OF REPENTANCE

WHY THE CONFUSSION?

Repentance is

Metanoia

Meta + noia"a transformative change of heart; especially: a

spiritual conversion," augmented by an explanation of metanoia's Greek source: "from metanoiein to

change one's mind, repent, from meta- + noein to think, from nous mind.

“-Noia” = MindsetNous = Mind or Mindset

Mind, understanding, reason Worldview or a Kingdomview How You Make Sense of the World Your Philosophy of Life The Rules by which you play the game of life

Luke 24:45 NAS: He opened their minds to understand KJV: their understanding, that they might

Romans 1:28 NAS: to a depraved mind, to do KJV: a reprobate mind, to do

1 Corinthians 2:16 N-AMS KJV: we have the mind of Christ. INT: we however [the] mind of Christ have

Para-Noia

• παράνοια means madness or foolishness in Greek

• A distorted worldview or philosophy of life • A warped mindset

Ancient Greek παράνοια (paránoia, “madness”), from παράνοος (paránoos, “demented”), from παρά (pará, “beyond, beside”) + νόος (nóos, “mind, spirit”).

“Meta-” = Change

Meta = “After” to focus on the future rather than on the past

Meta-morphosis = transformation

1. "after, behind; among, between," 2. "changed, altered," 3. "higher, beyond;" from Greek meta (prep.)

“MetaNoia” (µετανοια)

“Before” “After”

Meta = “After” (future) Nous = Mind or Mindset

“MetaNoia” (µετανοια)

META•“I am Lord”

•Unbelief

•Worldview

•Futile Mind

•“Jesus is Lord!”

•Belief

•Kingdomview

•Renewed Mind

“Before”“After”

“MetaNoia” (µετανοια) •Change Your Mindset • Change Your entire Philosophy of Life • Change All the Rules by which You play the game of Life • Rearrange all your affections, ambitions, agenda and allegiances • Change your Worldview (actually change your Worldview to a

(Kingdomview)

“MetaNoia”Biblical Parallels

• Luke 15:17 “He came to his senses”

• Luke 24:45 “He opened their minds”

• Acts 26:18 “Open your eyes and turn them from darkness to light”

• Romans 12:2 “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind”

• Ephesians 4:22-24 “put off your old self,… to be renewed in the attitude of your mind; and to put on the new self”

• Colossians 3:2 “Set your mind on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.”

• 1 Peter 2:24 “cease from sinning and live for righteousness.”

• 2 Corinthians 5:15 “no longer live for self but for Him”

“…especially the change of mind of those who have begun to abhor their errors and misdeeds, and have determined to enter upon a better course of life, so that it embraces both a recognition of sin and sorrow for it and hearty amendment, the

tokens and effects of which are good deeds.”

METANOIA ILLUSTRATION

The Christmas Carol

What is Scrooge’s worldview? Philosophy of Life?

Describe the rules by which Scrooge lived life.

How has Scrooge responded to seeing his worldview and its

consequences? DESCRIBE HIS ATTITUDE TOWARD HIS SIN

How has Scrooge’s worldview changed? What is his "after mind”?

His view of people? His attitude?

What behavior has followed his new mind?

Ephesians 4:17-281. The Before Mind 2. The After Mind 3. The Fruit of Repentance

Let us seek biblical repentance in the

church, in one another and in our

own lives.