What Is Repentance?
“From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matt. 4:17).
J. R. Miller writes the following on this passage of Scripture:
“Christ’s first call of His ministry, like John the Baptist’s was a call to repentance. All men need to repent. We never can reach the gates of heaven unless we repent. The prodigal son had to rise and leave the far country, and walk back all the painful way to his father’s house, before he could be restored to favor and be at home again. That is what every impenitent man and woman must do. The first step in coming to Christ is repentance.
“We must be sure that we know just what this word means. Some people imagine that if they are sorry for doing wrong they have repented. But sorrow for a wrong way does not take us out of that way. Tears of penitence will not blot out sin; we must turn about and walk in holy paths. Repentance is ceasing to make blots on the record, and beginning to live a fair, clean, white life.”
J. R. Miller writes the following on this passage of Scripture:
“Christ’s first call of His ministry, like John the Baptist’s was a call to repentance. All men need to repent. We never can reach the gates of heaven unless we repent. The prodigal son had to rise and leave the far country, and walk back all the painful way to his father’s house, before he could be restored to favor and be at home again. That is what every impenitent man and woman must do. The first step in coming to Christ is repentance.
“We must be sure that we know just what this word means. Some people imagine that if they are sorry for doing wrong they have repented. But sorrow for a wrong way does not take us out of that way. Tears of penitence will not blot out sin; we must turn about and walk in holy paths. Repentance is ceasing to make blots on the record, and beginning to live a fair, clean, white life.”