Repentance is mentioned regularly throughout the Bible. You could easily argue that it is one of its primary themes. From someone who has been reading the Bible almost daily for over 40 years, I can tell you there is an infinite depth of truth in there that human words cannot express.
Having said that, here are just a few of the Bible’s mentions of repentance. If you have access to a Bible, I would encourage you to look these up for yourself to affirm their validity. Try reading the whole chapter containing each verse to gain a little more context around it.
Let’s start with one of God’s messages of repentance to the prophet Ezekiel in approximately 585 BC. It highlights God’s love for all people, including the wicked:
As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of wicked people. I only want them to turn from their wicked ways so they can live. Turn! Turn from your wickedness … Why should you die?
(Ezekiel chapter 33, verse 11)
Another early mention is found in the book of Psalms, this one written by David — God’s chosen king of Israel. Here he reflects on the burden of living in guilt and how repentance and confession to God brings forgiveness and relief:
Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight! Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt, whose lives are lived in complete honesty! When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long. Day and night, your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat. Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.” And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone. Therefore, let all the godly pray to you while there is still time, that they may not drown in the floodwaters of judgment.
(Psalms chapter 32, verses 1 to 6)
Let’s move on to some later references. This next one is found in the book, The Gospel of John (Gospel simply means “Good News”, so The Good News according to John who was one of Jesus’ disciples and a close friend). In this section he’s talking about another man named John, the prophet John the Baptist, who was sent by God to prepare the way for Jesus:
God sent a man, John the Baptist, to tell about the light [Jesus] so that everyone might believe because of his testimony.
(The Gospel of John chapter 1, verses 6 and 7)
The Gospel of Luke recounts what John the Baptist’s ministry was all about:
Then John went from place to place on both sides of the Jordan River, preaching that people should be baptized to show that they had repented of their sins and turned to God to be forgiven.
(The Gospel of Luke chapter 3, verse 3)
And John the Baptist also spoke to the people saying:
“Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God.”
(The Gospel of Luke chapter 3, verse 8)
Following John the Baptist, Jesus himself preached a message of repentance, beginning his ministry after fasting food for 40 days and nights:
From then on Jesus began to preach, “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.”
(The Gospel of Matthew chapter 4, verse 17)
Later, Jesus sent out his twelve disciples in pairs, to travel around the towns of Israel with the same message of repentance and to demonstrate its validity by performing miracles:
So the disciples went out, telling everyone they met to repent of their sins and turn to God. And they cast out many demons and healed many sick people…
(The Gospel of Mark chapter 6, verses 12 and 13)
There are many more references throughout the Bible to repentance, but we’ll take a look at just one more for now. Following the death and resurrection of Jesus and his return to heaven, one of his disciples (Peter) was speaking to a large crowd that had gathered in response to a very strange occurrence:
Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they [Jesus’ disciples] were sitting.
And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.
When they [others in Jerusalem] heard the loud noise, everyone came running, and they were bewildered to hear their own languages being spoken by the believers.
(Acts of the Apostles chapter 2, verses 2, 4 and 6)
Peter comes out of the house to explain what is happening. He tells how they had just been filled by the Holy Spirit, which Jesus promised to send when he returned to heaven. He goes on to tell the story of Jesus — why he came, his life, his death and his verified resurrection. Peter finishes by explaining the hard truth that Jesus was killed by the very people he came to save — them!
Peter’s words pierced their hearts, and they said to him and to the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?” Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit”.
(Acts of the Apostles chapter 2, verses 37 and 38)
Throughout the Bible, and as seen in the few references above, you may notice the common wording used around repentance — turning from sin, turning to God. Confession is also an important part of repentance, and is the act of admitting your sin and rebellion openly with actual words before God.
