Bible verses about
Repentance
While it’s true that “the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23) there are a few things each of us must do on our own to claim that gift. We must believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and we must repent of our sins, recognizing the offenses we have committed against God and feeling genuine remorse for offending His law of love.
Hardship and discomfort can be a blessing when it leads to repentance
2 Corinthians 7:9-11
I now rejoice, not that you were grieved, but that you were grieved to repentance. For you were grieved in a godly way, that you might suffer loss by us in nothing. For godly sorrow produces repentance to salvation, which brings no regret. But the sorrow of the world produces death. For behold, this same thing, that you were grieved in a godly way, what earnest care it worked in you. Yes, what defense, indignation, fear, longing, zeal, and vengeance! In everything you demonstrated yourselves to be pure in the matter.
God is not a man and He never lies; He has no need to repent
Numbers 23:19
God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should repent. Has he said, and he won’t do it? Or has he spoken, and he won’t make it good?
Repentance must happen before I can enter the Kingdom of Heaven
Matthew 4:17
From that time, Jesus began to preach, and to say, “Repent! For the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.”
Everyone sins, but true repentance will bring God's forgiveness
1 Kings 8:46-50
If they sin against you (for there is no man who doesn’t sin), and you are angry with them, and deliver them to the enemy, so that they carry them away captive to the land of the enemy, far off or near; yet if they repent in the land where they are carried captive, and turn again, and make supplication to you in the land of those who carried them captive, saying, “We have sinned, and have done perversely; we have dealt wickedly;” if they return to you with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies, who carried them captive, and pray to you toward their land, which you gave to their fathers, the city which you have chosen, and the house which I have built for your name; then hear their prayer and their supplication in heaven, your dwelling place, and maintain their cause; and forgive your people who have sinned against you, and all their transgressions in which they have transgressed against you; and give them compassion before those who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them.
When a sinner repents, all heaven rejoices
Luke 15:7
I tell you that even so there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents, than over ninety-nine righteous people who need no repentance.
All who believe in Jesus Christ and repent are freed from their sins
Luke 24:46-47
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 the nations, beginning at Jerusalem.”
Jesus came to call sinners to repentance
Luke 5:31-32
Jesus answered them, “Those who are healthy have no need for a physician, but those who are sick do. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”
I must be willing to forgive someone who truly repents of harming me
Luke 17:3-4
Be careful. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him. If he repents, forgive him. If he sins against you seven times in the day, and seven times returns, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.
Only repentance and belief in Jesus leads to remission of sins
Acts 5:30-31
The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you killed, hanging him on a tree. God exalted him with his right hand to be a Prince and a Savior, to give repentance to Israel, and remission of sins.
God wants everyone to repent so He can save them all
2 Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slow concerning his promise, as some count slowness; but he is patient with us, not wishing that anyone should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
