Acts 3:19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;
When I first wore my class ‘A’ army uniform in public, (in Cleveland) I got spit on, insulted and worse off, I had a street bum scream one word at me, REPENT!
The word ‘repent’ is not an ugly weapon to be used by ugly people. It’s a good, helpful word. Jesus’ message to the world is ‘repent and believe!’ Like mentioned in Acts 3:19, (see post above)repent and be converted is what God wants you to do, in that order.
What is meant by the word repent? It comes from ‘Metanoia’ meaning to ‘change your mind’! If someone sensibly told me to ‘change my mind’, I would say ‘about what?’ and we could have a normal, interesting conversation. The bum in Cleveland used it to make me feel bad. Repent is a beautiful word, but people have made it ugly. Even our perfectly sinless Father God repented 3 times in the Old Testament. The word repent has not so much to do with sin as with ‘changing your mind’. When you’re going in one direction with your thoughts, and then stop and do a 180.
Exodus 32:14 And the Lord repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people.
There’s no shame in repenting. God wants us to repent ‘to change our minds about sin’ and to be converted ‘to run back to Him’ or ‘to turn to Him’.
Hosea 6 Come, and let us return unto the Lord: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up.
When we finally wake up one day and understand that our sin is killing us and everyone else around us, we must change our mind and run to God. He is waiting for us. Just like the prodigal son’s dad.
Luke 15:20 And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.