The reasons for repentance

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God loves us. John 3:16 tells us, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” He wants each person to have a relationship with Him. Because He is a holy and just being, rightly so, He condemns sin. God sent is son to die on the cross for our sins. In order to have a relationship with Him we must confess our sins. 1 John 1:9 reminds us that, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” God desires to show mercy. Daniel 9:9 states, “The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him.” The way we receive mercy and forgiveness is by acknowledging our sin.

 

Confession of our sins should be accompanied by repentance. The word repent means to change the mind, to turn around. This is a turning away from our sin toward God. John the Baptist (Matthew 3:1-3), Jesus (Matthew 4:17), and later the disciples (Acts 3:19) preached the call to repent from sins and turn to God. Proverbs 28:13 promises mercy for those who confess and renounce their sin. The message of the gospel of Christ is a call for people to repent of their sins to receive the grace of God, resulting in eternal life in heaven. 1 Peter 1:3-5 reminds us of this promise, “[p]raise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.” Below are sample prayers of of salvation and repentance to assist you in praying to accept Christ as your savior or return to Him if you feel you have gone astray.