Repentance

[idea]

One of the key themes in Christianity, and in other religions as well is repentance, or changing from darkness to light. What are your thoughts on this central doctrine? Have you experienced this change in your life?

Last year I went through this. You are supposed to do this before baptism, but I did not fully understand the concept when I was baptized. I wonder if I should be baptized again now that I understand more fully what it means to repent? Anyways, last year we were asked to write up our personal histories to submit to the genealogy library in Salt Lake City. A friend gave an enrichment lesson in which she brought in a little sign she had hanging in her bedroom for many years, the paper was faded, it had the word, “honesty” in big letters between two lines. She talked about trying to find the truth of what her life was – about feeling like a puck on an air hockey table skidding from one extreme to the other with truth in the center between two lines. I went home and wrote a personal history, not the boring kind with dates of vacations, awards, not a resume… I tried really hard to be honest with myself and whoever else would read it of who I was and what had really shaped my life... I then emailed it off to the people that needed to read it. The people I needed to apologize to. You can’t imagine how hard it was to do this. Anyways, it changed me, it humbled me, I see a new reality now. There is a difference between living in front of people and living with them. I am closer to living “with” others now that I no longer have things to hide from them if that makes sense… from feeling distant and alone to beginning to understand how to join in and be “with” people, that was my change.

“Most of us feel that others will not tolerate emotional honesty and communication. We would rather defend our dishonesty on the grounds that it might hurt others; and, having rationalized our phoneyness into nobility, we settle for superficial relationships.” - John Powell.

Does anyone else have any experience with Metanoia?


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Guide to the scriptures…
Forgiveness for wrongdoing upon condition of repentance. Remission of sins is made possible by the atonement of Jesus Christ. A person obtains a remission of his sins if he has faith in Christ, repents of his sins, receives the ordinances of baptism and laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost, and obeys God's commandments (A of F 1:3–4).

Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow, Isa. 1:16–18.

REPENT, REPENTANCE. See also Atone, Atonement; Broken Heart; Confess, Confession; Forgive; Jesus Christ; Remission of Sins

A change of mind and heart that brings a fresh attitude toward God, oneself, and life in general. Repentance implies that a person turns away from evil and turns his heart and will to God, submitting to God's commandments and desires and forsaking sin. True repentance comes from a love for God and a sincere desire to obey his commandments. All accountable persons have sinned and must repent in order to progress toward salvation. Only through the atonement of Jesus Christ can our repentance become effective and accepted by God.

Make confession unto the Lord, Ezra 10:11. Put away the evil of your doings; cease to do evil, Isa. 1:16. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions, Ezek. 18:30–31. Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand, Matt. 3:2. There is joy in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, Luke 15:7. God commandeth all men every where to repent, Acts 17:30 (2 Ne. 9:23; 3 Ne. 11:31–40; D&C 133:16). Godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation, 2 Cor. 7:10. The Spirit of the Lord Omnipotent has wrought a mighty change in our hearts, that we have no more disposition to do evil, Mosiah 5:2. If he confess his sins and repent, him shall ye forgive, Mosiah 26:29. After Alma's preaching, many people began to repent, Alma 14:1. Do not procrastinate the day of your repentance, Alma 34:33. Alma taught Helaman of his repentance and conversion, Alma 36 (Mosiah 27:8–32). Repentance could not come unto men except there were a punishment, Alma 42:16. Let your sins trouble you, with that trouble which shall bring you down unto repentance, Alma 42:29. Ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirit, 3 Ne. 9:20. Whoso repenteth and cometh unto me as a little child, him will I receive, 3 Ne. 9:22. Repent, all ye ends of the earth, 3 Ne. 27:20. As oft as they repented, they were forgiven, Moro. 6:8. Say nothing but repentance unto this generation, D&C 6:9 (D&C 11:9). How great is his joy in the soul that repenteth! D&C 18:13. Every man must repent or suffer, D&C 19:4. He that sinneth and repenteth not shall be cast out, D&C 42:28. He who confesses and forsakes his sins is forgiven, D&C 58:42–43. The dead who repent will be redeemed, D&C 138:58. We believe in repentance, A of F 1:4.

 

[oldcajun]

Just believe! Just open your heart to Jesus! Come to Jesus! Jesus is waiting with open arms!

Do these terms sound familiar? We hear them repeatedly from TV preachers and pulpits across this land every week. I've noticed though, in many of these calls to salvation, something desperately important is missing. It seems to me that modern "Christianity" has either forgotten or watered down the first step in salvation; the step that all the rest depends on. The word 'repent' seems to fade into the background when many ministers today approach their congregations with the gospel message of salvation.

Genuine repentance and sincere acceptance of Jesus as our Lord and Savior cannot be ignored if we expect forgiveness and remission of sins. God's granting of the Holy Spirit will not take place without it. John the baptist said "Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Matt. 3:2). Jesus said "Repent and believe in the gospel" (Mark 1:15) and again "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." (Matt. 4:7). Peter, in (Acts 2:38) "Repent, and let everyone of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit". Repentance---according to Webster's Collegiate Dictionary means to turn from sin, to feel regret, to change one's mind. If we are to turn from sin then we need a good New Testament definition of sin. (I John 3:4) "Whoever commits sin transgresses also the law, FOR SIN IS THE TRANGRESSION OF THE LAW".

It appears to me, if we are to repent of our 'sins', then we must be truly sorrowful for breaking God's Laws and we must begin to keep them. In (Matt 19:16-17) when the rich young ruler approached Jesus and ask Him "what shall I do to obtain eternal life?" Jesus told him "if you want to enter into life, KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS. The young man then ask Him, "which commandments?" Jesus went on to quote enough of the commandments to show that He was speaking of the ten commandments. And finally, in (I john 2:3-4) John said "Now by this we know that we know him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, 'I know Him' and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him." We must be willing to obey Jesus. Otherwise, He is not our Lord. In order to love God we must keep his commandments. (I John 5: 2-3).

I believe it is obvious why modern mainstream "Christanity" has watered down the teaching of repentance. Repentance calls for commitment; a commitment to God and His Word that many are not willing to accept. Instead, they teach a weak gospel of do-nothing "churchianity". This type of teaching certainly fattens the church member rolls but in the end it will become a denial of Christ Himself.
Remember what our Savior said: "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord', shall enter the Kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name, cast out demons in your name, and done many wonders in your name?' And then I will declare to them, I never knew you, depart from Me, you who practice LAWLESSNESS!" (Matt. 7: 21-23) NKJV True repentance must be returned to the Gospel message!

 

[Charity]

Repent to be sorry for, desire to make right......Repent with a broken heart and a contrite spirit.......But also come in faith believing.............

 

[zenzero]

Friend idea,
What you talk about is a 24 hour activity.
It is HERE-NOW. Meaning to start with itself if one is not having that EGO the question of asking forgiveness or repenting does not arise.
Anyway, still this is surely better than those who do not repent.
This too is spiritual progress.
Love & rgds

 

[Peace]

In Islam, if we commit a sin we need just to repent so as to be forgiven and for the sin to be wiped out from our book of record.
To repent , we need to ask a sincere forgiveness from God and promising not to go back to that sin.

 

[Charity]

In Islam, if we commit a sin we need just to repent so as to be forgiven and for the sin to be wiped out from our book of record.
To repent , we need to ask a sincere forgiveness from God and promising not to go back to that sin.

I agree with you Peace,

 

[idea]

Just believe! Just open your heart to Jesus! Come to Jesus! Jesus is waiting with open arms!

Do these terms sound familiar? We hear them repeatedly from TV preachers and pulpits across this land every week. I've noticed though, in many of these calls to salvation, something desperately important is missing. It seems to me that modern "Christianity" has either forgotten or watered down the first step in salvation; the step that all the rest depends on. The word 'repent' seems to fade into the background when many ministers today approach their congregations with the gospel message of salvation.

I agree - I think we talk about forgiving others a lot more than we talk about repenting. I guess it is not a popular fuzzy-happy topic - and who has the right to tell everyone else to repent!!!" the beam mote things:

Matt 7:
3And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?
5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.

It is the topic that probably got the most prophets killed...

In Islam, if we commit a sin we need just to repent so as to be forgiven and for the sin to be wiped out from our book of record.
To repent , we need to ask a sincere forgiveness from God and promising not to go back to that sin.

What are all the steps to repentance in Islam? LDS lists them as:

recognition,
sorrow,
abandonment,
confession,
restitution where possible
faith in Christ
(am I missing any?)

I like the AA 12 step program - I think it can be used for just about anything in life:

AA Steps​

1. We admitted we were powerless over ___________ - that our lives had become unmanageable.​

2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.​

3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.​

4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.​

5. Admitted to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.​

6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.​

7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.​

8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.​

9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.​

10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.​

11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.​

12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to others and to practice these principles in all our affairs.​

Friend idea,
What you talk about is a 24 hour activity.
It is HERE-NOW. Meaning to start with itself if one is not having that EGO the question of asking forgiveness or repenting does not arise.
Anyway, still this is surely better than those who do not repent.
This too is spiritual progress.
Love & rgds

Repent is one way to get rid of your ego
How do you get rid of the ego?

Repent to be sorry for, desire to make right......Repent with a broken heart and a contrite spirit.......But also come in faith believing.............

the faith / believing that Christ will make everything OK is actually the part that has always been the most hard / confusing to me. There are some things I just don't see a solution for, and I don't understand how another dieing can solve anything. I feel loved by the atonement, but I don't understand how it solves the problem. Any thoughts on that?

 

[zenzero]

Friend peace,

In Islam, if we commit a sin we need just to repent so as to be forgiven and for the sin to be wiped out from our book of record.
To repent , we need to ask a sincere forgiveness from God and promising not to go back to that sin.

How does one know that he has committed a SIN? It is surely the MIND which tells you and he tells that from what it is fed with if the mind has inculcated all that islamic ways surely it sees from that point.
The TRUTH is only reached by keeping the MIND free from any information or colours let only the direct expereinec be respinded without storing it for future use and be fresh for the next expereince undergone at any moment.
This way the idea of SIn itself does not arise and neither does the question of repentance as one repents when he becomes aware that he has committed a sin but when one is aware at all times the sin itself is not committed.


Friend Idea,

Repent is one way to get rid of your ego
How do you get rid of the ego?

By being aware of who he [ego ] is.
Love & rgds

 

[Peace]

What are all the steps to repentance in Islam?

The following are the steps to repentance in Islam:

• To stop the sin
• to regret sincerely for the sin you committed
• to ask forgiveness from the Forgiver the Merciful, our God
• to take decision and to have a pure intention to never return to that sin again

Allah says in the Quran:

"Do not despair of God's mercy; He will forgive you of all your sins". (39:53).

In another verse, Allah says:

"And He wishes to forgive you" Quran (4:146).

God loves those who repent, for repentance is the most noble and beloved form of obedience in the eyes of God the Merciful. Repentance has a status that no other form of worship has. This is why Allah is extremely happy when a servant repents just as a traveller is happy when he finds his lost mount in the desert.

The Merciful Allah says: "Those (are the true believers) who, when they commit an evil deed, or wrong their souls, remember Allah, and seek forgiveness for their sins - and who but Allah forgives sins? They do not insist upon the sins they have committed, and they know (that Allah is forgiving)." (Qur'an 3:135)

 

[Peace]

Friend peace,

How does one know that he has committed a SIN? It is surely the MIND which tells you and he tells that from what it is fed with if the mind has inculcated all that islamic ways surely it sees from that point.
The TRUTH is only reached by keeping the MIND free from any information or colours let only the direct expereinec be respinded without storing it for future use and be fresh for the next expereince undergone at any moment.
This way the idea of SIn itself does not arise and neither does the question of repentance as one repents when he becomes aware that he has committed a sin but when one is aware at all times the sin itself is not committed.

Friend Idea,

By being aware of who he [ego ] is.
Love & rgds

Hi zenzero
Tell me have you ever felt a remorse and guilt for doing a "bad" deed?
feeling remorse and guilt for committing a bad deed "sin" is something very normal and so as to get rid of that feeling of guilt one should ask forgiveness and repent.
lying is a sin, stealing, backbiting, insulting people and hurting them are sins, fornication, adultery and in Islam drinking alcohol is a sin, usury, eating pork... so disobeying God in genearl is a sin, for committing the aformentioned sins are forms of disobeying God.
Hope you see how we perceive sin, if not please don't hestitate for more clarification.

Peace

 

[Starfish]

Wonderful posts. Thank you all.

It helps me to think of repentance as change for the better. Simple as that.

 

[McBell]

Does anyone else have any experience with Metanoia?

Sure have.
And it led me away from not only Christianity, but all other "organized" religion.

 

[idea]

The following are the steps to repentance in Islam:

• To stop the sin
• to regret sincerely for the sin you committed
• to ask forgiveness from the Forgiver the Merciful, our God
• to take decision and to have a pure intention to never return to that sin again

so confession and restitution where possible are not part of it? I think those are the two hardest steps.

Sure have.
And it led me away from not only Christianity, but all other "organized" religion.

That is a paradigm shift not Metanoia ...

It helps me to think of repentance as change for the better. Simple as that.

Yes, better to think of where we can go than where we have been.

God remembers our sins no more, but should we remember them? The Israelites are told to remember their bondage...
Ex 13:3 And Moses said unto the people, Remember this day, in which ye came out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand the LORD brought you out from this place: there shall no leavened bread be eaten.

if we just forget, we might forget what we learned, there would have been no point in going through any of it if it is all forgotten by everyone... what do you think?

 

[zenzero]

Friend Peace,

Hi zenzero
Tell me have you ever felt a remorse and guilt for doing a "bad" deed?
feeling remorse and guilt for committing a bad deed "sin" is something very normal and so as to get rid of that feeling of guilt one should ask forgiveness and repent.
lying is a sin, stealing, backbiting, insulting people and hurting them are sins, fornication, adultery and in Islam drinking alcohol is a sin, usury, eating pork... so disobeying God in genearl is a sin, for committing the aformentioned sins are forms of disobeying God.
Hope you see how we perceive sin, if not please don't hestitate for more clarification.
Peace

For me all religions are Paths or ways to realoise the self which is not seperate but a small part of that whole which is concpetualised by different names by different religions.
Personally always try to do things with awareness and do not feel bad about doing anything as do not consider anything as bad or sin. I drink occassionaly which i do not consider as a sin. I used to take marijuana, charas, etc which have no more need since over 33 years. Smoking too has dropped as a habit.
do not need to lie as have nothing to loose.
Whatever you mentioned is clear BUt what am trying to communicate is not getting across to you. What you call as sins are not as per your own experience they are borrowed from texts which are not sins by another standard then what can you say?
Love & rgds

 

[Starfish]

Yes, better to think of where we can go than where we have been.

God remembers our sins no more, but should we remember them? The Israelites are told to remember their bondage...
Ex 13:3 And Moses said unto the people, Remember this day, in which ye came out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand the LORD brought you out from this place: there shall no leavened bread be eaten.

if we just forget, we might forget what we learned, there would have been no point in going through any of it if it is all forgotten by everyone... what do you think?

I don't think any of us forget, as God can. But once we've repented, we need for forgive ourselves, as God does. That way we can keep the lessons learned, and move on.

 

[idea]

Friend Peace,

For me all religions are Paths or ways to realoise the self which is not seperate but a small part of that whole which is concpetualised by different names by different religions.
Personally always try to do things with awareness

if you are trying to do one thing over another, that indicates that you consider one type of being better than another, which leads to good/bad...

What is the point of trying to know yourself to the core, to get rid of passions or desires if not to become a "better" person? If you are not becoming a "better" person, what do you become?

and do not feel bad about doing anything as do not consider anything as bad or sin. I drink occassionaly which i do not consider as a sin. I used to take marijuana, charas, etc which have no more need since over 33 years. Smoking too has dropped as a habit.
do not need to lie as have nothing to loose.
Whatever you mentioned is clear BUt what am trying to communicate is not getting across to you. What you call as sins are not as per your own experience they are borrowed from texts which are not sins by another standard then what can you say?
Love & rgds

many sins are pretty universal though, not from one text or one people, most agree it is wrong to steal, murder, rape, etc.... what standard disagrees with calling the previous sins?

 

[Peace]

so confession and restitution where possible are not part of it? I think those are the two hardest steps.

Confession to whom? to the one we wronged?
if I commit a sin and in doing it I wrong only ourselves, so the matter is between me and my Creator and I resort directly to Him knocking at His door asking for forgiveness from the Merciful. I need no mediator between me and my Creator; for in Islam there is no mediator between God and His servants.
if we wronged someone and he knows about it so we can ask forgiveness from God and also from the one we wronged, but if he just doesn't know about it so we just keep it between us and God, for God conceals the defects of His servants, and we ask forgiveness from God and also ask forgiveness for the one we wronged, for asking forgivenss for the latter wipes out his sins and thus doing something good for him.
Restitution; if it's possible yes we should do that but if we can't afford it and its not within our means we should ask forgivenss from those we wronged and of course ask it from the Forgiver who forgives all sins, our Merciful God.

 

[Peace]

Friend Peace,

For me all religions are Paths or ways to realoise the self which is not seperate but a small part of that whole which is concpetualised by different names by different religions.
Personally always try to do things with awareness and do not feel bad about doing anything as do not consider anything as bad or sin. I drink occassionaly which i do not consider as a sin. I used to take marijuana, charas, etc which have no more need since over 33 years. Smoking too has dropped as a habit.
do not need to lie as have nothing to loose.
Whatever you mentioned is clear BUt what am trying to communicate is not getting across to you. What you call as sins are not as per your own experience they are borrowed from texts which are not sins by another standard then what can you say?
Love & rgds

Dear Zenero, I would say that when there is conscious one feels the sin. The sin is whatever the heart and the mind feel uneasy with, and thus feeling guilt. As idea said stealing, rape, murder ... are universally considered as sins. Don't you consiser those deeds as bad deeds or rather evil deeds?
We are not created in vain with no puropse on this earth as if we are living in jungles with no moral codes to follow. We are created for a noble mission and to let the good morals prevail the earth.

 

[zenzero]

Friend Peace,
If you have read the my thread on *SIN*; it is exactly this that I have mentioned that if one feels *GUILT* then only it is a sin or else it is just like another day in office.
By being aware or concious or realisation of the MISTAKE done is the same as repentance and one is cleansed of that SIN as your religion says.
We surely are in agreement here.
Love & rgds

 

[Jeremy Mason]

Here some info regarding sin.
Sin - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Greek word hamartia (ἁμαρτί&#945 is usually translated as sin in the New Testament. In Classical Greek, it means "to miss the mark" or "to miss the target" which was also used in Old English archery.

If anyone has instructed children and seen them make the same mistake over and over again, then it is easy to understand the need to help that child over come their problem. Sin is the same for adults. Unfortunately as adults we are sometimes stubborn and unwilling to accept another adult's help. God has given us his Son to show us the proper way of living our lives. If we do not allow other adults or God to show us the right way to live, then we will continue to make our mistakes over and over again until we die.

Here is a story about a man and a flood:

One day a man was told that there was going to be a flood and told to leave the area before it happened. The man proudly proclaimed that God would save him.

Well the rain came and waters started to accumulate and again people told the man to evacuate, but the man again said,"God will save me."

The water then rose to the level of the attic and the man punched a hole through the roof and along comes a person in a boat and asks the man to get in, but the man said,"No thank you, God's going to save me."

Well about that time the house gives-way and the man is swept away never to be found again.

You see, IMO, God was trying to save the man all along, but he didn't recognize His attempts. If we fail to recognize God's attempts to turn us around/ repentance and utilize His life saving resources/ the blood of Christ, the Word and the Spirit of God, the same will happen to us.