A Time For A Change

God's Old Testament prophets as well as the New Testament apostles and evangelists persistently included in their preaching the message of repentance. This involves a change in living properly before God.

Repentance is provoked by godly sorrow (2 Cor. 7:9-11). There is another sorrow, worldly sorrow, that may bring distress but does not produce the needed change. Peter and Judas both sinned against Christ and both felt sorrow, but of different kinds. One led to destruction; the other to salvation.

God's warning of punishment provokes sinners to repent (Matt. 11:20-24). Paul spoke of "the terror of the Lord." (2 Cor. 5:11).

God's goodness will also lead to repentance (Rom. 2:4). When one will seriously consider God's grace he will change what must be changed to be right with God. Repentance is a change of mind (Matt. 21:28-29). It will produce a change in the way one lives (Luke 3:7-14; Rom. 6:1-2). "Except ye repent, ye shall...perish" (Luke 13:3,5).