When John the Baptist started his ministry the first word he used was “Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Mat. 3:2).When Jesus started His ministry, His first word was “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Mat. 4:17).On the day of Pentecost, after Peter preached Jesus Christ and Him crucified and was asked by the men who heard him “…what shall we do?” his first word was “Repent” (Acts 2:38) (See –Salvation- ckick to read!).Repentance is the most important element in salvation.Christ said, “Lest ye repent ye shall all likewise perish” (Luke 3:3, 5).God is “….not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).Repentance is the turning away from your sinful life.This life may not be a criminal life or a drug filled, rambunctious life but a life absent of Christ for our sin nature cannot and will not be addressed by our willing to do good or not to do bad.It takes a godly sorrow that worketh repentance to salvation (2 Cor 7:10).Unfortunately, repentance is not preached in the majority of the churches today and is replaced with an easier formula, which requires no repentance and an optional baptism. There is a spiritual element that brings on that godly sorrow and that is the preaching of Jesus Christ and Him crucified which is established and confirmed by Peter on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:14-37), Peter again speaking to the Gentiles in Acts 10:37-47, again in Acts 8:25, and Paul in Acts 19:1-6.This spiritual element accompanies the gospel (Jesus Christ and Him crucified) and being the Word of God it brings on true conviction and that godly sorrow that worketh repentance unto salvation.“For the Word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper that any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).
