1. What is involved in repentance?

 WHEN we do something wrong, it is vital that we repent. In the Bible, a person who repents changes his mind about a certain kind of behavior, stops behaving in that way, and is determined not to repeat it.​—Matt. 3:8; Acts 3:19; 2 Pet. 3:9.

2. Why do we all need to learn about repentance? (Nehemiah 8:9-11)

² Every human alive needs to learn about repentance. Why? Because we all sin daily. As descendants of Adam and Eve, each of us has inherited sin and death. (Rom. 3:23; 5:12) Not one of us is exempt. Even outstanding men of faith, such as the apostle Paul, struggled against sin. (Rom. 7:21-24) Does this mean that we should be miserable all the time because of our sins? No, Jehovah is merciful, and he wants us to be happy. Consider the experience of the Jews in Nehemiah’s day. (Read Nehemiah 8:9-11.) Jehovah did not want them to be grief-stricken over past sins but wanted them to be joyful in their worship of him. Jehovah knows that repentance leads to happiness. So he teaches us about it. If we repent of our sins, we can be confident that our merciful Father will forgive us.

3. What will we consider in this article?

³ Let us learn more about repentance. In this article, we will consider three aspects. First, we will learn what Jehovah taught Israel about repentance. Then, we will focus on how Jehovah reached out to sinners in order to lead them to repentance. Finally, we will discuss what Jesus’ followers learned about repentance.

WHAT JEHOVAH TAUGHT ISRAEL ABOUT REPENTANCE

4. What did Jehovah teach the nation of Israel about repentance?

⁴ When Jehovah organized the Israelites into a nation, he made a covenant, a formal agreement, with them. If they kept his laws, he would protect and bless them. Regarding those laws, he assured them: “Now this commandment that I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you, nor is it beyond your reach.” (Deut. 30:11, 16) But if they rebelled against him​—for example, by choosing to worship other gods—​he would withdraw his blessing, and they would suffer. Yet, even then, they could still regain God’s favor. They could “return to Jehovah [their] God and listen to his voice.” (Deut. 30:1-3, 17-20) In other words, they could repent. If they did so, Jehovah would draw close to them and bless them once more.

5. How did Jehovah show that he did not give up on his people? (2 Kings 17:13, 14)

⁵ Jehovah’s chosen people repeatedly rebelled against him. In addition to practicing idolatry, they carried out other degraded practices. As a result, they suffered. But Jehovah did not give up on his wayward people. He sent prophets again and again to urge his people to repent and return to him.​—Read 2 Kings 17:13, 14.

6. How did Jehovah use his prophets to teach his people the importance of repentance? (See also picture.)

⁶ Jehovah often used his prophets to warn and correct his people. For example, God said through Jeremiah: “Return, O renegade Israel . . . I will not look down angrily on you, for I am loyal . . . I will not stay resentful forever. Only acknowledge your guilt, for you have rebelled against Jehovah.” (Jer. 3:12, 13) By means of Joel, Jehovah said: “Return to me with all your hearts.” (Joel 2:12, 13) He had Isaiah declare: “Make yourselves clean; remove your evil deeds from my sight; stop doing bad.” (Isa. 1:16-19) And by means of Ezekiel, Jehovah asked: “Do I take any pleasure at all in the death of a wicked person? . . . Do I not prefer that he turn away from his ways and keep living? I do not take any pleasure in the death of anyone, . . . so turn back and live.” (Ezek. 18:23, 32) Jehovah takes delight in seeing people repent because he wants them to keep living​—forever! So Jehovah does not just wait passively for sinful people to change before he offers them help. Let us see some other examples of this.

7. Using the account of the prophet Hosea and his wife, what did Jehovah teach his people?

⁷ Notice what Jehovah taught his people by means of a real-life example​—that of Gomer, the wife of the prophet Hosea. After committing adultery, she left Hosea for other men. Was she beyond help? Jehovah, who can read hearts, told Hosea: “Go once again, love the woman who is loved by another man and is committing adultery, just as Jehovah loves the people of Israel while they turn to other gods.” (Hos. 3:1; Prov. 16:2) Note that Hosea’s wife was still involved in a course of serious sin. Yet, Jehovah told Hosea to reach out to her and offer forgiveness and reconciliation. a Similarly, Jehovah had not given up on his obstinate people. Even though they were caught up in terrible sins, he still loved them and continued to reach out and help them to repent and change their ways. Does this example suggest that Jehovah, “the examiner of hearts,” will reach out to an individual who is still involved in serious sin and try to lead that one to repentance? (Prov. 17:3) Let us see.

HOW JEHOVAH LEADS SINNERS TO REPENTANCE

8. How did Jehovah reach out to Cain in order to lead him to repentance? (Genesis 4:3-7) (See also picture.)

⁸ Cain was Adam and Eve’s first son. He inherited sinful tendencies from his parents. Additionally, the Bible says of him: “His own works were wicked.” (1 John 3:12) Perhaps that explains why Jehovah “did not look with any favor on Cain and on his offering” when he offered up a sacrifice. Instead of changing his ways, “Cain grew hot with anger and was dejected.” What did Jehovah do next? He spoke to Cain. (Read Genesis 4:3-7.) Note that Jehovah reasoned kindly with Cain, offering him hope and warning him against the danger of sin. Sadly, Cain refused to listen. He did not let Jehovah lead him to repentance. After that negative response, did Jehovah stop trying to lead other sinners to repentance? Far from it!

9. How did Jehovah lead David to repentance?

⁹ Jehovah dearly loved King David. He even called him “a man agreeable to my heart.” (Acts 13:22) But David became involved in gross sins, including adultery and murder. According to the Mosaic Law, David deserved to die. (Lev. 20:10; Num. 35:31) Yet, Jehovah kindly stepped in. He sent his prophet Nathan to visit the king, even though David had not yet shown any sign of repentance. Nathan used an illustration designed to touch David’s heart. Deeply moved, David repented. (2 Sam. 12:1-14) He wrote a heartfelt psalm that reveals his repentant spirit. (Ps. 51, superscription) That psalm has comforted countless sinners and motivated them to repent. Are we not glad that Jehovah lovingly led his beloved servant David to repentance?

10. How do you feel about Jehovah’s patience and forgiveness in dealing with sinful humans?

¹⁰ Jehovah hates sin, and he does not condone it in any form. (Ps. 5:4, 5) However, he knows that we are all sinners, and out of love for us, he chooses to help us to fight against sin. He is always trying to help even the worst of sinners to repent and draw close to him. How comforting it is to know that! As we reflect on Jehovah’s patience and forgiveness, we are determined to stay faithful to him and to be quick to repent when we sin. Let us now consider how the Christian congregation was further taught about repentance.

WHAT JESUS’ FOLLOWERS LEARNED ABOUT REPENTANCE

11-12. What did Jesus teach his listeners about his Father’s forgiving nature? (See picture.)

¹¹ In the first century C.E., the time had come for the Messiah to arrive. As mentioned in the preceding article, Jehovah used both John the Baptist and Jesus Christ to teach people how important it is to repent.​—Matt. 3:1, 2; 4:17.

¹² Throughout his ministry, Jesus taught his listeners about his Father’s forgiving nature. Jesus did so in a striking way when he gave the parable of the lost son. That young man chose to pursue a sinful way of life for some time. Yet, he “came to his senses” and returned home. How did the father respond? Jesus said that while the son “was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him and was moved with pity, and he ran and embraced him and tenderly kissed him.” The son intended to ask if he could become a servant in his father’s household, but his father called him “this son of mine” and restored him to his place in the family. The father said: “He was lost and has been found.” (Luke 15:11-32) When Jesus lived in heaven before coming to earth, he had surely seen his Father show such compassion toward countless repentant sinners. What a heartwarming and reassuring picture Jesus painted of our merciful Father, Jehovah!

13-14. What did the apostle Peter learn about repentance, and what did he teach others about it? (See also picture.)

¹³ The apostle Peter learned a great deal from Jesus about repentance and forgiveness. Peter often needed forgiveness, and Jesus extended it generously. For example, after Peter denied knowing his Lord three times, he felt crushed by his own guilt. (Matt. 26:34, 35, 69-75) But after Jesus was resurrected, he appeared to Peter​—apparently in private. (Luke 24:33, 34; 1 Cor. 15:3-5) No doubt on that occasion, Jesus lovingly forgave and reassured his repentant apostle.​—See Mark 16:7.”

¹⁴ Having had firsthand experience, Peter could now teach others about repentance and forgiveness. Some time after the festival of Pentecost, Peter gave a discourse to a crowd of unbelieving Jews, explaining to them that they had put the Messiah to death. Yet, he lovingly urged them: “Repent, therefore, and turn around so as to get your sins blotted out, so that seasons of refreshing may come from Jehovah himself.” (Acts 3:14, 15, 17, 19) Peter thus showed that repentance moves a sinner to turn around​—to change his wrong way of thinking and acting—​and to pursue a new course, one pleasing to God. The apostle also showed that Jehovah would blot out their sins, or cause their sins to disappear. And decades later, Peter assured Christians: “Jehovah . . . is patient with you because he does not desire anyone to be destroyed but desires all to attain to repentance.” (2 Pet. 3:9) What a beautiful hope for Christians when they commit sins​—even serious ones!

15-16. (a) How did the apostle Paul learn about forgiveness? (1 Timothy 1:12-15) (b) What will we consider in the following article?

¹⁵ Few people have ever needed to repent and be forgiven more than Saul of Tarsus. He was a vicious persecutor of Christ’s beloved followers. Most Christians likely viewed him as a lost cause, beyond any hope of repentance. Yet, the resurrected Jesus was far above such flawed human reasoning. He and his Father saw good qualities in Saul. Jesus said: “This man is a chosen vessel to me.” (Acts 9:15) Jesus even used a miracle to lead Saul to repentance. (Acts 7:58–8:3; 9:1-9, 17-20) After becoming a Christian, Saul​—later known as the apostle Paul—​often expressed his appreciation for the way he had been shown kindness and mercy. (Read 1 Timothy 1:12-15.) The grateful apostle taught: “God in his kindness is trying to lead you to repentance.”​—Rom. 2:4.

¹⁶ When Paul heard about a scandalous problem regarding immorality in the Christian congregation in Corinth, how did he handle it? He did so in a way that teaches us a great deal about Jehovah’s loving discipline and about the importance of showing mercy. We will consider that account in greater detail in the following article.