Bootstrap

What does the Bible say about repentance?

Answered in 378 sources

The Bible emphasizes the need for repentance as a vital part of the gospel message, as seen in Matthew 4:17 where Jesus calls for repentance because the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Repentance is integral to the Christian faith and is emphasized throughout the scriptures. In Matthew 4:17, Jesus begins his ministry by preaching, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.' This call to repentance reflects the necessity of turning away from sin and turning towards God. Similarly, John the Baptist preached a message of repentance, which underscores its importance in God's plan of salvation. The act of repenting is not merely an acknowledgment of wrongdoing but a profound change of heart and mind that aligns one with God’s purposes. Thus, to preach the gospel faithfully includes urging sinners to repent and embrace the grace of God offered through Jesus Christ.
Scripture References: Matthew 4:17, Matthew 3:1, Jonah 3:5, 2 Chronicles 20:3, Isaiah 58:3, Luke 19:8, Matthew 3:8, 2 Corinthians 7:10, Luke 18:13, Jonah 3:5-9, Ezekiel 33:14-15, Romans 2:4, Luke 13:3, Acts 5:31, Matthew 3:2, Luke 13:3-5, Acts 17:30, Luke 24:47, Mark 1:15, Acts 20:21, Acts 2:37-38, Psalm 51:4, Luke 13:1-5, 2 Samuel 19:31-40, Philippians 3, Luke 11:32, Jonah 3:4, Matthew 3:1-12, Ezekiel 36:24-27, 2 Peter 3:9, Acts 11:18, Luke 15:18-21, Luke 7:24-30, Malachi 3:1, Job 42:5-6, Matthew 13:11-16, Luke 15:11-24, Luke 13:5, Acts 9:1-6, 1 Kings 21, Acts 3:19, Hosea 14:1-2, Matthew 9:13, 2 Chronicles 7:14, Hosea 6:1-3, Hebrews 12:6, Psalm 51, Romans 10:9-10, Jonah 3, Matthew 12:41, Revelation 2:5, 2 Corinthians 7:8-9, Mark 6:12, Luke 15:7, Ezekiel 6:8-10, 2 Timothy 2:25, Zechariah 12:10, John 16:8-10, Philippians 3:8, Revelation 3:1-2, John 3:1-8, Deuteronomy 30:1-10, Acts 2:38, Malachi 3:7, 1 John 1:9, 2 Samuel 12:13, Mark 2:17, Matthew 3:7-10, Romans 3:10, Luke 15:1-10, Mark 1:4-5, Luke 15:1-7, 1 Thessalonians 1:4-9, Psalm 6, Isaiah 64, 1 Thessalonians 1:9, 2 Samuel 19, 2 Corinthians 7:10-11, Jeremiah 31:18-21, John 16:8, Isaiah 3:1-2, Ephesians 2:8-9, Jonah 3:5-10, 1 John 1:8, Jeremiah 7:1-7, Matthew 15:8, Acts 26:20, Jeremiah 31:18, Matthew 3:1-2, Jonah 3:8, Judges 10:6-16, Hebrews 12:17, Jeremiah 25:1-14, Mark 1:4, Acts 13:24-30, Matthew 27:3-5, 2 Corinthians 7:9-10, Luke 5:31-32, Psalm 38, Psalm 51:1-4, Mark 14:72, 2 Timothy 2:24-25, Matthew 3:6, Luke 7:29-30, Romans 10:14-15, Ezekiel 20:43, Psalm 51:9-10, Isaiah 59:2, Luke 15:10, Matthew 21:28-32, Luke 24:46-47, 2 Corinthians 7:9, Acts 17:30-31, Isaiah 64:6, Psalm 51:1-12, Acts 8:1-3, Luke 3:3-14, Luke 3:7-8, Isaiah 53, Romans 3:23, Psalm 143, 2 Samuel 12:1-7, Isaiah 1:16-17, James 1:22, Matthew 11:20-30, John 16:8-11, Exodus 33:1-17, 1 Samuel 6:12-21, Malachi 2:13, Romans 3:25-26, Isaiah 63:9, Jonah 2:4, Matthew 12:40-41, Proverbs 14:14, Jeremiah 31:19-20, Joel 2:12-13, Revelation 3:3, 1 Thessalonians 5:24, Hebrews 4:14, Psalm 7:11-13, 1 Timothy 2, Psalm 90:8, Job 13:26, 1 Samuel 7:3, Psalm 51:17, Luke 5:32, 2 Samuel 12, Luke 22:61-62, 2 Samuel 12:7, 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24, Psalm 51:3, Romans 8:7-8, Ephesians 2:1-5, Luke 15:11-32, Acts 2:37-40, Matthew 27:3, Luke 15:17-21, 2 Peter 2:22, Revelation 9:20-21, Psalm 51:1-13, Romans 10:13, Zechariah 1:3, Matthew 21:28-30, 2 Timothy 1:12-14, Ephesians 2:8-10, Philippians 3:8-10, Job 42:6, Matthew 11:20-24, Jeremiah 4:1-18, Jonah 4, Luke 22:61, 1 John 4:19, Luke 15:18, Luke 12:16-20, 10, 18-21, Luke 3:4-14, Isaiah 55:6-7, 1 Samuel 7:3-6, Ezekiel 7, Psalm 80:3, John 10:27-29, Luke 3:3, Job 42:1-6, 2 Corinthians 7:8-10, John 1:7, Romans 14:7, Luke 15:17-18, Psalm 51:11-12, Matthew 5:3, Philippians 3:8-9, Mark 2:16-17, Acts 26:15-20, Jeremiah 31:18-19, Romans 3:18, Hebrews 8:10, Luke 1:80, Ephesians 4:32, Job 33:27-28, 1 Timothy 1:16, Acts 2:36-38, Luke 15:1-24, Jonah 3:3, Luke 3:8, Psalm 80, Isaiah 65:24, Luke 15:7-10, Romans 5:12, Romans 10:9, John 6:44, Ephesians 1:13-14, Mark 1:14-15, Romans 2:29, Ephesians 1:19, Acts 8:22, Ezekiel 18:23, Romans 2:1, Genesis 35:2-3, Jeremiah 8:6, Job 33:27, Psalm 51:3-5, Job 13:23-24, Hosea 14:1-3, Romans 3:10-18, Hebrews 12:5, James 4:8, Isaiah 1:16-20, Psalm 51:7, Philippians 3:7, Luke 3:7-14, Acts 20:20-21, Luke 15:14-20, Romans 7:5-6, Psalm, Romans 5:20, 1 Peter 2:24, Isaiah 55:7, Psalm 51:1-3, Luke 15:17-19, Hebrews 6:1-3, Hebrews 9:14, Mark 6:14-30, Psalm 51:9-12, Jeremiah 13:23, Matthew 8:2-3, Luke 5:12-13, Hebrews 10, 2 Timothy 2:25-26, Jeremiah 18:12, Acts 5:29-32, Acts 19:4, 2 Timothy 2:24-26, Ezekiel 36:26-27, Acts 3:19-26, Matthew 21:29, Ephesians 2:12, 2 Chronicles 33:12-13, Isaiah 3, John 5, Luke 13:6-10, Isaiah 22:12, Romans 5:8, Genesis 50:15-21, John 3:36, Matthew 12:30, Acts 3:26, Isaiah 9, Acts 5:13, James 2:26, Jonah 3:9, Romans 5:21, John 1:17, 2 Timothy 3:15, Psalm 119:104; Romans 7:15, Isaiah 9:13, Ezekiel 36:25-26, Ephesians 1:17-19, Luke 13:1-4, Psalm 85:4, Hebrews 3:7-11, Matthew 3:8; Luke 13:3; Acts 2:38, 1 Kings 20:31-32, Luke 23:39-43, Matthew 27:1-7, Acts 1:18, Matthew 15:26-27

Sermons (336)

(pt91) Matthew
John Reeves · Mar 6, 2026
Repent!
Stephen Hyde · Nov 11, 2018
Repent Or Perish
Gene Harmon · Nov 20, 2022
Repent Or Perish
Tom Harding · Dec 3, 2017
Biblical Repentance
Don Bell · Mar 27, 2011
Friend of Sinners
Paul Mahan · Jan 15, 2023
Following on
Jabez Rutt · Oct 29, 2023
They Repented Not
Todd Nibert · Sep 25, 2011
Gospel Repentance
Bill Parker · Apr 11, 2021
Afar Off
David Eddmenson · Feb 2, 2025
Repentance
Paul Mahan · Dec 27, 2020
Except Ye Repent
Eric Lutter · Jul 27, 2025
Malachi 3
Angus Fisher · Apr 10, 2014
Repentance
Angus Fisher · Nov 24, 2019
"Repentance"
Don Bell · Mar 19, 2023
What Shall We Do?
Frank Tate · May 19, 2024
Repentance
Joe Galuszek · Sep 23, 2016
Repentance
Greg Elmquist · May 8, 2016
Capernaum #180
Mike McInnis · Feb 9, 2018
Willing Repentance
Fred Evans · Feb 25, 2018
See to it!
Joe Terrell · Nov 21, 2015
Repentance (1)
Paul Hayden · Jun 18, 2017
Preach unto it
Norm Day · Jul 21, 2024
Three Great Needs
Frank Tate · Sep 12, 2021
Men Should Repent
Todd Nibert · Jul 13, 2008
The Petition
David Pledger · Aug 12, 2018
"The Voice Crying"
Don Bell · Feb 15, 2026
White as snow.
James Gudgeon · Jan 26, 2025
Repent or Perish
Bill Parker · Apr 3, 2022
No God For Us
David Eddmenson · Nov 20, 2024
Biblical Repentance
Don Bell · Mar 16, 2008
Repentance
Bruce Crabtree · Sep 28, 2008
Turn or Burn!
C. H. Spurgeon · Feb 24, 2017
Repent
Norm Wells · Oct 13, 2024
A Great Message
Fred Evans · Jun 3, 2018
Whom He Called
Norm Wells · Oct 27, 2024
Repentance
Jesse Gistand · Sep 9, 2012
After Repentance
Eric Lutter · Oct 11, 2020
Turn Us Again
Frank Tate · Feb 24, 2019
Matthew 3
J. C. Ryle · Oct 10, 2019
Except Ye Repent
Mike Walker · Apr 24, 2015
Joy in Heaven
Stephen Hyde · Mar 31, 2019
Men Should Repent
Todd Nibert · Jul 13, 2008
Except Ye Repent
Mike Baker · Mar 20, 2022
Gospel Repentance
Henry Sant · Jul 2, 2023
Repentance
Andy Davis · Feb 19, 2017
Hard Questions
Jim Byrd · Aug 10, 2025
Psalm 51
Todd Nibert · Oct 7, 2025
Turn Us Again
Clay Curtis · Aug 15, 2021
(pt7) Matthew
John Reeves · Jan 5, 2024
The King Calls
Paul Mahan · Apr 25, 2021
Except Ye Repent
Clay Curtis · May 23, 2024
Jacob Reconciled
Eric Lutter · Jan 12, 2025
What Have I Done
Andy Davis · Jan 26, 2014
Juan el Bautista
Cody Groover · Aug 17, 2014
Repent
Paul Mahan · Nov 15, 2020
Repentance (2)
Paul Hayden · Jun 18, 2017
What Shall We Do?
Frank Tate · Dec 29, 2024
Repentance
Norm Wells · Jul 10, 2024
What Have I Done?
Andy Davis · Feb 2, 2014
The Answer
Todd Nibert · Nov 19, 2017
(pt8) Matthew
John Reeves · Jan 19, 2024
Repentance
Bruce Crabtree · Apr 12, 2017
They Repented Not
Todd Nibert · Oct 23, 2011
This Know Also
David Pledger · Jul 21, 2019
Who Is This?
David Eddmenson · Oct 17, 2010
Repentance
Greg Elmquist · May 4, 2016
The Riotous Son
Clay Curtis · Feb 24, 2012
Except You Repent
Todd Nibert · Jan 25, 2015
Except You Repent
Todd Nibert · Dec 21, 2014
The Fall of Judas
Frank Tate · Sep 11, 2022
Have I Repented?
Frank Tate · Jul 9, 2014
Who Can Tell?
Drew Dietz · Mar 18, 2018
Suppose Ye
Tim James · Jan 1, 2023

Articles (42)

Luke 13:5
Octavius Winslow · Jul 20, 2016
I am Magdalene
John Bunyan · Jul 11, 2019
Repentance
Tommy Robbins · Oct 25, 2021
Mark 14:72
Charles Spurgeon · Jul 30, 2016
Repentance
Randy Wages · Dec 11, 2018
Psalm 90:8
J.C. Philpot · Apr 26, 2016
Elias Keach
Unlisted · Jun 7, 2020
Luke 22:61
Robert Hawker · Sep 6, 2016
Acts 5:31
Octavius Winslow · Nov 9, 2016
Matthew 3:1-17
J.C. Ryle · Jan 4, 2016
Matthew 4:12-25
J.C. Ryle · Jan 6, 2016
Luke 13:1-5
J.C. Ryle · Jul 29, 2016
Luke 15:1-10
J.C. Ryle · Aug 8, 2016
Luke 3:7-14
J.C. Ryle · May 24, 2016
Repentance
Don Fortner · Mar 6, 2022
Luke 15:11-24
J.C. Ryle · Aug 9, 2016
Gospel Grace
Philip Henry · Jun 20, 2008
Joshua

Joshua

Shall we play a game? Ask me about articles, sermons, or theology from our library. I can also help you navigate the site.

0:00 0:00