Question: Is Repentance Needed In Order To Be Born Again And To Enter The Kingdom Of God ?

1. JESUS’ WORDS :
   1. THIS IS WHAT JESUS TOLD PAUL WHEN HE APPEARED TO HIM ON THE ROAD TO DAMASCUS : “I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.” Acts 26:17-18
   2. JESUS’ FIRST WORD WHEN HE BEGAN HIS MINISTRY: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Mat. 4:17
   3. JESUS EXPLAINED WHY HE CAME TO EARTH: “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” Luke 5:32
   4. JESUS’ LAST WORDS TO HIS DISCIPLES BEFORE GOING BACK TO HEAVEN: “Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.” Luke 24:46-47
   
   
2. THE DISCIPLES’ WORDS :
   1. PETER’S SECOND SERMON:“Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.” Acts 3:19
   2. PETER TELLING ABOUT CHRIST’S SECOND COMING: “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9
   3. PAUL: Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? Romans 2:4
   4. THE AUTHOR OF HEBREWS: Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God.” Hebrews 6:1
   
   
3. HOW A PERSON TURNS FROM DARKNESS TO THE LIGHT OF JESUS :
   
   • “He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love.” Colossians 1:13
   
   
   
   
4. A SINNER REPENTS, RECEIVES FORGIVENESS, AND IS DECLARED SAVED : Luke 7:36-50 NKJV
• A Pharisee invited Jesus to eat at his house and Jesus came.
• A woman who was a sinner came to see Jesus at the house.
• She brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil and she anointed Jesus’ feet with the fragrant oil.
• Greatly convicted by being in Christ’s presence, she stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet.
• The Pharisee was not happy to see what was happening with the woman, but Jesus rebuked him: “Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.”
• Then He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” But the Pharisees also objected to this.
• Then Jesus said to the woman: “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”


5. A PHARISEE AND A TAX COLLECTOR — A PARABLE : Luke 18:9-14 NKJV
• Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.
• The prayer of the Pharisee: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men — extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I
• The tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast.
• And he prayed: ‘God, be merciful to me
• Jesus said:” I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

• * ALL BIBLES REFERENCES FROM NEW KING JAMES VERSION