WLC 76

Q76. What is repentance unto life?

Repentance unto life is a saving grace, wrought in the heart of a sinner by the Spirit and word of God, whereby, out of the sight and sense, not only of the danger, but also of the filthiness and odiousness of his sins, and upon the apprehension of God's mercy in Christ to such as are penitent, he so grieves for and hates his sins, as that he turns from them all to God, purposing and endeavoring constantly to walk with him in all the ways of new obedience.

Proof texts

• 2 Tim. 2:25 — [25] correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth,
• Zech. 12:10 — [10] “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn.
• Acts 11:18,20-21 — [18] When they heard these things they fell silent. And they glorified God, saying, “Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life.” [20] But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists also, preaching the Lord Jesus. [21] And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord.
• Ezek. 18:28,30,32 — [28] Because he considered and turned away from all the transgressions that he had committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die. [30] “Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, declares the Lord GOD. Repent and turn from all your transgressions, lest iniquity be your ruin. [32] For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord GOD; so turn, and live.”
• Luke 15:17-18 — [17] “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! [18] I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you.
• Hos. 2:6-7 — [6] Therefore I will hedge up her way with thorns, and I will build a wall against her, so that she cannot find her paths. [7] She shall pursue her lovers but not overtake them, and she shall seek them but shall not find them. Then she shall say, ‘I will go and return to my first husband, for it was better for me then than now.’
• Ezek. 36:31 — [31] Then you will remember your evil ways, and your deeds that were not good, and you will loathe yourselves for your iniquities and your abominations.
• Isa. 30:22 — [22] Then you will defile your carved idols overlaid with silver and your gold-plated metal images. You will scatter them as unclean things. You will say to them, “Be gone!”
• Joel 2:12-13 — [12] “Yet even now,” declares the LORD, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; [13] and rend your hearts and not your garments.” Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster.
• Jer. 31:18-19 — [18] I have heard Ephraim grieving, ‘You have disciplined me, and I was disciplined, like an untrained calf; bring me back that I may be restored, for you are the LORD my God. [19] For after I had turned away, I relented, and after I was instructed, I struck my thigh; I was ashamed, and I was confounded, because I bore the disgrace of my youth.’
• 2 Cor. 7:11 — [11] For see what earnestness this godly grief has produced in you, but also what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what punishment! At every point you have proved yourselves innocent in the matter.
• Acts 26:18 — [18] to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’
• Ezek. 14:6 — [6] “Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord GOD: Repent and turn away from your idols, and turn away your faces from all your abominations.
• 1 Kings 8:47-48 — [47] yet if they turn their heart in the land to which they have been carried captive, and repent and plead with you in the land of their captors, saying, ‘We have sinned and have acted perversely and wickedly,’ [48] if they repent with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies, who carried them captive, and pray to you toward their land, which you gave to their fathers, the city that you have chosen, and the house that I have built for your name,
• Ps. 119:6,59,128 — [6] Then I shall not be put to shame, having my eyes fixed on all your commandments. [59] When I think on my ways, I turn my feet to your testimonies; [128] Therefore I consider all your precepts to be right; I hate every false way.
• Luke 1:6 — [6] And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord.
• 2 Kings 23:25 — [25] Before him there was no king like him, who turned to the LORD with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might, according to all the Law of Moses, nor did any like him arise after him.

For discussion

1. The Assembly cited 2 Tim. 2:25 in support of this answer. Read it in context — how does it bear on what is claimed here?
2. 17 passages are cited here. Which does the most work, and is anything claimed that the proofs do not obviously carry?
3. WSC Q36 treats the same ground. What does it add, and why might it put things differently?
4. HC Q86 treats the same ground. What does it add, and why might it put things differently?

Read alongside

WSC Q36 · HC Q86 · BC 6.3 · BC 6.4 · BC 6.5