WSC 87
Westminster Shorter Catechism
Q87. What is repentance unto life?
Repentance unto life is a saving grace, whereby a sinner, out of a true sense of his sin, and apprehension of the mercy of God in Christ, doth, with grief and hatred of his sin, turn from it unto God, with full purpose of, and endeavour after, new obedience.
Proof texts
- Acts 11:18 — [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.”
- Acts 2:37-38 — [37] Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” [38] And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
- Joel 2:12 — [12] “Yet even now,” declares the LORD, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;
- Jer. 3:22 — [22] “Return, O faithless sons; I will heal your faithlessness.” “Behold, we come to you, for you are the LORD our God.
- 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.’
- 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.
- 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.
- Isa. 1:16-17 — [16] Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil, [17] learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow's cause.
For discussion
- The Assembly cited Acts 11:18 in support of this answer. Read it in context — how does it bear on what is claimed here?
- 8 passages are cited here. Which does the most work, and is anything claimed that the proofs do not obviously carry?
- WLC Q76 treats the same ground. What does it add, and why might it put things differently?
- HC Q86 treats the same ground. What does it add, and why might it put things differently?