Bible Study Lesson 4
Repentance from Dead Works
from www.ocfellowship.org
In this lesson we examine the Bible for guidance on the meaning of repentance and its importance to people.
1. Is “repentance from dead works” a foundational teaching of the Bible? Heb 6:1.
2. Did the people of Ninevah repent when they heard Jonah preach to them? Luke 11:29-32; Jonah 1:1-2; 2:10; 3:1-10; Mat 12:38-42.
Comment: Luke 11:32 says, “they [the people of Ninevah] repented at the preaching of Jonah”, and this is explained in the decree of the king of Ninevah in Jonah 3:8 as “let every one turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands”. Jonah 3:5 says, “they believed God”, showing they had faith that Jonah’s message was from God. Mat 12:38 shows the Jewish leaders requesting a sign (miracle), and this sign to the people of Ninevah was the miracle of Jonah’s delivery in a great fish (Mat 12:39-40; Jonah 2:10). The people heard the news that the great fish had vomited up Jonah onto the shore and this provided faith to them that Jonah was a true prophet. God provided a miracle for their faith before their repentance. Ninevah was 500 miles from Israel. Any person who turns to the ways of God in repentance will first have faith toward God.
3. Did the people of Ninevah obey the decree of their king and turn from their evil way? Jonah 3:10.
Comment: The answer from Jonah says, “God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way”. This clear description of what they did shows that the meaning of the word “repent” is to “turn from one’s evil way”. Also see Ezek 18:30; Acts 26:19-20.
4. Did the king of Ninevah hope that if the people repented, God may likely change His mind so they would not perish? Jonah 3:9. Note Jer 18: 7-8.
5. Did Jesus say that if people would not repent, they would perish? Luke 13:1-5.
6. Did God tell King Solomon that if his people would humble themselves, pray, and turn from their wicked ways (repent), He would forgive their sin? II Chr 7:12-14.
7. How did Isaiah describe the process of repentance? Isa 55:6-8.
Comment: Verse 6 says, “call upon Him”, which means to pray to God. Verse 7 speaks of forsaking (giving up) wicked ways and thoughts (repenting). All activity begins in the mind with thinking about what you will do.
8. Did King Josiah’s repentance have a major effect on his life? II Ki 22:3-20; 23:25.
Comment: Verse 25 describes Josiah’s repentance in saying he “turned to the LORD with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the Law of Moses”. Read Ezek 18:30. In the Old Testament the word “turn” (or “return”) is often used as a synonym for the word repent. Examples we have seen: II K 23:25 has “turned”, II Chr 7:14 has “turn”, Isa 55:7 has “return”, and Jonah 3:8 has “turn”.
9. If a person repents from sin, is there a promise of forgiveness? Ezek 33:14-16; Acts 3:19-21.
Comment: Question 1 mentioned “repentance from dead works” in Heb 6:1. Rom 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death”, showing that sin is a work leading to death. Thus “dead works”, means sins. Repentance leads God to take away the dead works (sins).
10. Should you treat other people as God treats you, so that if they repent toward you, you should forgive them? Luke 17:3-4.
11. Who is responsible for leading you to repentance? Rom 2:4.
12. Is feeling sorry for having committed sins in your past the same as repentance? II Cor 7:8-11.
Comment: Feeling sorrowful for your past sins can motivate you to desire to repent, but it is not the same as repentance, as this passage shows.
13. When a person repents, does that person ever need to repent again? Luke 17:3-4; II Cor 7:8-11; I John 1:8-10; Rev 2:1-5.
Comment: Paul wrote to people in the church (see II Cor 1:1), so the adults there should have repented when they made a full commitment to God. Yet they needed to repent for something they had done, which relates to what Paul wrote in some previous letter. This indicates that every time a person sins, there is a need to go to God in prayer and repent. In Rev 2:1-5 the church in Ephesus was warned to repent or else they would lose their lampstand (see Rev 1:20 on the meaning of lampstand).
14. When King David committed murder, how did he indicate repentance? Ps 51:1-19.