repentance

[gtmyers]

What is the Lutheran view of repentance?

The pastor said today it was remembering your baptism in what Christ did for you.

[LilLamb219]

Repentance consists of two parts, first contrition and then faith. Contrition as the Law accuses us of our sins and we are sorry for them, and faith that trusts that our sins are forgiven because of Christ's death on the cross in our substitute.

[DaRev]

Repentance is the Holy Spirit moving in us to change our behavior. When the Holy Spirit, through the means of God's word of Law, makes us aware of our sin we feel a sense of guilt and sorrow. This is contrition. We then have the Spirit driven desire to "change our minds" and strive to do what is right.

However, our sinful nature is always driving us to sin more, thus the life of a Christian is a life of continual repentance.

[gtmyers]

Repentance is the Holy Spirit moving in us to change our behavior. When the Holy Spirit, through the means of God's word of Law, makes us aware of our sin we feel a sense of guilt and sorrow. This is contrition. We then have the Spirit driven desire to "change our minds" and strive to do what is right.

However, our sinful nature is always driving us to sin more, thus the life of a Christian is a life of continual repentance.
Thanks for your response. My understanding of it is like what yourself and the first post said. I having been Presbyterian, ARP always was taught there that is is a realization of your sin, feeling sorry and turning from it by asking God for forgiveness and to help not to commit it again. And like you said it is a daily thing.

Why would the ELCA pastor only refer to it as remembering your baptism? She did say that the whole current popular notion of most evangelicals today is wrong. That is to say YOU turn from your sin. I agree to a point, since I know I am inclined to sin and do daily and I can't stop.

[DaRev]

Why would the ELCA pastor only refer to it as remembering your baptism?

Well, that's a part of it, but only a part. Absolution is tied to our baptism which unites us with Christ's death and resurrection for forgiveness.

[BigNorsk]

I think the point was that turning from your sin isn't the same as turning towards Christ.

Many people are very sorry for their sins, they resolve they are not going to do it again. They are going to be strong, they will fight.

All well and good, where is Jesus? What strengthens us is faith, putting our trust in God. By definition, when you sin, you aren't trusting God. The way many speak of repentance it is all you. It is your work.

What frees us from our sins though is not ourselves, it is God.

This is shown very well in our baptisms. Not of course many people's baptisms as they understand them. For they think they did their baptism and it was nothing and it didn't free them from anything but was only a memorial. But baptism is not a memorial. In baptism God washes us clean. What could more show our helplessness and inability to help ourselves than say an infant being baptized, saved totally by the grace of God.

And so when you remember your baptism it is to remember how you are totally helpless and cannot save yourself. You are powerless against sin. God saves you.

So the key thing to being freed from your sin is to become an infant with the faith of an infant and let God save you. Return to your baptism. Let God save you.

Marv