What Does the Bible Say?
Repentance is not just feeling sorry, it is a complete turning away from sin toward God. The Bible requires it as the first step of salvation (Acts 2:38), and Jesus himself calls it the dividing line between perishing and not perishing.
Key Scriptures
Acts 2:38 NKJV
"Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.""
Repentance is the first command Peter gives when the crowd asks "What shall we do?" It precedes baptism and the gift of the Spirit, the order is intentional.
Acts 3:19 NKJV
"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."
"Blotted out" is a legal term, sins are erased from the record entirely. Peter connects this directly to repentance and conversion, not to a prayer alone.
Luke 13:3 NKJV
""I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.""
Jesus leaves no middle ground. Repentance is not a suggestion or a starting point for spiritual growth, it is the condition for not perishing.
2 Corinthians 7:10 NKJV
"For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death."
Paul distinguishes between two kinds of sorrow. Worldly sorrow is regret without change. Godly sorrow produces genuine repentance, a turning that leads to salvation.
Gospel Focus
Many teach that belief alone is sufficient for salvation. But Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, commanded repentance first, before baptism, before the gift of the Spirit. True repentance produces a changed life, not just a changed feeling. The Apostolic church has always held that genuine repentance is evidenced by turning from sinful patterns, not merely confessing them.
Memory Verse
"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 NKJV
Go Deeper
This page gives you the Bible's core answer. For the full verse-by-verse study, historical context, and Apostolic application, go here:
Study: Doctrine of Repentance →Want to know what the Bible teaches about salvation?