Why Repent?

If we repent, then we will be forgiven of our sins.
Ezekiel 18:30-32—God judges everyone according to what they do. Therefore repent and turn away from your sin and God will forgive, for he takes no pleasure in the death of anyone.
Jonah 3:1-10—Nineveh was not destroyed because they repented
Matthew 3:4-8—The people came to John, confessed their sins and was baptized by him.
Mark 1:4; Luke 3:3—John preached a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
Mark 1:15—Jesus’ basic message was to repent and to believe in the gospel.
Luke 15:1-10—The Lord rejoices at the repentance of sinners.
Luke 17:3-4—A brother is to forgive a repentant brother.
Luke 24:47—Repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached to all nations.
Acts 2:38—Repent and be baptized and you will be saved.
Acts 3:19—Repent so your sins will be wiped away.
Acts 5:31—Jesus grants repentance to Israel and the forgiveness of sins.
Acts 8:22—Repent that your intention might be forgiven you.
Acts 11:18—God granted to the gentiles the repentance that leads to life.
Acts 20:21—Paul taught repentance and faith in Jesus.
Acts 26:20—Paul taught repentance, turning to God and doing acts in accordance with repentance
II Tim 2:25—God might grant repentance to them leading to the knowledge of the truth
II Pet 3:9—God does not desire anyone to be punished but that all would come to repentance.
I Cor 6:11—Some of you were evildoers, but now you are justified and sanctified.

If we don’t repent, we will be sent to hell.
Luke 10:13—Woe to cities of Israel because they did not repent—they will be judged on the last day.
Luke 11:32—Nineveh will condemn the generation of Jesus on the judgment day because Jesus’ generation did not repent
Luke 13:1-5—Unless you repent, great punishment will come upon you
Rev. 2:5—Repent or else Jesus will come and take the lamp stand out of its place

If we repent, we can have a good relationship with God.
I John 1:5-10—This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.

If we repent, we can be restored to our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Luke 17:3-4—If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times a day, and returns to you seven times, saying, 'I repent,' forgive him."

If we don’t repent, we will be separated from God’s people.
Matthew 18:15-17—If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every fact may be confirmed. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.
I Corinthians 5:11—Do not associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler-- not even to eat with such a one.

We repent because we want to be a part of God and His people.

Recieving Forgivness

God is forgiving, but he punishes those who rebel against him.
The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for the thousandth generation, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, yet by no means clearing the guilty. Exodus 34:6-7

We have sinned against God, and so owe him a debt.
Father, forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. Matthew 6:12

Unless we reconcile with God, we will be thrown into prison for our debt and punished eternally.
Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are on the way to court with him, or your accuser may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny. Matthew 5:25-26

Because of our debt, Satan has a contract out on us to kill us.
The wages of sin is death… Romans 6:23

Through his death, Jesus delivered us from the satanic contract of death.
You were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of flesh. He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Colossians 2:13-14

We gain forgiveness by becoming unified with Christ.
You were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God. I Corinthians 6:11

We maintain forgiveness by confessing our sins.
If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. I John 1:9

We show that we have received forgiveness by loving God greatly.
I tell you, her sins, which were many, have been forgiven; hence she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little. Luke 7:47

We keep our forgiveness by forgiving others
For if you do not forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will not forgive you. Matthew 6:14

What is Sin?

Sin is lawlessness
"Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness." I John 3:4
Sin is not doing what God tells you to
"Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin." James 4:17

Sin is what is done outside of faith.
"He who doubts is condemned if he does what he is doubtful of, because that action is not of faith. Whatever is not of faith is sin." Romans 14:23

Sin is rebellion.
"The children rebelled against me; they did not walk in My statutes, nor were they careful to observe my ordinances." Ezekiel 20:21

Sin is denying Jesus’ lordship—in word or deed.
"Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I tell you?" Luke 6:46

Sin is acting like Satan.
"The one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning." I John 3:8

Sin is opposed to love and righteousness.
"If you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scriptures, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself,’ you are doing well. But if you break that law, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever keeps the whole law and stumbles at one point, he has become guilty of all." James 2:8-10

Sin is separation from God.
"The one who says, ‘I have come to know him,’ but does not keep his commandments is a liar and the truth is not in him." I John 2:4

Sin keeps us from God.