"He makes them listen to correction and commands them to repent of their evil. If they obey and serve him, they will spend the rest of their days in prosperity and their years in contentment. But if they do not listen, they will perish by the sword and die without knowledge." —Job 36:10-12
"Therefore, O house of Israel, I will judge you, each one according to his ways, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent! Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall. Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, O house of Israel? For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent and live!" —Ezekiel 18:30-32
"From that time on Jesus began to preach, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.'" —Matthew 4:17
"Peter replied, '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. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.'" —Acts 2:38-39
"Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord." —Acts 3:19
"Therefore since we are God's offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by man's design and skill. In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he e man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead." —Acts 17:29-31
"Jesus answered, 'Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.'" —Luke 13:2-5
"If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives." —I John 1:8-10
Search your life and identify your sin. Then confess your sin to God and ask His forgiveness. Then turn from your sin and seek God, following His commandments. When our hearts and minds are clean and free from sin, there is no longer a barrier between us and God. We are free to have a close relationship with Him.
(All scripture taken from the Quest Study Bible, Copyright 1994 by Zondervan Publishing House.)
