Westminster Larger Catechism, Question 76
Question 76
What is repentance unto life?
Repentance unto life is a saving grace, wrought in the heart of a sinner by the Spirit and word of God, whereby, out of the sight and sense, not only of the danger, but also of the filthiness and odiousness of his sins, and upon the apprehension of God's mercy in Christ to such as are penitent, he so grieves for and hates his sins, as that he turns from them all to God, purposing and endeavoring constantly to walk with him in all the ways of new obedience.
Scripture references for paragraph 1
Berean Standard Bible. Public domain text and source credits.
2 Timothy 2:2525He must gently reprove those who oppose him, in the hope that God may grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth.
Zechariah 12:1010Then I will pour out on the house of David and on the people of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and prayer, and they will look on Me, the One they have pierced. They will mourn for Him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for Him as one grieves for a firstborn son.
Acts 11:1818When they heard this, their objections were put to rest, and they glorified God, saying, “So then, God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life.”
Acts 11:20-2120But some of them, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began speaking to the Greeks as well, proclaiming the good news about the Lord Jesus.
21The hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.
Ezekiel 18:2828Because he considered and turned from all the transgressions he had committed, he will surely live; he will not die.
Ezekiel 18:3030Therefore, O house of Israel, I will judge you, each according to his ways, declares the Lord GOD. Repent and turn from all your transgressions, so that your iniquity will not become your downfall.
Ezekiel 18:3232For I take no pleasure in anyone’s death, declares the Lord GOD. So repent and live!
Luke 15:17-1817Finally he came to his senses and said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have plenty of food? But here I am, starving to death!
18I will get up and go back to my father and say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.
Hosea 2:6-76Therefore, behold, I will hedge up her path with thorns; I will enclose her with a wall, so she cannot find her way.
7She will pursue her lovers but not catch them; she will seek them but not find them. Then she will say, ‘I will return to my first husband, for then I was better off than now.’
Ezekiel 36:3131Then you will remember your evil ways and wicked deeds, and you will loathe yourselves for your iniquities and abominations.
Isaiah 30:2222So you will desecrate your silver-plated idols and your gold-plated images. You will throw them away like menstrual cloths, saying to them, “Be gone!”
Joel 2:12-1312“Yet even now,” declares the LORD, “return to Me with all your heart, with fasting, weeping, and mourning.”
13So rend your hearts and not your garments, and return to the LORD your God. For He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion. And He relents from sending disaster.
Jeremiah 31:18-1918I have surely heard Ephraim’s moaning: ‘You disciplined me severely, like an untrained calf. Restore me, that I may return, for You are the LORD my God.
19After I returned, I repented; and after I was instructed, I struck my thigh in grief. I was ashamed and humiliated because I bore the disgrace of my youth.’
2 Corinthians 7:1111Consider what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what zeal, what vindication! In every way you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter.
Acts 26:1818to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those sanctified by faith in Me.’
Ezekiel 14:66Therefore tell the house of Israel that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Repent and turn away from your idols; turn your faces away from all your abominations.
1 Kings 8:47-4847and when they come to their senses in the land to which they were taken, and they repent and plead with You in the land of their captors, saying, ‘We have sinned and done wrong; we have acted wickedly,’
48and when they return to You with all their heart and soul in the land of the enemies who took them captive, and when they pray to You in the direction of the land that You gave to their fathers, the city You have chosen, and the house I have built for Your Name,
Psalms 119:66Then I would not be ashamed when I consider all Your commandments.
Psalms 119:5959I considered my ways and turned my steps to Your testimonies.
Psalms 119:128128Therefore I admire all Your precepts and hate every false way.
Luke 1:66Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and decrees of the Lord.
2 Kings 23:2525Neither before nor after Josiah was there any king like him, who turned to the LORD with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength, according to all the Law of Moses.
Source and edition
Westminster Larger Catechism. NonlinearFruit/Creeds.json, Unlicense. Creeds.json, English transcription
Unlicense. Source transcription.
Berean Blue opens December 1, 2026 for Bible reading, study, and research. View this work in the app preview.