The Bible uses, among others, the following concepts to describe that work of the Holy Spirit through which a person becomes a partaker of God’s grace:
- Conversion or return to God: Read Acts 11:20-21, 1 Pet. 2:25.
- Regeneration: (being born again) Read Joh. 3:5, 1 Joh. 5:1, 1 Pet. 1:23.
- Awakening from the dead or making alive: Read Col. 2:12, Eph. 2:5-8, Luke 15:32.
- Enlightening, leading from darkness into light. Read Eph. 5:8, Acts 26:18, Joh. 12:46, 2 Cor. 4:6.
- Repentance or change of mind. Read Luke 13:3-5, 15:7, and 24:47.
Note: It is important that the word, repentance, be understood in the right way, so that we will not go astray. It is often believed that it means a person’s own efforts to improve his life and thus to be acceptable to God. This is not the case, however. It means a person’s change of mind, which God brings about through His Word. This consists of the two afore-mentioned phases: 1. Terror of conscience, when a person through the word of the Law realizes in his heart, that he has truly earned God’s eternal condemnation. 2. The comforting of the conscience. This is accomplished by the Gospel, when it announces that Christ has earned forgiveness of sins as a free gift for all sinners. In this way the Gospel creates faith in forgiveness and grants peace of conscience. The fruit of repentance is a thankful, willing obedience to God’s Word and God’s will. – At times the Bible uses the word, repentance, to mean only its first phase, that is, contrition or terror of conscience. For example, Luke 24:47.
