Student Study Guide
Lesson 6
Repentance from Dead Works
Section 1 - The First Word Jesus Preached
Section One
Jesus waited and prepared for thirty years. When He finally opened His mouth, the first word of His public ministry was repent . It was not incidental - it was the cornerstone of everything He came to build.
Fill in the Blanks
In Hebrews 6:1, the writer says: Let us go on to . But before we can move on, we must first understand the elementary teachings deeply.
The first foundational doctrine of Christ is from dead works.
Repentance is not . It is not going to the altar, crying, walking around condemned, then repeating the same sin.
The word repent literally means to think : not to feel badly, to think differently.
Real repentance is a change in the way you , not just a temporary wave of emotion at an altar.
A pastor stood up at a massive church dedication and declared: We will never tell you that you are a sinner, we will never tell you that you need to repent. How does this statement contradict the very first message Jesus ever preached?
Your Response
Section 2 - Forsake the Way and the Thoughts
Section Two
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The word wicked here literally means - off course, not going in the right direction, whether slightly or completely.
God says to forsake your . That means your course of life, the direction you are heading, the pattern of how you are living.
God adds something even more penetrating: forsake your . Because every action you take is a direct result of what you have been thinking about.
A thought meditated upon becomes an . An action repeated becomes a . A habit sustained becomes a . And a lifestyle determines your .
The Thought-to-Destiny Chain
| Step | What It Produces |
|---|---|
| A thought meditated upon | An |
| An action repeated | A |
| A habit sustained | A |
| A lifestyle | Your |
Based on the thought-to-destiny chain, where are your present daily thoughts leading you? Be honest.
Honest Reflection
Section 3 - The Essence of Sin
Section Three
Before we can understand what we repent of, we must understand what sin actually is. Most people give a list of actions. But actions are manifestations of sin - not the essence of it.
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Satan was cast from heaven not because of something he did outwardly, but because of something found in his . Sin was found in him first, then it manifested outwardly.
Satan's original sin was . He said: I will be like the Most High. He rejected God's right to rule over him.
Write this definition until it is yours:
The essence of sin is the rejection of God's legal right of authority over your life.
How does this definition change the way you see everyday choices - not just outward actions but inward attitudes?
Your Answer
Jesus came preaching: Repent, for the kingdom is at hand. He was saying: Repent of your of God's authority, because the authority of heaven has come back to you.
The teaching that says accept Jesus as Savior first and He can become Lord later is a dangerous . If Jesus is not your Lord, He cannot be your .
Adam and Eve had dominion over all the earth and unbroken fellowship with God. How does Genesis 3 illustrate the pattern that rejecting God's authority leads to the loss of the authority you already have?
Your Answer
Section 4 - Repentance and Salvation
Section Four
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There is not a single place in the Bible that says if you ask forgiveness you will be saved. The Bible teaches: and be baptized.
The word confess in Romans 10:9 means to strike a - to make a binding legal contract with Jesus as Lord.
To be saved, you make a binding covenant with your mouth that Jesus now has absolute of authority over your life.
Charles Finney said: When repentance is genuine, the prevailing tendency to repeat sin is gone. The real convert is least likely to fall into his old besetting sin, because he abhors it most.
What does this tell you about someone who repeatedly returns to the same sin? What does it reveal about the nature of their repentance?
Your Answer
On the night of his conversion (May 2, 1986), the author says the battle was not about emotion but about authority: continue life his own way, or give God the legal right over his life. What happened when he genuinely surrendered? What does this reveal about true repentance?
Your Answer
Section 5 - What True Repentance Produces
Section Five
Fill in the Blanks
When true repentance is present, you are not trying to figure out how much you can with. You are not testing the borders of His tolerance.
A truly repentant heart no longer the things of the flesh the way it once did - because the seat of authority in your life has changed hands.
The India crusade illustration shows: the issue is not accepting Jesus as one god. The issue is submitting to the sole of Jesus Christ.
A hand raised is not a life changed. is.
Galatians 2:20: I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.
In practical terms, what would it look like for this verse to describe your daily life? What would need to change?
My Answer
Repentance is the cornerstone. Every church, every ministry, every life built without this foundation will eventually crumble when tested. You build on the rock of repentance, or you build on sand.
Is there an area of your life where you have been going through the motions of Christianity without genuinely giving God the legal right of authority? What would true repentance look like in that area?
Honest Reflection
Lesson 6 - Practice Test
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Part A: Multiple Choice (5 questions · 2 pts each)
1. What was the very first word of Jesus's public preaching ministry?
2. What does the word repent literally mean?
3. What is the essence of sin according to this lesson?
4. The word confess in Romans 10:9 means:
5. What did Charles Finney say about genuine repentance?
Part B: True or False (6 statements · 1 pt each)
1. Repentance is primarily about feeling emotionally sorry for your sins.
2. The first foundational doctrine of Christ listed in Hebrews 6:1 is repentance from dead works.
3. The Bible says that if you ask God to forgive your sins you will be saved.
4. The essence of sin is outward behavior, not an inward heart condition.
5. When the author surrendered authority to God in 1986, God removed not just the addiction but the desire itself.
6. True repentance means you are no longer trying to figure out how much you can get away with.
Part C: Fill in the Blank (5 items · 1 pt each)
1. The word repent literally means to think not to feel differently.
2. The essence of sin is the rejection of God's legal right of over your life.
3. A thought becomes an action; an action becomes a habit; a habit becomes a lifestyle; a lifestyle determines your
4. To be saved, you make a binding covenant that Jesus has absolute right of over your life.
5. Repentance is the . Everything built without it will eventually crumble.
Part D: Short Answer (completion credit)
1. Explain the difference between repentance and remorse. What makes the difference according to this lesson?
2. How does understanding that the essence of sin is the rejection of God's authority change what you understand you are repenting of?
3. What does the author's conversion story reveal about what genuine repentance actually involves? What was the key decision he made?
Part E - Before You Leave
One area of my life where I need to genuinely give God the legal right of authority:
What true repentance would look like in that specific area:
My commitment this week: