If you are looking for a “there is no forgiveness without repentance” Bible verse, you will not find that particular phrase, but you will find this very important and vital Biblical concept repeated in various verses in both the Old and New testaments. Forgiveness and repentance are often misunderstood topics.
While everyone desires and may even expect forgiveness from God and from others, Jesus taught that a person needs to have repentance before God grants them His forgiveness to get to heaven. However, the forgiveness-without-repentance pattern in relationships between human beings is a bit different.
Christianity is based on the concept of true forgiveness, but also, and foremost, on sincere repentance as well. Here are some Bible verses and illustrations from the Word of God to verify this. Repenting of the sin of unbelief toward God is needed to gain salvation from God. But after we have received forgiveness of your sins, and are saved, we still sin against God, and when we do, we still need the forgiveness of our heavenly father.
Receiving God’s forgiveness after our sincere repentance is receiving His mercy.
There Is No Forgiveness Without Repentance Bible Verse — Definitions
Repentance means a change of heart, or a change of mind followed by a change of action. The “repent and turn” is a Bible definition according to Ezekiel 18:30 “Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord GOD. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin.” (KJV)
Another verse with the concept of repent-and-turn is also found in Ezekiel. Ezekiel 33:11 says, “Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?” (KJV) Turning from wicked ways is repentance, it also can be called “godly grief”.
King Solomon, in his dedication prayer of God’s temple, recorded in 1 Kings 8:46-50, gives an exquisite definition of biblical repentance followed by God’s forgiveness of sins.
“If they sin against thee, (for there is no man that sinneth not,) and thou be angry with them, and deliver them to the enemy, so that they carry them away captives unto the land of the enemy, far or near;
Yet if they shall bethink themselves in the land whither they were carried captives, and repent, and make supplication unto thee in the land of them that carried them captives, saying, We have sinned, and have done perversely, we have committed wickedness;
And so return unto thee with all their heart, and with all their soul, in the land of their enemies, which led them away captive, and pray unto thee toward their land, which thou gavest unto their fathers, the city which thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for thy name:
Then hear thou their prayer and their supplication in heaven thy dwelling place, and maintain their cause,
And forgive thy people that have sinned against thee, and all their transgressions wherein they have transgressed against thee, and give them compassion before them who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them.” 1 Kings 8:46-50 (KJV)
There Is No Forgiveness Without Repentance Bible Verse — For Salvation
There are some ministers in Christianity who will say that repentance is not necessary to receive God’s salvation. They might say that a person needs only to “believe.” This must mean be “believing” in God. A Bible verse that contradicts this false teaching is James 2:19 “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.” (KJV).
The devils mentioned in this verse know more about God than we do. They are in the spirit world, and since God is also a Spirit these spirit beings have observed God in a much closer way than we have. Yet, the devils, which believe in God, and are so afraid when thinking about Him they actually tremble, are unrepentant.
God wants people to repent, and He will not grant them His forgiveness, that is, access to heaven, until they have repented. Here are some verses that Jesus Himself said when He was on the Earth.
There is No Forgiveness Without Repentance Bible Verse—John the Baptist
John the Baptist preached “the baptism of repentance”.
Mark 1:4 “John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.” (KJV)
The act of baptism was an example of good works for those who believed John’s message and repent of the sins. John’s message pointed to the coming Jesus Christ and His message of repentance. Those who for their own sake accepted John’s message where ready to accept the message of Jesus Christ.
There Is No Forgiveness Without Repentance Bible Verse — The Teachings of Jesus
Matthew 4:17 “From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (KJV)
Jesus summarized why He was on Earth in Matthew 9:13b when He said, “I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” (KJV) Jesus’ mission was to urge sinners to repent. This was part of the reason why He came to Earth. He came to call sinners to repent. This is repeated in Mark 2:17 “When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” (KJV)
Mark 1:14-15 “Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.” (KJV)
Jesus preached that people were to repent first and then believe.
Luke 13:3 and 5 “I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.” And Jesus said this again in Luke 13:5 “I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.” (KJV)
The “perish” that Jesus warned about here is to perish in hell. Jesus said it was necessary for people to repent first before they could receive forgiveness from God. God does not offer unconditional forgiveness to everyone; He only gives His forgiveness to people who repent and turn from their unbelief.
Whenever a sinner repents, there is great joy in heaven, according to Luke 15:10. “Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.” (KJV) God rejoices over repentant sinners, and so do the holy angels. A repentant sinner brings great joy to God.
There Is No Forgiveness Without Repentance Bible Verse — The Rich Man and Lazarus
This concept of repentance before salvation is graphically shown in the story about the rich man and Lazarus, as recorded in Luke chapter 16. This is not a parable since Jesus used the illustration of a specific person — a beggar named Lazarus. In the account, both Lazarus and an unnamed rich man died. The repentant man Lazarus went to Paradise where he was welcomed by Abraham (example, Luke 16:30).
The unrepentant rich man found himself in the torments of hell. In hell, the rich man was concerned for the future welfare of his brothers. He did not what his brothers to also experience his everlasting torment, so he begged Abraham to allow Lazarus to rise from the dead with the task to going to his living brothers to warn them about hell so that they would repent and not go to that horrifying place.
Abraham denied this request, telling the rich man that his brothers had access to God’s Word, and they had the opportunity to read it, believe it, and repent. The rich man argued this point by saying in Luke 16:30, “Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.” (KJV) The rich man realized, too late, how to avoid hell, and that was by repenting of the sin of unbelief.
Jesus said before He ascend back into heaven in Luke 24:47 “repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.” (KJV) The action of repentance is necessary for the remission of sins and is still true today.
There Is No Forgiveness Without Repentance Bible Verse — The Teachings of the Apostles
Years later, the Apostle Peter, when preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ, said these words, “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” Acts 2:38 (KJV) This verse sums up the Bible pattern: repent, believe, and then receive.
In the words of Peter, the repentant people would receive God’s forgiveness of their sins. which is the promise of heaven, and as a “down payment” until they got there, God would give them the gift of the Holy Spirit. This gift of God is part of both God’s grace and an expression of the love of God to His children the have true faith in God’s Word.
The Apostle Paul said in Acts 17:30 that God commands all men to repent. He continued preaching the message of Jesus Christ, which is recorded in Acts 20:21 “Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.” Repentance toward God came first, then followed by faith (belief) in Jesus Christ.
This linking of repentance with the remission of sins is also found in 2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” (KJV).
This verse implies that for those who do not “come to repentance” they will perish; that is, they will not have their sins taken away. If a person does not have their sins taken away, they will have to pay for their own sins forever in hell. They have not repented to receive God’s forgiveness of their sins.
There Is No Forgiveness Without Repentance Bible Verse — After Salvation for God’s Service
After we have repented of our sin of unbelief, and ask God to save our souls, and give us eternal life with Him, God then wants us to serve Him so that others, too, will come to the same repentance that we did. Just because God saved us does not make us sinless. Sin breaks fellowship with God and hinders our service to the One Who saved us from hell.
It is necessary for us to repent, obtain God’s forgiveness of our sins, and then continue to serve God. The pattern is still the same after salvation. Repentance comes first before receiving God’s forgiveness.
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9 (KJV) Our confession of sin to God is part of repentance. When we acknowledge that we are a sinner before God, then, and only then, does God promise to forgive us of our sins. We sinful people must come to a holy God, and as we do, we have the promise and assurance that He will not turn us away, but rather, make us fit for His service.
The Apostle Paul, writing to the sin-plagued church at Corinth, warned them to repent in 2 Corinthians 12:21 “I shall bewail many which have sinned already, and have not repented of the uncleanness and fornication and lasciviousness which they have committed.”(KJV)
Although Paul was addressing the Christians at Corinth, this can be applied to any Christians involved in the same sins.
There Is No Forgiveness Without Repentance Bible Verse – The Churches of Revelation
God, in the Book of Revelation, sternly warned five of the seven churches in Asia to repent. These churches were guilty of breaking God’s laws.
To the church at Ephesus: Revelation 2:5 “Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.” (KJV)
To the church at Pergamos: Revelation 2:16 “Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.” (KJV)
To the church at Thyatira: Revelation 2:21&22 “And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not. Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.” (KJV)
To the church at Sardis: Revelation 3:3 “Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.” (KJV)
To the church at Laodicea: Revelation 3:19 “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.” (KJV)
God warns His disobedient people to repent of their sins and to turn back to Him. Refusing to repent is asking for God’s judgment.
There is No Forgiveness Without Repentance Bible Verse — Between Humans
In all human relationships there is the need for both repentance and forgiveness since human beings offend, sometimes in heinous ways, each other. The Bible addresses this issue as well. Jesus said in Luke 17:3 “Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him.” (KJV)
Forgiveness between humans, even close friends, just like it is between God and mankind, is a process. When a brother sins against you, you are not obligated to immediately give them your forgiveness. Rather, it is your job to rebuke them. They could have inadvertently and accidentally wronged you.
Or what you perceive as wrong on their part may be only a misunderstanding. Rebuking them “clears the air” and promise communication. When they repent — tell you they are sorry — then, and only then, are you obligated to give them your forgiveness.
With this concept in mind, when a Christian is the victim of a heinous crime, they are under no obligation to forgive the perpetrator if the guilty is not repentant. For the criminal who has no remorse, does not repent, they don’t want you forgiveness. The grave danger of “forgiving” an unrepentant person is that they are much more likely to repeat their offices. Forgiving an unrepentant individual could be misconstrued as giving them your approval for the harm done.
A Christian who knows that someday, after this present life is over, God will make all things right, can rest in the fact that God will definitely bring the guilty to justice. With that knowledge, the one wronged can release the one who committed the awful crime in an effort to heal themselves.
There Is No Forgiveness Without Repentance Bible Verse — Joseph
This New Testament process is seen illustrated in the Old Testament story of Joseph, whose brothers sold him into slavery rather than killing him, only years later to come face to face with him as he was vice Pharaoh of the entire land of Egypt. Read the whole account in Genesis chapters 44 and 45.
Joseph was, at first, quite rude to his brothers. He did not immediately reveal himself and grant them forgiveness. He did so only after he saw how repentant they were, since their sinful, even murderous, actions so terribly grieved their father. Only after Joseph saw this change in their attitude, their genuine repentance, did he forgive them. He said these beautiful words of forgiveness after he observed their true repentance.
Genesis 45:4-5 “And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt. Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.” (KJV)
There Is No Forgiveness Without Repentance Bible Verse — Jesus on the Cross
Jesus on the cross prayed to God His Father asking for God’s forgiveness on those who placed Him there. Luke 23:34a “Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” Many people cite this verse as a reason to give blanket forgiveness to those who have wronged them, and this seems to be an exception for the process of repentance before forgiveness. Yet, Jesus did not forgive His murderers. Rather, He prayed asking God the Father to forgive them.
Jesus prayed for God’s forgiveness on His murderers because He knew that those who crucified Him were doing it in ignorance. This is proven in what Peter said in Acts 3:15-17-19 “And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses. And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers. But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled. Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.” (KJV)
After Peter pointed this fact out, he told the Jewish people to repent of what their nation’s leaders did to Jesus Christ.
God granted His forgiveness for the act of those. who in ignorance, killed His Son, but His forgiveness of this single terrible act did not automatically cover their individual need of asking for forgiveness of their unbelief in order to allow them to enter heaven. God forgave them for a single sin, but they still had to ask for God’s forgiveness for their sin of unbelief. If they never did it in their lifetime, despite the fact God forgave them for the murder of His Son, they still went to hell.
There Is No Forgiveness Without Repentance Bible Verse — The Martyr Stephen
The first martyr, Stephen, followed His Lord example when, as he was being stoned to death, also prayed that God would forgive his murderers.
Acts 7:60 “And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.” (KJV)
Psychologists say that forgiving those who have wronged you will bring a feeling of release. The prayers of both Stephen and the Lord Jesus for their enemies was both because those doing the wrong were doing so in ignorance.
In both cases, there were people who were complicit with both murders, but who repented afterward of their evil deeds. In the case of Jesus Christ, several realized too late Who Jesus really was according to Matthew 27:54 “Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.” (KJV) Perhaps many of those individuals quickly asked for God’s forgiveness, for their sin of ignorance and their sin of unbelief in His Son.
In the example of Stephen, something very similar happened after Stephen died.
Acts 7:58 “And cast him [Stephen] out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man’s feet, whose name was Saul.” (KJV) This particular young man is better known worldwide as the Apostle Paul, writer of most of the New Testament. It may have been Stephen’s prayer that God used to help make Paul the man he eventually became.
These two examples illustrate Romans 2:4 “Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?” (KJV) God is longsuffering. He hears the prayers of His people, and out of His goodness He leads sinners to repentance.
But for the unrepentant sinners, God will bring them to justice. In the case of unrepentant people, we may forgive them for their acts, but if they continue to be unrepentant, and especially if they die unrepentant, God will not forgive them.
The Bible may not have a single or specific “there is no forgiveness without repentance” Bible verse, but the message of God throughout the Bible is clear. Repentance always precedes forgiveness. But thank God for His mercy on repentant sinners.
For more Bible study about repentance and forgiveness, check out 54 Important KJV Bible Verses About Repentance or Inspiring Repentance and Forgiveness Facts According To The Bible.
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