What Does it Mean to Repent?

Repentance, a powerful act of transformation, means changing one's mind, turning away, regretting, feeling remorse, or moving in the opposite direction. It compels one to turn back to God. True repentance leads to changed thoughts and actions. It is found in both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible and was preached by many, including John the Baptist and his cousin Jesus.  The word “feels” like it’s presented with a harshness and boldness, but that’s because it is! 

The command to repent is not to be taken lightly.  When John the Baptist came preaching, he said, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt 3:2 ESV).  His proclamation to everyone was both a warning and a promise.  He explained how the unrepentant would be burned with unquenchable fire (Matt 3:12). Seems harsh, right?  But John the Baptist spoke out of love, urging all to take responsibility for their actions.  Although some may not have received his words well, others believed and were baptized. 

Repentance is a mark of true faith, as explained by the book of James (James, 2:14-26 ESV).  However, continuing the same willful and sinful actions does not reflect a genuinely repentant heart.  We must be cautious when assessing our sins and recognizing where God is at work in us.  For some, a regenerate heart and complete repentance come like a crashing wave.  Many remember the exact moment God called them, and their response was immediate.  Alternatively, others have experienced a longer, more drawn-out repentance when acknowledging their faith, as is with my own experience.  What matters is that we understand the process and what’s going on here.

Many of us are in a constant battle to be better.  We turn away from sins we know are wrong, but they often seem to creep back into our lives. It's like we keep returning to the scene of the crime, doesn’t it? This cycle of failure, of not being strong enough, or even worse, not feeling good enough, can be exhausting. The truth is, we aren’t good enough, and we can't fix this on our own. But here's the twist...

Here's the good news: Jesus Christ was and is good enough. He was our substitute.  He bore the full wrath of God our Father and carried all our sins – past, present, and future! You might have heard this before, but let me explain why this is crucial. 

So many of us are having problems overcoming sin in our lives because we haven’t accepted the fact that we can’t do it on our own. We still believe that our effort will get us to the finish line and that our diligence and willpower will bring us complete repentance to God, affirming our eternity with our Lord and Savior.  The battles we face are real, and we are tasked with fighting them EVERY day.  However, our battles are spiritual, and we must know that God provides us with weapons to use in this war.  Our enemy wants to convince us that our sins define us and that what we’ve done is unforgivable.  Jesus came to squash that theory.  Jesus defeated death itself, and he gives us the recipe for our success in His Word.  The apostle Paul states the following:

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience – among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.  But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ – by grace you have been saved – and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.  For by grace you have been saved through faith.  And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them (Ephesians 2:1-10).

That’s right, ladies and gentlemen. God loves you so much that he has initiated your relationship with Him.  You were created to have a relationship with Him.  After all, isn’t repentance turning away from ourselves and turning to God in a relationship?   

Our loving and merciful God draws us to Himself.  John 6:44 says, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.  And I will raise him up on the last day.”  That sure does sound like God is doing all the work here.

When we go to prayer, we should acknowledge all of our sins (past and current), and ask faithfully for God to give us a new heart – to change us completely, and he will answer.  We must never forget that we are on God’s time – and our healing WILL come.  We cannot just sit back and think we don’t play a part in this.  We must never forget that this is a continued relationship with our God.  Don’t just ask in prayer once….be in constant prayer.  If needed, write down each sin you can remember, and don’t forget about sins of omission (just make sure you destroy any information you don’t want to share).  Go to a quiet place and fall to your knees in prayer (if you can).  Here is a small prayer that may help you get started:

Dear Father, thank you for who you are and for this day. You are such a loving and merciful God, and I am in awe of your majesty. You are righteous and holy, my God. Father, I ask you to forgive me for all the following: ___________________.

Father, please forgive me for all the omitted sins I have committed and reveal any sin I need to repent.  Change my will and actions, Lord, so that each day I may pick up and carry my cross for Jesus.  Father, I leave all my guilt, shame, and sin at the foot of the cross, and I have faith and believe that Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice to forgive my sins.  I ask for the Holy Spirit to heal and sanctify me so that with each passing day, I grow closer and closer to the image of my Lord and my God.  Lord, heal me from my addictions, my passions, and my lusts.  Turn my fleshly passions into a passion and love for you, my God.  I praise and thank you, and I pray this in the beautiful name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

God increases our faith and our patience while we wait for His answer. Our God is the same God that brought the walls of Jericho down.  Our God is the same God that says He will give us a new heart (Ezekiel 36:26).  Our God has never failed, and He won’t fail you.  As Paul wrote:  And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. (Philippians 1:6). 

Sometimes we must look in the rearview mirror briefly to see how far we’ve come; don’t forget to turn forward and focus on where you are headed.  May God bless you and keep you.  Until next time….

Many Blessings,

Dave