If you’re a professing Christian in these last days, you might have a false concept of what repentance is. In fact, you might even believe that Jesus loves you so much, that there is no need for repentance. If this is you, allow me to guide you down a better path. If this isn’t you, then feel free to add to what I say in the comments.
The reason this is on my heart is because I see a lot of Christians that are doing the same things as everyone else [those who are living according to the world’s rules]. Actually, I have seen a lot of unbelievers behaving better than those who are claiming to be Christians. This is outrageous, but it is the truth! I know you have seen it too, and you might be wondering why. One possible answer is that we have forgot the need to repent.
What is repenting though?
Dictionary.com has this to say:
(2.) Metanoeo, meaning to change one’s mind and purpose, as the result of after knowledge. This verb, with (3) the cognate noun _metanoia_, is used of true repentance, a change of mind and purpose and life, to which remission of sin is promised. Evangelical repentance consists of (1) a true sense of one’s own guilt and sinfulness; (2) an apprehension of God’s mercy in Christ; (3) an actual hatred of sin (Psalm 119:128; Job 42:5, 6; 2 Corinthians 7:10) and turning from it to God; and (4) a persistent endeavour after a holy life in a walking with God in the way of his commandments. The true penitent is conscious of guilt (Psalm 51:4, 9), of pollution (Psalm 51:5, 7, 10), and of helplessness (Psalm 51:11; Psalm 109:21, 22). Thus he apprehends himself to be just what God has always seen him to be and declares him to be. But repentance comprehends not only such a sense of sin, but also an apprehension of mercy, without which there can be no true repentance (Psalm 51:1; 130:4).
I especially like 2 Corinthians 7:10 NIV which says, “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.”
Some of us just say, “Father forgive me for doing ______”, and we never stop doing what we were doing wrong after that. We repeat this cycle over and over, and when our conscience starts to feel polluted, heavy, and weighed down with the sins we have committed, we have another session with God asking for forgiveness. Don’t get me wrong, asking for forgiveness is a very good thing! Some people don’t even bother with that, but there is more. There has to come a time when you finally decide that enough is enough. You can choose whether or not you are going to continue lying, stealing, lusting, fornicating, etc, and you can come to a place where you literally hate the thought of participating in these repulsive things.
God absolutely hates sin. Do you?
Great article.
Repentance can be simple described as a “U” turn.
This verse says it all:
Curry Blake said, “You have to get fed up with sin, if you want to stop sinning”.
Sidharth
Comment Submitted: March 26th, 2008 at 11:20 pm
“Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.”
Both sorrows apologize; both say, “I have sinned”; both can shed tears. However, only one leads to life. What’s the difference? The sorrow of the world focuses on the consequences of disobedience. Godly sorrow focuses on the fact it has grieved the heart of God, the very One who loves us.
I’d like to share a quote about repentance:
The Bible doesn’t say “be sorry”; the Bible says repent. Sorry is when you get caught with your hand in the cookie jar; repentance is when you’re going a certain direction, you recognize that it’s wrong, you stop, you turn 180 degrees, and you go the other direction — that’s repentance. That’s what Jesus is looking for. He’s looking for more than you coming down in a church service and saying a prayer, filling out a form, shedding a tear; He’s looking for a change in your life. ~ Richard Crisco
Comment Submitted: March 27th, 2008 at 12:42 am
One of the problems of modern evangelism is the mass altar call where people hear some emotional message, or worse, a message that has nothing to do with sin and repentance, but yet are urged to go forward to ‘receive’ Christ.
Many who have been products of such calls are most often those who backslide and do not have any idea what true repentance is.
I can quite confidently that’s true because I was a ‘product’ of such evangelism — when I became a Christian I said that ‘magic prayer’ and that’s it. I went through the ups and downs as well and it was only some time ago that I recognized the need to truly repent.
There’s a very good, short audio clip on this modern evangelism method in churches today that I planned to share so again we are on the same wavelength, lol!
Shalom!
Comment Submitted: March 27th, 2008 at 8:47 am