Repentance is a key part of our Christian life. No one can be a Christian without repenting of their sin and believing in Christ Jesus. Unless we repent, we will never be saved.
What exactly is repentance? Today there are so many Christians who don't understand repentance and its value in our lives as followers of the Lord Jesus Christ. We can't say we love God but not live a repentant life.
The Lord Jesus Himself stresses its importance. Mark 1:14-15 tells us,
"Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.""
If the Lord Jesus Christ Himself said our believing in Him must be accompanied by repentance, then we should repent. But what is repentance exactly?
According to Webster's 1828 dictionary, "Repentance is a change of mind, or a conversion from sin to God." It also "is the relinquishment of any practice, from conviction that it has offended God."
In other words, repentance is a complete turning away from the things we do that offend God. If we repent, we change the way we think about the things that we do. Because our habit offends God, for example, we start to hate it and stop doing it.
To help us understand what repentance is, let's take a quick look at what repentance is not.
What repentance isn't
1) A one-time event
Repentance isn't a one-time event where we feel bad that we sinned, ask for God's forgiveness, and then repeat the same sin again. No, it's not a one-time event; it's how we live moment by moment, hour by hour, day by day. As Christians, we need to live a life that signifies a continued turning away from sin.
In Matthew 3:8 we read John the Baptist telling the religious leaders of his time, "bear fruits worthy of repentance." Repentance, then, is but the start of a changed life where old sins and sinful habits are stopped, and new Godly habits are formed. This takes time.
2) Just "sorry"
Repentance is not the same as remorse. True repentance leads to life, while remorse makes us bask in the same sin that leads to death. 2 Corinthians 7:10 tells us,
"For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death."
3) Without a change of heart
As mentioned above in point number 1, repentance has to bear fruit. True repentance brings change in the heart of any sinner.
Before we repented of our sin, we loved doing that sin. We enjoyed every single moment we sinned. But after repenting of it, that sin became unappealing - horrifying even. We start to hate our sin. We turn away from it.
Such is the change of heart that repentance brings. If we didn't experience a change of heart for our sins, then it's very likely that we haven't truly repented at all.
