Repentance is a fundamental aspect of the Christian life. It is not just a one-time event that occurs at conversion but an ongoing, daily practice that shapes our walk with Jesus. Without repentance, true Christianity cannot exist.
The importance of repentance is made abundantly clear in Scripture. Both John the Baptist and Jesus Christ began their earthly ministries with the same urgent command: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:2; 4:17). This message did not end with Jesus’ ascension. It continued through the apostolic teachings in the book of Acts, where repentance was consistently preached as essential to salvation and reconciliation with God.
A change of mind and action
The Greek word for repentance used throughout the New Testament is metanoia, a compound term consisting of meta (meaning “after” or “change”) and noia (meaning “mind”). This conveys the idea of a transformation in thought that inevitably leads to a transformation in behavior. Repentance is not just feeling sorry for your sins. It is a fundamental reorientation of your heart and mind toward God, resulting in a change in actions.
When a person hears the Word of God and is convicted by the Holy Spirit, true repentance begins. As a result, a genuinely repentant person forsakes the sin they once cherished and embraces a new life devoted to Christ, as the apostle Paul affirms: “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come” (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Repentance is not a one-time event
A common misconception is that repentance is a single event that occurs at the moment of salvation. While initial repentance is necessary for entering into a relationship with Christ, it does not end there. As believers, we are continually being sanctified, and part of that sanctification involves ongoing repentance.
This is evident in Jesus’ words to the seven churches in Revelation. Despite being composed of believers, these churches were repeatedly called to repent of their sins (Revelation 2:5, 16; 3:3, 19). This demonstrates that repentance is an ongoing process in the Christian life. Even after salvation, we struggle with sin and must continually turn away from it.
How do we live a life of repentance?
We must know God’s truth. Scripture tells us that faith, which includes repentance, comes through hearing the Word of God: “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). Without an understanding of God’s law and righteous standards, we cannot recognize the sins in our lives that we need to repent from.
The Bible serves as a mirror that exposes the true condition of our hearts. James 1:23-24 compares a person who hears the Word but does not act on it to someone who looks at their natural face in a mirror and then forgets what they saw. The Word of God reveals our need for repentance by illuminating areas in our lives that fall short of His commands. It is through Scripture that we come to understand what God defines as sin and how we are called to live in obedience to Him.
Repentance does not end with recognizing sin—it must be followed by a decisive turning away from sin. True repentance produces godly sorrow, as described in 2 Corinthians 7:10: “For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death.” Worldly sorrow is only regret over consequences, while godly sorrow leads to a genuine transformation of heart and behavior.
Turning from sin involves actively forsaking sinful habits and replacing them with righteous living. This requires the help of the Holy Spirit, who enables believers to overcome sin’s grip and walk in obedience to God.
One of the greatest barriers to repentance is doubt in God’s willingness to forgive. Yet, Scripture reassures us that God is both faithful and just to forgive our sins. The foundation of our forgiveness lies in the atoning work of Christ: “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Our sins were fully accounted for in Jesus’ death, and His righteousness is imputed to us.
We must trust that God’s promises are true and that His grace is sufficient to cover all our sins. Repentance is not about earning forgiveness but about receiving the forgiveness already secured through Christ.
