Repentance: Turning to God

Article 3 of 13 in the Walking with Jesus Series

Is there a difference between feeling sorry for sin and actually repenting of it? Most people have experienced genuine remorse after doing something wrong. But remorse and repentance are not the same thing. A person can feel deeply sorry for their sin and still not repent - sorry for the consequences, sorry for how they appear to others, sorry they were caught. Scripture draws a careful and important distinction between these two kinds of sorrow, and the difference has eternal consequences.

The primary New Testament word translated "repentance" is the Greek metanoia, a compound of meta (after, change) and nous (mind). It means a change of mind - not merely an intellectual shift, but a reorientation of the whole person: the mind, the will, and the affections. The corresponding verb metanoeo means to think differently afterward, to change one's purpose.

The Old Testament equivalent is the Hebrew shuv, which means to turn, to return. It is used hundreds of times in the Old Testament to describe the act of turning away from sin and turning back toward God. The imagery is directional: repentance is not a feeling but a change of direction.

John the Baptist, whose entire ministry was a call to repentance, made clear that the change must be visible:

Repentance that produces no change in behaviour is not repentance. It is a feeling, perhaps a sincere one, but not the thing itself.

The Apostle Paul draws a distinction that is worth examining with care:

Worldly sorrow is grief over consequences - over being found out, over the damage sin has done to one's reputation or relationships, over the loss of something valued. It is focused on self. It may produce temporary behavioural change, but it does not change the heart, and it does not lead to salvation. Judas Iscariot is the tragic example: he was filled with remorse after betraying Christ, returned the silver, and declared that he had sinned in betraying innocent blood (Matthew 27:3-4). But his sorrow was worldly sorrow. It led not to repentance but to despair and death.

Godly sorrow is grief over the sin itself - over what it has done to one's relationship with God, over the offence against a holy and loving Father. It is focused not on self but on God. David's prayer in Psalm 51, written after his sin with Bathsheba, is the model of godly sorrow:

David's grief is directed toward God. He does not minimise what he has done. He does not blame others. He acknowledges his sin specifically and owns it fully. This is godly sorrow, and it produces genuine repentance.

The parable of the prodigal son in Luke 15 is one of the most vivid pictures of repentance in all of Scripture. The young man who has wasted his inheritance in reckless living finds himself feeding pigs in a foreign country, hungry and alone. Then:

Notice the elements of genuine repentance here:

1. He came to himself - honest self-assessment, a clear-eyed view of his actual condition
2. He acknowledged his sin specifically - not in vague generalities but in plain terms
3. He recognised the vertical dimension - "I have sinned against heaven, and before thee"
4. He arose and came - he acted on his repentance rather than merely feeling it

Repentance is not complete until the feet move. The prodigal did not merely resolve to return. He got up and went.

One of the most important things to understand about repentance is that we cannot produce it in ourselves. The hardened heart cannot soften itself. The will that is bent toward sin cannot straighten itself by its own effort. Repentance is something God grants:

This does not mean we are passive. It means we cannot manufacture genuine repentance through willpower alone. We must place ourselves in the presence of God's Word and Spirit, where the heart can be softened and the eyes opened to see sin as God sees it. And it is the goodness of God that leads to repentance:

• "The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit." (Psalm 34:18, KJV)
• "Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me." (Psalm 51:10, KJV)
• "For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones." (Isaiah 57:15, KJV)
• "I tell you that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance." (Luke 15:7, KJV)
• "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." (2 Peter 3:9, KJV)

"Repentance means feeling bad about sin." Feeling bad about sin may accompany repentance, but it is not repentance itself. The Greek word metanoia means a change of mind and direction. The test of repentance is not the intensity of the feeling but the change in the life. John the Baptist demanded fruits worthy of repentance (Matthew 3:8) - visible evidence of a genuine change.

"I need to clean myself up before I can come to God." This reverses the biblical order. We come to God in our sin, not after we have dealt with it ourselves. The prodigal son did not clean himself up before returning to his father. He came as he was, and the father ran to meet him. Repentance is turning toward God, not arriving at God already improved.

"Once I have repented, I will never struggle with that sin again." Repentance is the beginning of a new direction, not the end of all struggle. The believer who has genuinely repented may still face temptation and may still fall. The difference is that they do not remain in the sin. They return to God. Repentance is a posture maintained throughout the Christian life, not a one-time event that settles everything permanently.

"God will not forgive me because I have repented of this sin before and fallen again." The promise of 1 John 1:9 is unconditional: "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins." There is no limit placed on the number of times this promise applies. The question is not whether you have fallen before. The question is whether you are genuinely turning to God now.

1. Examine the quality of your sorrow. When you are troubled by sin, ask yourself: Am I grieved because of the consequences to me, or because I have offended God? The answer will tell you whether you are experiencing worldly sorrow or godly sorrow.

2. Be specific. Vague, general acknowledgments of sinfulness are easier than specific confession. But genuine repentance names the thing. Bring the specific sin before God and call it what it is.

3. Act on it. Repentance is not complete in the feelings. The prodigal arose and came. If repentance requires a conversation, have it. If it requires making something right, make it right. If it requires removing yourself from a situation, remove yourself.

4. Ask God for repentance. If you find your heart hard and your sorrow shallow, ask God to give you genuine repentance. He gives it freely to those who ask (Acts 5:31). Spend time meditating on the cross - on what your sin cost the Son of God - and ask the Holy Spirit to make it real to you.

1. Read Psalm 51 in its entirety. List every request David makes of God. What do these requests tell you about what David understood repentance to involve?

2. Compare the responses of Judas (Matthew 27:3-5) and Peter (John 21:15-19) after each had failed Christ. Both felt remorse. What was different about the outcome? What does this tell you about the difference between worldly sorrow and godly sorrow?

3. Read Luke 15:11-32. The father in the parable represents God. What does the father's response to the returning son tell you about how God responds to genuine repentance?

4. Acts 3:19 says "repent ye therefore, and be converted." What is the relationship between repentance and conversion? Are they the same thing, or does one lead to the other?

5. Romans 2:4 says the goodness of God leads to repentance. How does this challenge the idea that people are driven to repentance primarily by fear of punishment?

• Humanity's Need for a Savior - Article 2 in this series
• Confession and Forgiveness - Article 4 in this series
• The New Birth - Article 6 in this series

Primary passages: Acts 3:19; Psalm 51:1-17; Luke 15:11-32

Supporting passages: Psalm 34:18; Isaiah 57:15; Matthew 3:8; Matthew 27:3-5; Romans 2:4; 2 Corinthians 7:10; Acts 5:31; Acts 11:18; 1 John 1:9; 2 Peter 3:9

Recommended reading:

• Ellen G. White, Steps to Christ, Chapter 3: "Repentance" (Review and Herald, 1892)
• Thomas Watson, The Doctrine of Repentance (Banner of Truth, 1668/1987)
• J. I. Packer, Knowing God (IVP, 1973), Chapter 18: "The Heart of the Gospel"

Do you have a question about repentance or turning to God? Ask it here - your question may become our next article.

This article was adapted from the themes presented in the classic devotional book Steps to Christ. To access the original book, please click here.