What is repentance?
5 min read
Repentance means to stop, turn around, and walk in the right direction. There is no repentance without confession of our sins, because we cannot repent of something we haven't first confessed. To confess our sins means to acknowledge our sinfulness, guilt, and need for God. Confession is about acknowledgement, and repentance is about action.
The meaning of repentance
The most common word for repentance in the Old Testament is the Hebrew word šûb, which means “to turn around, return.” The most common Greek word in the New Testament for repentance is metanoeo, which means, “to think differently or to change one's mind.”
Repentance starts off as a change of mind which then leads to a change of actions. You cannot change your mind and not have your actions follow. Repentance is about changing your mind so that you start walking away from your sins and walk towards Jesus instead.
Repentance is not remorse or regret
Repentance produces change, but remorse and regret produce sorrow. Sorrow is often confused with repentance. Many think that if there are no tears, there was no repentance. However, that isn't true. Many cry, but few choose to change their mind and turn from sin to Jesus.
An example of regret and remorse without repentance is Judas Iscariot. Judas felt remorse as he began to experience the intense, excruciating pain that was unique to the profound guilt of betraying Jesus.
Judas' remorse was not a godly repentance, but ungodly and selfish. This can be seen in the fact that he made no effort to defend or rescue Jesus from the chief priests. Judas had no desire to save Jesus from them. Judas only wanted to save his own conscience, which he attempted to do by returning the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders.
The word for "remorse" in these verses is not the Greek word metanoeo, which we saw is the word for "repent" in the New Testament. Instead, the Greek word for "remorse" here is metamelomai, which denotes one who is overwhelmed with emotions, experiening an emotional regret, guilt, or sorrow.
The Greek word metamelomai is used five times in the New Testament, and in each instance, it expresses sorrow, mourning, or grief. The Greek word metamelomai is not used for someone who is moved to the point of changing.
A genuine sorrow for sin (metamelomai) can be prompted by God in order to produce a sincere repentance (metanoeo), as Paul says in 2 Corinthians 7:10. However, Judas' remorse was not one that sought repentance, but rather one that led to guilt and despair.
Faith requires repentance
It is impossible to believe in Jesus Christ without repentance. Repentance is so important for salvation that Jesus emphasized it more than faith.
The apostles followed Jesus' example and described the salvation of the non-Jewish people as God granting them a "repentance that leads to life" (Acts 11:18).
The gift of repentance
Acts 11:18 says that repentance is granted by God, which means that repentance is a gift from God. When we get honest with God and repent of our sins, we allow God to do his work in us. As a result, we will start hating the sins we once loved and start loving and desiring the God we once hated and ignored. These are the first signs of true repentance.
No one becomes a follower of Jesus Christ without repentance. It is not enough to just hear the gospel and believe it. Faith in Jesus Christ always leads to repentance. If a person shows no evidence of repentance in their life, then they are not really a follower of Jesus. Jesus is not some safety net or lucky charm to protect us from hell. He commands us to repent, and unless we do, we cannot belong to him and be saved.
True repentance is continual
It is not enough to have repented once. The evidence that someone has truly repented of their sins is that they will continue to repent every day of their life. Since we sin daily, we need daily repentance - a daily turning from sin to God.
A more accurate translation of Jesus' words in Mark 1:15 includes a continual repentance. It should read, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Now, spend the rest of your lives repenting of your sins and believing in me."