What does it mean to repent? Is repentance telling God, “I am sorry for my sins.” and then asking Him to forgive you, or is there more to it than that? A person cannot be saved without repenting, so it is certainly necessary to have an understanding of what it really means to repent.
Repentance Is The First Step
(Acts 17:30) In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.
(Acts 2:38) Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of you sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
God has commanded all of us to repent. Repenting is the first step a person must take to be saved. Peter’s reply in Acts was for every one to repent and be baptized. For those who obey what Peter said, God’s gift of the Holy Spirit is promised to them. There are many scriptures in the New Testament that call for repentance. Jesus said, “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” (Mark 1:15)
What It Really Means To Repent
The word repent in the New Testament comes from the Greek word (metanoeo). It means to change one’s mind or purpose, to think differently. Repentance is much more than just saying your sorry. It is possible for a person to feel sorry for the sinful things in their life, and still not be willing to change and turn away from their sin.
(2 Corinthians 7:10) tells us Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation. There is a sorrow that makes a person feel guilty but not change, and then there is the Godly sorrow that causes someone’s whole purpose for living to change. Godly sorrow causes a person to realize there is a need to confess their sins to God.
(1 John 1:9) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
Jesus died for our sins, so when we confess our sins to him with a sincere heart, with every intention to turn away from the sins and toward our Savior, we have truly repented. A person who does so will walk away from their old life and walk toward the new life God has for them. There will be no plans to return to the old way of living.
Real repentance along with baptism leads us to salvation and eternal life in Heaven!
