The Importance of Repentance

“Therefore, you Israelites, I will judge each of you according to your own ways, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent! Turn away from all your offences; then sin will not be your downfall.”

(Ezekiel 18:30 - New International Version)

"'The time has come,’ he said. ‘The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!’”

(Mark 1:15 - New International Version)

The modern secular world is almost exclusively centered on the self. If you look on any online book store, the amount of self-improvement books outnumbers almost any other category.

As of today, on Amazon, there are 343,407 books listed when you search for “self-help”

There is a selfishness which is pervasive within many areas of society, where morals and integrity are easily set aside as long as people are able to “get theirs”. By this, I mean what people believe they are owed by society, or deserve from society, whether or not their perception of being deserving is true.

The concept of repentance is a polar opposite of this secular selfishness. Repentance is all about turning away from oneself, sacrificing oneself and looking towards God. It is the sincere and heartfelt desire to turn away from selfish worldly desires and instead accept that God has a plan for us which is so much better than any we could devise.

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.”

(Ephesians 2:8-9 - New International Version)

Our salvation cannot come from ourselves. Faith in God is the requirement. There is nothing we can do to ensure our eternal life in Heaven except to choose to repent and ask God for the gift of forgiveness. In writing “Not from yourselves,” Paul clearly shows that an inward turning and focus on the self will not save us. It is turning away from the self and our desires and towards God that brings salvation.

“Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.’”

(Matthew 16:24 - New International Version)

This denial of self is vital in repentance; it is the accepting of the need to turn away from earthly desires which do not match the principles of a Christ-like life. It should come from within, but should also be visible outwardly. Carrying the cross was a very visible outward sign of Christ’s faith in His Father and the plan for salvation of mankind. In telling us to take up our crosses, Jesus is imparting the idea that we should be visible outwardly as His followers – our lives should be a visible example of repentance and self-denial, as this will show the importance and love of Jesus to those around us. The selflessness and denial of repentance is a powerful witness to those who don’t know God as it goes so clearly against the grain of much of modern life.

“Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.”

(2 Corinthians 7:10 - New International Version)

Repentance is not the same as feeling guilty. The vast majority of people follow the rules of society, avoid breaking the law and try not to hurt others, as this is their expectation of what a ‘good person’ does. When they fall short of these ideals they will feel a sense of sorrow and guilt, but it is not the same as true repentance. When we repent we should not just feel sorrow. Instead there should also be hope and determination. The hope that we find in the forgiveness we receive through Jesus, and a determination to lead lives that do not lead us to further sin. Judas felt worldly sorrow when he sold Jesus for thirty pieces of silver. However, he did not repent and because of this did not receive salvation.

“For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

(1 Peter 3:12 - New International Version)

“We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does his will.”

(John 9:31 - New International Version)

Repentance is also not a one-time deal…it is an ongoing process. We have to recognise that, despite our best efforts and good intentions, we will sin from time to time. Fortunately God’s supply of forgiveness is more plentiful than our seemingly inexhaustible sources of sin!

“Repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations”

(from Luke 24:47 - New International Version)

Therefore, it’s important to be vigilant and avoid sinful words, thoughts and deeds, but more important to recognise when we fall and do something about it. That something is to repent. Again, it is a turning away from sin, towards God, and the recognition that we are not strong enough alone. We need Him. Sin is bad, but even worse is to sin and not repent. God will ALWAYS forgive. We must ensure that we encourage others to repent and turn to Christ…it is part of the great commission and the most important choice they will ever make in their whole lives.

One of the defining characteristics of true repentance is the way that it comes through love, rather than fear. When we repent it should be because we love God and do not want to do things that trouble Him. When we know a loved one is hurt by something we do, we try not to do that thing as we love then and want to avoid them being upset. Therefore, because we know that God detests sin we should be determined not to sin because of our love for Him. Those who only fear the consequence of sin are being self-centred; they don’t turn towards God and repentance - they don’t regret the sin, they regret being caught.

"He, who truly repents, is chiefly sorry for his sins. He, whose repentance is spurious, is chiefly concerned for their consequences. The former chiefly regrets that he has done evil; the latter that he has incurred evil. One sorely laments that he deserves punishment; the other that he must suffer punishment. One approves of the Law which condemns him; the other thinks he is hardly treated, and that the Law is rigorous. To the sincere penitent, sin appears exceeding sinful; to him who sorrows after a worldly sort, sin, in some form, appears pleasant. He regrets that it is forbidden. One says it is an evil and bitter thing to sin against God, even if no punishment followed. The other sees little evil in transgression if there were no painful consequences sure to follow."

Dr. William S. Plumer (1802-1880)