Repentance is defined as a “change of mind” and involves three things:
  • Our intellect: Changing our opinion about something, acknowledging that God’s truth is right
  • Our emotions: Changing our feelings about that sin, feeling pain and sorrow over that sin
  • Our willpower: Changing our behavior
Repentance is not just a recognition of sin. Many people know they sin and understand they have sins in their lives, however, few will repent.
Martin Luther famously said, “All of a Christian’s life is repentance.” Repentance is not something we do to start the Christian life; repentance is a posture toward God that we adopt at conversion and maintain for the rest of our lives. Jesus taught His disciples to pray every day saying, “Forgive us of our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors. We need to be reminded daily to confess to God that sin saturates our hearts over and over again and we need to turn away from sin over and over again.
The spiritual discipline of repentance is as vital as prayer, fasting, and study. I challenge us to think about the role that repentance should play in our lives recognizing that it’s imperative if we are going to fully experience the pleasures of God and ultimately be conformed to the image of Christ.
Read through Psalm 51 and notice David’s repentance and see if you can pattern it in your own life:
Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness;
According to the greYou atness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity
And cleanse me from my sin.
For I know my transgressions,
And my sin is ever before me.
Against You, You only, I have sinned
And done what is evil in Your sight,
So that You are justified when You speak
And blameless when You judge.
Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
And in sin my mother conceived me.
Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being,
And in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom.
Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Make me to hear joy and gladness,
Let the bones which You have broken rejoice.
Hide Your face from my sins
And blot out all my iniquities.
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from Your presence
And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation
And sustain me with a willing spirit.
Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
And sinners will be converted to You.
Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, the God of my salvation;
Then my tongue will joyfully sing of Your righteousness.
O Lord, open my lips,
That my mouth may declare Your praise.
For You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it;
You are not pleased with burnt offering.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.
By Your favor do good to Zion;
Build the walls of Jerusalem.
Then You will delight in righteous sacrifices,
In burnt offering and whole burnt offering;
Then young bulls will be offered on Your altar.
Stop, right now, and repent!
I love you,
Alex