What is repentance? According to Webster’s 1828 Dictionary the definition of repentance is, sorrow for any thing done or said; the pain or grief which a person experiences in consequence of the injury or inconvenience produced by his own conduct. The pain, regret or affliction which a person feels on account of his past conduct, because it exposed him to punishment. Real penitence is sorrow for sin; as an offense and dishonor to God; a violation of His holy law.
A change of mind or a conversion from sin to God, followed by amendment of life.
According to this simple definition, it is true sorrow over something you said or did that is an offense to God. A sin you have committed and no one else. When you feel sorrow, regret or guilt, that is a sure sign you need to repent. Once you have repented, the final definition states, it is a change of mind FROM sin TO God. The last step after you repent, will be amendment of life.
The definition of amendment: a change for the better; a correction of fault.
The only way to understand when or if we should repent is recognizing first of all, there are authorities that God chooses for us in our lives; to help guide us and teach us what the right path is, that we should be walking.
The definition of authority: legal power; or a right to command or to act; as the authority of a prince over subjects, and of parents over children; rule. Authority of age for example, which is submitted to or respected. They influence others in law, by making decisions.
Authorities are placed in our lives by God.
The first authority, we should recognize is God’s Word, the King James Bible. God’s Word should always be our final authority in all things.
If you do not know the laws or commands of God, you will not recognize you have broken them. You have to either study God’s Word, or someone has to tell you about what God commands us to do. If you are born-again, you have the Holy Spirit of God that dwells within you, and He will be the very first person to let you know when you have sinned against God.
The second authority we should recognize is the preacher. According to Jeremiah 3:15 the Lord says, And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.
The Lord gives us pastors to feed His people with knowledge and understanding of His Word. The pastor has the authority from God to tell us what God commands of us.
The third authority in our lives we should recognize is the parents the Lord gives us. We are given to our parents as their children, because the Lord has entrusted them to teach us and guide in His ways. They are also given authority by God, to tell us when we are doing wrong and to correct us, if need be.
So, the Lord puts His Word, His man of God, and parents in your life for your own protection. They are there to teach and guide you, and to let you know when you are going against God’s commands.
If you choose to ignore the guiding, teaching, or correction of any those authorities, then your heart has become hard and you’ve determined in your heart, YOU know best, and you are going to do things your way, and not God’s ways.
This is called rebellion. Rebellion defined as, an open resistance to lawful authority.
God says in 1 Samuel 15:23a, For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.
I would hate to be seen in the eyes of God, as someone who practices witchcraft, sorceries or as one who has a love affair with the devil.
These authorities God places in our lives are for our own protection, and to help us be the person the Lord wants us to be, instead of allowing the devil to destroy our lives.
We are to submit accordingly to the right authority God has in our life, to ensure that we are able to change as needed, and grow in the responsible, child of God, the Lord intends for us to be.
When we submit to that authority, we change ourselves to do what the law and authorities tell us we should do. When you expect that authority or law to change to better suit you, or when you think those authorities have no right, then you are practicing rebellion. You are saying, YOU are your own God. You are breaking God’s law, because God says in Exodus 20:3, Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
So, if you are not allowing God, or His authority He has placed in your life to guide, teach or correct you, then you have become your own god. There is only one God in heaven, and that is our Lord Jesus Christ. We are not lords of our own lives.
When we are corrected by the Word of God, by the man of God, or the godly parents or authorities in our lives, then we should change ourselves. We should change that behavior and walk according to those laws or boundaries that are set.
Some people may not have godly parents that would influence them or teach them in the ways of God. However, that is no excuse for them to sin against God. There is still other authorities such as God’s Word and God’s man that we should live under those laws, regardless.
Laws do not change just because we do not like them. Laws are set for the good of the people. Whether we like them, or agree with them, they are still set laws and should be abided by. We are to change our obedience to the law, not the laws changing to suit us.
Those who have truly repented, means they have seen where they are wrong, according to those laws that are set. Those with true repentance, will suffer true sorrow over having sinned against our holy God, by not following His law. God sets a rule, and we do not follow or obey it, it is called sin.
The word, sin, is defined as: a voluntary transgression of the divine law or violation of a divine command. Sin is voluntary. That means we do it out of our own will. Unless you have the Holy Spirit abiding within you, you won’t recognize you will be sinning before the act. You won’t be able to keep yourself from sinning.
The Holy Spirit of God, tells you not to do it, before you commit the sin. He warns you beforehand. You must voluntarily discard the voice of the Holy Spirit, to commit the sin.
When we sin, it means we have broken God’s law. If we break any law, we are labeled, lawbreakers.
For example, if the speed limit is set at 65 miles per hour and we decide to drive 80 miles per hour, we have broken the law. In this case, once we are caught, there will be a fine to pay. If broken repeatedly, the consequences become more severe, even up to jail time. So, as you can see, once the law is broken, then comes judgement.
Once we commit sins, we must realize what we have done is wrong, because it is against God’s commands.
If we are never told, or shown what is the law, then we will not realize or even recognize when we do wrong. Then we would never come to the place of repentance. We will go through life, thinking we do nothing wrong and will not see we ever need to change and do what is right.
If we do not repent, then since we have broken God’s laws, we must be watchful then of His judgments. Unless there is repentance of that crime, there will be judgement once that crime is committed.
When you go through life, expecting laws and authority to submit to YOU, and THEY should change for you, that is pride.
The word, pride, is defined as: inordinate self-esteem; arrogant (which is assuming or giving one’s self and undue degree of importance.
If you truly repent, you will not have the attitude, “What I want is more important.” You will have a broken heart over your actions and will become ashamed. You will realize that you are the guilty one, and no one else is to blame. You will not be blaming others anymore for your own actions. You will be ashamed by your failure or your disappointment you have caused God and those around you.
That awareness of your sin, will create the shame and the guilt of the sin, that is the conviction from the Holy Spirit of God.
The Lord is so gracious and loves us so much, He gives us the gift of conviction. This is when we finally are compelled to admit the truth with God about who we are and the sins we have committed against Him. If we did not experience the gift of conviction, then that would mean that God was finished with us. So, if you have ever or even at this moment experienced conviction, praise the Lord Jesus for allowing you to do that. He is offering you a time in your life, so you can repent and get things right with Him, before it is too late.
When you are feeling this guilt or shame because of your sins, this is the very time for you to turn to the Lord and pray and ask Him for forgiveness. This is called repentance.
When you are truly sorry for your sins, and God knows when you truly are, and you ask Him to forgive you, He will do it. If you have never been saved, this is the time, to ask His forgiveness, but also, ask the Lord to save your soul from hell. If you are lost, without God in your heart, your final destination is hell. Choose this time, to ask the Lord to save you!
Repentance: A change of mind or a conversion from sin to God, then you will walk in that change and corrected, new life in Christ. This is a change of heart away from sin, and towards God. If you are tired and miserable, you do not have to stay where you are, you can experience that real change you have been searching for, by simply obeying God.
Even if you are a child of God already, there will be times in our life we still need to repent and ask the Lord for His forgiveness. We will fail, but the difference is, we will not want to. We will want to please our Father, in heaven. We then can pray, Psalm 51:10, Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
God knows our hearts, if we are true or not. God will never turn anyone away who truly realize they have broken His law.
Psalm 51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
A contrite heart, is one that is broken for sin; deeply affected with grief and sorrow for having offended God. This creates humility.
The Lord wants us to come to Him and call upon Him. He says in Mark 2:17 I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. He wants us to be in heaven with Him once this life is over. He is so longsuffering with us, and does not want us to die and go to hell.
If you are in church, hearing the preaching, reading your bible, or have parents who try to teach you the ways of God, and you are not changing, that means you are not heeding to the authorities God has placed in your life. This is a very dangerous place to be, when you never see anything wrong in your life, and never see a need to change.
We should always be repenting for the rest of our days. We will never come to a place in our lives of sinless perfection. There is only one man who walked this earth, that was sinless perfection, and that was our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
We cannot reach sinless perfection on this earth. Not until we get to Glory and get our new glorified bodies.
We should search our hearts daily to see what we need to change, or what we need to clean out of our hearts to be right in the sight of God.
Don’t live your life in rebellion, under the judgement of God.
If we seek good things and blessings from God, it takes obedience. God blesses obedience. The Lord says in 1 Samuel 15:22 it is better to obey than sacrifice, and He simply says in John 14:15 If you love me, keep my commandments.
(All definitions taken from the Webster’s 182 Dictionary)