When speaking to an assembly in Athens, Paul made a statement about God and repentance which is recorded in Acts 17:30, God “now commandeth all men every where to repent”. The command for man to repent is universally extended to all. It has been said that repentance is the hardest command of all to obey. True repentance has three major elements which are necessary in order to be valid Biblical repentance.
The Intellectual component of Repentance is that change of a sinner’s mind that leads him or her to turn from evil ways and live according to the will of God. Intellectually, human beings must perceive sin as evil and the divine law as perfect and binding. One must also realize that they have sinned and fallen short of the requirements of God, (Romans 3:23).
There is an emotional aspect to repentance as well. It is possible to have a knowledge of sin without recognizing it as something that dishonors God and beings ruin upon humanity. A change in emotional attitude is necessary in genuine repentance. A Christian cannot be emotionally indifferent to sin, rather, they must have a genuine sorrow over it.
The type of sorrow that issues in repentance must be distinguished from that which is simply remorse. There is a godly sorrow and a worldly sorrow: the former brings life, the latter death. The difference between the two is distinguishable by one’s actions. True repentance because of sorrow must be accompanied by action. Those who do not turn from their sinful behavior have not exhibited the Godly sorrow which leads to salvation, (2 Corinthians 7:9-10).
The most prominent characteristic of true repentance is the changing of one’s will. This is the action aspect of true repentance. It involves not only a conviction of personal sinfulness but also an earnest attempt to abandon one’s old life and turn to a life of righteousness according to God’s will. The demand for repentance clearly implies human free will and an earnest desire to seek and serve God according to His righteousness (Romans 10:3).
True repentance has been defined as a sorrow and conviction of one’s heart over sin that leads to a change in behavior.
The relation of repentance to salvation is one of necessity. . In Luke 13:3 we read the words of Jesus saying that “except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish”. Failure to repent leaves one in a state of condemnation which will result in one’s spiritual death. In short, those who fail to recognize sin, be sorrowful for it and turn from that life to a new life will be condemned to eternal separation from God.
Have you truly repented? Are you obedient to the will of God? If not, then we invite you to visit our website or attend services with us and learn more of God’s will for man concerning repentance. You can visit our website at www.granbychurchofChrist.org.