Repentance

Christians talk a lot about the importance of “belief.” After all, perhaps the most famous verse in the New Testament, John 3:16, says, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life.” (I should add here that the meaning of the Greek word which is translated “believe” is really closer to our words, faith and trust, or better yet, surrender.)

Yet the scriptures make very clear that faith in Christ is the second step along the road to salvation. The first step is always repentance.

John the Baptist spoke about the coming Christ, but he preached repentance.[1] When Jesus began his ministry after John’s arrest, he preached repentance.[2]

Jesus criticized the cities of Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum because they did not repent when they heard him preach.[3] He praised the wicked Assyrians in Nineveh because they repented when they heard Jonah preach, contrasting that with the failure of the people of his own time to repent.[4] Jesus said he came to call sinners to repent,[5] and he talked about the joy in heaven when a sinner repents.[6]

When Jesus sent the Twelve out to preach, they preached the message of repentance.[7] When Peter preached on Pentecost and the people asked him, “what are we to do?,” the first thing he said was, “Repent.”[8] We see this message of repentance throughout the book of Acts,[9] as well as in letters of Paul,[10] and in Hebrews, 2 Peter, and Revelation.[11]

So what is “repentance”? In simplest terms, repentance means turning back to God and away from evil. The Greek word for repentance is metanoia, which connotes a change of heart. Sincere repentance involves sorrow for wrongs committed and a complete change of attitude toward God. True repentance also includes a change in behavior. As John the  Baptist said, “produce fruit consistent with repentance.”[12] Joel 2:12-13 says it this way:

Return to Me with all your heart,
And with fasting, weeping, and mourning;
And tear your heart and not merely your garments.

If a person is going the wrong way, the first thing they must do is to turn around. That is what repentance is: turning back toward God and away from evil, abandoning the pursuit of things that do not satisfy, such as money, power, fame, or anything else that comes between us and God.

Those who repent and turn back to God will find him (in a metaphorical sense) running to welcome them and celebrate their return, just like the father in the story of the prodigal son.[13]

Once we are going the right direction again, toward God and his Christ, we soon learn to love God and trust him to know what is best for us. We study his word, seek his will, pray for his guidance, and try to live like Jesus told us to live.

But it all begins with repentance.

[1]. See Matthew 3:2, Mark 1:4, Luke 3:3.

[2]. Matthew 4:17, Mark 1:14-15

[3]. Matthew 11:;20-24, Luke 10:13-15

[4]. Matthew 12:41, Luke 11:32

[5]. Luke 5:32

[6]. Luke 15:7, 15:10

[7]. Mark 6:12

[8]. Acts 2:37-38

[9]. Acts 2:38, 3:19, 5:31, 8:22, 11:18, 17:30, 20:21, 26:20

[10]. Romans 2:4-5, 2 Corinthians 7:9-10, 2 Timothy 2:25

[11]. Hebrews 6:1, 6:6, 2 Peter 3:9, Revelation 2:5, 2:16, 2:21, 3:3

[12]. Matthew 3:8

[13]. Luke 15:11-24