What Is Repentance?

Our Lord and Master Jesus Christ, when He said Poenitentiam agite, willed that the whole life of believers should be repentance. - Martin Luther, #1 of the 95 Theses

You should know that if you send me an email or a Facebook message asking me a theological or a pastoral question, it will most likely be turned into a blog post. I'm just giving you fair warning. Earlier today, I received a 2-part question from a friend of mine.

1) How would you explain repentance to a person who is not a believer, or who is brand new to the Christian faith?

2) How would you explain repentance to a person who feels like it is a form of punishment?

There are two ways of approaching this: the short version and the long version. The problem with the long version is that most people don't want or need that level of explanation to "get it" when it comes to repentance. The problem with the short answer is that it leaves some of the more nuanced questions unanswered. I will do a quick, short answer, and then answer in more detail.

Here's my short answer: "Recognizing wrong things I've done, asking for and receiving God's forgiveness, and then intentionally turning away from those things."

Here's my long answer:

1. I need to recognize that there are certain things I have done in my life that are destructive or hurtful to myself and others. The Bible calls this sin.

2. I need to recognize that there are certain good things I SHOULD have done but didn't do. The Bible also calls this sin

3. I need to recognize that there are motives, thoughts, and words in me that are also harmful to myself or others. Even though no action was taken, the Bible still calls this sin.

4. Based on the 3 above statements, I now realize that I need to be different than I am. I desire to improve or change my life, my thoughts, my actions, and my words.

* At this point, a very important objection needs to be noted. Many people will say something along the lines of "I haven't murdered anyone, I haven't robbed a bank, I haven't sold my children into prostitution, I'm a pretty good person! Who cares that I lied on a job application or that I snuck out of my parents' house in the 8th grade. Compared to what other people are doing, I'm a very good person." The problem with that line of thinking is that repentance is exclusively between a person and God; repentance has absolutely nothing to do with any other person. And, since God's standard is absolute perfection, we all fall short. We might be doing pretty well when we compare ourselves to Hitler, but we are absolutely wretched when we compare ourselves to Jesus. THAT's why we need to repent.

5. Based on my own efforts, I realize that I am incapable of just "being better." I have tried very, very hard, but seem to be getting worse, not better.

6. I realize that not only have I harmed myself and others, but that I have sinned against God. I have broken His laws and caused Him grief.

7. I learn that God's moral laws are not abstract "rules" designed to just "keep us in line" or rob us of our fun, but they are like guard rails to keep us from crashing as we navigate the roads of life. There is a better way to drive than just telling ourselves "Don't hit the guard rails!"; there's a better way to live than just telling ourselves "Don't break the rules!" That better way is called repentance.

8. I learn that the scripture says "if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and cleanse us of all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9) This means...

- I need to be honest with myself and God about my wrongdoing

- He will forgive me. He loves to forgive. He delights in showing mercy (Micah 7:18)

- He will lift off of me the burden of guilt and shame that I've carried due to my wrongdoing

- He will begin to change my desires from the inside out

9. We approach God humbly, knowing that we've sinned, but we also approach God confidently, knowing that we have been freely offered forgiveness because of Jesus death on the cross. (Heb 4:16)

10. Because of my repentance, I now feel empowered to walk forward with confidence, know that God himself is working with me to become the type of person who He wants me to be.

Now on the subject of punishment, there are 3 different words that need to be defined:

Punishment: retribution, payback. You have done X wrong thing, so you will receive Y punishment. Very often, if someone wrongs us, we desire to inflict punishment back on them, usually not in proportion to the wrong they did to us. The Old Testament put restrictions on that type of escalation so that the punishment would fit the crime. "Eye for an eye" is actually quite revolutionary for the time. We, as Christians, believe that Jesus already bore the punishment that we deserved for our sin and rebellion to God. We have absolutely no punishment awaiting us, because Jesus took it all upon himself.

Discipline: training, teaching, learning. The desire of discipling is always instructive. It may look similar sometimes to punishment, but it has a different goal. The goal of punishment is justice, but the goal of discipline is learning. The Bible is clear that God definitely disciplines His children because He loves them, and that even imperfect earthly fathers discipline their children to help them learn and grow. True, discipline is not pleasant, but when we understand that it is for our benefit and that it is not punishment, it truly can become a joy.

Consequences: natural results. If my put my hand on a hot stove, I will get burned. If I speak harshly to my friend, the relationship is strained. If I use drugs, my brain will function less effectively. Natural consequences are not "punishment" per se, and are not necessarily even discipline, although they should be used as a learning tool. Every human being is subject to natural consequences, whether they're forgiven by God or not.

So, as we can see, repentance is an acknowledgment of wrongdoing and a means to be forgiven by God. He may still discipline us, or there may still be natural consequences to deal with because of our sin, but there is not punishment from God for those who have truly repented and trusted in Jesus for salvation. Trusting in Jesus is very important, because without His death and resurrection, we don't have repentance, we merely have apologies.

One final thought. Not to get too Calvinist here...but there is a certain aspect of mystery as to who will be able to repent. 2 Timothy 2:25 and Acts 11:18 seem to indicate that in some way, repentance itself is a gift from God. I don't fully understand why some people just never seem to "get it" when it comes to the issue of their own sinfulness. I can't force someone into understanding their need for a Savior; I can't guilt them, or shame them, or browbeat them, or convince them. They need a revelation within their own heart. I can, however, pray for them to come to an understanding of God's kindness and mercy, which the Bible says leads us to repentance (Rom 2:4). I also can explain to them clearly and lovingly the Biblical truth of our need to repent. I can also share with them the joy I have that comes from experiencing God's forgiveness firsthand.