by Ester yusufu | 30 December 2021 08:46 pm12
Many people believe repentance is simply asking for forgiveness. However, true repentance is much more—it means turning away from sin and changing your behavior. Asking for forgiveness comes after you have made this change.
Repentance literally means a change of mind or heart that leads to a change in action. It’s not just feeling sorry but actively turning from sin,
(Luke 13:3 “But unless you repent, you too will all perish”).
When you recognize you have sinned, the first step is to stop doing the wrong thing. Only then should you ask God or others for forgiveness.
No one truly repents while continuing in sin. For example, if you steal from someone, you can’t ask for forgiveness while still stealing. First, you must stop stealing, then seek forgiveness.
Your actions demonstrate whether you have genuinely repented, not just your words;
Matthew 3:8
“Produce fruit in keeping with repentance”.
God looks beyond words or tears—He sees the change in your life
Psalm 51:16-17
“You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise”.
Faith without works is dead (James 2:17“Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.”) Repentance is about doing what’s right, not just saying the right words.
God sent Jonah to warn Nineveh of coming judgment. The people responded by believing God and turning from their evil ways (Jonah 3:5-10).
The key verse is Jonah 3:10:
“When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened.”
Notice it doesn’t say God was impressed by their fasting or tears, but by their actions—their decision to stop sinning.
Fasting and prayer are important but must come after a genuine change of heart and behavior.
The Bible makes it clear: the right time to repent is now.
2 Corinthians 6:2 says:
“Now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.”
True repentance means deciding today to turn away from sin and live differently. Once you make this choice, the Holy Spirit empowers you to live a new life (Romans 8:13 “For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live”).
The Holy Spirit is our helper (John 14:26), but He helps those who have started walking the path of righteousness. If you haven’t made the first step—stopping your sin—He cannot do the work for you.
Isaiah 40:29 says:
“He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.”
If you’re struggling with sin, start by deciding to stop it, then ask God to strengthen you.
When Jesus met Zacchaeus, the tax collector repented by returning four times what he had stolen (Luke 19:8-9). Jesus declared salvation had come to his house—not because of words alone but because Zacchaeus’s actions showed real repentance.
Then God will empower you to overcome temptation. The desires that once controlled you will begin to fade.
Repentance is not just a feeling or prayer; it is a real change in your life.
May God bless you and strengthen us all to live in His grace.
The Lord is coming!
Source URL: https://wingulamashahidi.org/en/2021/12/30/what-does-it-really-mean-to-repent/
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