One of the questions posed recently asks what role conviction of sin and repentance play in receiving the gift of salvation. Clearly this topic is central to the Bible’s message. Some form of the word “repentance” occurs 74 times in the New International Version of the Bible. A biblically grounded definition is “turning away from anything which hinders one’s wholehearted devotion to God, and the corresponding turning to God in love and obedience.”[1]
Once you know Jesus, repentance is a continual part of your growth in Christ and something which happens more than once. However, if you have not embraced Jesus, any of the things you may do for Jesus will not help you earn your way to Him. His offer of salvation is a gift to us. Making Him the Lord of our lives is the gift we offer back to Him.
To understand what it means to truly repent, let’s review what the Bible says about beginning a relationship with God. Ask yourself the following:
1. Do you believe that apart from Christ you are lost (19:19), dead in sin (Ephesians 2:1), and have no hope of eternal salvation (Ephesians 2:12)?
2. Do you believe that Jesus paid your death penalty on the cross (Romans 6:23) and rose victorious over the grave (Romans 10:9)?
3. Have you personally expressed to God your need for his forgiveness (Ephesians 2:8-9) and your desire to follow His plan for your life (Ephesians 2:10)?
If you weren’t sure how to answer one of these questions, ask God to shine light on the Scriptures listed. You may also want to talk to someone you respect who has been walking with Christ for awhile. If you answered yes, then God’s promise is that you are His child (Romans 10:13; John 1:12).
The outward manifestations when someone repents and believes will look different from person to person. For some the change will be very emotional and for others this will be less true. Yet everyone who trusts Christ for salvation will experience a deep and undeniable change in their thinking and behavior.
Once we are born into God’s family, a lifetime of growth should follow. As God reveals sin to us, we should be quick to own up to it, turn from it, and relearn God’s way of living. True repentance doesn’t stay stuck in feelings of shame but moves into life-giving gratitude (2 Corinthians 7:10).
This is where the analogy of a parent-child relationship is so appropriate. When one of my daughters disobeys, she doesn’t get kicked out of the family. Rather, if I am a loving parent, I have a responsibility to discipline and instruct her. I am not nearly as interested in a tearful confession as I am in a heartfelt understanding of what happened and a genuine desire to learn from it moving forward (Hebrews 12:7-11). The same is true in God’s family.
[1] “Repentance” in New Dictionary of Biblical Theology edited by T. Desmond Alexander and Brian S. Rosner, published by InterVarsity Press (2000) page 726.
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